And foberly did mount an arm-gaunt fteed, Who neigh'd fo high, that what I would have spoke, 5 Was beastly dumb by him. 4-arm-gaunt feed,] i. e. his fteed worn lean and thin by much fervice in war. So Farefax, His fall-worn freed the champion fout beftrode. WARB. On this note Mr. Edwards has been very lavish of his pleafantry, and indeed has justly cenfured the mifquotation of tallvorn for fall-worth, which means frong, but makes no attempt to explain the word in the play. Mr. Seward, in his preface to Beaumont, has very elaborately endeavoured to prove, that an armgaunt feed is a fleed with lean fhoulders. Arm is the Teutonick word for want, or paverty. Arm-gaunt may be therefore an old word, fignifying, lean for want, ill fed. Edward's obfervation, that a worn-out horfe is not proper for Atlas to mount in battle, is impertinent; the horfe here mentioned feems to be a post-horse, rather than a warhorfe. Yet as armgaunt feems not intended to imply any defect, it perhaps means, a horfe fo flender that a man might clafp him, and therefore formed for expedition. Hanner leads, -arm-girt feed. 5 Was beastly DUMB by him.] Mr. Theobald reads dumb'd, put to filence. Alexas means (fays he) the horse made fuch a neighing that if he had spoke he could not have been heard. A very pretty speech, and agreeable to the po. Clea litenefs of one of Cleopatra's courtiers. Shakespear wrote, Was beafly DONE by him. i. e. the fenfe of what I would have spoke the horse declared, tho' in inarticulate sounds. The cafe was this, Alexas came to take leave of Antony, who recommended a meffage to him to his mistress. Alexas then had no more to do but make his compliments: But in that inftant Antony mounted his war-horse, long accustomed to bear him, who no fooner felt his mafter's weight, but, as is ufual for horfes of fervice, neighed in a very sprightly manner. This circumftance (fuch a one as poets and romancers when they speak of their hero's adventures, never fail to improve) Alexas is made to turn to a compliment on Antony, which could not but please Cleopatra. I was going, fays he, to pay my farewel compliments to Antony, to predict his future fucceffes, and to falute him with the ufual appellations of victory, when the horfe got the fart of me; and by his neighing fo high and Sprightly, fhewed him to be fenfible that he had a hero on bis back whom he was bearing to conqueft. But we are not to fuppofe that Alexas after this did not make his fpeech, but let the hero's horfe do it for him. This was only a small interruption to his compliments, which, as a flattering circumftance, he mentions to Cleo. What, was he fad or merry ? Alex. Like to the time o' th' year, between th' ex treams Of hot and cold, he was nor fad, nor merry. Cleo. Oh well-divided difpofition! him; But note He was not fad, for he would fhine on those So does it no man elfe. Met't thou my pofts? Cleo. Who's born that day, Shall die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian. Char. Oh, that brave Cafar! Cleo. Be choak'd with fuch another emphafis! Say, the brave Antony. Char. The valiant Cafar. Cleo. By Ifis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cafar paragon again My man of men. Char. By your moft gracious pardon, I fing but after you. to please his mistress. The error of dumb for done, feems to have been occafioned by the editor's miftaking the word high for loud, whereas it here fignifies Sprightly. WARBURTON. The paffage feems not to deferve much care. It probably is as it was written, and means what Theobald has expreffed. K 2 Cleo. 6 Cleo. My fallad days! When I was green in judgment. Cold in blood! He shall have every day a feveral greeting, 6 My fallad days: To fay, as 1 faid then,] This puzzles the late editor, Mr. Theobald. He fays, Cleopatra may speak very naturally here with contempt of her judgment at that period: But how truly with regard to the coldness of her blood may admit fome queftion: And then employs his learning to prove, that at this cold feafon of her blood, he had feen twenty good years. But yet he thinks his author may be justified, becaufe Plutarch calls Cleopatra at thofe years, Kopn, which by ill luck proves juft the contrary; for that ftate which the Greeks de [Exeunt. figned by Kópn, was the very height of blood. But Shakefpear's beft juftification is restoring his own fenfe, which is done merely by a different pointing. My fallad days;" When I was green in judgment. Cold in blood! To fay as I faid then. Cold in blood, is an upbraiding expoftulation to her maid. Thofe, fays fhe, were my fallad days, when I was green in judgment ; but your blood is as cold as my judgment, if you have the fame opinion of things now as I had then. WARBURTON. 7unpeople Ægypt.] By fending out meffengers. ACT ACT II. SCENE I, 8 SICILY Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas, POMPEY. F the great Gods be juft, they fhall affift Men. Know, worthy Pompey, That what they do delay, they not deny. Pomp. While we are fuitors to their Throne, de cays The thing we fue for. Men. We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wife The perfons are fo named in the first edition; but I know not why Menecrates appears; Menas can do all without him. powers mies in making preparation againft us; which he explains afterwards, by faying Mark Antony was tied up by luft in Egypt; Cafar, by avarice at Rome; and Lepidus employed in keeping well with both. WARBURTON. It is not always prudent to be too hafty in exclamation; the reading which Dr. Warburton rejects as nonfenfe, is in my opinion right; if delay be what they fue for, they have it, and the confolation offered becomes fuperfluous. The meaning is, While we are praying, the thing for which we pray is lofing its value. Pomp. I fhall do well: The people love me, and the fea is mine; 1 My pow'r's a crefcent, and my auguring hope Says, it will come to th' full. Mark Antony In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make No wars without doors. Cæfar gets mony, where Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves, Men. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field, Pomp. Where have you this? 'tis falle. Pomp. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony; but all the charms of love, 2 Let witchraft join with beauty; luft with both. That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour, |