SCENE IV.

416. "And see whe'r Brutus be alive, or dead." This contraction of "whether" occurs in this play more frequently than in any other.

SCENE V.

419. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here."

Volumnius did not conceive Brutus' condition to be quite so desperate as Macbeth found his, when he exclaimed:

"There is no flying hence, nor tarrying here.” 422, "All the conspirators, save only he.”

"He" should be altered, as in all similar cases, to "him;" it cannot be said to stand absolutely, for then we should read, with the participle, "saved only he."

"His life was gentle; and the elements "So mix'd in him, that"

Is "mixed," here, the participle? or may we not more correctly take it as the preterimperfect tense: "the elements" so mixed, or were mixing and commingling in him, so, &c.

423. "

That nature might stand up, "And say to all the world, This was a man!"

This thought occurs in Hamlet:

"A combination and a form, indeed,
"Where every god did seem to set his seal,
"To give the world assurance of a man.”

Dr. Johnson's general remarks upon these plays are at once so forcible and elegant, that it is alike dangerous and irksome to controvert any of them but when he says, of this tragedy, that he thinks it somewhat cold and unaffecting, I cannot subscribe to his opinion. The character of Brutus, throughout, I have always felt powerfully affecting; and, besides the scene which the Doctor excepts for applause, I believe most people will consider the speeches of Antony over the dead body of Cæsar, and the artful eloquence with which he captivates the multitude, as classing among the happiest effusions of the poet; and there are few instances, perhaps, to be found of more tender and delicate interest than is excited in the scene between Brutus and Portia ; in that between Brutus and Lucius, in the fourth act; and, at last, in the catastrophe of that great man's death.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA,

5.

ACT I. SCENE I.

This dotage of our general's."

This, says Mr. Malone, "of our general's," (and Mr. Steevens brings his authority to enforce the imputed censure) was the common phraseology of Shakspeare's time; and that gentleman might have added, of all the intermediate times down to our own, inclusive.-A tenant of my lord's, a servant of the duke's, that tongue of his, that trick of hers, are phrases which have been current alike in the days of Shakspeare, Swift, and this of Mr. Malone himself: they are not ungrammatical, but elliptic; by this dotage of our general's, is implied this vice or habit of dotage among the vices or habits of our general. A tenant of my lord's, a servant of the duke's, that tongue of his, that trick of hers, denote a tenant among the tenants of my lord, a servant among the servants of the duke, that faculty or talent of speaking among his talents or faculties, that trick among her tricks, &c. it is not a useless duplication of the genitive case, but two efficient and necessary genitives. See Note on K. Henry VIII. Act 1, Scene 2, Page of these Remarks 394, Vol. I. 7. "The triple pillar."

As "

triple," here, for "third, third," so, in As You Like It, we find "thrice," for "triple :"

"Thou thrice-crowned queen of night," &c.

8. Nay, hear them, Antony."

When a hemistic like this occurs, there is generally reason to suspect corruption. If Cleopatra uttered only these words, she might as well have been silent; for Antony had just expressed his willingness to hear the messenger's news, or the sum of it, though it did "grate him." The addition of an obvious word or two would reconcile the sense, and supply the deficient metre:

Cleop. "Nay, hear them all, I prythee, Antony."

"His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or

this.

دو

This line, I think, has suffered injury in the transcription. I suppose it should be:

"His powerful mandate, Do you this, or this.” "Perchance," &c.

Here again the measure falls into disorder. I would read:

"Perchance,-nay, and most like, you must not

now

Stay longer here; for your dismissíón
From Cæsar comes; so hear it, Antony:"

"Take in that kingdom," &c.

i. e. Bring it within the pale of the Roman government.

Both ?"

This word, which impairs the force of the sarcasm, and loads the metre, is, I am persuaded, interpolation.

9. "Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame.

The particle "so" is not necessary here, and overloads the verse.

66

The wide arch

Of the rang'd empire fall!".

The arch (or superb dome, figurative of Roman grandeur,) was wide in proportion to the range or excursive scope of the Roman dominion: but "rang'd" may refer to the order and distribution of the empire, as settled among the Triumviri ; and, indeed, this sense seems to be confirmed by the words immediately following: space;" i. e. this little plot, Egypt, I prefer to all "here is my my share besides of the wide world.

66

Such a mutual pair,

"And such a twain.".

I lament that none of the commentators has deigned to instruct us as to the difference between 66 pair" and "twain," here. twain," here. Is this the meaning?-Two such lovers, with reference to their distinct reciprocal ardours, and to those ardours in union.

"We stand up peerless."

66

Excellent falshood!"

This, with the established accentuation of "falshood," will not give the metre: we might, only changing the adjective to the participle, and adding the natural apostrophe, read,

Ant. "We stand up peerless."

Cleop."

O excelling falshood!"