Eno. Why, sir, give the gods a thankful sacrifice. When it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man from him, it shews to man the tailors of the earth; comforting therein, that when 15 old robes are worn out, there are members to make new. If there were no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the case to be lamented: this grief is crown'd with consolation; your old smock brings forth a new 20 petticoat: and, indeed, the tears live in an onion, that should water this sorrow. [state, Ant. The business she hath broach'd in the Cannot endure my absence. Eno. And the business you have broach'd here, 25 cannot be without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode. 2 30 Say, I am dancing; if in mirth, report, [Exit Alex. Char. Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly, You do not hold the method to enforce Cleo. What should I do, I do not? Char. In each thing give him way, cross him in But here comes Antony. [pose. Ant. I am sorry to give breathing to my pur- Ant. Now, my dearest queen,- [news. Cleo. I know, by that same eye, there's some good I have no power upon you; hers you are. Cleo. O, never was there queen So mightily betray'd! Yet, at the first, Ant. Cleopatra,— [true, Cleo. Why should I think, you can be mine, and 35 Though you in swearing shake the throned gods, Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness, To be entangled with those mouth-made vows, Which break themselves in swearing! Ant. No more light answers. Let our officers Eno. I shall do't. [Exeunt. 1401 Ant. Most sweet queen,— [going, Bliss in our brows' bent'; none our parts so poor, Ant. How now, lady! [know, Cleo. I would, I had thy inches; thou should'st 50 There were a heart in Ægypt. Cleo. See where he is, who's with him, what he 55 I did not send you‘;--If you find him sad, Ant. Hear me, queen: The strong necessity of time commands Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius The meaning is this: "As the gods have been pleased to take away your wife Fulvia, so they have provided you with a new one in Cleopatra; in like manner as the tailors of the earth, when your old garments are worn out, accommodate you with new ones." 2 Expedience for expedition. i. e. things that touch me more sensibly. * i. e. wish us at home. "Alluding to an old idle notion, that the hair of a horse dropped into corrupted water, will turn to an animal. 6 You must go as if you came without my order or knowledge. i. e. in the arch of our eye-brows. * i. e. had a smack or flavour of heaven.-The race of wine is the taste of the soil. 7 Equality Equality of two domestic powers Are newlygrown to love: the condemn'd Pompey, Is Fulvia's death. Ant. She's dead, my queen: Cleo. O most false love! Where be the sacred vials thou should'st fill you Ant. My precious queen, forbear; And give true evidence to his love, which stands I Cleo. So Fulvia told me. pr'ythee, turn aside, and weep for her; Ant. You'll heat my blood; no more. Cleo. And target.-Still he mends; But this is not the best: Look, pr'ythee, Charmian, Ant. I'll leave you, lady. Cleo. Courteous lord, one word. Casar's Palace in Rome. Enter Octavius Cæsar, Lepidus, and Attendants. 25 It is not Cæsar's natural vice to hate 35 A man, who is the abstract of all faults. Lep. I must not think, there are Cas. You are too indulgent: Let us grant, it is 45 To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet comes him, [tony (As his composure must be rare indeed, 6 The by calling forget'i. e. according to 1i. e. the commotion she occasioned. The word is derived from the old French garbouil, which Cotgrave explains by hurlyburly, great stir. Alluding to the lacrymatory vials, or bottles of 3 So for us. 4 i. e. to me, tears, which the Romans sometimes put into the urn of a friend. the queen of Ægypt. "Antony traced his descent from Anton, a son of Hercules. plain meaning is, My forgetfulness makes me forget myself.—But she expresses fulness Antony; because forgetfulness had forgot her, as Antony had done. Warburton," But that your charms hold me, who am the greatest fool on earth, in chains, I should have adjudged you to be the greatest." * Cleopatra may perhaps here allude to Antony having before called her, in the first scene, "wrangling queen, whom every thing becomes." meaning, according to Mr. Malone, is, "As the stars or spots of heaven are not obscured, but rather rendered more bright, by the blackness of the night; so neither is the goodness of Antony eclipsed by his evil qualities, but, on the contrary, his faults seem enlarged and aggravated by his virtues," 10 i. e. trifling levity. 3D 2 The His His vacancy with his voluptuousness, Enter a Messenger. Lep. Here's more news. Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir, [hour, 10 To let me be partaker. Mes. Thy biddings have been done; and every Cas. I should have known no less:- Mes. Cæsar, I bring thee word, No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as soon Cæs. Antony, Leave thy lascivious wassels. When thou once 15 20 25 Cas. Doubt it not, sir; I knew it for my bond. [Exeunt. 30 In aught an eunuch has: 'Tis well for thee, 35 Did famine follow; whom thou fought'st against, 40 The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; Lep. It is pity of him. Cas. Let his shames quickly Drive him to Rome: Time is it, that we twain Cleo. Indeca? [thing Mar. Not in deed, madam; for I can do no Cleo. O Charmian! [he? Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits 45 The demy Atlas of this earth, the arm And burgonet of man.-He's speaking now, With most delicious poison: Think on me, 3 To car is to Call on him, is visit him for it. 2 i. e. boys old enough to know their duty. plow. * i. e. turn pale at the thought of it. Flush youth is youth ripened to manhood; youth whose blood is at the flow. Wassel is here put for intemperance in general. 'All these circumstances of Antony's distress are taken literally from Plutarch. Cleo. How much unlike art thou Mark Antony! How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? Say, "the firm Roman to great Egypt sends Cleo. What, was he sad, or merry? Alex. Like to the time o' the year between the 5 In Egypt with his joy; but between both: Cleo. Who's born that day When I forget to send to Antony, Shall die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian.10 Welcome, my good Alexas.-Did I, Charmian, Ever love Casar so? 15 Char. O that brave Cæsar! Cleo. Be choak'd with such another emphasis! Say, the brave Antony. Char. The valiant Cæsar! Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, Char. By your most gracious pardon, 25 Cleo. My sallad days! When I was green in judgement: Cold in blood, Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas. He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both, Men. Cæsar and Lepidus are in the field; Pomp. IF the great gods be just, they shall assist 40 A mighty strength they carry. The deeds of justest men. Men. Know, worthy Pompey, That what they do delay, they not deny. [cays Men. We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Pomp. I shall do well: The people love me, and the sea is mine; My power's a crescent, and my auguring hope Says, it will come to the full. Mark Antony In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make Pomp. Where have you this? 'tis false. Pomp. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together, 45 Looking for Antony: But all the charms of love, Var. This is most certain, that I shall deliver: No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money, where 55 Mark Antony is every hour in Rome 2 Arm Alluding to the philosopher's stone, which, by its touch, converts base metal into gold. The alchemists call the matter, whatever it be, by which they perform transmutation, a medicine. gaunt perhaps means, a horse so slender that a man might clasp him, and therefore formed for expedition.—In Chaucer's description of a king of Thrace in the Knight's Tale, armgrcle is used to signify as big as the arm; arm-gaunt therefore may mean as slender as the arm. We still say, in vulgar comparison, as long as my arm, as thick as my leg, &c. i. e. put to silence by him. 4 The meaning is, Those were my sallad days, when I was green in judgement; but your blood is as cold as my judgement, if you have the same opinion of things now as I had then. By sending out messengers. The meaning is, While we are praying, the thing for which we pray is losing its value. 3D 3 5 Expected; To don is do on, to put on. or subject of conversation. never 10 Did urge me in his act: I did enquire it; Discredit my authority with yours; And make the wars alike against my stomach, Having alike your cause"? Of this my letters Before did satisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel, 50 As matter whole you have not to make it with, It must not be with this. 1551 Cas. You praise yourself, By laying defects of judgement to me; but Ant. Not so, not so: I know you could not lack, I am certain on 't, 2 Hope for expect. i. e. quarrel. 4 i. e. I would meet 7 him undressed, without shew of respect. ' i. e. Let not ill humour be added to the subject of our difference. To practise means to employ unwarrantable arts or stratagems. i. e. The pretence of the war was on your account; arms in your name, and you were made the theme and subject of their insurrection. did make use of my name as a pretence for the war. 10 Reports for reporters. same cause as you to be offended with me. i.e. my theme they took up , í. e. never "Having the Your |