Looking for Antony: But all charms of love Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both! That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour, Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver : Pom. I could have given less matter A better ear.-Menas, I did not think, This amorous surfeiter would have don'd his helm Is twice the other twain: But let us rear Men. I cannot hope, Cesar and Antony shall well greet together : Pom. I know not, Menas, How lesser enmities may give way to greater. For they have entertained cause enough [6] In the old edition it is.- thy wand lip! Perhaps, for fond lip, or warm lip, says Dr. Johnson. Yet this expression of Pompey's, perhaps, implies a wish only, that every charm of love may confer additional softness on the lip of Cleopatra: i. e. that her beauty may improve to the ruin of her lover: or, as Mr. Ritson expresses the same idea, that "her lip, which was become pale and dry with age, may recover the colour and softness of her sallad days." The epithet wan might have been added, only to show the speak er's private contempt of it. It may be remarked that the lips of Africans and Asiatics are paler than those of European nations. STEEV. [7] Julius Cæsar had married her to young Ptolemy, who was afterwards drowned. STEEV. Be it as our gods will have it! It only stands Come, Menas. [Exeunt.1 SCENE II. Rome. A Room in the House of LEPIDUS. Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS. 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, Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard, I would not shave to-day. Lep. 'Tis not a time For private stomaching. Eno. Every time Serves for the matter that is then born in it. Lep. Your speech is passion : But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony. Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS. Eno. And yonder, Cæsar. Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA. Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia :Hark you, Ventidius. Cas. I do not know, Mecanas; ask Agrippa. Lep. Noble friends, That which combin'd us was most great, and let not May it be gently heard: When we debate [1] This play is not divided into acts by the author or first editors, and therefore the present division may be altered at pleasure. I think the first act may be commodiously continued to this place, and the second act opened with the interview of the chief persons, and a change of the state of action. Yet it must be confessed, that it is of small importance, where these uncon nected and desultory scenes are interrupted. JOHNS, Our trivial difference loud, we do commit Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners, Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, Ant. 'Tis spoken well: Were we before our armies, and to fight, Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not so ; Or, 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 Once name you derogately, when to sound your 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 Ant. How intend you, practis'd ? Cas. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, 4 Ant. You do mistake your business; my brother never Did urge me in his act : I did inquire it ; And have my learning from some true reports,6 [3] Antony appears to be jealous of a circumstance which seemed to indi cate a consciousness of superiority in his too successful partner in power; and accordingly resents the invitation of Cæsar to be seated: Cæsar answers, Nay then; i.e. If you are so ready to resent what I meant as an act of civility, there can be no reason to suppose you have temper enough for the busi. ness on which at present we are met. STEEV. [4] Was theme for you,-I believe means only, was proposed as an example for you to follow on a yet more extensive plan ;' as themes are given for a writer to dilate upon. STEEV. [5] i.e. Never did make use of my name as a pretence for the war.WARE. 1 Reports, for reporters. STEEV That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather And make the wars alike against my stomach, Cas. You praise yourself By laying defects of judgment to me; but Ant. Not so, not so; I know you could not lack, I am certain on't, Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought, The third o'the world is yours; which with a snaffle Eno. 'Would we had all such wives, that the men Might go to wars with the women! Ant. So much uncurable, her garboils, Cæsar, Cas. I wrote toyou, When rioting in Alexandria; you Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts Ant. Sir, He fell upon me, ere admitted; then Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want [7] That is, I having alike your cause. MAL. [8] Fronted, i.e. opposed. JOHNS. [9] I wish you had the spirit of Fulvia, embodied in such another woman as her; I wish you were married to such another spirited woman; and then you would find, that tho' you can govern a third part of the world, the management of such a woman is not an easy matter. MAL.Such, I believe, should be omitted, as both the verse and meaning are complete without it: I would you had her spirit in another." STEEV. [] i. e. Told him the condition I was in, when he had his last audience, WARB. Be nothing of our strife; if we contend, Ces. You have broken The article of your oath; which you shall never Lep. Soft, Cæsar. Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak ; The honour's sacred which he talks on now, The article of my oath, Cas. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them; The which you both denied. Ant. Neglected, rather; And then, when poison'd hours had bound me up Lep. Tis nobly spoken. Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between you; to forget them quite, Were to remember that the present need Speaks to atone you.2 Lep. Worthily spoken, Mecænas. 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 time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do. Ant. Thou art a soldier only; speak no more. Eno. That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot. The manner of his speech ;4 for it cannot be, [1] Nor my greatness work without mine honesty. MAL. [2] Atone, reconcile. STEEV-Griefs, grievances. MAL. [3] If I must be chidden, henceforward I will be mute as a marble statue, which seems to think, though it can say nothing. "As silent as a stone," however, might have been once a common phrase STEEV. [4] I do not, says Cesar, think the man wrong, but too free of his interposition; for it cannot be, we shall remain in friendship: yet if it were pos sible, I would endeavour it. JOHNS. |