Char. 'Twas merry, when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver
Did hang a falt-fifh on his hook, which he
With fervency drew up.

Cleo. That time!O times!

I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night
I laugh'd him into patience: and next morn,
Ere the ninth hour, I drank him to his bed;
Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst
I wore his fword Philippan. O! from Italy ;-

Enter a Meffenger.

Ram thou thy fruitful tidings' in mine ears,
That long time have been barren.

Mef. Madam, madam,

Cleo. Antony's dead?

Did hang a falt-fish &c.] This circumftance is likewife taken from fir Tho. North's tranflation of the life of Antony in Plutarch. STEEVENS.

-ubilt

I wore his fword Philippan.

We are not to fuppofe, nor is there any warrant from history, that Antony had any particular fword fo called. The dignifying weapons, in this fort, is a cuftom of much more recent date. This therefore feems a compliment à pofteriori. We find Antony, afterwards, in this play, boafting of his own prowess at Philippi.

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes; he at Philippi kept
His favord e'en like a dancer; while I ftruck
The lean and wrinkled Caffius ; &c.

That was the greatest action of Antony's life; and therefore this feems a fine piece of flattery, intimating, that this fword ought to be denominated from that illuftrious battle, in the fame manner as modern heroes in romance are made to give their swords pompous names. THEOBALD.

Ram thou thy fruitful tidings-] Shakspeare probably wrote, (as fir T. Hanmer obferves) Rain thou &c. Rain agrees better with the epithets fruitful and barren. So, in Timon:

Rain facrificial whifp'rings in his ear."

Again, in the Tempest:

Heavens rain grace!"

STEEVENS.

If thou fay fo, villain, thou kill'ft thy mistress:
But well and free2,

If fo thou yield him, there is gold, and here
My blueft veins to kifs; a hand, that kings
Have lipp'd, and trembled kiffing.

Mef. First, madam, he is well.

Cleo. Why, there's more gold. But, firrah, mark;
We use

To fay, the dead are well: bring it to that,
The gold I give thee, will I melt, and pour
Down thy ill-uttering throat.

Mef. Good madam, hear me.

Cleo. Well, go to, I will;

But there's no goodnefs in thy face: If Antony
Be free, and healthful, fo tart a favour

To trumpet fuch good tidings? If not well,

Thou fhouldft come like a fury crown'd with fnakes, 4 Not like a formal man.

Mes.

2 But well and free, &c.] This fpeech is but coldly imitated by Beaumont and Fletcher in The False One:

3

Cleop. What of him? Speak: if ill, Apollodorus, "It is my happiness and for thy news

"Receive a favour kings have kneel'd in vain for,
"And kifs my hand." STEEVENS.

-If Antony

Be free and healthful, jo tart a favour
To trumpet fuch good tiaings?]

There feems to have been a word omitted. We might read:

If Antony

Be free and healthful, need's so tart a favour, &c.

A late editor reads,

MALONE.

-Why fo tart a favour," &c. EDITOR. ♦ Not like a formal man.] Formal, for ordinary.

WARBURTON.

Rather decent, regular. JoHNSON. By a formal man, Shakspeare means, a man in his fenfes. Informal women, in Measure for Majure, is ufed for women befide themselves. STEEVENS.

Formal man, I believe, only means a man in form, i. e. shape.

VOL. VIII.

You

Mef. Will't please you hear me?

Cleo. I have a mind to strike thee, ere thou speak'ft: Yet, if thou fay, Antony lives, is well, Or friends with Cæfar, or not captive to him, 'I'll fet thee in a fhower of gold, and hail Rich pearls upon thee.

Mef. Madam, he's well.

Cleo. Well faid.

Mef. And friends with Cæfar.

Cleo. Thou art an honeft man.

You should come in the form of a fury, and not in the form of a man, So, in A mad World my Mafters, by Middleton, 1640: "The very devil affum'd thee formally."

i. e. affumed thy form. MALONE.

5 I have a mind to ftrike thee ere thou speak'
ft;
Yet, if thou fay, Antony lives, 'tis well,
Or friends with Cafar, or not captive to him,
I'll fet thee in a fhower of gold, and hail

Rich pearls upon thee.

We furely fhould read is well. The meffenger is to have his reward, if he fays, that Antony is alive, in health, and either friends with Cæfar, or not captive to him. TYRWHITT.

I have adopted this reading, being thoroughly convinced of its probability and propriety. STEEVENS.

