ANTONY and CLEOPATRA.

ACT I.

SCENE, the Palace at Alexandria in Ægypt. Enter Demetrius and Philo.

PHILO.

AY, but this dotage of our General
O'er-flows the measure; thofe his goodly

eyes,

That o'er the files and mufters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend,

now turn,

The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front. His captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breaft, reneges all temper;
And is become the bellows and the fan

To cool a Gypfy's luft. Look, where they come! Flourish. Enter Antony, and Cleopatra, her Ladies in the train, Eunuchs fanning her.

(1) Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a Strumpet's fool. Behold, and see.

Cleo.

(1) Take but good note, and you shall fee in him The triple pillar of the world transform'd

Into a Strumpet's fool.] I have not disturb'd the text, because

of the concurrence of the copies; because it is fenfe, as the paffage

may:

Cleo. If it be love, indeed, tell me, how much? Ant. (2) There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.

Cleo. I'll fet a bourn how far to be belov'd. [earth. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heav'n, new Enter a Meffenger.

Me. News, my good Lord, from Rome.

Ant. It grates me.

Tell the fum.

Cleo. Nay, hear it, Antony.

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; or who knows,
If the scarce-bearded Cæfar have not sent

His powerful mandate to you,

"Do this, or this ፡

"Take in that Kingdom, and infranchise that; "Perform't, or elfe we damn thee.

Ant. How, my love?

Cleo. Perchance, (nay, and most like)

You must not stay here longer, your difmiffion
Is come from Cafar; therefore hear it, Antony.

may be commented; and because our author is fo licentious in his metaphors. I must not, however, life my ingenious friend Mr. Warburton's note and emendation on it. "A pillar turn'd into a "fool? This is as odd a transformation as any in all Ovid. But I am "much inclin'd to think that Shakespeare wrote,

The triple pillar of the world transform'd

Into a Strumpet's stool.

"Alluding to the common custom of ftrumpets fitting on the laps of "their lovers. By this correction the metaphor is admirably well "preferved, (for both flool and pillar are things for fupport) and the "contraft in this image is beautiful. The fupporter of the world "turned to the supporter of a ftrumpet. And if we may fuppofe, "Shakespeare had regard, in the use of this word, to the etymology,"it will add a quaintnefs to the thought not unlike his way, nor "that of the time he liv'd in; for Stool is deriv'd from Σrúa, Co"lumna; the bafe or pedestal of a pillar having always been used for a "feat, where it was broad enough for that purpose.'

(2) There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.] So Juliet says, much to the fame effect, to Romeo ;

They are but beggars, that can count their worth.
I will not venture to affirm these an imitation from the Claffics; but
I'll quote two hemiftichs that might very probably have given rise to
our author's reflexion on this topick.

Pauperis eft numerare pecus-
-Populus numerabilis utpote parvus.

Ovid.

Horat.

Where's

Where's Fulvia's Procefs? Cafar's? I'd fay, both?
Call in the Messengers; as I'm Egypt's Queen,
Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cafar's homager: elfe, fo thy cheeks pay shame,
When fhrill-tongu'd Fulvia fcolds. The Meffengers-
Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt, and the wide arch
Of the rais'd Empire fall! here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike
Feeds beaft as man; the nobleness of life
Is to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair,
And such a twain can do't; in which, I bind
(On pain of punishment) the world to weet,
We stand up peerless.

Cles. Excellent falfhood!

[Embracing.

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll feem the fool, I am not. Antony
Will be himself.

Ant. But ftirr'd by Cleopatra.

Now for the love of love, and his foft hours,

Let's not confound the time with conference harsh;
There's not a minute of our lives fhould ftretch
Without fome pleasure now: what sport to-night?
Cle. Hear the Ambaffadors.

Ant. Fie, wrangling Queen!

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep: whofe every palion fully strives
To make it felf in thee fair and admir'd.
No Meffenger, but thine;-and all alone,
To-night we'll wander through the streets, and note
The qualities of People. Come, my Queen,
Last night you did defire it.-Speak not to us.

[Exeunt, with their Train.
Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd fo flight?
Phil. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too short of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

Dem. I'm forry,

That he approves the common liar, Fame,
Who fpeaks him thus at Rome; but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy!

[Exe. Enter

Enter Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a

Soothsayer.

Char. Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almost most abfolute Alxas, where's the Soothsayer that you prais'd fo to th' Queen? (3) Oh! that I knew this husband, which you fay, must charge his horns with garlands.

Alex. Soothfayer,

Sooth. Your will?

Char. Is this the man? Is't you, Sir, that know things?

Sooth. In Nature's infinite Book of Secrecy,

A little I can read.

Alex. Shew him your hand.

Eno. Bring in the banquet quickly: wine enough, Cleopatra's health to drink.

Char. Good Sir, givé me good fortune.

Sooth. I make not, but foresee.

Char. Pray then, forefee me one.

Sooth. You fhall be yet far fairer than you are.
Char. He means, in flesh.

Iras. No, you fhall paint when you are old.
Char. Wrinkles forbid!

Alex. Vex not his prefcience, be attentive.
Char, Huth!

Sooth. You fhall be more beloving, than beloved.
Char. I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
Alex. Nay, hear him.

Cha. Good now, fome excellent fortune! let me be married to three Kings in a forenoon, and widow them all; let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage! find me, to marry me

(3) Ob, that I knew this bufband, which, you say, must change his borns with garlands.] Changing horns with garlands, is furely, a fenfelefs unintelligible phrafe. We must reftore, in oppofition to all the printed copies,

--which you fay, must charge bis horns with garlands. i. e. must be an honourable cuckold, must have his horns hung with garlands. Charge and change frequently ufurp each others place in our author's old editions. I ought to take notice, that Mr. Warburton likewife ftarted this emendation.

with

with Octavius Cafar, and companion me with my mistress.

Scoth. You fhall out-live the Lady whom you ferve. Char. Oh, excellent! I love long life better than figs. Sooth. You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune, than that which is to approach. [names; Char. (4) Then, belike, my children fhall have no Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches muft I have? Sooth. (5) If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertil every wifh, a million.

Cher. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.

Alex. You think, none but your sheets are privy to your wishes.

Char, Nay, come, tell Iras hers.

Alex. We'll know all our fortunes.

Eno. Mine, and most of our fortunes to-night, fhall be to go drunk to bed.

Ira. There's a palm prefages chastity, if nothing else. Cha. E'en as the o'erflowing Nilus prefageth famine. Iras. Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot foothfay. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognoftication, I cannot fcratch mine ear. Pr'ythee, tell her but a workyday fortune.

Sooth. Your fortunes are alike.

Iras. But how, but how ?-give me particulars.
Sooth. I have faid.

Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than fhe?

(4) Then, belike, my children shall have no names ;] i. e. They shall be illegitimate. This will be very clearly explain'd by quoting a paffage from The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Speed. Item, fhe hath many nameless virtues.

Launce. That's as much as to fay, baftard virtues; that, indeed, know not their fathers, and therefore have no names.

(5) If every of your wishes bad a womb,

And foretold ev'ry wish, a million.] What foretold? If the wishes foretold themselves? This can never be genuine, however it has pass'd hitherto upon the editors. It makes the word womb abfolutely fuperfluous, if only the telling her wishes beforehand would help her to the children. The poet certainly wrote,

If every of your wishes bad a womb,
And fertil ev'ry wish,-

Char