CLEO. Some innocents 'scape not the thunder bolt. Melt Egypt into Nile!" and kindly creatures CLEO. I will not hurt him:Thefe hands do lack nobility, that they strike A meaner than myfelf; fince I myself Have given myself the cause.-Come hither, fir. Re-enter Meffenger. Though it be honest, it is never good To bring bad news Give to a gracious meffage An host of tongues; but let ill tidings tell Themselves, when they be felt. 9 Melt Egypt into Nile!] So, in the first scene of this play: "Let Rome in Tyber melt," &c. STEEVENS. 2 Thefe bands do lack nobility, that they ftrike A meaner than myself;] This thought feems to be borrowed from the laws of chivalry, which forbad a knight to engage with his inferior. So, in Albumazar: 66 Stay; understand'ft thou well the points of duel? "Thou wert most unworthy, and 'twere lofs of honour Perhaps here was intended an indirect cenfure of Queen Elizabeth, for her unprincely and unfeminine treatment of the amiable Earl of Effex. The play was probably not produced till after her death, when a ftroke at her proud and paffionate demeanour to her courtiers and maids of honour (for her majesty used to chastise them too) might be fafely hazarded. In a fubfequent part of this scene there is (as Dr. Grey has obferved) an evident allufion to Elizabeth's inquiries concerning the perfon of her rival, Mary, Queen of Scots. MALONE. MES. CLEO. Is he married? I have done my duty. I cannot hate thee worfer than I do, If thou again fay, Yes. MES. He is married, madam. CLEO. The gods confound thee! doft thou hold there ftill? MES. Should I lie, madam? CLEO. O, I would, thou didft; So half my Egypt were fubmerg'd,' and made Thou would'st appear most ugly. He is married? CLEO. He is married? MES. Take no offence, that I would not offend you: To punish me for what you make me do, CLEO. O, that his fault fhould make a knave of thee, That art not!-What? thou'rt fure of 't? -Get thee hence: 3 were fubmerg'd,] Submerg'd is whelm'd under water. So, in The Martial Maid, by Beaumont and Fletcher: 4 66 -fpoil'd, loft, and submerg'd in the inundation," &c. STEEVENS. - to me Thou would't appear most ugly.] So, in King John, A& IIL fc. i: "Fellow, be gone; I cannot brook thy fight; STEEVENS. s That art not!-What? thou'rt fure of 't?] Old copy: The merchandise, which thou haft brought from Rome, For this, which is not eafily understood, Sir Thomas Hanmer has given: That fay'ft but what thou'rt fure of! I am not fatisfied with the change, which, though it affords fenfe, exhibits little fpirit. I fancy the line confifts only of abrupt ftarts. O that his fault should make a knave of thee, That art-not what?-Thou'rt fure on't. Get thee hence: That his fault should make a knave of thee that art—but what shall I fay thou art not? Thou art then fure of this marriage.-Get thee hence. Dr. Warburton has received Sir T. Hanmer's emendation. JOHNSON. In Measure for Measure, A&t II. fc. ii. is a paffage fo much refembling this, that I cannot help pointing it out for the use of fome future commentator, though I am unable to apply it with fuccefs to the very difficult line before us: "Dreft in a little brief authority, "Moft ignorant of what he's most affur'd, That art nor what thou'rt fure of!] i. e. Thou art not an honest man, of which thou art thyself affured, but thou art in my opinion a knave by thy mafter's fault alone. TOLLET. A proper punctuation, with the addition of a fingle letter, will make this paffage clear; the reading of fure of't instead of sure of. O, that his fault fhould make a rogue of thee That art not!-What? thou'rt fure of't? That is, What? are you fure of what you tell me, that he is married to Octavia? M. MASON. I fufpect, the editors have endeavoured to correct this paffage. in the wrong place. Cleopatra begins now a little to recollect herself, and to be afhamed of having ftruck the fervant for the fault of his master. She then very naturally exclaims, O, that his fault should make a knave of thee, "That art not what thou'rt fore of!" for fo I would read, with the change of only one letter.-Alas, is it not ftrange, that the fault of Antony fhould make thee appear to me a knave, thee, that art innocent, and art not the caufe of that ill news, in confequence of which thou art yet fore with my blows! If it be faid, that it is very harfh to fuppofe that Cleopatra Are all too dear for me; Lie they upon thy hand, And be undone by 'em! CHAR. [Exit Meffenger. Good your highness, patience. CLEO. In praifing Antony, I have difprais'd Cæfar. CHAR. Many times, madam. CLEO. Lead me from hence, I am paid for't now. I faint; O Iras, Charmian,-'Tis no matter:- 6 Report the feature of Octavia, her years, means to fay to the meffenger, that he is not himself that informa tion which he brings, and which has now made him fmart, let the following paffage in Coriolanus answer the objection: "Left you fhould chance to whip your information, "And beat the messenger that bids beware "Of what is to be dreaded." The Egyptian queen has beaten her information. If the old copy be right, the meaning is, Strange, that his fault fhould make thee appear a knave, who art not that information of which thou bringest such certain affurance. MALONE. I have adopted the arrangement &c. propofed, with fingular acuteness, by Mr. M. Mafon; and have the greater confidence in it, because I received the very fame emendation from a gentleman who had never met with the work in which it firft occurred. STEEVENS. 6 the feature of Octavia,] By feature feems to be meant the caft and make of her face. Feature, however, anciently ap pears to have fignified beauty in general. So, in Greene's Farewell to Folly, 1617: rich thou art, featur'd thou art, feared thou art." Spenfer uses feature for the whole turn of the body. Faery Queen, B. I. c. viii: Thus when they had the witch difrobed quite, "And all her filthy feature open shown,” Again, in B. III. c. ix: She alfo doft her heavy haberjeon, "Which the fair feature of her limbs did hide.” STEEVENS, Our author has already in As you Like it, used feature for the general caft of face. See Vol. VI. p. 102, n. 3. MALONE, Her inclination, let him not leave out ly. The colour of her hair:'-bring me word quick[Exit ALEXAS. Let him for ever go:-Let him not-Charmian, Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon, T'other way he's a Mars: 9-Bid you Alexas [To MARDIAN. Bring me word, how tall fhe is.-Pity me, Char mian, But do not speak to me.-Lead me to my chamber. [Exeunt. let him not leave out The colour of her hair:] This is one of Shakspeare's masterly touches. Cleopatra, after bidding Charmian to enquire of the meffenger concerning the beauty, age, and temperament of Octavia, immediately adds, let him not leave out the colour of her hair; as from thence the might be able to judge for herself, of her rival's propenfity to thofe pleasures, upon which her paffion for Antony was founded. HENLEY. Verily, I would, for the inftruction of mine ignorance, that the commentator had dealt more diffufedly on this delectable fubject, for I can in no wife divine what coloured hair is to be regarded as moft indicative of venereal motions :-perhaps indeed the xepas xpósias; and yet, without experience, certainty may ftill be wanting to mine appetite for knowledge. Cuneta prius tentanda, faith that waggish poet Ovidius Nafo. AMNER. 8 Let him for ever go:] She is now talking in broken sentences, not of the messenger, but Antony. JOHNSON. 9 T'other way he's a Mars:] In this paffage the fenfe is clear, but, I think, may be much improved by a very little alteration. Cleopatra, in her paffion upon the news of Antony's marriage, fays: "Let him for ever go :-Let him not-Charmian, This, I think, would be more fpirited thus: Let him for ever go-let him-no,-Charmian; |