That of his fortunes you would make a staff
To lean upon.

But it would warm his spirits, to hear from me
You had left Antony, and put yourself

Under his shroud, the univerfal landlord.
Cleo. What's your name!

Thyr. My name is Thyreus.

Cleo. (9) Moft kind meffenger,

Say to great Cæfar this; in deputation

I kifs his conq'ring hand: tell him, I'm prompt
To lay my crown at's feet, and there to kneel.
(1) Tell him, that from his all-obeying breath I hear
The doom of Egypt.

Thyr. 'Tis your nobleft courfe:

Wifdom and fortune combating together,

If that the former dare but what it can,

No chance may shake it. (2) Give me grace to lay My duty on your hand.

Cleo. Your Cafar's father oft,

When he hath mus'd of taking Kingdoms in,
Beftow'd his lips on that unworthy place,

As it rain'd kiffes.

(9) Moft kind messenger,

Say to great Cæfar this in DISPUTATION.

I kifs his conqu'ring hand :-] The poet certainly wrote,

Meft kind meffenger,

Say to great Cæfar this; in DEPUTATION

I kifs his conqu'ring hand:

to pay him that duty in my name.

i. e. by Proxy; I depute you

WARBURTON.

(1) Tell him, that from his all-obeying breath, &c.] Doom is dev clared rather by an all-commanding, than an all-obeying breath I fuppofe we ought to read,

(2)

all obeyed breath.

-Give me grace] Grant me the avour.

SCENE

SCENE X.

Enter Antony, and Enobarbus.

Ant. Favours! by Jove, that thunders.

What art thou, fellow?

[Seeing Thyreus kifs her hand.

Thyr. One that but performs

The bidding of the fulleft man, and worthiest
To have command obey'd.

Eno. You will be whipp'd.

Ant. Approach there ah, you kite!Now, Gods and Devils!

Authority melts from me. Of late when I cry'd, hoa! (3) Like boys unto a mufs, Kings would start forth, And cry, your will? Have you no ears?

I'm Antony yet. Take hence this Jack, and whip him,

Enter Servants.

Eno. 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp, Than with an old one dying.

Ant. Moon and ftars!

Whip him :-Were't twenty of the greateft Tributaries

That do acknowledge Cafar, fhould I find them
So fawcy with the hand of She here, (what's her name,
Since the was Cleopatra ?)Whip him, fellows,
Till, like a boy, you fee him cringe his face,
And whine aloud for mercy. Take him hence.
Thyr. Mark Antony.

Ant. Tug him away; being whipp'd,
Bring him again: this Jack of Cafar's fhall

(3) Like boys unto a mufs, i. e. a feramble.

Port.

So uled by Ben Johnson. See the Magnetic Lady, act iv. sc. iii. p. 44.

Bias, "I keep her portion fafe, that is not scatter'd,
"The moneys rattle not; nor are they thrown
"To make a mufs, yet 'mong the game fome fuitors.

Dr. GRAY.

Bear

Bear us an errand to him. [Exeunt with Thyreus.
You were half blafted, ere I knew you; ha!
Have I my pillow left unpreft in Rome,
Forborn the getting of a lawful race,
And by a gem of women, to be abus'd
(4) By one that looks on feeders ?
Cleo. Good my Lord,-

Ant. You have been a boggler ever.

But when we in our viciousness grow hard,
Oh mifery on't! the wife Gods feal our eyes
In our own filth, drop our clear judgments, make us
Adore our errors, laugh at's while we ftrut

To our confufion.

Cleo. Oh, is't come to this?

Ant. I found you as a morfel, cold upon
Dead Cæfar's trencher: nay, you were a fragment
Of Cneius Pompey's; befides what hotter hours,
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have
Luxuriously pickt out. For, I am fure,

Though you can guess what temperance fhould be,.
You know not what it is..

Cleo. Wherefore is this?

