Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas? Alex. Here at your fervice. My lord approaches. Enter Antony, with a Meffenger, and Attendants. Mef. Ay: But foon that war had end, and the time's ftate Whose better iffue in the war from Italy, Ant. Well, what worst? Mef. The nature of bad news infects the teller. Ant. When it concerns the fool or coward.-On. Things, that are paft, are done, with me.-'Tis thus; Who tells me true, though in the tale lie death, I hear him, as he flatter'd Mef. Labienus (this is ftiff news) Hath, with his Parthian force, extended Afia; Whilft Ant. Antony, thou wouldst say, Mef. Oh, my lord! Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the general tongue; Name Cleopatra as fhe's call'd in Rome: extended Afia;] i. e. widened or extended the bounds WARB. of the Leffer Afia. To extend, is a term used for to feize; I know not whether that be not the fenfe here. I 3 JOHNSON, Rail Rail thou ́in Fulvia's phrafe, and taunt my faults With fuch full licence, as both truth and malice Have power to utter. Oh, then we bring forth weeds, 9 When our quick winds lie ftill; and our ill, told us, Is as our earing. Fare thee well a while. Mef. At your noble pleasure. Ant. From Sicyon, how the news? Speak there. Ant. Let him appear. Thefe ftrong Egyptian fetters I must break, Enter another Messenger. Or lofe myself in dotage. What are you? 2 Mef. Fulvia thy wife is dead. Ant. Where died fhe? 2 Mef. In Sicyon. Her length of fickness, with what elfe more ferious The oppofite of itfelf: fhe's good, being gone; The 9 When cur quick WINDS lie fill;--] The fenfe is, that man, not agitated by cenfure, like foil not ventilated by quick winds, JOHNSON. produces more evil than good. the prefent pleasure, By revolution lowring, does become The oppofite of itself;] The allufion is to the fun's diurnal courfe; which rifing in the east, and by revolution lowering, or fetting in the west, becomes the oppofite of itself. WARE. This is an obfcure paffage. The explanation which Dr. War burton The hand could pluck her back, that fhov'd her on. I must from this enchanting queen break off: Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know, My idleness doth hatch. How now, Enobarbus ? Enter Enobarbus. Eno. What's your pleasure, fir? Ant. I muft with hafte from hence. Eno. Why, then we kill all our women: we fee, how mortal an unkindness is to them; if they fuffer our departure, death's the word. Ant. I must be gone. Eno. Under a compelling occafion, let women die. It were pity to caft them away for nothing; though between them and a great cause, they should be efteem'd nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least noise of this, dies inftantly; I have feen her die twenty times upon far 3 poorer moment; I do think, there is mettle in death, which commits fome loving act upon her, the hath fuch a celerity in dying. Ant. She is cunning paft man's thought. Eno. Alack, fir, no; her paffions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love. We cannot call her winds and waters, fighs and tears; they are greater ftorms and tempefts than almanacks can report. This cannot be cunning in her; if it be, fhe makes a shower of rain as well as Jove. burton has offered is fuch, that I can add nothing to it; yet perhaps Shakespeare, who was lefs learned than his commentator, meant only, that our pleasures, as they are revolved in the mind, turn to pain. JOHNSON. 2 The band could pluck her back, &c.] The verb could has a pecu. liar fignification in this place; it does not denote poaver but inclination. The fenfe is, the hand that drove her off would now willingly pluck her back again. poorer moment ;] For lefs reafon; upon meaner motives. I 4 REVISAL JOHNSON. Ant. Ant. 'Would I had never feen her! Eno. Oh, fir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of work; which, not to have been bleft withal, would have difcredited your travel. Ant. Fulvia is dead. Eno. Sir! Ant. Fulvia is dead. Ant. Dead. Eno. Why, fir, give the Gods a thankful facrifice. When it pleaseth their Deities to take the wife of a man from him, 4 it fhews to man the tailors of the earth; comforting therein, that when old robes are worn out, there are members to make new. If there were no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the cafe were to be lamented: this grief is crowned with confolation; your old fmock brings forth a new petticoat :-And, indeed, the tears live in an onion that fhould water this forrow. Ant. The business, she hath broached in the state, Cannot endure my absence. Eno. And the business, you have broached here, cannot be without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode. Ant. No more light anfwers. Let our officers Have notice what we purpose: I fhall break 4 it fhews to man the tailors of the earth, comforting therein, &c.] I have printed this after the original, which, though harsh and obfcure, I know not how to amend. Sir Tho. Hanmer reads, They fhew to man the tailors of the earth comforting him therein. I think the paffage, with fomewhat lefs alteration, for alteration is always dangerous, may ftand thus; It fbers to men the tailors of the earth, comforting them, &c. JOHNSON. The meaning is this. As the Gods have been pleased to take away your wife Fulvia, fo they have provided you with a new one in Cleopatra; in like manner as the tailors of the earth, when your old garments are worn out, accommodate you with new ones. ANONYMOUS. The The cause of our expedience to the queen, And get her leave to part. For not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, Doftrongly speak to us; but the letters too Of many our contriving friends in Rome 7 Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius Hath given the dare to Cæfar, and commands The empire of the fea. Our flippery people (Whofe love is never link'd to the deferver, Till his deserts are past) begin to throw Pompey the Great and all his dignities Upon his fon, who, high in name and power, Higher than both in blood and life, ftands up For the main foldier; whofe quality, going on, The fides o' the world may danger. Much is breeding, Which, like the courfer's hair, hath yet but life, And not a ferpent's poifon. 9 Say, our pleasure To fuch whofe places under us, requires Our quick remove from hence. 6 Eno. I fhall do't. [Exeunt. The caufe of our expedience..]Expedience for expedition. WARB. more urgent touches,] Things that touch me more fenfibly, more preffing motives. 7 Petition us at home. refide at home. JOHNSON. -] Wish us at home; call for us to JOHNSON. -the courfer's bair, &c.] Alludes to an old idle notion that the hair of a horfe dropt into corrupted water, will turn to an animal. 9 -Say, our pleasure To fuch whofe places under us require РОРЕ. Our quick remove from hence.] Such is this paffage in the first copy. The late editors have all altered it, or received it altered in filence thus: Say, our pleasure, To fuch whofe place is under us, requires This is hardly fenfe. I believe we should read, Their quick remove from hence. Tell our defign of going away to thofe, who being by their places. obliged to attend us, muft remove in haste. JOHNSON. SCENE |