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 extremes Of hot and cold; he was nor sad, nor merry. Cleo. O well-divided disposition !-Note him, Note him, good Charinian, 'tis the man; but note him: He was not sad; for he would shine on those 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? SCENE АСТ I. Messina. Pompey's House. Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas. II. He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both, Men. Cæsar and Lepidus are in the field; the great gods be just, they shall assist 40 A mighty strength they carry. Pomp. The deeds of justest men. Men. Know, worthy Pompey, That what they do delay, they not deny. [cays The thing we sue for ". 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 45 Pomp. Where have you this? 'tis false. Pomp. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony: But all the charms of love, Let witchcraft join with beauty, fust with both; 50 Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite; 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 • 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. 2 Armgaunt, 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, armgrete 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. 1i. 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 Expected; For they have entertained cause enough To draw their swords: but how the fear of us SCENE II. Rome. Enter Enobarbus, and Lepidus. 10 15 [not Lep. Noble friends, That which combin'd us was most great, and let A leaner action rend us. What's amiss, May it be gently heard! When we debate Our trivial difference loud, we do commit Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners, (The rather, for I earnestly beseech) Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, Nor curstness grow to the matter.. Ant. 'Tis spoken well : Were we before our armies, and to fight, I should do thus. Cas. Welcome to Rome. Ant. Thank you. Cæs. Sit. Ant. Sit, sir! Cas. Nay, then Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not so; 20Or, being, concern you not. Cas. I must be laugh'd at, If, or for nothing, or a little, I Should say myself offended; and with you Chiefly i' the world: more laugh'd at, that I should 25 Once name you derogately, when to sound your [Exeunt. 30 Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain Eno. I shall entreat him To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him, Let Antony look over Cæsar's head, And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter, I would not shave 't to-day *. Lep. 'Tis not a time for private stomaching. Eno. Every time 35 name It not concern'd me. Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæsar, What was 't to you? Cas. No more than my residing here at Rome Might be to you in Egypt: Yet, if you there Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt Might be my question'. Ant. How intend you, practis'd? Cas. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, By what did here befal me. Your wife, and brother, Made wars upon me; and their contestation Was theme for you, you were the word of war. 40 Ant. You do mistake your business; my brother Serves for the matter that is then born in it. [way. Lep. Your speech is passion: But, pray your, stir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony. Enter Antony, and Ventidius. Eno. And yonder Cæsar. Enter Caesar, Mecanas, and Agrippa. Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia: Hark you, Ventidius. Cæs. I do not know, Mecanas; ask Agrippa. To don is do on, to put on. 2 never 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. 155 Cas. You praise yourself, By laying defects of judgement to me; but You patch'd up your excuses. Ant. Not so, not so: I know you could not lack, I am certain on't, Hope for expect. 3 i. e. quarrel. i. e. I would meet 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. my theme or subject of conversation. i. e. The pretence of the war was on your account; they took up aris in your name, and you were made the theme and subject of their insurrection. Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought, snaille You may pace easy, but not such a wife. 5 Eno. 'Would we had all such wives, that the Cas. I wrote to you, When rioting in Alexandria; you Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts Ant. Sir, he fell on me, ere admitted; then Cas. You have broken The article of your oath; which you shall never Have tongue to charge me with. Lep. Soft, Cæsar. Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak: The honour' is sacred which he talks on now, Supposing that I lack'd it:-But on, Cæsar;The article of my oath, Cas. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them; The which you both deny'd. Eno. Go to then; your considerate stone *. O' the world I would pursue it. Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Cas. Say not so, Agrippa; 15 If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof Were well deserv'd of rashness. Ant. I am not married, Cæsar: let me hear Agrippa further speak. Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity, 20 To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts With an unslipping knot, take Antony Octavia to his wife: whose beauty claims 25 No worse a husband than the best of men; Whose virtue, and whose general graces, speak That which none else can utter. By this marriage, All little jealousies, which now seem great, And all great fears, which now import theirdangers, Would then be nothing, truths would be tales, Where now half tales be truths: her love to both 30 Would each to other, and all loves to both, Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke; For 'tis a studied, not a present thought, By duty ruminated. 