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 for.

Mene.

We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wise
Deny us for our good; so find we profit,
By losing of our prayers.

powers

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,

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 to

gether,

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

5thy wan'd lip!] Shakspeare's orthography [or that of his ignorant publishers] often adds a d at the end of a word. Thus,

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 coyless 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."

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
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,'

vile is (in the old editions) every where spelt vild. Laund is given instead of lawn; why not therefore wan'd for wan here.

If this however should not be accepted, suppose we read with the addition only of an apostrophe, wan'd; i. e. waned, declined, gone off from its perfection; comparing Cleopatra's beauty to the moon past the full. PERCY.

That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,

Even till a Lethe'd dulness.] i. e. to a Lethe'd dulness. Till was sometimes used instead of to. To prorogue his honour, &c. means, to delay his sense of honour from exerting itself till he is become habitually sluggish.

7

since he went from Egypt, 'tis

A space for further travel.] 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.

9

don'd his helm-] To don is to do on, to put on. Egypt's widow - Julius Cæsar had married her to young Ptolemy, who was afterwards drowned.

'I cannot hope, &c.] To hope, means to expect.

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 them

selves;

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,3 to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

[Exeunt.*

SCENE II.

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

square-] That is, quarrel.

It only stands

Our lives upon, &c.] i. e. to exert our utmost force, is the only consequential way of securing our lives.

4 This play is not divided into Acts by the author or first editors, and therefore the present division may be altered at pleasure. I think the first Act may be commodiously continued to this place, and the second Act opened with the interview of the chief persons, and a change of the state of action. Yet it must be confessed, that it is of small importance, where these unconnected and desultory scenes are interrupted. JOHNSON.

To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him,
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 to-day.'

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 away. Eno. Not if the small come first.

Lep.

Your speech is passion: But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony.

Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS.

Eno.

And yonder, Cæsar.

Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

Ant. If we compose well here," to Parthia: Hark you, Ventidius.

Cæs.

Mecænas; ask Agrippa.
Lep.

I do not know,

That which combin'd us
A leaner action rend us.

Noble friends,

was most great, and let not 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,)

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,

s Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

I would not shave to-day.] I believe he means, I would meet him undressed, without show of respect. JOHNSON.

6 If we compose well here,] i, e. if we come to a lucky composition, agreement.

Nor curstness grow to the matter."

Ant.

"Tis spoken well:

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not so;

Or, being, concern you not.

Cæs.

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

I must be laugh'd at,

Should say myself offended; and with you

Chiefly i' the world: more laugh'd at, that I should Once name you derogately, when to sound your name It not concern'd me.

Ant.

What was❜t to you?

My being in Egypt, Cæsar,

Cæs. No more than my residing here at Rome Might be to you in Egypt: Yet, if you there Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt Might be my question.9

Ant.

How intend you, practis'd? Cæs. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, By what did here befal me. Your wife, and brother, Made wars upon me; and their contestation Was theme for you, you were the word of war.1

7 Nor curstness grow to the matter.] Let not ill-humour be added to the real subject of our difference.

8 Did practise on my state,] To practise means to employ unwarrantable arts or stratagems.

1

question.] i. e. My theme or subject of conversation.

their contestation

Was theme for you, you were the word of war.] Was theme for you, probably, means only, was proposed as an example for you to follow on a yet more extensive plan; as themes are given for a writer to dilate upon; but this is much contested.