And what they undid, did.

Agr.

O, rare for Antony!
Eno. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,
So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes,
And made their bends adornings': at the helm
A seeming mermaid steers; the silken tackle
Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands,
That yarely frame the office. From the barge
A strange invisible perfume hits the sense
Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast
Her people out upon her; and Antony,
Enthron'd i' the market-place, did sit alone,
Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy,
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,

And made a gap in nature.

Agr.

Rare Egyptian!

Eno. Upon her landing Antony sent to her, Invited her to supper: she replied,

It should be better he became her guest,

Which she entreated. Our courteous Antony,

Whom ne'er the word of "No" woman heard speak,
Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast;
And for his ordinary pays his heart

For what his eyes eat only.

Agr.

Royal wench!

She made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed;

1

tended her i' the eyes,

And made their bends adornings :]

Few passages in Shakespeare have excited more controversy than this, the effort of the commentators apparently being, to render what was plain obscure, and to adopt almost any sense but that which is presented by the words of the poet: "tended her i' the eyes" seems to mean nothing else but tended in her sight: Mr. Barron Field truly remarks, that in "Midsummer-Night's Dream" we have the expression "gambol in his eyes," for gambol in his sight: “made their bends adornings" is probably to be understood, that they bowed with so much grace as to add to their beauty. Warburton would read adorings for "adornings;" but it is needless to detail any of the other conjectural emendations, which, through several pages, only display misapplied ingenuity.

2 That YARELY frame the office.] i. e. Readily and dexterously perform the task they undertake. See Vol. ii. p. 72, Vol. iii. p. 391. The adjective "yare" occurs several times in this play.

I saw her once

Hop forty paces through the public street;

And having lost her breath, she spoke, and panted,
That she did make defect, perfection,
And, breathless, power breathe forth.

Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Eno. Never; he will not.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety: other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry,
Where most she satisfies: for vilest things
Become themselves in her, that the holy priests
Bless her when she is riggish.

Mec. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle
The heart of Antony, Octavia is

A blessed lottery to him.

Agr.

Let us go.

Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest,

Whilst

you abide here.

Eno.

Humbly, sir, I thank you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The Same. A Room in CÆSAR'S House.

Enter CESAR, ANTONY, OCTAVIA between them; Attend

ants.

Ant. The world, and my great office, will sometimes Divide me from your bosom.

Read not my blemishes in the world's report':
I have not kept my square3, but that to come
Shall all be done by the rule. Good night, dear lady.—

Good night, sir1.

Cæs. Good night.

[Exeunt CAESAR and OCTAVIA.

Enter a Soothsayer3.

Ant. Now, sirrah: you do wish yourself in Egypt? Sooth. Would I had never come from thence, nor you thither!

Ant. If you can, your reason?

Sooth. I see it in my motion, have it not in my tongue but yet hie you to Egypt again.

Ant. Say to me, whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's, or mine?

Sooth. Cæsar's.

Therefore, O Antony! stay not by his side:

Thy dæmon, that thy spirit which keeps thee, is
Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable,

Where Cæsar's is not; but near him thy angel
Becomes a fear, as being o'erpower'd: therefore,
Make space enough between you.

Ant.

Speak this no more.

Sooth. To none but thee; no more, but when to

thee.

If thou dost play with him at any game,

Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck,

He beats thee 'gainst the odds: thy lustre thickens,
When he shines by. I say again, thy spirit

9 I have not kept my SQUARE ;] The last part of the sentence explains the first, if explanation be needed. Respecting "square," or squire, see Vol. ii. p. 368; Vol. iii. p. 505; and Vol. iv. p. 252.

Good night, sir.] In the folio, 1632, these words are assigned to Octavia; but as they may very well have been a repetition by Antony, we adhere to the distribution of the folio, 1623.

5 Enter a Soothsayer.] Every old copy makes the Soothsayer enter here: every modern copy introduces him, without any propriety, with Cæsar, Antony, and Octavia, at the opening of the scene.

Is all afraid to govern thee near him,
But, he away, 'tis noble.

Ant.

Get thee gone:

Say to Ventidius, I would speak with him.

[Exit Soothsayer.

He shall to Parthia.-Be it art, or hap,
He hath spoken true: the very dice obey him;
And in our sports my better cunning faints
Under his chance: if we draw lots, he speeds:
His cocks do win the battle still of mine,
When it is all to nought; and his quails ever
Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,

Enter VENTIDIUS.

I' the east my pleasure lies.-O! come, Ventidius,
You must to Parthia: your commission's ready;
Follow me, and receive it.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Same. A Street.

Enter LEPIDUS, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

Lep. Trouble yourselves no farther: pray you, hasten

Your generals after.

Agr.

Sir, Mark Antony

Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow.

Lep. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress,

Which will become you both, farewell.

Mec.

As I conceive the journey, be at Mount

We shall,

6

6

at MOUNT] i. e. Mount Misenum. "Mount" is printed with a capital letter in the folio, 1623: the folio, 1632, has it "at the Mount."

Before you, Lepidus.

Lep.

Your way is shorter;

My purposes do draw me much about:

You'll win two days upon me.

Mec. Agr.

Lep. Farewell.

Sir, good success!

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS. Cleo. Give me some music; music, moody food Of us that trade in love.

Attend.

The music, ho!

Enter MARDIAN.

Cleo. Let it alone; let 's to billiards: come, Charmian.

Char. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian. Cleo. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd, As with a woman.-Come, you'll play with me, sir? Mar. As well as I can, madam.

Cleo. And when good will is show'd, though 't come

too short,

The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now.

Give me mine angle,-we'll to the river: there,
My music playing far off, I will betray
Tawny-finn'd' fishes; my bended hook shall pierce
Their slimy jaws, and as I draw them up,
I'll think them every one an Antony,
And say, Ah, ha! you're caught.

7 Tawney-FINN'D—] Theobald altered Tawney-fine, of all the folios, into "Tawney-finn'd," aud the change seems required.