135 And then, when poison'd hours had bound me up To have me out of Egypt, made wars here; Lep. "Tis nobly spoken. [ther Mec. If it might please you to enforce no furThe griefs between you: to forget them quite, Were to remember that the present need Speaks to atone you. Lep. Worthily spoken, Mecanas. Ant. Will Cæsar speak? Cas. Not 'till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is spoke already. Ant. What power is in Agrippa, Cas. The power of Cæsar, and To this good purpose, that so fairly shews, Cas. There is my hand. A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother 50 Did ever love so dearly: Let her live To join our kingdoms, and our hearts; and never Fly off our loves again! Lep. Happily! Amen! Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you shall have 55 time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do. [Pompey; Ant. I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Lep. Time calls upon us: 1i. e. opposed. f. e. told him the condition I was in, when he had his last audience. ing, the religion of an oath. i. e. "I will henceforth seem senseless as a stone, however I may observe and consider your words and actions.” Mec. We have cause to be glad, that matters are so well digested. You staid well by it in Egypt. Eno. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking. Mee. Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve persons there;-Is this true? Eno. This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deserved noting. Mec. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her1. 20 She made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed; He plough'd her, and she cropt. 25 30 Eno. When she first met Mark Antony, she Eno. I saw her once Hop forty paces through the publick street: And, breathless, power breathe forth. Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Mec. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle Agr. Let us go. Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest,' 40 Whilst you abide here. Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made Agr. O, rare for Antony! Eno. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides, So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes, And made their bends adornings: at the helm A seeming mermaid steers; the silken tackles 1551 Eno, Humbly, sir, I thank you. [Exeunt. Before the gods my knee shall bow in prayers Ant. Good night, sir.-My Octavia, Cas. Good night. [Exeunt Cæsar, and Octavia. 2 Mr. Tollet thinks bends or bands i. e. if report quadrates with her, or suits with her merits. is the same word, and means in this place the several companies of Nereïds that waited on Cleopatra: while Mr. Malone apprehends, their bends refers to Cleopatra's eyes, and not to her gentlewomen. "Her attendants, in order to learn their mistress's will, watched the motion of her eyes, the bends or "movements of which added new lustre to her beauty." Rigg is an ancient word meaning a strumpet. Sooth My motion', I have it not in my tongue: But yet 5 Aut. Say to me, Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's or mine? Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side: 10 Omnes. The music, ho! Enter Murdian. Cleo. Let it alone; let us to billiards: come, Char. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian. The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now:- [to thee. Ant. Get thee gone: Say to Ventidius, I would speak with him : I'the east my pleasure lies.-O, come, Ventidius, SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Enter Lepidus, Mecanas, and Agrippa. Your generals after. You wager'd on your angling; when your diver Cleo. That time-O times! I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night Ram' thou fruitful tidings in mine ears, 35 140) [hasten Agr. Sir, Mark Antony Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow. 45 Lep. 'Till I shall see you in your soldiers' dress, Which will become you both, farewell. Mec. We shall, As I conceive the journey, be at mount' Lep. Your stay is shorter, My purposes do draw me much about; Lep. Farewell. SCENE V. The Palace in Alexandria. Cleo. Antony's dead? If thou say so, villain, thou kill'st thy mistress: If so thou yield him, there is gold, and here Mes. First, madam, he is well. Cleo. Why, there's more gold. But, sirrah, To say, the dead are well: bring it to that, Mes. Good madani, hear me. Cleo. Well, go to, I will; But there's no goodness in thy face: if Antony [Exeunt. 55 I'll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail Mes. Madam, he's well. Cleo. Well said. Mes. And friends with Cæsar., 'i. e. the divinitory agitation. 2 i. e. a fearful thing.-A fear was a personage in some of the old moralities. The antients used to match quails as we match cocks. Inhoop'd is inclosed, confined, that they may fight. i. e. Mount Misenum. i. e. melancholy. 'Shakspeare probably wrote (as Sir T. Hanmer observes) Rain thou, &c. which agrees better with the epithets fruitful and barren. i. e. like a man in form or shape. 9 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. |