Was beaftly dumb'd by him. 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! Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him; That make their looks by his : He was not merry, So does it no man elfe. Met'ft thou my posts ? Cleo. Who's born that day, When I forget to fend to Antony, Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian. Char. Oh, that brave Cæfar! Cleo. Be choak'd with fuch another emphafis! Say, the brave Antony. Char. The valiant Cæfar. 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, Ifing but after you. Cleo. My fallad days! When I was green in judgment, cold in blood! Alexas means, the Horfe made fuch a neighing, that if he had fpoke, he could not have been heard. I fufpect, the Poet wrote: Was beastly dumb'd by him. i. e. put to Silence. It is very ufual, as I have more than once obfery'd, with Shakespeare, to coin Verbs out of Adjectives. E 4 Get Get me ink and paper; He fhall have every day several greetings, or I'll unpeo ple Egypt. [Exeunt. I ACT II. SCENE, SICILY. Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas. POMPEY. F the great Gods be juft, they fhall affift Mene. Know, worthy Pompey, That what they do delay, they not deny. Pomp. While we are fuitors to their Throne, decays The thing we fue for. Men. We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wife powers By lofing of our prayers. Pomp. I fhall do well: The people love me, and the fea is mine; My pow'r's a crefcent, and my auguring hope (8) In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make (8) My Powers are crefcent, and my auguring Hops Says, it will come to th' full.] Thus the Editors implicitly one after another, with very peculiar Indolence. If one might ask them a Question in Grammar, what does the Relative it belong to? It cannot in Senfe relate to Hope, nor in Concord to Powers. It is evident beyond a Doubt, that the Poet's Allufion is to the Moon: and that Pompey would fay, he is yet but a half-Moon, or Crefcent; but his Hopes tell him, that Crefcent will come to a full Orb. To this Effect, therefore, I have ventur'd to reform the Text. No No wars without doors. Cæfar gets mony, where Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves, Mene. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field, Pomp. Where have you this? 'tis falfe. Pomp. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together, Let witchcraft join with beauty; luft with both! Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks, Sharpen with cloylefs fawce his appetite; That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour, How now, Varrius? Enter Varrius. Var. This is most certain, that I fhall deliver: Expected. Since he went from Egypt, 'tis Pomp. I could have given less matter A better ear. Menas, I did not think, This am'rous furfeiter would have donn'd his helm For fuch a petty war; his foldierfhip Is twice the other twain; but let us rear (9) The higher our Opinion, that our flirring Can from the Lap of Egypt's Widow fluck The near luft-wearied Antony.] Men. Sextus Pompeius, upon hearing that Antony is every hour expected in Rome, does not much relish the News. He is twice the Soldier, (jays be,) that Octavius and Lepidus are; and I did not think, Men. I cannot hope, Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together. Pomp. I know not, Menas, How leffer enmities may give way to greater. 'To draw their fwords; but how the fear of us SCENE changes to Rome. Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus. OOD Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, Lep⋅ Go [Exeunt. And fhall become you well, t'entreat your To foft and gentle speech. Eno. I fhall entreat him To answer, like himself; if Cæfar move him, Let Antony look over Cafar's head, the petty War, which I am raifing, would rouze him from his Amours in Egypt.· But why fhould Pompey hold a higher Opinion of his own Expedition, because it awak'd Antony to Arms, who was near weary, almoft furfeited, of lafcivious Pleasures? Indolent and ftupid Editors, that can dispense with Words without ever weighing the Reason of them! How eafy is the Change to the true Reading! The ne'er-luft-wearied Antony. If Antony, tho' never tired of Luxury, yet mov'd from that Charm, upon Pompey's Stirring, it was a Reafon for Pompey to pride himfelf upon being of fuch Confequence, And fpeak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter, Lep. "Tis not a time for private ftomaching. Serves for the matter that is then born in't. Lep. But fmall to greater matters must give way. Lep. Your fpeech is paffion; But, pray you, ftir no embers up. Here comes Enter Antony and Ventidius. Eno. And yonder, Cafar. Enter Cæfar, Mecenas, and Agrippa. Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia. Caf. I do not know; Mecanas, alk Agrippa. was most great, and let not we do commit Then, noble partners, (The rather, for I earneftly befeech,) Touch you the fowrest points with sweetest terms, Nor curftnefs grow to th' matter. Ant. 'Tis fpoken well; Were we before our armies, and to fight, I should do thus. Caf. Welcome to Rome. Ant. Thank you.. Caf. Sit. Ant. Sit, Sir. Caf. Nay, then [Flourish. Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not so: Or, being, concern you not. Caf. I must be laught at, |