I lose myself; better I were not yours, Than yours fo branchlefs. But, as you requested, Yourself shall go between's; the mean time, lady, I'll raife the preparation of a war, Shall ftain your brother; make your foonest hafte; So, your defires are yours. Octa. Thanks to my Lord. 2 The Jove of Power make me, most weak, most weak, Your reconciler! wars 'twixt you 'twain would be As if the world should cleave, and that flain men Should folder up the rift. Ant. When it appears to you where this begins, Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults Can never be fo equal, that your love I do not fee but fain may be allowed to remain unaltered, meaning no more than shame or difgrace. 2 wars 'twixt you twain would be, &c.] The thought is wonderfully fublime. It is taken from Curtius's leaping into the gulf in the Forum, in or der to clofe the gap. As that was closed by one Roman, fo it is infinuated, that if the whole world were to cleave, Romans only could folder up the chafm. The expreffion is exact. For as metal is foldered by metal more pure and noble, fo the globe was to be foldered up by men, who are only a more refined earth. WARBURTON. This wonderful allufion is, I believe, more in the thought of the commentator than of the poet. The fenfe is, that war between Cæfar and Antony would engage the world between them, and that the flaughter would be great in fo extenfive a commotion. Can Can equally move with them. Provide your Going; Enter Enobarbus and Eros. Eno. How now, friend Eros? Eros. There's ftrange news, come, Sir. Eno. What, man? Eros. Cæfar and Lepidus have made war upon Poms pey. Eno. This is old; what is the fuccefs? 3 Eros. Cafar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainft Pompey, prefently denied him rivality, would not let him partake in the glory of the action; and not refting here, accufes him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey. 4 Upon his own appeal, feizes him; fo the poor third is up, 'till death enlarge his confine. Eno. 5 Then 'would thou hadst a pair of chaps, no more, and throw between them all the food thou hast, they'll grind the other. Where's Antony? Eros. He's walking in the garden thus; and spurns The rush that lies before him. Cries, "fool Lepidus !” And threats the throat of that his Officer, That murder'd Pompey. Eno. Our great Navy's rigg'd. 3 rivality,] Equal rank. 4 Upon his own appeal,] To appeal, in Shakespeare, is to accfe; Cafar feized Lepidus without any other proof than Cafar's accufation. 5 Then 'would ikou hadft a pair of chaps, no more, and throw between them all the food thou haft, they'll grind the other. Where's Antony? This is obfcure, I read it thus, Then, world, thou haft a pair They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony? Cæfar and Antony will make war on each other, though they have the world to prey upon between them. Eros Eros. For Italy and Cafar. More, Domitius. My Lord defires you prefently. My news I might have told hereafter. Eno. 'Twill be naught; but let it be. Antony. Eros. Comé, Sir. SCENE V. Changes to Rottie. Bring me to [Exeunt. Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecænas. Cef. Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more, In Alexandria; here's the manner of it: Abfolute Queen. Mec. This in the publick eye? Caf. I' th' common fhew-place, where they exercife. His fons he there proclaim'd the Kings of Kings; He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he affign'd 6 More, Domitius.] I have fomething more to tell you, which I might have told at firft, and delayed my news. Antony re VOL. VII. quires your prefence. 7 For Lydia Mr. Upton, from Plutarch, has restored Lybia. N Syria, Syria, Cilicia, and Phenicia. She In the habiliments of the Goddess Ifis That day appear'd, and oft before gave audience, Mec. Let Rome be thus inform'd. Agr. Who, queafy with his infolence already, Will their good thoughts call from him. Caf. The people know it, and have now receiv'd His accufations. Agr. Whom does he accufe? Caf. Cæfar; and that having in Sicily Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain Agr. Sir, this fhould be answer❜d. Caf. 'Tis done already, and his messenger gone. I told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; That he his high authority abus'd, And did deserve his Change. quer'd, For what I've con 1 grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, And other of his conquer'd Kingdoms, I Demand the like. Mec. He'll never yield to that. Caf. Nor must not then be yielded to in this. Oda. Hail, Cæfar, and my Lord! hail, most dear Cef. That ever I fhould call thee Caft-away! Otta. You have not call'd me fo, nor have you cause. Caf. Caf. Why have you ftol'n upon us thus? not you come Like Cafar's fifter; the Wife of Antony Octa. Good my Lord, To come thus was I not conftrain'd, but did it Caf. Which foon he granted, Being an Obstruct 'tween his luft and him. Caf. I have eyes upon him, And his affairs come to me on the wind. Where is he now? Ota. My Lord, in Athens. Caf. No, my most wronged fifter. Cleopatra Which foon be granted, Being an Abstract 'tween his luft and bim.] Antony very foon comply'd to let Octavia go at her requeft, fays Cafar; and why? Because she was an abstract between his inordinate paffion and him; this is abfurd. We muft read, Being an Obftru&t 'tween his luft and him. i. e. his wife being an obstruction, a bar to the profecution of his wanton pleasures with Cleopatra. WARBURTON. Hath |