Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before Can. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath, And sinks most lamentably. Had our general Been what he knew himself, it had gone well: O, he has given example for our flight, Most grossly, by his own. Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night Indeed. [Aside. Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled. Scar. 'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend What further comes. Can. To Cæsar will I render Eno. 6 I'll yet follow [Exeunt. The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason Sits in the wind against me. SCENE IX. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter ANTONY and Attendants. Ant. Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon't, It is asham'd to bear me!-Friends, come hither, I am so lated in the world,' that I Have lost my way for ever:—I have a ship 6 The wounded chance of Antony,] i. e. the broken fortunes of Antony. 7 so lated in the world,] Alluding to a benighted traveller. Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly, Att. Fly! not we. Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed cowards To run, and show their shoulders.-Friends, be gone; I have myself resolv'd upon a course, 8 [Sits down. Enter EROS, and CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and IRAS. Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him:-Comfort him. Iras. Do, most dear queen. Char. Do! Why, what else? Cleo. Let me sit down. O Juno! Ant. No, no, no, no, no. I have lost command,] i. e. I entreat you to leave me, because I have lost all power to command your absence. VOL. VII. G G Ant. O fye, fye, fye. Char. Madam, Iras. Madam; O good empress! Eros. Sir, sir, Ant. Yes, my lord, yes;-He, at Philippi, kept His sword even like a dancer; while I struck The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I, Dealt on lieutenantry,' and no practice had In the brave squares of war: Yet now-No matter. Cleo. Ah, stand by. 1 Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen. Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him; He is unqualitied2 with very shame. Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me:—O! Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen ap proaches; Her head's declin'd, and death will seize her; but3 Your comfort makes the rescue. Ant. I have offended reputation; A most unnoble swerving. Eros. 4 Sir, the queen. Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See, How I convey my shame out of thine eyes By looking back on what I have left behind 'Stroy'd in dishonour. 9 He, at Philippi, kept His sword even like a dancer;] i. e. Cæsar never offered to draw his sword, but kept it in the scabbard, like one who dances with a sword on, which was formerly the custom in England. 1 he alone Dealt on lieutenantry,] i. e. fought by proxy, made war by his lieutenants, or on the strength of his lieutenants. 2 He is unqualitied-] Perhaps, unqualitied, signifies unmanned in general, disarmed of his usual faculties. death will seize her; but-] But has here, as once before in this play, the force of except, or unless. How I convey my shame-] How, by looking another way, I withdraw my ignominy from your sight. Cleo. O my lord, my lord! Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought, You would have follow'd. Ant. Egypt, thou knew'st too well, My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings, And thou should'st tow me after: O'er my spirit Thy full supremacy thou knew'st; and that Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods Command me. Cleo. Ant. Q, my pardon. Now I must To the young man send humble treaties, dodge And palter in the shifts of lowness; who With half the bulk o'the world play'd as I pleas'd, Making, and marring fortunes. You did know, How much you were my conqueror; and that My sword, made weak by my affection, would Obey it on all cause. Cleo. O pardon, pardon, Ant. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates All that is won and lost: Give me a kiss; Even this repays me.-We sent our schoolmaster, Is he come back?-Love, I am full of lead: Some wine, within there, and our viands:-Fortune knows, We scorn her most, when most she offers blows. SCENE X. Cæsar's Camp, in Egypt. [Exeunt. Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, and Others. Caes. Let him appear that's come from Antony.Know you him? 5 tied by the strings,] That is, by the heart-string. Dol. Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster: An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither Cæs. Enter EUPHRONIUS. Approach, and speak. Eup. Such as I am, I come from Antony: As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf Cæs. Be it so; Declare thine office. Eup. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted, He lessens his requests; and to thee sues To let him breathe between the heavens and earth, Cæs. his schoolmaster:] The name of this person was Euphronius. He was schoolmaster to Antony's children by Cleopatra. as petty to his ends, 7 As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf To his grand sea.] His grand sea may mean his full tide of prosperity; or it may mean the sea from which the dew-drop is exhaled. Shakspeare might have considered the sea as the source of dews as well as rain. His is used instead of its. 8 royalty. circle of the Ptolemies-] The diadem; the ensign of - friend,] i. e. paramour. |