My grieving ear withal; whereon I begg'd Caf. (8) Which foon he granted, Being an Obftruct 'tween his luft and him. Caf. I have eyes upon him, And his affairs come to me on the wind. Where is he now? Octa. My Lord, in Athens. Caf. No, my moft wronged fifter. Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore, who now are levying (9) The Kings o' th' earth for war. He hath affembled Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian King Adullas, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends, Caf. Welcome hither; Your letters did with-hold our breaking forth, (8) Which foon be granted, Being an Abftract 'tween his luft and him.] Antony very foon comply'd to let Octavia go, at her requeft, fays Cæfar; and why? Because the was an abftract between his inordinate paffion and him; this is abfurd. We must read, Being an Obftru&t 'tween his luft and him. i. e. his wife being an obftruction, a bar to the prosecution of his wanton plea fures with Cleopatra. WARBURTON. (9) Mr. Upton remarks, that there are fome errours in this enumeration of the auxiliary Kings: but it is probable that the authour did not much with to be accurate. Welcome to Rome. Hold unbewail'd their way. Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd Of us, and those that love you. Be of comfort, Agr. Welcome, lady. Mec. Welcome, dear Madam. Each heart in Rome does love and pity you ; And gives his (1) potent regiment to a trull, Ota. Is it fo, Sir? Caf. It is moft certain. Sifter, welcome. Pray you, Be ever known to patience, my dear't fifter! [Exeunt SCENE VI. Near the Promontory of Actium. Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus. Cleo.Eno. But why, why, why? Will be even with thee, doubt it not. Cleo. Thou haft (2) forespoke my being in there wars; And fay'st, it is not fit. Eno. Well; is it, is it? Cleo. Is't not denounc'd against us? Why fhould not we be there in perfon? Eno. [Afide.] Well, I could reply; if we fhould ferve with horfe and mares together, the horfe were (1) -potent regiment -] Regiment, is government, autho rity; he puts his power and his empire into the hands of a false woman. It may be observed, that trull was not, in our authour's time, a term of mere infamy, but a word of flight contempt, as wench is now. (2)-forefpoke my being-] To forefpeak, is to contradict, to Speak againft, as forbid is to order negatively. merely merely loft; the mares would bear a foldier and his horfe. Cleo. What is't you say? Eno. Your prefence needs muft puzzle Antony; Cleo. Sink Rome, and their tongues rot That speak against us! A charge we bear i' th' war; Enter Antony and Canidius. : Eno. Nay, I have done here comes the Emperor. That from Tarentum, and Brundufium, And take in Toryne? You have heard on't, Sweet? Than by the negligent. Ant. A good rebuke, Which might have well become the best of men To taunt at flacknefs. Canidius, we Will fight with him by sea. Cleo. By fea, what else? Can. Why will my Lord do fo? Ant. For that he dares us to't. Eno. So hath my Lord dar'd him to fingle fight. Eno. Your fhips are not well mann'd, Shall Shall fall you for refufing him at sea, Ant. By fea, by fea. Eno. Moft worthy Sir, you therein throw away Ant. I'll fight at sea. Cleo. I have fixty fails, Cafar none better. And, with the reft full-mann'd, from th' head of Beat the approaching Cafar. But if we fail, Thy business? Enter a Meffenger. Mef. The news is true, my Lord; he is defcry'd; Cæfar has taken Toryne. Ant. Can he be there in perfon? 'tis impoffible. Strange, that his power fhould be fo. Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou fhalt hold by land, And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship; Away, my Thetis! Enter a Soldier. How now, worthy foldier? Sold. Oh noble Emperor, do not fight by fea, Truft not to rotten planks: do you mifdoubt This fword, and thefe my wounds? let the Ægyptians And the Phænicians go a ducking: we Have us'd to conquer ftanding on the earth, And fighting foot to foot. Ant. Well, well, away. [Ex. Ant. Cleo. and Enob. Sold. Sold. (3) By Hercules, I think, I am i' th' right. Can. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows Not in the power on't: fo our leader's led, And we are women's men. Sold. You keep by land The legions and the horse whole, do you not? But we keep whole by land. Carries beyond belief. This speed of Cafar's Sold. While he was yet in Rome, His power went out in such (4) distractions as Can. Who's his lieutenant, hear you? Can. Well; I know the man. Enter a Meffenger. Mef. The Emperor calls Canidius. Can. With news the time's in labour, and throw s forth Each minute fome. Enter Cæfar, with his army marching. Cæf. Taurus! Taur. My Lord. 1 [Exeunt. Caf. Strike not by land. Keep whole, provoke not battle, "Till we have done at fea. Do not exceed The prefcript of this fcroul; our fortune lies (3) By Hercules, I think, I am i' th' right. [Exeunt. That is, his whole conduct be comes ungoverned bythe right, or by reason. |