Eno. I will praise any man that will praise me : though it cannot be denied what I have done by land. Men. Nor what I have done by water. Eno. Yes, something you can deny for your own safety; you have been a great thief by sea, Men. And you by land. But give me Eno. There I deny my land service. your hand, Menas: If our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing. Men. All men's faces are true, whatsoe'er their hands are. Eno. But there is never a fair woman has a true face. Men. No slander; they steal hearts. Eno. We came hither to fight with you. Men. For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking. Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune. Eno. If he do, sure, he cannot weep it back again. Men. You have said, sir. We look'd not for Mark Antony here; Pray you, is he married to Cleopatra ? Eno. Cæsar's sister is call'd Octavia. Men. True, sir; she was the wife of Caius Marcellus. Eno. But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius. Men. Pray you, sir? Eno. 'Tis true. Men. Then is Cæsar, and he, for ever knit together. Eno. If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not prophesy so. Men. I think, the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage, than the love of the parties. Eno. I think so too. But you shall find, the band that seems to tie their friendship together, will be the very strangler of their amity: Octavia is of a holy, cold, and still conversation.* Men. Who would not have his wife so? Eno. Not he, that himself is not so; which is Mark Antony. He will to his Egyptian dish again: then shall the sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Cæsar; and, as I said before, that which is the strength of their amity, shall prove the immediate author of their variance. An [3] The poet's art in delivering this humorous sentiment (which gives so very true and natural a picture of the commerce of the world) can never be sufficiently admired. The confession could come from none but a frank and rough character like the speaker's; and the moral lesson insinuated under it, that flattery can make its way through the most stubborn manners, deserves our serious reflection. WARBURTON. [4] Conversation---that is, behaviour, manner of acting in common life. So in Ps. xxxvii. 14; "--to slay such as be of upright conversation. STEEVENS. tony will use his affection where it is; he married but his On board POMPEY's Galley, lying near Misenum. Music. Enter two or three Servants, with a banquet. 1 Serv. Here they'll be, man: Some o'their plants are ill-rooted already, the least wind in the world will blow them down. 2 Serv. Lepidus is high-coloured. 1 Serv. They have made him drink alms-drink." 2 Serv. As they pinch one another by the disposition,6 he cries out, no more; reconciles them to his entreaty, and himself to the drink. 1 Serv. But it raises the greater war between him and his discretion. 2 Serv. Why, this it is to have a name in great men's fellowship: I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service, as a partizan I could not heave." 1 Serv. To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in't, are the holes where eyes should be, which pitifully disaster the cheeks." A Sennet sounded. Enter Cesar, Antony, Pompey, LePIDUS, AGRIPPA, MECENAS, ENOBARBUS, MENAS, with other Captains. Ant. Thus do they, sir: [To CESAR.] They take the flow o'the Nile [4] Plants, besides its common meaning, is here used for the feet, from the LaJOHNSON. tin. [5] Alms-drink--a phrase amongst good fellows, to signify that liquor of another's share which his companion drinks to ease him. But it satirically alludes to Cæsar aud Antony's admitting him into the triumvirate, in order to take off from themselves the load of envy. WARBURTON. [6] A phrase equivalent to that now in use, of Touching one in a sore place. [7] A partizan-a pike. JOHNSON. WARBURTON. [8] This speech seems to be mutilated; to supply the deficiencies is impossible, but perhaps the sense was originally approaching to this. "To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in it, is a very ignominious state; great offices are the holes where eyes should be, which, if eyes be wanting, pitifully disaster the cheeks." JOHNSON. By certain scales i'the pyramid; they know, Lep. You have strange serpents there. Lep. Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile. Ant. They are so. Pom. Sit, and some wine.