ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.] Among the entries in the books of the Stationers' Company, October 19, 1593, I find “ A Booke entituled the Tragedie of Cleopatra." It is entered by Symon Waterson, for whom some of Daniel's works were printed; and therefore it is probably by that author, of whose Cleopatra there are several editions; and, among others, one in 1594.

In the same volumes, May 20, 1608, Edward Blount entered "A Booke called Anthony and Cleopatra." This is the first notice I have met with concerning any edition of this play more ancient than the folio, 1623. STEEVENS. This play keeps curiosity always busy, and the passions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one personage to another, call the mind forward without intermission from the first act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts, some of which are too low, which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily

miss what he desired to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguishable from that of others: the most tumid speech in the play is that which Cæsar makes to Octavia.

The events, of which the principal are described according to history, are produced without any art of connexion or care of disposition.

JOHNSON.

It is observable with what judgment Shakespeare draws the character of Octavius. Antony was his hero; so the other was not to shine: yet being an historical character, there was a necessity to draw him like. But the ancient historians, his flatterers, had delivered him down so fair, that he seems ready cut and dried for a hero. Amidst these difficulties Shakespeare has extricated himself with great address. He has admitted all those great strokes of his character as he found them, and yet has made him a very unamiable character, deceitful, meanspirited, narrow-minded, proud, and revengeful.

WARBURTON.

TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar.

CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony.

SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's army.
EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar.
ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELEUCUS, and DIOMEDES ; attendants
on Cleopatra.

A Soothsayer. A Clown.

CLEOPATRA, queen of Egypt.

OCTAVIA, sister to Casar, and wife to Antony.

CHARMIAN, attendants on Cleopatra.

IRAS,

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, dispersed; in several parts of the Roman Empire.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Alexandria. A Room in CLEOPATRA'S Palace.
Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.

Philo.

NAY, but this dotage of our general's

O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war

Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
of their view

The office and,

Upon a tawnff wheat in captain's heart,

fights hath bursts strevole

The buckles on his breast,rences all temper his siste

And is become the bellows, and the fan,

To cool a gipsy's lust. Look, where they come !
Flourish. Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their
Trains; Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world3 transform'd
Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.

Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon’d.
Cleo. I'll set a bourn1 how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new
earth."

Enter an Attendant.

Att News, my good lord, from Rome.

ge:
:-The sum.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony :

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent

His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this;

Reneges-renounces.

POPE.

Gipsy-is here used both in the original meaning for an Egyptian, and in its accidental sense for a bad woman.

JOHNSON.

[3] Triple--is here used improperly for third, or one of three. One of the Triumvirs, one of the three masters of the world.

[4] Bourn---bound or limit.

POPE.

WARBURTON.

5 Thou must set the boundary of my love at a greater distance than the present

visible universe affords.

JOHNSON.

[6] Be brief, sum thy business in a few words. JOHNSON.

tre

Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform't, or else we damn thee.

Ant. How, my love!

Cleo. Perchance,-nay, and most like,

You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.--
Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's, I would say ?--Both?
-Call in the messengers.-As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy check pays shame.
When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds.-The messengers.
Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt! and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life
Is, to do thus; when such a mutual pair,
And such a twain can do't, in which, I bind
On pain of punishment, the world to weet,'
We stand up peerless.

:

Cleo. Excellent falsehood!

[Embracing.

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?----
I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony

Will be himself.

Ant. But stirr'd by Cleopatra. Now, for

the

Let's not cone of Love, and her soft hours,

the time with conference harsh :

There's not a minute of our lives should stretch

Without some pleasure now: What sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.

Ant. Fye, wrangling queen!

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd!

No messenger; but thine and all alone,

To-night, we'll wander through the streets, and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;
Last night you did desire it :-Speak not to us.

[Exeunt ANT. and CLEO. with their train. Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius priz'd so slight?

[7] To weet---to know.

POPE.

[8] But in this passage, seems to have the old Saxon signification of without, unless, except. Antony,' says the queen,' will recollect his thoughts. Unless kept,' he replies, in commotion, by Cleopatra. JOHNSON.

By Antony will be himself, she means to say, that Antony will act like the joint sovereign of the world, and follow his own inclinations, without regard to the man. dates of Cæsar, or the anger of Fulvia. To which he replies, "If but stirred by Cleopatra;" that is, if moved to it in the slightest degree by hier. MASON.

Phi. Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony, He comes too short of that great property Which still should go with Antony.

Dem. I'm full sorry,

That he approves the common liar, who

Thus speaks of him at Rome: But I will hope

Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy! [Exeunt.

The same.

SCENE II.

Another Room. Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEX-
AS, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you praised so to the queen? O, that I knew this husband, which, you say, must change his horns with garlands !!

Alex. Soothsayer.

Sooth. Your will?

Char. Is this the man ?-Is't you, sir, that know things? Sooth. In nature's infinite book of secrecy,

Eno. Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough Cleopatra's health to drink.

Char. Good sir, give me good fortune.

Sooth. I make not, but foresee.

Char. Pray then, foresee me one.

Sooth. You shall be yet far fairer than you are.

Char. He means, in flesh.

Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old.

Char. Wrinkles forbid!

Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive.

Char. Hush!

2

Sooth. You shall be more beloving, than beloved.
Char. I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
Alex. Nay, hear him.

Char. Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them

To change his horns with [i. e. for] garlands,' signifies to be a triumphant cuckold; a cuckold who will consider his state an honourable one. STEEVENS. [2] To know why the lady is so averse from heating her liver, it bered, that a heated liver is supposed to make a pimpled face.

must be remem JOHNSON

D 2