ANT. You do mistake your bufinefs; my brother never up arms in your name, and you were made the theme and subject of their infurrection. WARBURTON. I am neither fatisfied with the reading nor the emendation: them'd is, I think, a word unauthorised, and very harsh. Perhaps we may read : their conteftation Had theme from you, you were the word of war. The difpute derived its fubject from you. It may be corrected by mere tranfpofition : their conteftation You were theme for, you were the word- JOHNSON. Was theme for you, I believe, means only, was proposed as an example for you to follow on a yet more extenfive plan; as themes are given for a writer to dilate upon. Shakspeare, however, may prove the best commentator on himself. Thus, in Coriolanus, A&t I. fc. i: "As happy prologues to the fwelling act "Of the imperial theme." And, in Cymbeline: When a foldier was the theme, my name "Was not far off." HENLEY. Mr. Steevens's interpretation is certainly a just one, as the words now ftand; but the sense of the words thus interpreted, being directly repugnant to the remaining words, which are evidently put in appofition with what has preceded, shows that there must be some corruption. If their conteftation was a theme for Antony to dilate upon, an example for him to follow, what congruity is there between these words and the conclufion of the paffage- you were the word of war: i. e. your name was employed by them to draw troops to their standard?" On the other hand, "their conteftation derived its theme or fubject from you; you were their word of war," affords a clear and confiftent sense. Dr. Warburton's emendation, however, does not go far enough. To obtain the fenfe defired, we fhould read Was them'd from you, Did urge me in his act : I did enquire it; And have my learning from fome true reports,8 That drew their fwords with you. Did he not rather Difcredit my authority with yours; And make the wars alike against my ftomach, So, in Troilus and Creffida: "She is a theme of honour and renown, "A fpur to valiant and magnanimous deeds." Again, in Hamlet: So like the king, "That was and is the question of these wars.' In almost every one of Shakspeare's plays, fubftantives are ufed as verbs. That he muft have written from, appears by Antony's anfwer: "You do mistake your bufinefs; my brother never i.e. never made me the theme for "infurrection's arguing." MALONE. I fhould fuppofe that some of the words in this fentence have been misplaced, and that it ought to stand thus : 7 and for conteftation Their theme was you; you were the word of war. my brother never M. MASON. Did urge me in his act ;] i. e. Never did make use of my name as a pretence for the war. WARBURTON. 8 true reports,] Reports for reporters. Mr. Tollet obferves that Holinfhed, 1181, ufes records for vouchers; and in King Richard II. our author has wrongs for wrongers: "To roufe his wrongs and chase them to the bay." See Vol. XI. p. 79. STEEVENS. But 9 Having alike your caufe ?] The meaning feems to be, having the fame caufe as you to be offended with me. why, because he was offended with Antony, should he make war upon Cæfar? May it not be read thus: Did he not rather Difcredit my authority with yours, And make the wars alike against my stomach, Before did fatisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel, CES. You praise yourself By laying defects of judgment to me; but ANT. Not fo, not fo; I know you could not lack, I am certain on't, Your partner in the cause 'gainft which he fought, The old reading is immediately explained by Antony's being the partner with Octavius in the cause against which his brother fought. STEEVENS. Having alike your caufe?] That is, I having alike your cause. The meaning is the fame as if, inftead of "againft my stomach," our author had written-against the ftomach of me. Did he not (fays Antony) make wars against the inclination of me also, of me, who was engaged in the fame cause with yourself? Dr. Johnson supposed that having meant, he having, and hence has fuggefted an unneceffary emendation. MALONE. I As matter whole you have not to make it with,] The original copy reads: As matter whole you have to make it with, Without doubt erroneoufly; I therefore only observe it, that the reader may more readily admit the liberties which the editors of this author's works have neceffarily taken. JOHNson. The old reading may be right. It feems to allude to Antony's acknowledged neglect in aiding Cæfar; but yet Antony. does not allow himfelf to be faulty upon the prefent caufe alledged against him. STEEVENS. I have not the smallest doubt that the correction, which was made by Mr. Rowe, is right. The ftructure of the fentence, "As matter," &c. proves decifively that not was omitted. Of all the errors that happen at the prefs, omiffion is the most frequent. MALONE. 2 with graceful eyes-] Thus the old copy reads, and, I believe, rightly. We ftill fay, I could not look handsomely on fuch or fuch a proceeding. The modern editors read-grateful. STEEVENS. Which 'fronted3 mine own peace. As for my wife, You may pace eafy, but not fuch a wife. ENO. 'Would we had all fuch wives, that the men might go to wars with the women! ANT. So much uncurable, her garboils, Cæfar, Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted Shrewdness of policy too,) I grieving grant, Did you too much difquiet: for that, you must But fay, I could not help it. 3 'fronted-] i. e. Oppofed. JOHNSON. So, in Cymbeline: "Your preparation can affront no less "Than what you hear of." STEEVENS. I would you had her fpirit in fuch another:] Antony means to fay, I wish you had the spirit of Fulvia, embodied in fuch another woman as her; I with you were married to fuch another fpirited woman; and then you would find, that though you can govern the third part of the world, the management of fuch a woman is not an easy matter. By the words, you had her fpirit, &c. Shakspeare, I apprehend, meant, you were united to, or poffeffed of, a woman with her fpirit. Having formerly misapprehended this paffage, and supposed that Antony wifhed Auguftus to be actuated by a fpirit fimilar to Fulvia's, I proposed to read-e'en fuch another, in being frequently printed for e'en in these plays. But there is no need of change. MALONE. Such, I believe, should be omitted, as both the verfe and meaning are complete without it: I would you had her fpirit in another. The compofitor's eye might have caught the here fuperfluous fuch, from the next line but one, in which fuch is abfolutely neceffary both to the sense and metre. The plain meaning of Antony is-I wish you had my wife's fpirit in another wife ;-i. e. in a wife of your own. STEEVENS. CES. 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 ANT. No, Lepidus, let him speak; The honour's facred which he talks on now, 3 I told him of myself;] i. e. told him the condition I was in, when he had his laft audience. WARBURTON. The honour's facred-] Sacred, for unbroken, unviolated. Dr. Warburton seems to understand this paffage thus; The honour which he talks of me as lacking, is unviolated. I never lacked it. This, perhaps, may be the true meaning; but, before I read the note, I understood it thus: Lepidus interrupts Cæfar, on the fuppofition that what he is about to say will be too harsh to be endured by Antony; to which Antony replies→→ No, Lepidus, let him fpeak; the fecurity of honour on which he now speaks, on which this conference is held now, is facred, even fuppofing that I lacked honour before. JOHNSON. Antony, in my opinion, means to say-The theme of honour which he now speaks of, namely, the religion of an oath, for which he fuppofes me not to have a due regard, is facred; it is a tender point, and touches my character nearly. therefore urge his charge, that I may vindicate myself. Let him MALONE. |