Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian, Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, 70 When I was green in judgment: cold in blood, He shall have every day a several greeting, [Exeunt. ACT SECOND SCENE I Messina. Pompey's house. Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas, in warlike manner. Pom. If the great gods be just, they shall assist The deeds of justest men. Mene. Know, worthy Pompey, That what they do delay, they not deny. Pom. Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays The thing we sue for. Mene. We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise pow ers Deny us for our good; so find we profit By losing of our prayers. Pom. I shall do well: 9 The people love me, and the sea is mine; No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money 10. "powers are crescent"; Theobald reads "pow'r's a crescent"; Becket conj. "power is crescent"; Anon. conj. "power's a-crescent.” -I. G. He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both, Men. Cæsar and Lepidus Are in the field: a mighty strength they carry. Pom. Where have you this? 'tis false. Men. From Silvius, sir. Pom. He dreams: I know they are in Rome to gether, Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love, Salt Cleopatra, soften thy waned lip! 20 Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both! That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honor Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver: Mark Antony is every hour in Rome Expected: since he went from Egypt 'tis 30 21. "waned lip" is pale or faint colored lip; a lip that shows age or sickness; waned being a participle of the verb wane. Cleopatra has spoken of the waning of her beauty: "Think on me, that am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black, and wrinkled deep in time!" Mr. Dyce quotes an apt though comic passage from Fletcher's Queen of Corinth: “Oh, ruby lips, love hath to you been like wine-vinegar; now you look wan and pale, lips' ghosts ye are." There were no occasion for so much note, but that Mr. Collier would read wand-lip, as if Cleopatra's lip were a wand, and had magic in it. The context plainly requires the sense of waned.-H. N. H. 27. "till" was formerly used for to.-H. N. H. A space for farther travel. Pom. A better ear. I could have given less matter Menas, I did not think This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm For such a petty war: his soldiership Is twice the other twain: but let us rear Men. I cannot hope Pom. I know not, Menas, How lesser enmities may give way to greater. Were 't not that we stand up against them all, 'Twere pregnant they should square between themselves; For they have entertained cause enough To draw their swords: but how the fear of us Be 't as our gods will have 't! It only stands 50 [Exeunt. 35. "rear the higher our opinion"; deem our reputation the greater.-C. H. H. SCENE II Rome. The house of Lepidus. Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus. Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain To soft and gentle speech. Eno. I shall entreat him To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him, And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter, I would not shave 't to-day. Lep. "Tis not a time Every time For private stomaching. Eno. Serves for the matter that is then born in 't. 10 Lep. But small to greater matters must give way. Eno. Not if the small come first. Lep. Your speech is passion: But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony. Eno. Enter Antony and Ventidius. And yonder, Cæsar. Enter Cæsar, Maecenas, and Agrippa. 8. "would not shave"; that is, I would meet him undressed, without any show of respect.-H. N. H. |