Scar. The greater cantle of the world is lost With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away Kingdoms and provinces. Eno. How appears the fight? Scar. On our side like the token'd pestilence, 7 Where death is sure. Yon' ribald-rid nag of of Egypt, Whom leprosy o'ertake !9 i'the midst of the fight,When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd, Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,— The brize upon her, like a cow in June, Hoists sails, and flies. Eno. That I beheld: mine eyes Did sicken at the sight on't, and could not Scar. She once being loof'd, The noble ruin of her magic, Antony, Claps on his sea-wing, and like a doating mallard, I never saw an action of such shame ; Eno. Alack, alack! Enter CANIDIUS. Can. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath, And sinks most lamentably. Had our general Been what he knew himself, it had gone well: O, he has given example for our flight, Most grossly, by his own. Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night Indeed. Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled. What further comes. Can. To Cæsar will I render [Aside. [6] Cantle-a piece or lump. POPE.Cantle is rather a corner. Cæsar, in this play, mentions the three-nook'd world. Of this triangular world every triumvir had a corner, JOHNS. [7] Token'd, spotted. JOHNS. The death of those visited by the plague was certain, when particular eruptions appeared on the skin; and these were called God's tokens. STEE, [8] A Ribald-is a lewd fellow. Yon ribald-rid nag, means "yon strumpet who is common to every wanton fellow." STEEV. [9] Leprosy-an epidemical distemper of the Egyptians; to which Horace probably alludes in the controverted line. Contaminato cum grege turpium Morbo virorum. JOHNS. STEEV. [1] The brieze or oestrum, the fly that stings cattle. JOHNS. [2] To loof is to bring a ship close to the wind. My legions, and my horse; six kings already Eno. I'll yet follow The wounded chance of Antony, 3 though my reason [Exeunt. SCENE IX. Enter ANTONY and Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Attendants. Ant. Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon't, Have lost my way for ever :-I have a ship Att. Fly not we. Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed cowards To run, and show their shoulders.- Friends, be gone ; I have myself resolv'd upon a course, Which has no need of you; be gone: My treasure's in the harbour, take it.—(), My very hairs do mutiny; for the white Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them [Sits down. Enter EROS, and CLEOPATRA led by CHARMIAN and IRAs. Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him :-Comfort him. [3] I know not whether the author, who loves to draw his images from the sports of the field, might not have written, The wounded chase of Antony, The allusion is to a deer wounded and chased, whom all other deer avoid. "I will, says Enobarbus, follow Antony, tho' chased and wounded.' JOHNS. [4] Alluding to a benighted traveller. [5] I am not master of my own emotions." JOHNS Eros See you here, sir? Ant. O fye, fye, fye. Char. Madam,— Iras. Madam ; O good empress ! Ant. Yes, my lord, yes ;-He, at Philippi, kept 8 Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen. Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him; He is unqualitied with very shame. Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me :-O ! Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches; Her head's declin'd, and death will seize her; but Your comfort makes the rescue. Ant. I have offended reputation; A most unnoble swerving. Eros. Sir, the queen. Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See, How I convey my shame out of thine eyes [6] In the Morisco, and perhaps anciently in the Pyrrhick dance, the dancers held swords in their hands with the points upward. JOHNS, I believe it me ins that Cæsar never offered to draw his sword, but kept it in the scabbard, like one who dances with a sword on, which was formerly the custom in England. STEEV.--Bertram, lamenting that he is kept from the wars, says "I shall stay here the forehorse to a smock, Till honour be bought up, and no sword worn, The word worn shows that in both passages our author was thinking of the English, and not of the Pyrrhick, or the Morisco, dance, (as Dr. Johnson supposed,) in which the sword was not worn at the side, but held in the hand with the point upward. MALONE. [7] Nothing can be more in character, than for an infamous debauched tyrant to call the heroic love of one's country and public liberty, madness. WARB. [8] I know not whether the meaning is, that Cæsar acted only as lieu tenant at Philippi, or that he made his attempts only on lieutenants, and left the generals to Antony. JOHNS.--Dealt on lieutenancy, I believe, means only,-fought by proxy made war by his lieutenants, or on the strength of his lieutenants. STEEV. [9] But has here, the force of except, or unless. JOHNS. By looking back on what I have left behind 'Stroy'd in dishonour. Cleo, O my lord, my lord! Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought, Ant. Egypt, thou knew'st too well, My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings, Cleo. O, my pardon. Ant. Now I must To the young man send humble treaties, dodge With half the bulk o'the world play'd as I pleas'd, Cleo. O pardon, pardon. Ant. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates Some wine, within there, and our viands : knows, -Fortune [Exeunt. We scorn her most, when most she offers blows. SCENE X. CESAR's Camp, in Egypt. Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THY REUS, and others. Cas. Let him appear that's come from Antony. Know you him? Dol. Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster :3 An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither Which had superfluous kings for messengers, [3] He was school master to Antony's children by Cleopatra. MAL. Enter EUPHRONIUS. Cas. Approach, and speak. Eup. Such as I am, I come from Antony : As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf Cas. Be it so; Declare thine office. Eup. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and To let him breathe between the heavens and earth, Cas. For Antony, I have no ears to his request. The queen Cas. Bring him through the bands. [Exit EUP. To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time: Despatch; [To THYREUS. From Antony win Cleopatra: promise, And in our name, what she requires; add more, In their best fortunes, strong; but want will perjure Will answer as a law. Thyr. Cæsar, I go. Cas. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw ;5 Thyr. Cæsar, I shall. [Exeunt. [4] The circle-the diadem; the ensign of royalty. JOHNS. [53 i.e. how Antony conforms himself to this breach of his fortune. JOH. |