Ant. You do mistake never your business; my brother Did urge me in his act: I did enquire it; And have my learning from some true reports,2 yours; And make the wars alike against my stomach, Cæs. You praise yourself By laying defects of judgment to me; but You patch'd up your excuses. Ant. Not so, not so; I know you could not lack, I am certain on't, Very necessity of this thought, that I, Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought, Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars Which 'fronted3 mine own peace. As for As for my wife, I would you had her spirit in such another:* The third o'the world is yours; which with a snaffle You may pace easy, but not such a wife. Eno. 'Would we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women! Ant. So much uncurable, her garboils, Cæsar, Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted Shrewdness of policy too.) I grieving grant, Did you too much disquiet: for that, you must But say, I could not help it. 3 true reports,] Reports for reporters. I would you had her spirit in such another:] Antony means to say, I wish you had the spirit of Fulvia, embodied in such another woman as her; I wish you were married to such another spirited woman; and then you would find, that though you can govern the third part of the world, the management of such a woman is not an easy matter. VOL. VIII. D. D Cæs. I wrote to you, When rioting in Alexandria; you Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts Ant. Sir, He fell upon me, ere admitted; then Cæs. You have broken The article of your oath; which you shall never Lep. Soft, Cæsar. Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak; The honour's sacred" which he talks on now, The article of my oath,— Cæs. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them; The which you both denied. Ant. Neglected, rather; I told him of myself;] i. e. told him the condition I was in, when he had his last audience. 6 The honour's sacred-] The meaning appears to be this:"Cæsar accuses Antony of a breach of honour in denying to send him aid when he required it, which was contrary to his oath. Antony says, in his defence, that he did not deny his aid, but, in the midst of dissipation, neglected to send it: that having now brought his forces to join him against Pompey, he had redeemed that error; and that therefore the honour which Cæsar talked of, was now sacred and inviolate, supposing that he had been somewhat deficient before, in the performance of that engagement."The adverb now refers to is, not to talks on; and the line should be pointed thus: The honour's sacred that he talks on, now, And then, when poison'd hours had bound me up Lep. Speaks to atone you.9 Lep. Worthily spoke, Mecenas. Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you shall have time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do. Ant. Thou art a soldier only; speak no more. Eno. That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot. Ant. You wrong this presence, therefore speak no more. Eno. Go to then; your considerate stone.1 Cæs. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech: for it cannot be, We shall remain in friendship, our conditions So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew Work without it:] Nor my greatness work without mine honesty. 9 1 The griefs-] i. e. grievances. to atone you.] i. e. reconcile you. your considerate stone.] Mr. Tollet explains the passage in question thus: "I will henceforth seem senseless as a stone, however I may observe and consider your words and actions." What hoop should hold us staunch, from edge to edge O' the world I would pursue it. Agr. Caes. Speak, Agrippa. Give me leave, Cæsar, Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Admir'd Octavia: great Mark Antony Is now a widower. Cues. Say not so, Agrippa; If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof Were well deserv'd of rashness. Ant. I am not married, Cæsar: let me hear Agrippa further speak. Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity, To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts And all great fears, which now import their dangers, Ant. Will Cæsar speak? Cæs. Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is spoke already. Ant. What power is in Agrippa, The power of Cæsar, and May I never His power unto Octavia. Ant. To this good purpose, that so fairly shows, And sway our great designs! Cæs. There is my hand. A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother Did ever love so dearly: Let her live To join our kingdoms, and our hearts; and never Fly off our loves again! Lep. Happily, amen! Ant. I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Pompey; For he hath laid'strange courtesies, and great, Of late upon me: I must thank him only, Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;2 At heel of that, defy him. Lep. Of us must Pompey presently be sought, Or else he seeks out us. Ant. Time calls upon us: And where lies he? What's his strength Cæs. About the Mount Misenum. Ant. By land? Cæs. Great, and increasing: but by sea He is an absolute master. Ant. So is the fame. 'Would, we had spoke together? Haste we for it: Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, despatch we The business we have talk'd of. Cæs. With most gladness; 2 Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;] Lest I be thought too willing to forget benefits, I must barely return him thanks, and then I will defy him. Of us, &c.] In the language of Shakspeare's time, means— by us. |