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,
When he shines by: I say again, thy spirit

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 shall to Parthia.-Be it art, or hap,

He hath spoken true: The very dice obey him;

And, in our sports, my better cunning faints
Under his chance: if we draw lots, he speeds:
His cocks do win the battle still of mine,
When it is all to nought; and his quails' ever
Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,
Enter VENTIDIUS.

I'the east my pleasure lies :-O, come, Ventidius,
You must to Parthia; your commission's ready :
Follow me, and receive it.

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.

4 Inhoop'd-is inclosed that they may fight.

JOHNSON.

[5] i. e. Mount Misenum. STEEVENS.

[3] The ancients used to match quails as we match cocks.

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.
Cleo. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd,
As with a woman ;-Come, you'll play with me, sir?
Mar. As well as I can, madam.

Cleo. And when good-will is show'd, though it come

too short,

The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now :-
Give me mine angle,-We'll to the river: there,
My music, playing far off, I will betray

Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce
Their slimy jaws; and, as I draw them up,
I'll think them every one an Antony,

And say, Ah, ha! you're caught.

Char. 'Twas merry, when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver
Did hang a salt-fish on his hook, which he
With fervency drew up.

Cleo. That time!- -O times!

I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night
I laugh'd him into patience and next morn,
Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed;
Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst
I wore his sword Philippan.
O from Italy;-
Enter a Messenger.

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 :
But well and free,

If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here

My bluest veins to kiss ; a hand, that kings
Have lipp'd, and trembled kissing.

Mes. First, madam, he's well.

Cleo. Why, there's more gold. But, sırrah, mark; We use To say, the dead are well: bring it to that,

The gold I give thee, will I melt, and pour

Down thy ill-uttering throat.

Mes. Good madam, hear me.

Cleo. Well, go to, I will;

But there's no goodness in thy face: If Antony
Be free, and healthful,-why so tart a favour

To trumpet such good tidings? If not well,

Thou should'st come like a fury crown'd with snakes,
Not like a formal man."

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,
Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear,

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.
STEEVENS.

In state of health, thou say'st; and, thou say'st, free.
Mes. Free, madam! no; I made no such report :
He's bound unto Octavia.

Cleo. For what good turn?

Mes. For the best turn i'the bed.

Cleo. I am pale, Charmian.

Mes. Madam, he's married to Octavia.

Cleo. The most infectious pestilence upon thee!

Mes. Good madam, patience.

Cleo. What say you ?-Hence,

[Strikes him down.

[Strikes him again.

Horrible villain! or I'll spurn thine eyes

Like balls before me; I'll unhair thy head;

[She hales him up and down.

Thou shalt be whipp'd with wire, and stew'd in brine,
Smarting in ling'ring pickle.

Mes. Gracious madam,

I, that do bring the news, made not the match.

Cleo. Say, 'tis not so, a province I will give thee,

And make thy fortunes proud; the blow thou hadst
Shall make thy peace, for moving me to rage;
And I will boot thee with what gift beside

Thy modesty can beg.

Mes. He's married, madam.

Cleo. Rogue, thou hast liv'd too long. [Draws a dagger. Mes. Nay, then I'll run :

What mean you, madam? I have made no fault.

[Exit.

Char. Good madam, keep yourself within yourself;
The man is innocent.

Cleo. Some innocents 'scape not the thunderbolt.—
Melt Egypt into Nile! and kindly creatures
Turn all to serpents !-Call the slave again;
Though I am mad, I will not bite him :-Call.
Char. He is afeard to come.

Cleo. I will not hurt him :

These hands do lack nobility, that they strike
A meaner than myself; since I myself

Have given myself the cause.-Come hither, sir.

[9] This thought seems to be borrowed from the laws of chivalry, which forbad a knight to engage with his inferior. STEEVENS. Perhaps here was intended an indirect censure of Queen Elizabeth, for her unprincely and unfeminine treatment of the amiable Earl of Essex. The play was probably not produced till after her death, when a stroke at her proud and passionate demeanour to her courtiers and maids of honour (for her majesty used to chastise them too) might be safely hazarded MALONE.

Re-enter Messenger.

Though it be honest, it is never good

To bring bad news: Give to a gracious message
An host of tongues; but let ill tidings tell

Themselves, when they be felt.

Mes. I have done my duty.

Cleo. Is he married?

I cannot hate thee worser than I do,

If thou again say, Yes.

Mes. He is married, madam.

Cleo. The gods confound thee! dost thou hold there still?

Mes. Should I lie, madam?

Cleo. O, I would, thou didst ;

So half my Egypt were submerg'd, and made
A cistern for scal'd snakes! Go, get thee hence;
Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me

Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married?
Mes. I crave your highness' pardon.

Cleo. He is married?

Mes. Take no offence, that I would not offend you: To punish me for what you make me do,

Seems much unequal: He is married to Octavia.

Cleo. O, that his faults should make a knave of thee, That art not!-What? thou'rt sure of't?—Get thee

hence :

The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome,
Are all too dear for me; Lie they upon thy hand,
And be undone by 'em!
[Exit Messenger.

Char. Good your highness, patience.

Cleo. In praising Antony, I have disprais'd Cæsar.
Char. Many times, madam.

Cleo. I am paid for't now.

Lead me from hence,

I faint; O Iras, Charmian,—'Tis no matter :—

Go to the fellow, good Alexas; bid him
Report the feature of Octavia," her years,

Her inclination, let him not leave out

The colour of her hair :-bring me word quickly.→

[Exit ALEXAS.

Let him for ever go :-Let him not-Charmian,
Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon,

17 Feature anticntly appears to have signified beauty in general. STEEVENS, [8] She is now talking in broken sentences, not of the messenger, but Antony.

JOHNSON.