6

Cæf. I have eyes upon him,
And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now?

Oxa. My lord, in Athens.

Cas. No, my most wronged sister : Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore, who now are levying

The kings o’the earth for war? He hath assembled
Bocchus the king of Libya ; Archelaus
Of Cappadocia ; Philadelphus king
Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king A dallas ;
King Malchus of Arabia ; king of Pont;
Herod of Jewry; Mithridates king
Of Comagene ; Polemon and Amintas,
The kings of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a more larger list of scepters.

Ofta. Ay me, most wretched,
That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do affist each other!

C«f. Welcome hither:
Your letters did with-hold our breaking forth,
Till we perceiv’d, both how you were wronged,
And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart :
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these sțrong necesities;
But let determin'd things to destiny
Hold unbewaild their way.

Welcome to Rome: Nothing more dear to me. You are abusid Beyond the mark of thought: and the high Gods,

him; this is absurd. We must read,

Being an obstruct 'tween bis iuft and him. i. e. his wife being an obstruction, a bar to the prosecution of his wanton pleafures with Cleopatra.

WARBURTON. 6 Mr. Upton remarks, that there are some errours in this enu. meration of the auxiliary kings; but it is probable that the au. chour did not much wish to be accurate.

JOHNSON.

Το

To do you justice, make their ministers
Of us, and those that love you. Be of comfort;
And ever welcome to us.

Agr. Welcome, lady.

Mec. Welcome, dear madam.
Each heart in Rome does love and pity you:
Only the adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off,
And gives his ? potent regiment to a trull,
That noises it against us.

Qeta. Is it so, sir?

Cæs. It is most certain. Sister, welcome : Pray you, Be ever known to patience, my dearest fifter!

[Exeunt.
SCENE VII.
Antony's camp near the promontory of Aflium.

Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus.
Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Eno. But why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou hast & forespoke my being in these wars; And say'st, it is not fit.

Eno. Well; is it, is it?
Cleo. Is't not denounc'd against us? Why should

not we

Be there in person ?

Eno. {Afide.) Well, I could reply:
If we should serve with horse and mares together,

?--potent regiment - ] Regiment, is government, authority; he puts his power and his empire into the hands of a false woman.

It may be observed, that trull was not, in our author's time, a term of mere infamy, but a word of Night contempt, as wench is now.

JOHNSON. - forefpoke my being-) To forefpeak, is to contradict, to speak againsi, as forbid is to order negatively.

JOHNSON

The

8

The horse were merely loft; the mares would bear A soldier, and his horse.

Cleo. What is't you say?

Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his

time,
What should not then be spared. He is already
Traduc'd for levity; and 'uis said in Rome,
That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids,
Manage this war.

Cleo. Sink Rome; and their tongues rot
That speak against us ! A charge we bear i' the war ;
And, as the president of my kingdom, will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
I will not stay behind.

Enter Antony and Canidius. Eno. Nay, I have done : here comes the emperor,

Ant. Is it not strange, Canidius, That from Tarentum, and Brundufium, He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea, And take in Toryne?-You have heard on’t, sweet?

Cleo. Celerity is never more admired
Than by the negligent.

Ant. A good rebuke,
Which might have well becom'd the best of men
To taunt at Nackness. Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo. By fea ! what else?
Can. Why will my lord do fo?
Ant. For that he dares us to't.
Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight.
Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,
Where Cæsar fought with Pompey : But these offers,
Which ferve not for his vantage, he shakes off,
And so should you.

Eno,

Eno. Your ships are not well mann'd:
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Ingrost by swift impress. In Cæsar's feet
Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
Their ships are yare ; yours, heavy': no disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By sea, by sea.

Eno. Most worthy fir, you therein throw away The abfolute soldiership you have by land; Distract your army, which doth most conlist Of war-mark'd footmen: leave unexecuted Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego The

way which promises assurance; and Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, From firm security.

Ant. I'll fight at sea.

Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better. - Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn; And, with the rest full mann'd, from the head of

Actium
Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail,
We then can do't at land.

Enter a Messenger. Thy business?

Mes. The news is true, my lord; he is descried : Cæsar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible. Strange, that his power should be.-Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,

9 Their fhips are yare; your's bravy:-) So in fir Tho. North's Plutarch.-- Cæsar's ships were not built for pomp, high and great, &c. but they were light of yarage,” rare generally fignifies, dextrous, manageable.

STEEVENS.

And

And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship;
Away, my Thetis !

Enter a Soldier.
How now, worthy soldier ?

Sold. Oh noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt
This sword, and these my wounds? Let the Ægyptians
And the Phænicians go a ducking; we
Have us'd to conquer standing on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.
Ant. Well, well, away.

(Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus. Sold. 'By Hercules, I think, I am i' the right.

Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows
Not in the power on't: So our leader's led,
And we are women's men.

Sold. You keep by land
The legions and the horse whole, do you not ?

Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Jufteius,
Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea :
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæsar's
Carries beyond belief.

Sold. While he was yet in Rome,
His power went out in such ? distractions, as
Beguild all spies.
Can. Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
Sold. They say, one Taurus.
Can. Well I know the man.

By Hercules, I think, I ami' the right,
Can. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows
Not in the power'on't :-) That is, his whole conduct becomes,
ungoverned by the right, or by reason.

JOHNSON --diffractions- ) Detachments; feparate bodies. JOHNSON.