• F'll fet thee in a shower of gold, and hail

Rich pearls upon thee.]

That is, I will give thee a kingdom: it being the eastern ceremony, at the coronation of their kings, to powder them with goldduft and feed-pearl; fo Milton:

-the gorgeous eaft with liberal hand

"Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold."

In the Life of Timur-bec or Tamerlane, written by a Perfian contemporary author, are the following words, as tranflated by Monf. Petit de la Croix, in the account there given of his coronation, book ii. chap. i. "Les princes du fang royal & les emirs repandirent à pleines mains fur fa tête quantité d'or & de pierreries felon la coûtume." WARBURTON

We learn from Trebellius Pollio, that Gallien used to ftrew gold-duft upon his hair; which was also a fashion, as it seems, among the ladies of Edward the Fourth's court; and there is now exifting, a lock of Jane Shore's hair powdered with goldduft. See Grainger's Biogr. Vol. I. Hiftor. Auguftæ Scriptores, P. 736. Ed. 8vo. 1661. S. W.

Mef.

Mef. Cæfar and he are greater friends than ever. Cleo. Make thee a fortune from me..

Mef. But yet, madam,

Cleo. I do not like but yet, it does allay
The good precedence; fye upon but yet:
But yet is as a jailor to bring forth

Some monstrous malefactor. Pr'ythee, friend,
Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear,

The good and bad together: He's friends with Cæfar;
In ftate of health, thou fay'ft; and, thou fay'st, free.
Mef. Free, madam! no; I made no fuch report:
He's bound unto Octavia.

Cleo. For what good turn?

Mef. For the beft turn i' the bed.

Cleo. I am pale, Charmian.

Mef. Madam, he's married to Octavia.

Cleo. The moft infectious peftilence upon thee!

Mef. Good madam, patience.

[Strikes him down.

Cleo. What fay you?-Hence, [Strikes him again. Horrible villain! or I'll fpurn thine eyes

Like balls before me; I'll unhair thy head;

[She bales him up and down.

Thou shalt be whipt with wire, and stew'd in brine, Smarting in lingring pickle.

Mef. Gracious madam,

I, that do bring the news, made not the match.

Cleo. Say, 'tis not fo, a province I will give thee, And make thy fortunes proud: the blow, thou hadst, Shall make thy peace, for moving me to rage; And I will boot thee with what gift befide Thy modefty can beg.

Mef. He's married, madam.

Cleo. Rogue, thou haft liv'd too long.

[Draws a dagger3.

-the pack-] A late editor reads: thy pack. EDITOR. • Draws a dagger.] The old copy-Draw a knife.

O 2

STEEVENS.

Mef.

Mej. Nay, then I'll run :

What mean you, madam? I have made no fault.
[Exit.
Char. Good madam, keep yourself within yourself;
The man is innocent.

Cleo. Some innocents 'fcape not the thunderbolt.-
Melt Egypt into Nile! and kindly creatures
Turn all to ferpents -Call the flave again;
Though I am mad, I will not bite hirn:-Call.
Char. He is afeard to come.

Cleo. I will not hurt him:

These hands do lack nobility, that they strike
A meaner than myfelf; fince I myself
Have given myfelf the caufe.-Come hither, fir,

Re-enter Messenger.

Though it be honeft, it is never good

• Melt Egypt into Nile!] So, in the firft fcene of this

"Let Rome in Tyber melt, &c." STEEVENS.

Thefe hands do lack nobility, that they ftrike

A meaner than myself ;———]

This thought feems to be borrowed from the laws of chivalry, which forbad a knight to engage with his inferior. bumazar:

So, in Al

"Stay; underftand'ft thou well the points of duel ?
"Art born of gentle blood, and pure defcent ?-
"Was none of all thy lineage hang'd or cuckold?
Baftard, or baftinado'd? is thy pedigree

"As long and wide as mine ?-for otherwife

"Thou wert moft unworthy, and 'twere loss of honour
"In me to fight.'
"" STEEVEENS.

Perhaps here was intended an indirect cenfure of Queen Elizabeth, for her unprincely and unfeminine treatment of the amiable Earl of Effex. The play was probably not produced till after her death, when a ftroke at her proud and paffionate demeanour to her courtiers and maids of honour (for her majefty ufed to chaftife them too) might be fafely hazarded. In a fubfequent part of this fcene there is (as Dr. Grey has observed) an evident allufion to Elizabeth's inquiries concerning the perfon of her rival, Mary, Queen of Scots. MALONE.

To