SCENE IV. Changes to Athens. Enter Antony and Octavia. A Y, nay, Octavia, not only that, more Of femblable import, but he hath wag'd New wars 'gainft Pompey; made his Will and read it To publick ear; fpoke fcantily of me : When perforce he could not But pay me terms of honour, cold and fickly He vented them; moft narrow measure lent me ; (9) When the beft hint was giv'n him, he not took't, Or did it from his teeth. O&. Oh, my good Lord, Believe not all; or, if you must believe, The good Gods will mock me prefently, When I fhall pray, "Oh, blefs my Lord and husband!" Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud, "Oh, bless my brother!" Husband win, win, brother, Prays, and deftroys the prayer; no midway "Twixt thefe extreams at all. Ant. Gentle Octavia, Let your beft love draw to that point, which feeks (9) When the best hint was giv'n him, he o'erlook'd, Or did it from his teeth.] The firft folio reads, not look'd. Dr. Thirlby advis'd the emendation which I have inferted in the text. THEOBALD. Yourfelf fhall go between's; (1) the mean time, lady, Shall ftain your brother; make your foonest hafte; Octa. Thanks to my Lord. The Jove of Power make me, most weak, moft weak, Your reconciler! (2) wars 'twixt you 'twain would be As if the world should cleave, and that flain men Should folder up the rift. Ant. When it appears to you where this begins, Can equally move with them. Provide your Going ; (1)- -the mean time, lady, Fll raife the preparation of a war, Shall ftain your brother;] Thus the printed copies. But fure, Antony, whofe bufinefs here is to mollify Octavia, does it with a very ill grace: and 'tis a very odd way of fatisfying her, to tell her, the war, he raifes, fhall ftain, i. e. caft an odium upon her brother. I have no doubt, but we must read, with the addition only of a fingle letter. Shall ftrain your brother. i. e. Shall lay him under constraints; shall put him to fuch fhifts, that he fhall neither be able to make a progress against, or to prejudice me. Plutarch fays; that Octavius, understand ing the fudden and wonderful preparations of Antony, was afto nish'd at it; for he himself was in many wants; and the people were forely oppreffed with grievous exactions. THEOBALD. I do not fee but ftain may be allowed to remain unaltered, meaning no more than fame or difgrace. (2)-wars 'twixt you 'twain would be, &c.] The thought is wonderfully fublime. It is taken from Curtius's leaping into the gulf in the Forum, in order to close the gap. As that was clofed by one Roman, fo it is infinuated, that if the whole world were to cleave, Romans only could folder up the chafm. The expreffion is exact. For as metal is foldered by metal more pure and noble, fo the globe was to be foldered up by men, who are only a more refined earth. WARBURTON. This wonderful allufion is, I believe, more in the thought of the commentator than of the poet. The fenfe is, the war be tween Cæfar and Antony would engage the world between them, and that the flaughter would be great in fo extenfive a commotion. Enter Enter Enobarbus and Eros. Eno. How now, friend Eros? Eros. There's ftrange news, come, Sir. Eno. What, man? Eros. Cæfar and Lepidus have made war upon Pom pey. Eno. This is old; what is the success ? Eros. Cafar, having made ufe of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him (3) rivality, would not let him partake in the glory of the action; and not refting here, accufes him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey. (4) Upon his own appeal, feizes him; fo the poor third is up, 'till death enlarge his confine. Ero. (5) Then 'would thou hadst a pair of chaps, no more, and throw between them all the food thou haft, they'll grind the other. Where's Antony? Eros. He's walking in the garden thus; and fpurns The rush that lies before him. Cries," fool Lepidus!" And threats the throat of that his Officer, That murder'd Pompey. Eno. Our great Navy's rigg'd. Eros. For Italy and Cæfar. (6) More, Domitiusz My Lord defires you prefently. My news. I might have told hereafter. (3) rivality, Equal rank.] (4) Upon his own appeal,] To appeal, in Shakespeare, is to accufe; Cæfar feized Lepidus without any other proof than Cafar's accufation. (5) Then 'would thou hadst a pair of chaps, no more, and throw between them all the food thou haft, they'll grind the other. Where's Antony ?] This is obfcure, I read it thus, Then, world, thou haft a pair of chaps, no more, And throw between them all the food thou haft, They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony? Cæfar and Antony will make war on each other, though they have the world to prey upon between them. (6)-Mare, Domitius.] I have fomething more to tell you, which I might have told at first, and delayed my news. Antony requires your prefence. Eno. Eno. "Twill be naught; but let it be. Bring me to Antony. Eros. Come, Sir. SCENE V. Changes to Rome. [Exeunt. Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecenas caf C Ontemning Rome, he has done all this, and more, In Alexandria; here's the manner of it: Unto her Mec. This in the publick eye? Caf. I' th' common fhew-place, where they exercife, His fons he there proclaim'd the Kings of Kings; Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia, He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he affign'd She In the habiliments of the Goddess Ifis That day appear'd, and oft before gave audience, Mec. Let Rome be thus inform'd. Agr. Who, queafy with his infolence already, Will their good thoughts call from him. Caf. The people know it, and have now receiv'd His accufations. Agr. Whom does he accufe? Caf. Cæfar; and that having in Sicily Sextus Pompeius fpoil'd, we had not rated him His part o' th' ffle. Then does he fay, he lent me Some (7) For Lydia Mr. Upton, from Plutarch, has reftored Libya. Some Shipping unreftor'd. Laftly, he frets, Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain Agr. Sir, this should be anfwer'd. Caf. "Tis done already, and his messenger gone. I told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; That he his high authority abus'd, And did deferve his Change. For what I've conquer'd, I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, And other of his conquer'd Kingdoms, I Demand the like. Mec. He'll never yield to that. Caf. Nor must not then be yielded to in this. Enter Octavia, with her Train. Octa. Hail, Cæfar, and my Lord! hail, moft dear Cafar! Caf. That ever I fhould call thee Caft-away! Oda. You have not call'd me fo, nor have you cause. Caf. Why have you ftol'n upon us thus ? you come not Like Cafar's fifter; the Wife of Antony Octa. Good my Lord, To come thus was I not conftrain'd, but did it My |
