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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;
He was not fad, for he would fhine on thofe

That make their looks by his : He was not merry,
Which feem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy; but between both.
Oh heav'nly mingle! be'ft thou fad, or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes,

So does it no man elfe. Met'ft thou my posts ?
Alex. Ay, Madam, twenty feveral meffengers.
Why do
you fend fo thick?

Cleo. Who's born that day,

When I forget to fend to Antony,

Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Caefar fo?

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!
To fay, as I faid then,-But come away,

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
The deeds of justest men.

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
Deny us for our good; fo find we profit

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)
Says, it will come to th' full. Mark Antony

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
He loses hearts; Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

Mene. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field,
A mighty ftrength they carry.

Pomp. Where have you this? 'tis falfe.
Mene. From Silvius, Sir.

Pomp. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together,
Looking for Antony: but all the charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty; luft with both!
Tie up.
the libertine in a field of feafts,

Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,

Sharpen with cloylefs fawce his appetite;

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even 'till a Lethe'd dulnefs

How now, Varrius?

Enter Varrius.

Var. This is most certain, that I fhall deliver:
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected. Since he went from Egypt, 'tis
A space for farther travel.

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 stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er-luft-wearied Antony.

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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,

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Men. I cannot hope,

Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together.
His wife, who's dead, did trefpaffes to Cæfar;
His brother warr'd upon him, although I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pomp. I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater.
Were't not that we ftand up against them all,
'Twere pregnant, they should fquare between themselves;
For they have entertained caufe enough

'To draw their fwords; but how the fear of us
May cement their divifions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be't, as our Gods will have't! it only ftands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

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
Captain

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,

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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,
Were I the wearer of Antonio's beard,
I would not shav't to-day.

Lep. "Tis not a time for private ftomaching.
Eno. Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in't.

Lep. But fmall to greater matters must give way.
Eno. Not, if the small come first.

Lep. Your fpeech is paffion;

But, pray you, ftir no embers up. Here comes
The noble Antony.

Enter Antony and Ventidius.

Eno. And yonder, Cafar.

Enter Cæfar, Mecenas, and Agrippa.

Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia.
Hark, Ventidius.

Caf. I do not know; Mecanas, alk Agrippa.
Lep. Noble friends,
That which combin'd us
A leaner action rend us.
May it be gently heard.
Our trivial difference loud,
Murder in healing wounds.

was most great, and let not
What's amifs,
When we debate

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,

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