Ant. Fall not a tear, I fay; one of them rates All that is won and loft: give me a kiss, Even this repays me. We fent our schoolmafter; is he come back? Within there, and our viands. Fortune knows, [Exeunt. Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Thyreus, with Caf·L others. ET him appear, that's come from Antony. Dol. Cafar, 'tis his schoolmafter; An argument that he is pluckt, when hither Enter Ambajador from Antony. Caf. Approach and speak. Amb. Such as I am, I come from Antony : I was of late as petty to his ends, As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf To the grand fea. Caf. Be't fo. Declare thine office. Amb. Lord of his fortunes he falutes thee, and Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted, He leffens his requefts, and to thee fues To let him breathe between the heav'ns and earth A private man in Athens. This for him. Next, Cleopatra does confefs thy greatness; Caf. For Antony, I have no ears to his request. The Queen Caf. Bring him through the bands: [Exit Ambaffador. To try thy eloquence now 'tis time; difpatch, From Antony win Cleopatra; promife, [To Thyreus. And in our name, when fhe requires, add more, From thine invention, offers. Women are not In their best fortunes ftrong; but want will perjure The ne'er-touch'd veftal. Try thy cunning, Thyreus Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we Will answer as a law. Thry. Cafar, I go. Caf. Obferve, how Antony becomes his flaw; 2 The circle of the Ptolemies-] The diadem; the enfign of royalty. [Exeunt. 3. •how Antony becomes his flaw;] That is, how Antony conforms himself to this breach of his fortune. SCENE SCÈNE IX. Changes to Alexandria. Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmion, and Iras. Cleo. W HAT fhall we do, Enobarbus? Eno. Think, and die. Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this? Eno. Antony only, that would make his will 4 Think, and die.] Read, Drink, and die. This reply of Enobarbus feems grounded upon a particularity in the conduct of Antony and Cleopatra, which is related by Plutarch: that, after their defeat at Allium, they instituted a fociety of friends who entered into engagement to die with them, not abating in the mean time any part of their luxury, excess and riot, in which they had lived before. HANMER.. This reading offered by Sir T. Hanmer, is received by Dr. Warburton and Mr. Upton, but I have not advanced it into the page, 5 not being convinced that it is neceflary. Think, and die; that is, Reflect on your folly, and leave the world, is a natural anfwer. 5 -be being The meered question.-]. The meered question is a term which I do not understand. I know not what to offer, except, The mooted question.That is, the difputed point, the fubject of debate. Mere is indeed a boundary, and the meered queflion, if it can mean any thing, may, with fome violence of language, mean, the disputed boundary. Enter Enter Antony, with the Ambassador, Ant. Is that his answer? Amb. Ay, my Lord. Ant. The Queen fhall then have courtesy, So fhe will yield us up. Amb. He fays fo. Ant. Let her know't. To the boy Cæfar fend this grizled head, Cleo. That head, my Lord? Ant. To him again. Tell him, he wears the rofe Of youth upon him, from which the world fhould note Something particular; his coin, fhips, legions, As i' th' command of Cæfar. I dare him therefore And answer me declin'd, fword against fword, [Exit Antony His judgment too. 6-bis gay comparisons apart, And anfwer me declin'd, I require of Cafar not to depend on that fuperiority which the VOL. VII. -Cafar, thou haft fubdu'd comparison of our different fortunes may exhibit to him, but to answer me man to man, in this decline of my age or power. Enter Enter a Servant. Serv. A meffenger from Cæfar. Cleo. What, no more ceremony? See, my women! Against the blown rose may they stop their nose, Enter Thyreus. Cleo. Cafar's will? Thyr. Hear it apart. Cleo. None but friends. Say boldly. |