Say to me,

Hie you again to Egypt."

ANT.

Whose fortunes fhall rife higher, Cæfar's, or mine ?

SOOTH. Cæfar's.

Therefore, O Antony, ftay not by his fide:

Thy dæmon, that's thy fpirit which keeps thee, is Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable,

Where Cæfar's is not; but, near him, thy angel Becomes a Fear, as being o'erpower'd; therefore Make space enough between you.

Mr. Theobald reads, with fome probability, I fee it in my notion. MALONE.

7 Hie you again to Egypt.] Old copy, unmetrically, Hie you to Egypt again. STEEVENS.

8 Becomes a Fear,] Mr. Upton reads:

Becomes afear'd,

The common reading is more poetical. JOHNSON.

A Fear was a perfonage in fome of the old moralities. Beaumont and Fletcher allude to it in The Maid's Tragedy, where Afpafia is inftructing her fervants how to defcribe her fituation in needlework:

" and then a Fear:

"Do that Fear bravely, wench."

Spenfer had likewise perfonified Fear, in the 12th canto of the third book of his Faery Queen. In the facred writings Fear is also a perfon:

"I will put a Fear in the land of Egypt." Exodus.

The whole thought is borrowed from Sir T. North's tranflation of Plutarch: "With Antonius there was a foothfayer or aftronomer of Egypt, that coulde caft a figure, and iudge of men's natiuities, to tell them what fhould happen to them. He, either to please Cleopatra, or else for that he founde it fo by his art, told Antonius plainly, that his fortune (which of it felfe was excellent good, and very great) was altogether blemished, and obfcured by Cæfars fortune and therefore he counfelled him vtterly to leaue his company, and to get him as farre from him as he could. For thy Demon faid he, (that is to fay, the good angell and fpirit that keepeth thee) is affraied of his and being coragious and high when he is alone, becometh fearfull and timerous when he commeth ncere vnto the other." STEEVENS.

:

ANT.

Speak this no more.

SOOTH. To none but thee; no more, but when to thee.

If thou doft play with him at any game,

Thou art fure to lofe; and, of that natural luck, He beats thee 'gainst the odds; thy luftre thickens, When he shines by: I fay again, thy fpirit

Is all afraid to govern thee near him;

But, he away,' 'tis noble.

ANT.

Get thee gone:

Say to Ventidius, I would speak with him :

[Exit Soothsayer. He shall to Parthia.-Be it art, or hap, He hath spoken true: The very dice obey him; And, in our sports, my better cunning faints Under his chance: if we draw lots, he speeds: His cocks do win the battle ftill of mine,

When it is all to nought; and his quails ever

Our author has a little lower expreffed his meaning more plainly: "I fay again, thy fpirit

"Is all afraid to govern thee near him." We have this fentiment again in Macbeth:

near him,

"My genius is rebuk'd; as, it is faid,
"Mark Antony's was by Cæfar's."

The old copy reads that thy fpirit. The correction, which was made in the fecond folio, is fupported by the foregoing paffage in Plutarch, but I doubt whether it is neceffary. MALONE.

But, he away,] Old Copy-alway. Corrected by Mr. Pope.
MALONE.

8 his quails] The ancients used to match quails as we match cocks. JOHNSON.

So, in the old tranflation of Plutarch: "For, it is faid, that as often as they two drew cuts for paftime, who should haue any thing, or whether they plaied at dice, Antonius alway loft. Oftentimes when they were difpofed to fee cockefight, or quailes that were taught to fight one with another, Cæfars cockes or quailes did euer ouercome," STEEVENS.

Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,

Enter VENTIDIUS.

I' the east my pleasure lies:-O, come, Ventidius, You must to Parthia; your commiffion's ready: Follow me, and receive it.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The fame. A Street.

Enter LEPIDUS, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

LEP. Trouble yourselves no further: pray you, haften

Your generals after.

AGR.

Sir, Mark Antony

Will e'en but kifs Octavia, and we'll follow.

9inhoop'd, at odds.] Thus the old copy. Inhoop'd is inclofed, confined, that they may fight. The modern editions read: Beat mine, in whoop'd-at odds. JOHNSON.

Shakspeare gives us the practice of his own time: and there is no occafion for in whoop'd at, or any other alteration. John Davies. begins one of his epigrams upon proverbs:

"He fets cocke on the hoope," in, you would fay;

"For cocking in hoopes is now all the play." FARMER. The attempt at emendation, however, deferves fome respect; as in As you like it, Celia fays: and after that out of all

whooping." STEEVENS.

At odds was the phrafeology of Shakspeare's time. So, in Mortimeriados, by Michael Drayton, no date:

"She ftraight begins to bandy him about,

"At thoufand odds, before the fet goes out." MALONE.

LEP. Till I fhall fee you in your foldier's drefs, Which will become you both, farewell.

MEC.

As I conceive the journey, be at mount"
Before you, Lepidus.

LEP.

My purposes do draw me much about;
You'll win two days upon me.

MEC. AGR.

LEP. Farewell.

We fhall,

Your way is fhorter,

Sir, good fuccefs!

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS.

CLEO. Give me some musick; mufick, moody

food 3

Of us that trade in love.

ATTEND.

The mufick, ho!

at mount] i. e. Mount Mifenum. STEEVENS.

Our author probably wrote-a'the mount. MALONE.

3

mufick, moody food-] The mood is the mind, or mental difpofition. Van Haaren's panegyrick on the English begins, Grootmoedig Volk, [great-minded nation.] Perhaps here is a poor jeft intended between mood the mind and moods of mufick. JOHNSON.

Moody, in this inftance, means melancholy. Cotgrave explains moody, by the French words, morne and trifle. STEEVENS. So, in The Comedy of Errors:

"Sweet recreation barr'd, what doth enfue,
"But moody and dull melancholy?" MALONE,

Enter MARDIAN.

CLEO. Let it alone; let us to billiards:

Come, Charmian.

CHAR. My arm is fore, best play with Mardian. CLEO. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd, As with a woman;-Come, you'll play with me, fir?

MAR. As well as I can, madam.

CLEO. And when good will is fhow'd, though it come too fhort,

The actor may plead pardon.

I'll none now:Give me mine angle,-We'll to the river: there, My mufick playing far off, I will betray

6

Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce
Their flimy jaws; and, as I draw them up,

I'll think them every one an Antony,

And fay, Ah, ha! you're caught.

CHAR.

'Twas merry, when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver
Did hang a falt-fifh' on his hook, which he
With fervency drew up.

let us to billiards :] This is one of the numerous anachronisms that are found in thefe plays. This game was not known in ancient times. MALONE.

5 And when good will is fhow'd, though it come too short,

The actor may plead pardon.] A fimilar fentiment has already appeared in A Midfummer-Night's Dream:

"For never any thing can be amifs,

"When fimplenefs and duty tender it." STEEVENS.

• Tawny-finn'd fifbes;] The firft copy reads:

Tawny fine fifbes, JOHNSON.

Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE.

Did hang a falt fifb &c.] This circumftance is likewife taken from Sir Thomas North's tranflation of the life of Antony in Plutarch. STEEVENS.