Eno. Upon her landing, Antony sent to her, It should be better, he became her guest; Agr. Royal wench! She made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed; Eno. I saw her once Hop forty paces through the public street: And having lost her breath, she spoke, and panted, That she did make defect, perfection, And, breathless, power breathe forth. Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety: Other women cloy Th' appetites they feed; but she makes hungry, [4] Such is the praise bestowed by Shakespeare on his heroine; a praise that well deserves the consideration of our female readers. Cleopatra, as appears from the tetradrachms of Ant ny, was no Venus; and indeed the majority of ladies who most successfully enslaved the hearts of princes, are known to have been less remarkable for personal than mental attractions. The reign of insipid beauty is seldom lasting; but permanent must be the rule of a woman who can diversify the sameness of life by an inexhausted variety of accomplishments. STEEVENS. [5] In this, and the foregoing description of Cleopatra's passage down the Cydnus, Dryden seems to have emulated Shakespeare, and not without success: 66-she's dangerous: Her eyes have power beyond Thessalian charms, The sea-green sirens taught her voice their flattery; Age buds at sight of her, and swells to youth: The holy priests gaze on her when she smiles; And with heav'd hands, forgetting gravity, They bless her wanton eyes. Even I who hate her, And while I curse desire it." Be it remembered however, that, in both instances, without a spark from Shakespeare, the blaze of Dryden might not have been enkindled. REED. [6] Rigg is an antient word meaning a strumpet. STEEVENS. Mec. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle The heart of Antony, Octavia is A blessed lottery to him. Agr. Let us go.— Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest, Whilst you abide here. Eno. Humbly, sir, I thank you, [Exeunt. SCENE III. The same. A Room in CESAR's House. Enter CESAR, ANTONY, OCTAVIA between them; Attendants and a Soothsayer. Ant. The world, and my great office, will sometimes Divide me from your bosom. Oct. All which time Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers Ant. Good night, sir.-My Octavia, Read not my blemishes in the world's report: I have not kept my square; but that to come Shall all be done by the rule. Good night, dear lady. Oct. Good night, sir. Cas. Good night. [Exeunt CES. and OCTA. Ant. Now, sirrah! you do wish yourself in Egypt? Sooth. 'Would I had never come from thence, nor you Thither! Ant. If you can, your reason? Sooth. I see't in My motion, have it not in my tongue :' But yet Hie you again to Egypt. Ant. Say to me, Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's, or mine? Sooth. Cæsar's. Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side: Thy dæmon, that's thy spirit which keeps thee, is Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable, Where Cæsar's is not; but, near him, thy angel [1] Motion, that is, the divinitory agitation. WARBURTON. A Fear was a personage in some of the old moralities. In the sacred writings, Fear is also a person: "I will put a Fear in the land of Egypt." Exodus. STEEVENS. Ant. Speak this no more. Sooth. To none but thee; no more, but when to thee. If thou dost play with him at any game, Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck, He beats thee 'gainst the odds; thy lustre thickens, 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 Sooth. He hath spoken true: The very dice obey him; I'the east my pleasure lies :-O, come, Ventidius, SCENE IV. [Exeunt. The same. A Street. Enter LEPIDUS, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA. Lep. Trouble yourselves no further: pray you, hasten Your generals after. Agr. Sir, Mark Antony Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow. Lep. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress, Which will become you both, farewell. Mec. We shall, As I conceive the journey, be at the mount' Before you, Lepidus. Lep. Your way is shorter, My purposes do draw me much about; You'll win two days upon me. Mec. Agr. Sir, good success! Lep. Farewell. [Exeunt. JOHNSON. JOHNSON. [5] The ancients used to match quails as we match cocks. [4] Inhoop'd--is inclosed that they may fight. [5] i. e. Mount Misenum. STEEVENS. SCENE V. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS. Cleo. Give me some music; music, moody food Of us that trade in love. Attend. The music, ho! Enter MARDIAN. Cleo. Let it alone; let us to billiards: Come, Charmian. Char. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian. As with a woman ;-Come, you'll play with me, sir? Cleo. And when good-will is show'd, though it come too short, The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now :— Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce And say, Ah, ha! you're caught. Char. 'Twas merry, when You wager'd on your angling; when your diver Cleo. That time!-0 times ! I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night Ram thou thy fruitful tidings' in mine ears, That long time have been barren. Mes. Madam, madam,— [6] The mood is the mind, or mental disposition. Van Haaren's panegyric on the English begins, Groot moedig Volk. (great-minded nation.) Perhaps here is a poor jest intended between mood the mind, and moods of music. JOHNSON. [7] Ram is a vulgar word, never used in our author's plays, but once by Falstaff, where he describes his situation in the buck-basket. In the passage before us, it is evidently a misprint for rain. RITSON. Cleo. Antony's dead? If thou say so, villain, thou kill'st thy mistress: If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here Mes. First, madam, he's well. Cleo. Why, there's more gold. But, sirrah, mark; Το say, the dead are well: bring it to that, The gold I give thee, will I melt, and pour Mes. Good madam, hear me. Cleo. Well, go to, I will; But there's no goodness in thy face: If Antony To trumpet such good tidings? If not well, We use Thou should'st come like a fury crown'd with snakes, Mes. Will't please you hear me? Cleo. I have a mind to strike thee, ere thou speak'st: Yet, if thou say, Antony lives, is well, Or friends with Cæsar, or not captive to him, I'll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail Rich pearls upon thee." Mes. Madam, he's well. Cleo. Well said. Mes. And friends with Cæsar. Cleo. Thou'rt an honest man. Mes. Cæsar and he are greater friends than ever. Cleo. Make thee a fortune from me. Mes. But yet, madam,— Cleo. I do not like but yet, it does allay The good precedence ; fye upon but yet: But yet is as a gaoler to bring forth Some monstrous malefactor. Pr'ythee, friend, The good and bad together: He's friend with Cæsar ; [6] By a formal man, Shakespeare means, a man in his senses. Informal women, in Measure for Measure, is used for women beside themselves. STEEVENS. [7] i. e. I will give thee a kingdom: it being the eastern ceremony, at the coronation of their kings, to powder them with gold-dust and seed-pearl. So Milton, "--the gorgeous east with liberal hand Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold. [8] i. e. Abates the good quality of what is already reported. WARBURTON. |