SCENE V.

Changes to a Camp.

Trumpets found. Enter Antony, and Eros; a foldier meeting them.

2

* Sold. The Gods make this a happy day to Antony! Ant. 'Would, thou and those thy fcars had once prevail'd

To make me fight at land!

Eros. Hadft thou done fo,

The kings, that have revolted, and the foldier,
That has this morning left thee, would have still
Follow'd thy heels.

Ant. Who's gone this morning?

Eros. Who?

One ever near thee. Call for Enobarbus,

He shall not hear thee; or from Cæfar's camp
Say, "I am none of thine."

Ant. What fay'st thou?

Sold. Sir,

He is with Cæfar.

Eros. Sir, his chefts and treasure

He has not with him.

Ant. Is he gone?

Sold. Moft certain.

Ant. Go, Eros, fend his treasure after; do it,
Detain no jot, I charge thee. Write to him,
(1 will fubfcribe) gentle adieus, and greetings.
Say, that I wish he never find more cause

2 Eros. The Gods make this a happy day to Antony!] 'Tis evident, as Dr. Thirlby likewife conjectured, by what Antony immediately replies, that this line fhould not be placed to Eros, but to the foldier, who, before the battle of Actium, advised Antony to try bis fate at land.

THEOB.

To

To change a mafter. Oh, my fortunes have Corrupted honeft men! Dispatch. Enobarbus!

SCENE VI.

CESAR's CAMP.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cafar, Agrippa, with Enobarbus and Dolabella. · Caf. Go forth, Agrippa, and begin the fight: + Our will is, Antony be took alive;

Make it fo known.

Agr. Cæfar, I fhall.

Caf. The time of univerfal peace is near. Prove this a profperous day, the three-nook'd world Shall bear the olive freely.

Enter a Messenger.

Mef. Antony is come into the field.

Caf. Go, charge Agrippa;

Plant thofe that have revolted in the van;

3-Dispatch, my Eros.] Thus the modern editors. The old edition reads,

Dispatch Enobarbus.

Perhaps, it should be,

-Dispatch! To Enobarbus!

JOHNSON.

Our will is, Antony be took alive;] It is obfervable with what judgment Shakespeare draws the character of Octavius. Antony was his hero; fo the other was not to shine: yet being an histo rical character, there was a neceffity to draw him like. But the antient hiftorians, his flatterers, had delivered him down fo fair, that he seems ready cut and dried for a hero. Amidst these diffi

culties Shakespeare has extricated himself with great addrefs. He has admitted all those great ftrokes of his character as he found them, and yet has made him a very unamiable character, deceitful, mean-fpirited, narrrow-minded, proud, and revengeful. WARBURTON. s Shall bear the olive freely.] i. e. fhall fpring up every where fpontaneously and without culture.

WARBURTON.

That

That Antony may feem to spend his fury
Upon himself.

[Exeunt.

Eno. Alexas did revolt; and went to Jewry, on Affairs of Antony; there did perfuade

6

Great Herod to incline himself to Cæfar,
And leave his master Antony: for this pains,
Cæfar hath hang'd him. Canidius, and the rest,
That fell away, have entertainment, but
No honourable truft. I have done ill;
Of which I do accufe myself fo forely,
That I will joy no more.

Enter a Soldier of Cæfar's.

Sold. Enobarbus, Antony

Hath after thee fent all thy treasure, with
His bounty over-plus. The meffenger
Came on my guard; and at thy tent is now
Unloading of his mules.

Eno. I give it you.

Sold. Mock not, Enobarbus.

I tell you true.

Best you fafed the bringer

Out of the hoft; I must attend mine office,
Or would have don't myfelf. Your emperor
Continues ftill a Jove.

Eno. I am alone the villain of the earth,
And feel, I am so most. O Antony,

[Exit.

Thou mine of bounty, how wouldst thou have paid My better service, when my turpitude

Thou doft fo crown, with gold! 7 This blows my

heart;

If fwift thought break it not, a fwifter mean

Shall

perfuade] The old copy has diffuade, perhaps rightly.

JOHNSON.

↑ —This blows my heart;] All the latter editions have,

This bows my heart;

I have given the original word again the place from which I think

Shall out-strike thought; but thought will do't, I feel.

I fight against thee!-No: I will go feek

Some ditch, where I may die; the foul'ft best fits My latter part of life.

SCENE VII.

Before the Walls of Alexandria.

[Exit.

Alarm. Drums and Trumpets. Enter Agrippa.

Agr. Retire, we have engag'd ourselves too far: Cæfar himself has work, and our oppreffion

8

Exceeds what we expected.

Alarm. Enter Antony, and Scarus wounded.

[Exit.

Scar. O my brave emperor! this is fought indeed! Had we done fo at first, we had driven them home With clouts about their heads.

Ant. Thou bleed'it apace.

Scar. I had a wound here that was like a T,

But now 'tis made an H.

Ant. They do retire.

Scar. We'll beat 'em into bench-holes; I have Room for fix fcotches more.

Enter Eros.

yet

Eros. They are beaten, fir, and our advantage ferves

For a fair victory.

it unjustly excluded. This generofity, (fays Enobarbus) fwells my heart, fo that it will quickly break, if thought break it not, a fwifter mean. JOHNSON.

8 -and our oppreffion.] Oppreffion for oppofition, WARB. Sir T. Hanmer has received oppofition. Perhaps rightly.

JOHNSON.

Scar.

Scar. Let us fcore their backs,

And fnatch 'em up as we take hares, behind: 'Tis sport to maul a runner.

Ant. I will reward thee

Once for thy fprightly comfort, and ten-fold
For thy good valour. Come thee on.

Scar. I'll halt after.

[Exeunt.

Alarm. Enter Antony again in a march. Scarus with

others.

Ant. We have beat him to his camp; run one before,

And let the queen know of our guests.-To-morrow,
Before the fun fhall fee us, we'll spill the blood
That has to-day efcap'd. I thank you all;
For doughty-handed are you; and have fought
Not as you ferv'd the cause, but as it had been
Each man's like mine; you have fhewn all Hectors.
Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends,
Tell them your feats; whilft they with joyful tears,
Wafh the congealment from your wounds, and kiss
The honour'd gashes whole.-Give me thy hand,
[To Scarus.

9

-run one before,

-]

And let the queen know of our guests.What guests was the queen to know of? Antony was to fight again on the morrow; and he had not yet faid a word of marching to Alexandria, and treating his officers in the palace. We must read, And let the queen know of our gefts.

i. e. res gefte; our feats, our glorious actions. A term then in common ufe. WARBURTON. This paffage needs neither correction nor explanation. Antony after his fuccefs intends to bring his officers to fup with Cleopatra, and orders notice to be given her of their guests.

JOHNSON.

Enter