Do strongly speak to us; but the letters too
Of many our contriving friends in Rome
Petition us at home: Sextus Pompeius
Hath given the dare to Cæsar, and commands
The empire of the sea: our slippery people
(Whose love is never link'd to the deserver,
Till his deserts are past,) begin to throw
Pompey the great, and all his dignities,
Upon his son; who, high in name and power,
Higher than both in blood and life, stands up
For the main soldier: whose quality, going on,
The sides o'the world may danger: Much is breed-
ing,

Which, like the courser's hair,7 hath yet but life,
And not a serpent's poison. Say, our pleasure,
To such whose place is under us, requires
Our quick remove from hence.8

ENO. I shall do't.

[Exeunt.

• Petition us at home:] Wish us at home; call for us to reside at home. JOHNSON.

7 - the courser's hair, &c.] Alludes to an old idle notion that the hair of a horse dropt into corrupted water, will turn to an animal. POPE.

So, in Holinshed's Description of England, p. 224: "-A horse-haire laid in a pale full of the like water will in a short time stirre and become a living creature. But sith the certaintie of these things is rather proved by few," &c.

Again, in Churchyard's Discourse of Rebellion &c. 1570:

"Hit is of kinde much worsse then horses heare

"That lyes in donge, where on vyle serpents brede." STEEVENS.

Dr. Lister, in the Philosophical Transactions, showed that what were vulgarly called animated horse-hairs, are real insects. It was also affirmed, that they moved like serpents, and were poisonous to swallow. TOLLEt.

Say, our pleasure,

To such whose place is under us, requires

Our quick remove from hence.] Say to those whose place

CLEO. See where he is, who's with him, what he does :

I did not send you :'-If you find him sad,

is under us, i. e. to our attendants, that our pleasure requires us to remove in haste from hence. The old copy has" whose places under us,” and “require." The correction, which is certainly right, was made by the editor of the second folio.

I should read the passage thus:

Say our pleasure

To such who've places under us, requires
Our quick remove &c.

MALONE.

The amendment is as slight as that adopted by the editor, and makes the sense more clear. M. MASON.

I concur with Mr. Malone. Before I had seen his note, I had explained these words exactly in the same manner.

I learn, from an ancient Collection of Ordinances and Regulations for the Government of the Royal Household, &c. published by the Society of Antiquaries, 1790, that it was the office of "Gentlemen Ushers to give the whole house warning upon a remove." STEEVENS.

9 Where is he?] The present defect of metre might be sup plied, by reading:

Where is he now?

So, in Macbeth: "The thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now?" STEEVENS.

. — I did not send you;] You must go as if you came without my order or knowledge. JOHNSON.

So, in Troilus and Cressida :

"We met by chance; you did not find me here."

VOL. XVII.

D

MALONE.

Say, I am dancing; if in mirth, report

That I am sudden sick: Quick, and return.

[Exit ALEX.

CHAR. Madam, methinks, if you did love him

dearly,

You do not hold the method to enforce

The like from him.

CLEO.

What should I do, I do not?

CHAR. In each thing give him way, cross him in

nothing.

CLEO. Thou teachest like a fool; the way to lose

him.

CHAR. Tempt him not so too far: I wish, for

bear;

In time we hate that which we often fear.

Enter ANTONY.

But here comes Antony.

CLEO.

I am sick, and sullen.

ANT. I am sorry to give breathing to my pur

pose,―

CLEO. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall; It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature

Will not sustain it.2

ANT.

Now, my dearest queen,

What's the matter?

CLEO. Pray you, stand further from me.

ANT.

2

-the sides of nature

Will not sustain it.] So, in Twelfth-Night:
"There is no woman's sides

"Can bide the beating of so strong a passion.'

CLEO. I know, by that same eye, there's some good news.

What says the married woman?-You may go;
'Would, she had never given you leave to come!
Let her not say, 'tis I that keep you here,
I have no power upon you; hers you are.

ANT. The gods best know,

CLEO.

O, never was there queen

So mightily betray'd! Yet, at the first,
I saw the treasons planted.

ANT.

Cleopatra,

CLEO. Why should I think, you can be mine,

and true,

Though you in swearing shake the throned gods, Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness, To be entangled with those mouth-made vows, Which break themselves in swearing!

ANT.

Most sweet queen,

CLEO. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your

going,

But bid farewell, and
go: when you sued staying,
Then was the time for words: No going then ;---
Eternity was in our lips, and eyes;

Bliss in our brows' bent; none our parts so poor,
But was a race of heaven:5 They are so still,

3

Though you in swearing shake the throned gods,] So, in Timon of Athens :

"Although, I know, you'll swear, terribly swear, "Into strong shudders, and to heavenly agues, "The immortal gods that hear you." STEEVENs. in our brows' bent;] i, e. in the arch of our eye-brows. So, in King John:

5

"Why do you bend such solemn brows on me?"

STEEVENS.

a race of heaven:] i, e. had a smack or flavour of heaven. WARBURTON.

Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world,
Art turn'd the greatest liar.

ANT.

How now, lady!

CLEO. I would, I had thy inches; thou should'st

know,

There were a heart in Egypt.

Hear me, queen:

ANT.
The strong necessity of time commands
Our services a while; but my full heart
Remains in use with you. Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome:
Equality of two domestick powers

Breeds scrupulous faction: The hated, grown to strength,

Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey,
Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace
Into the hearts of such as have not thriv'd
Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten;
And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge
By any desperate change: My more particular,
And that which most with you should safe my going,"
Is Fulvia's death.

This word is well explained by Dr. Warburton; the race of wine is the taste of the soil. Sir T. Hanmer, not understanding the word, reads, ray. See Vol. IV. p. 41, n. 1. JOHNSON.

I am not sure that the poet did not 'mean, was of heavenly origin. MALONE.

• Remains in use- -] The poet seems to allude to the legal distinction between the use and absolute possession. JOHNSON. The same phrase has already occurred in The Merchant of Venice:

"I am content, so he will let me have

"The other half in use,-." STEEVENS.

7- should safe my going,] i. e. should render my going not dangerous, not likely to produce any mischief to you. Mr.