than sixteen items to the catalogue, starting with the Cleopatra of Jodelle, the first regular French tragedy. Two English productions preceded Shakespeare's play, Lady Pembroke's Antonie, translated from Garnier, and Daniel's companion drama, Cleopatra (1594) called forth by the former :

"thy well-graced Anthony

(Who all alone remained long)
Required his Cleopatra's company."

DRYDEN'S "ALL FOR LOVE"

Dryden's All for Love; or, The World Well Lost "written in imitation of Shakespeare's style" (pub. 1678, 1692, 1703, 1709) was its author's favorite production,—“the only play he wrote for himself"; its popularity was great; and the older critics were fond of praising its regularity and poetic harmony, though they generously recognized that it fell short of its first model in fire and originality (cf. Baker's Bibliographia Dramatica). It held the stage for a century, and has in all probability been acted ten times oftener than Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Campbell evidenced this fact as a proof of England's neglect of Shakespeare, as a disgrace to British taste. "Dryden's Marc Antony is a weak voluptuary from first to last. A queen, a siren, a Shakespeare's Cleopatra alone could have entangled Shakespeare's Antony, while an ordinary wanton could have enslaved Dryden's hero."

DURATION OF ACTION

The Time of the Play, as represented on the stage, covers twelve days with intervals:

Day 1.

Day 2.

Day 3.

Day 4.

val (?).

Act I, sc. i-iv. Interval of twenty days.

Act I, sc. v; Act II, sc. i-iii.

Act II, sc. iv.

Act II, sc. iv.

Interval.

Act II, sc. v-vii. [Act III, sc. iii.] Inter

Day 10. Act III, sc. xi-xiii; Act IV, sc. i-iii.

Day 11. Act IV, sc. iv-ix.

Day 12. Act IV, sc. x-xv; Act V, sc. i and ii (cp. Trans. New Shak. Soc., 1877-79).

The historic period embraces as many years as there are days in the play, stretching from about B. C. 42 to 30; that is, from the events immediately following the deaths of Brutus and Cassius at Philippi to the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra in Egypt.

"The gorgeous East, with liberal hand,

Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold."

THE TRAGEDY OF

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar

CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony

SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's army

EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar

CLEOPATRA, queen of Egypt

OCTAVIA, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony

SYNOPSIS

By J. ELLIS BURDICK

ACT I

Antony has fallen before the charms of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt and neglects wife and country for her, yielding himself to the voluptuous life of her court. News comes from Italy of the death of his deserted wife, Fulvia, and of an attack on that country by Sextus Pompeius. Antony rouses himself and hastens back to Rome.

ACT II

Antony makes his peace with the other triumvirs by explaining that Pompeius's attack on Italy was caused by Fulvia's desire to have him return from Egypt and by marrying Octavia, sister to Octavius. Pompeius concludes a treaty with the triumvirs.

АСТ III

Not long after Octavius wages new wars with Pompeius and imprisons Lepidus. Octavia is sent by Antony from their home in Athens to her brother to make peace but no sooner is she gone than Antony again yields to Cleopatra's charms and journeys to Egypt. Octavius uses this wrong done his sister as an excuse for turning his forces against Antony. Their two fleets battle near Actium and the defection of the Egyptian admiral gives Octavius the victory. Antony offers to give up everything to Octavius if only allowed to live. This the victor refuses and Antony sends a message of defiance to him.