Ant. To let a fellow that will take rewards,
And fay, God quit you, be familiar with
My play-fellow, your hand; this kingly feal,
And plighter of high hearts;

Upon the hill of Basan, to out-roar

-O

that I were

(5) The horned herd, for I have favage cause!
And to proclaim it civilly, were like

A halter'd neck, which does the hangman thank
For being yare about him. Is he whipp'd?

Re-enter a Servant with Thyreus,

Serv. Soundly, my Lord.

Ant. Cry'd he and begg'd a' pardon?

(4) By one that looks on feeders ?] One that waits at the table while others are eating.

(5) The horned herd,] It is not without pity and indignation that the reader of this great Poet meets fo often with this low jeft, which is too much a favourite to be left out of either mirth or fury.

Serv. He did ask favour.

Ant. If that thy father live, let him repent

Thou waft not made his daughter; and be thou forry To follow Cæfar in his triumph, fince

Thou hast been whipp'd for following him. Hence forth,

The white hand of a lady fever thee,

Shake thou to look on't.-Get thee back to Cafar,.
Tell him thy entertainment; look, thou fay,
He makes me angry with him: For he feems
Proud and disdainful, harping on what I am,
Not what he knew I was. He makes me angry;
And, at this time, moft eafy 'tis to do't,

When my good ftars, that were my former guides;
Have empty left their orbs, and hot their fires
Into the abyfm of hell. If he mislike

My fpeech, and what is done, tell him, he has
Hipparchus my enfranchis'd bondman, whom
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
As he fhall like, (6) to quit me. Urge it thou.
Hence with thy ftripes, be gone. [Exit Thyreus

Cleo. Have you done yet?

Ant. Alack, our terrene moon is now eclips'd, And it portends alone the fall of Antony.

Cleo. I muft ftay his time

Ant. To flatter Cafar, would you mingle eyes

With one that ties his points ?

Cleo. Not know me yet?

Ant. Cold-hearted toward me!

Cleo. Ah, dear, if I be fo,,..

From my cold heart let heav'n ingender hail,
And poifon't in the fource, and the first stone
Drop in my neck; as it determines, fo
Diffolve my life! the next Cæfario smite!
'Till by degrees the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
(7) By the difcandying of this pelletted ftorm,

Lie

(6). -to quit me. -] To repay me this infult; to requite

me.

(7) By the difcattering of this pelletted storm,] This reading we owe firft, I prefume, to Mr. Rowe and Mr. Pope has very faithfully fallen into it. The old folios read, defcandering: from

Lie gravelefs; 'till the flies and gnats of Nile
Have buried them for prey!

Ant. I'm fatisfied:

Cæfar fits down in Alexandria, where
I will oppofe his fate. Our force by land
Hath nobly held; our fever'd navy too

Have knit again, (8) and float, threatning moft fea-like. Where haft thou been, my heart? Doft thou hear, lady?

If from the field I fhould return once more
To kifs these lips, I will appear in blood;
I and my fword will earn my chronicle ;
There is hope in't yet.

Cleo. That's my brave Lord.

Ant. I will be treble-finew'd, hearted, breath'd, And fight malicioufly; for when my hours

(9) Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
Of me for jefts; but now I'll fet my teeth,
And fend to darkness all that stop me. Come
Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me
All my fad captains, fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.

Cleo. It is my birth-day;

I had thought t' have held it poor: But fince
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

Ant. We will yet do well.

my Lord

Cleo. Call all his noble captains to my Lord.
Ant. Do fo, we'll fpeak to them,

force

The wine peep through their fears.

Queen;

and to night I'll

Come on, my

There's fap in't yet. The next time I do fight,

which corruption both Dr. Thirlby and I faw, we must retrieve the word with which I have reformed the text.

THEOB.

(8)and float,] This is a modern emendation, perhaps right. The old reading is, and fleet,

(9) Were nice and lucky,

ing in peace.

Nice, for delicate, courtly, flow

WARBURTON.

Nice rather feems to be, juft fit for my purpose, agreeable to my wifb. So we vulgarly fay of any thing that is done better than was expected, it is nice.