prizes were at flake, their refentments ought to have been expreffed only against themselves.

SCENE IX.

The natural connection and dependance of the inward upon the outward man, as it is here expreffed, is well marked in this place.

When Antony, in a fit of defpair, goes out to pen a perfonal challenge to Octavius, the following reflection is made:

Enobarbus. Yes, like enough; high-battled Cæfar will
Unitate his happinefs, and be flaged to th' fhew,
Against a fworder-1 fee men's judgments are

A parcel of their fortunes, and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,

To fuffer all alike That he fhould dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæfar will

Anfwer his emptinefs! Cæfar, thou haft fubdued
His judgment too.

In this fame Scene, Enobarbus, feeing the downfal of his master's fortunes, enters into debate with himself, whether he fhall preferve his fidelity to him ftill, or shift about, and take part with the conqueror; in which foliloquy he feems fairly to give the preference to the nobler fide of the queftion, in his argument, though he afterwards determines against it, in his conduct.

But 'tis ufually fo, in all deliberations of this fort for virtue and vice are of fuch oppofite natures, that there is no poffibility of bringing them at all into comparison by any fophifter whofe judgment has not before been rendered partial and corrupt. So that in such cases one may venture generally to pronounce, as the Poet does of women, that they who deliberate are loft.

Enobarbus. Mine honefty and I begin to fquare *;

The loyalty well held to fools, does make

Our faith mere folly-Yet he that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fall'n lord,

Does conquer him that did his master conquer,
And earns a place i' th' ftory |.

* Victorious.

In fame or hiftory.

To fquare, to quarrel, so used by Shakespeare.

ACT

When Antony is told that Enobarbus had gone over to the enemy, but left his chefts and effects behind him, he fays,

Go, Eros, fend his treasure after-Do it-
Detain no jot, I charge thee-Write to him-
I will fubicribe gentle adieus and greetings-
Say that I wish he never find more cause
To change a master. Oh, my fortunes have
Corrupted honeft men! Dispatch, my Eros.

There is fuch an heroic liberality of foul expreffed here, as must make one lament the misfortunes of the unhappy Antony, even at this distance of timefor the fact here reprefented, is taken from historical record. We may justly fay of him, as the foldier does here, upon delivering the meffage to Enobarbus, Your emperor continues ftill a Jove.

4

a

Antony was not only a braver and a greater, but better man than his competitor for empire. Auguftus was of a worthlefs, mean, jealous, and vengeful nature; though poets, and fome hiftorians, have deified him. But princes will have their flatterers. Milton has given one even to the prince of darkness*.

SCENE VI.

Here Enobarbus appears to have been equally ftruck with the generofity of his master, and his own vilenefs; upon which joint reflection he paffes a very juft fentence on himself.

I am alone the villain of the earth,

And feel I am so moft. O, Antony,

Thou mine of bounty, how wouldst thou have paid

My better fervice, when my turpitude

Thou dost fo crown with gold! This blows † my heart;
If fwift thought break it not, a swister mean

Shall out-frike thought-But thought will do't, I feel.
I fight against thee No, I will go feek

Some ditch, where I inay die; the foul'ft beft fits

My latter part of life.

See Beelzebub's compliments to Satan, Book III,

+ For favells.

SCENE

SCENE VIII.

The contrition of Enobarbus was fincere; for here the strong fenfe of his bafenefs burfts his fwoln heart:

O bear me witnefs, night!

Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon !
When men revolted fhall upon record

Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did
Before thy face repent!

O fovereign miftrefs of true melancholy,

The poisonous damp of night difpunge upon me,
That life, a very rebel to my will,

May hang no longer on me! O Antony,
Nobler than my revolt is infamous,
Forgive me in thine own particular;
But let the world rank me in register,
A mafter-leaver, and a fugitive-
Oh Antony! Oh Antony!

[Dies.

I fhall not pretend to difpute a knowledge of human nature with Shakespeare, but, if he had not given us a reprefentation of this character, I fhould hardly have been brought to imagine that a breast capable of harbouring fuch treachery and vilenefs, could ever, at the fame time, have contained a fpirit of fo much honour, and so strong a fenfe of fhame.

One of the centinels, upon feeing him fink down on the ground, fays to his companion, that he has fallen afleep; but the other, who had overheard his foliloquy, replies, very juftly,

Swoons, rather; for fo bad a prayer as his
Was never yet for fleep.

In this place our Author describes the viciffitudes of life, and the quick fhiftings of fortune, by an apt and beautiful fimile.

Antony and Eros.

Antony. Eros, thou yet behold'st me.

Eres. Ay, noble lord.

I have left out a paffage here, which only difgraces this fine fpeech.

Antory.

Antony. Sometime, we fee a cloud that's dragonish;
A vapour fometimes like a bear, or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendant rock,

Á forked mountain, or blue promontory,
With trees upon't that nod unto the world,

And mock our eyes with air. Thou 'st seen these signs,
They are black Vefper's pageants.

Eros. Ay, my lord,

Antony. That which is now a horfe, ev'n with a thought,
The rack diflimns, and makes it indistinct,

As water is in water.

Eros. It does, my Lord.

Antony. My good knave †, Eros, now thy captain is

Ev'n fuch a body-Here I'm Antony,

Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.

The rest of the fpeech is affecting, but relates not to the description.

We meet with nothing in this Act worth noting, except a speech made by one of Shakespeare's infpired Clowns in this Scene.

I know that a woman is a dish for the Gods, if the Devil dress her not.

Milton's fine compliment to the sex, is only This expreffed with more politeness:

O faireft of creation, last and best

"Of all God's works!

But the Clown's expreffion has a peculiar propriety in it, here, as being applied to Cleopatra, whofe vices had demonifed fuch diftinguished talents, and transcendent beauty, as her's.

• This word is explained in my laft note on A& IV. of the Tempeft; here it means only the diffolution of a cloud.

↑ Knave, an old English expreffion for a fervant or attendant.