Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke Was beastly dumb' by him.

Cleo.

What, was he sad, or merry? Alex. Like to the time o'the year, between the ex

tremes

Of hot and cold; he was nor sad, nor merry.

Cleo. O well-divided disposition!-Note him, Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him;

He was not sad; for he would shine on those
That make their looks by his: he was not merry;
Which seem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy: but between both;
O heavenly mingle!-Be'st thou sad, or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes;
So does it no man else.-Met'st thou my posts?
Alex. Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
Why do
you send so thick 8?

Cleo.

Who's born that day

When I forget to send to Antony,

Shall die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian.Welcome, my good Alexas.-Did I, Charmian, Ever love Cæsar so?

Char.

O that brave Cæsar!

Cleo. Be chok'd with such another emphasis! Say, the brave Antony.

Char.

The valiant Cæsar!

Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cæsar paragon again

My man of men.

7 Thus the old copy; which was altered by Theobald to dumb'd without necessity. The arrogant steed, says Alexas, would let no sound be heard but his own, he neighed so loud that what I would have spoke was beastly obstructed by him. Dumbe is the past tense of the A. S. verb Semman. It was formerly written domme, and dumme, without the b.

8 i. e. in such quick succession. See vol. iv. p..221, note 17.

Char.

By your most gracious pardon,

My sallad days:

I sing but after you.
Cleo.
When I was green in judgment:-Cold in blood,
To say, as I said then!-But, come, away:
Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day
A several greeting, or I'll unpeople Egypt.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I. Messina. A Room in Pompey's House.

Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS. Pom. If the great gods be just, they shall assist The deeds of justest men.

Mene.

Know, worthy Pompey, That what they do delay, they not deny.

Pom. Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays

The thing we sue for1.

Mene.

We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit,

By losing of our prayers.

Pom.

I shall do well:

The people love me, and the sea is mine;

My power's a crescent, and my auguring hope
Says, it will come to the full. Mark Antony
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money, where
He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,

1 While we are praying, the thing for which we pray is losing its value.

2 Old copy, My powers are crescent,' &c. The judicious .emendation was made by Theobald.

Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

Men.

Cæsar and Lepidus

Are in the field; a mighty strength they carry.
Pom. Where have you this? 'tis false.

Men.

From Silvius, sir.

Pom. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together,

Looking for Antony: But all the charms of love
Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd3 lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,
Keep his brain fuming: Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;
That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even till a Lethe'd dulness.-How now, Varrius?
Enter VARRIUS.

Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver:
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected; since he went from Egypt, 'tis

A space for further travel 5.

Pom.

I could have given less matter

A better ear.-Menas, I did not think,

This amorous surfeiter would have don'd his helm For such a petty war: his soldiership

Is twice the other twain: But let us rear

3 i. e. thy wanned or pallid lip. It should be remarked that the lips of Africans and Asiatics are paler than those of Europeans.

i. e. delay his sense of honour from exerting itself till he is become habitually sluggish: till was anciently used for to. So in Candlemas Day, 1512, p. 13:—

This lurdeyn take heed what I sey the tyll.'

And in George Cavendish's Metrical Visions, p. 19:-
I espied certeyn persons coming me tyll.'

5 i. e. since he quitted Egypt a space of time has elapsed in which a longer journey might have been performed than from Egypt to Rome.

The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er lust-wearied Antony.

Men.

I cannot hope?,

Cæsar and Antony shall well greet together:
His wife, that's dead, did trespasses to Cæsar;
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom,

I know not, Menas, How lesser enmities may give way to greater. Were't not that we stand up against them all, 'Twere pregnant they should square between themselves;

For they have entertained cause enough

To draw their swords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divisions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be it as our gods will have it! It only stands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Rome. A Room in the House of Lepidus.

Enter ENOBARBUS and Lepidus.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain To soft and gentle speech.

Eno.

I shall entreat him

To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him,

6 Julius Cæsar had married Cleopatra to young Ptolemy, who was afterwards drowned.

7 i. e. I cannot expect. So Chaucer in The Reve's Tale, v. 4027 :

'Our manciple I hope he wol be ded.'

8 i. e. quarrel. See vol. ii. p. 236, note 8.

9 i. e. it is incumbent upon us for the preservation of our lives. See vol. v. p. 56, note 10.

Let Antony look over Cæsar's head,

And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,
I would not shave't to day 1.

Lep.

For private stomaching.

Eno.

'Tis not a time

Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in it.

Lep. But small to greater matters must give way. Eno. Not if the small come first.

2

Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia:

Hark you, Ventidius.

Cæs.

Mecænas; ask Agrippa.

Lep.

I do not know,

Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,

May it be gently heard: When we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit
Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners
(The rather, for I earnestly beseech),

1 i. e. I would meet him undressed, without any show of respect. Plutarch mentions that Antony, after the overthrow he had at Modena, suffered his beard to grow at length, and never clipt it, that it was marvellous long. Perhaps this circumstance was in Shakspeare's thoughts.

2 That is, if we come to a lucky composition, or agreement. So afterwards :

'I crave our composition may be written.'