All my sad captains: fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.

Cleo.

It is my birthday:

I had thought to have held it poor; but since my lord
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

Ant. We will yet do well.

Cleo. Call all his noble captains to my lord.

Ant. Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night I'll force The wine peep through their scars.-Come on, my queen; There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight,

I'll make death love me, for I will contend

Even with his pestilent scythe.

Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and Attendants.
Eno. Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,
Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood,
The dove will peck the estridge: and I see still,
A diminution in our captain's brain

Restores his heart. When valour preys on reason',
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him.

[Exit.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

CESAR'S Camp at Alexandria.

Enter CESAR, reading a letter; AGRIPPA, MECENAS, and others.

Cæs. He calls me boy, and chides, as he had power

To beat me out of Egypt; my messenger

He hath whipp'd with rods, dares me to personal combat:
Cæsar to Antony! let the old ruffian know,

I have many other ways to die3, meantime,

called grand days. According to Holloway's "General Provincial Dictionary," 8vo, 1838, the expression "gaudy day" is still used in Essex, and we have heard it also in Suffolk.

2 preys on reason,] In the folios, "preys in reason," which is amended to preys on reason in the corr. fo. 1632.

3 I HAVE many other ways to die,] Sir T. Hanmer read, consistently with Plutarch," He hath many other ways to die." Farmer observes, that the ambi

Laugh at his challenge.

Mec.

Cæsar must think,

When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted
Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now
Make boot of his distraction. Never anger

Made good guard for itself.

Cæs.
Let our best heads
Know, that to-morrow the last of many battles
We mean to fight. Within our files there are,
Of those that serv'd Mark Antony but late,
Enough to fetch him in. See it done;
And feast the army: we have store to do't,
And they have earn'd the waste.-Poor Antony!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and others.

Ant. He will not fight with me, Domitius.

Eno.

Ant. Why should he not?

No.

Eno. He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, He is twenty men to one.

Ant.

To-morrow, soldier,

By sea and land I'll fight: or I will live,

Or bathe my dying honour in the blood

Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well?
Eno. I'll strike; and cry, "Take all'."
Ant.

Well said; come on.

Call forth my household servants: let's to-night

guity of the old English translation of Plutarch led Shakespeare to say "I have," &c. Sir T. North's words are, "Antonius sent againe to chalenge Cæsar, to fight with him hande to hande. Cæsar aunswered him, that he had many other wayes Here "he," in the last clause of the sentence, means Antony, but Shakespeare did not so understand it. Mr. Singer, copying Farmer's note, like Farmer, leaves out words, which we have inserted.

to dye then so," p. 1005.

4 - and cry,

"Take all."] An expression from the gaming table, meaning, let all depend upon this hazard, and let the successful competitor "take all."

Enter Servants.

Be bounteous at our meal.-Give me thy hand,
Thou hast been rightly honest;-so hast thou;-

Thou, and thou,-and thou:-you have serv'd me well,
And kings have been your fellows.

Cleo.

What means this?

Eno. 'Tis one of those odd tricks, which sorrow shoots Out of the mind.

Ant.

And thou art honest too.

I wish, I could be made so many men,
And all of you clapp'd up together in
An Antony, that I might do you service,
So good as you have done.

Serv.

The gods forbid !
Ant. Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night;
Scant not my cups, and make as much of me,

As when mine empire was your fellow too,

And suffer'd my command.

Cleo.

What does he mean?

Tend me to-night;

Eno. To make his followers weep.

Ant.

May be, it is the period of your duty :

Haply, you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow: perchance, to-morrow

You'll serve another master.

I look on you,

As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,

I turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death.
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield you for't!

Eno.

To give them this discomfort?

What mean you, sir,

Look, they weep;

And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd: for shame!

Transform us not to women.

Now, the witch take me, if I meant it thus.

Grace grow where those drops fall! My hearty friends,
You take me in too dolorous a sense,

For I spake to you for your comfort; did desire you
To burn this night with torches. Know, my hearts,
I hope well of to-morrow; and will lead you,

Where rather I'll expect victorious life,

Than death and honour'. Let's to supper; come,
And drown consideration.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The Same. Before the Palace.

Enter two Soldiers, to their guard.

1 Sold. Brother, good night: to-morrow is the day. 2 Sold. It will determine one way: fare you well. Heard you of nothing strange about the streets?

1 Sold. Nothing. What news? 2 Sold. Belike, 'tis but a rumour.

1 Sold. Well, sir, good night.

Good night to you.

Enter two other Soldiers.

2 Sold. Soldiers, have careful watch.

3 Sold. And you. Good night, good night.

[The first two place themselves at their posts".

4 Sold. Here we: [They take their posts.] and if to-morrow Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope

Our landmen will stand up.

3 Sold.

And full of purpose.

"Tis a brave army,

[Music of hautboys under the stage.

4 Sold. Peace! what noise?

1 Sold. List, list!

2 Sold. Hark!

1 Sold. Music i' the air.

3 Sold. Under the earth.

4 Sold. It signs well, does it not?

3 Sold. No.

1 Sold. Peace! I say. What should this mean? 2 Sold. 'Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony lov'd, Now leaves him.

"Per

5 Than death and honour.] All this scene is closely from Plutarch. ceiving that his friends and men fell a weeping," &c. he "added thus more unto it-that he would not lead them to battle where he thought not rather safely to returne with victorie, then valiantly to dye with honor." North's Transl. p. 1005. 6. - at their POSTS.] "In every corner of the stage," in the folios.

1 Sold. Walk; let's see if other watchmen

Do hear what we do.

2 Sold. How now, masters!

Omnes. How now!

How now! do you hear this?

[They advance to another post.

[Speaking together.

Ay; Is't not strange?

1 Sold.
3 Sold. Do you hear, masters? do you hear?

1 Sold. Follow the noise so far as we have quarter; Let's see how it will give off.

Omnes.

Content: 'Tis strange.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Same. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY, and CLEOPATRA; CHARMIAN, and others,

attending.

Ant. Eros! mine armour, Eros!

Cleo.

Sleep a little.

Ant. No, my chuck.-Eros, come; mine armour, Eros!

Enter EROS, with armour.

Come, good fellow, put mine iron on':

If fortune be not our's to-day, it is

Because we brave her.-Come.

Cleo.

What's this for?

Ant.

Nay, I'll help too.

Ah, let be, let be! thou art

The armourer of my heart:-false, false; this, this.

Cleo. Sooth, la! I'll help.

Ant. Thus it must be. Well, well;

7 Come, good fellow, put MINE iron on :] It is "thine iron" in the old copies, but evidently wrong, and thine is amended to "mine" in the corr. fo. 1632.

8 Thus it must be. Well, well;] "Thus it must be" has usually been assigned to Cleopatra, but it appears by the corr. fo. 1632 that the words belong to Antony, who is instructing Cleopatra, and who adds "well, well" when what he wished had been accomplished by her. In the folio, 1623, these various short speeches are given confusedly. Lower down for "hear a storm" the same authority instructs us to read "must bear a storm," in reference to the blows the man must receive who unbuckled the armour until the wearer pleased. Mr. Singer avails himself of the emendation, which he could only find in our corr. fo. 1632,