-A health to Lepidus. Lep. I am not so well as I should be, but I'll ne'er out. Eno. Not till you have slept; I fear me, you'll be in, till then. Lep. Nay, certainly, I have heard the Ptolemies' pyramises are very goodly things; without contradiction, I have heard that. [Aside. [Aside. Men. Forsake thy seat, I do beseech thee, captain, Men. Pompey, a word. Pom. Say in mine ear: What is't? And hear me speak a word. Pom. Forbear me till anon. This wine for Lepidus. Lep. What manner o'thing is your crocodile ? : Ant. It is shaped, sir, like itself; and it is as broad as it hath breadth it is just so high as it is, and moves with its own organs it lives by that which nourisheth it; the elements once out of it, it transmigrates. Lep. What colour is it of? Ant. Of its own colour too. Lep. 'Tis a strange serpent. Ant. 'Tis so. And the tears of it are wet. Cas. Will this description satisfy him? and Ant. With the health that Pompey gives him, else he is a very epicure. Pom. [To MENUS aside.] Go, hang, sir, hang! Tell me of that? away! [8] Foizon is a French word signifying plenty, abundance. I am told that it is still in common use in the North. STEEVENS. [9] Pyramis for pyramids was in common use in our author's time. From this word Shakespeare formed the English plural, pyramises, to mark the indistinct pronunciation of a man nearly intoxicated whose tongue is now beginning to "split what it speaks." In other places he has introduced the Latin plural pyramides, which was constantly used by our ancient writers. MALONE. Do as I bid you.-Where's this cup I call'd for? Men. If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me, [Aside. [Rises, and walks aside. Men. I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes. Pom. Thou hast serv'd me with much faith: What's else to say? Be jolly, lords. Ant. These quick-sands, Lepidus, Keep off them, for you sink. Men. Wilt thou be lord of all the world? Pom. What say'st thou ? Men. Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That's twice. Pom. How should that be? Men. But entertain it, and, Although thou think me poor, I am the man Will give thee all the world. Pom. Hast thou drunk well? Men. No, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup. Thou art, if thou dar'st be, the earthly Jove; Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips, Is thine, if thou wilt have't. Pom. Show me which way. Men. These three world-sharers, these competitors," Are in thy vessel: Let me cut the cable; And, when we are put off, fall to their throats : All there is thine. Pom. Ah, this thou should'st have done, Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour ; Men. For this, I'll never follow thy pall'd fortunes more.9 [Aside. Who seeks, and will not take, when once 'tis offer'd, Shall never find it more. Competitors---Confederates, partners. STEEVENS. [9] Palled is vapid, past its time of excellence; palled wine, is wine that has lost its original sprightliness. JOHNSON. Pom. This health to Lepidus. Ant. Bear him ashore.-I'll pledge it for him, Pompey. Eno. Here's to thee, Menas. Men. Enobarbus, welcome. Pom. Fill, till the cup be hid. Eno. There's a strong fellow, Menas. [Pointing to the attendant who carries of LEPIDUS. Men. Why? Eno. He bears The third part of the world, mah; See'st not? Men. The third part then is drunk: Would it were all, That it might go on wheels! Eno. Drink thou; increase the reels. Men. Come. Pom. This is not yet an Alexandrian feast. Ant. It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho!' Here is to Cæsar. Cas. I could well forbear it. It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain, And it grows fouler. Ant. Be a child o'the time. Cas. Possess it, I'll make answer: but I had rather fast From all, four days, than drink so much in one, Eno. Ha, my brave emperor ! Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals, Pom. Let's ha't, good soldier.' Ant. Come, let us all take hands ; [TO ANT. Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense Eno. All take hands. Make battery to our ears with the loud music :- As his strong sides can volley. [Music plays. ENO. places them hand in hand. [1] Strike the vessels-means chink the vessels one against the other as a mark of our unanimity in drinking, as we now say, chink glasses. STEEVENS. So, in one of Iago's songs: "And let me the cannikin clink." RITSON. Vessels probably meant kettle-drums, which were beaten when the health of a person of eminence was drank; immediately after we have, "make battery to our ears with the loud music." They are called kettles in Hamlet: Give me the cups; And let the kettle to the trumpet speak." HOLT WHITE. |