SCENE III. The Same. Before the Palace. Enter Two Soldiers, to their Guard. 1 Sold. Brother, good night: to-morrow is the day. 2 Sold. It will determine one way: fare you well. Heard you of nothing strange about the streets? 1 Sold. Nothing. What news? 2 Sold. Belike, 'tis but a rumour. you. 1 Sold. Well, sir, good night. Enter Two other Soldiers. 2 Sold. Soldiers, have careful watch. Good night to 3 Sold. And you. Good night, good night. [The first Two place themselves at their Posts2. 4 Sold. Here we: [They take their Posts.] and if to morrow Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope Our landmen will stand up. 1 Sold. Peace! I say. What should this mean? at their Posts.] "In every corner of the stage," in the folios. 2 Sold. "Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony lov'd, Now leaves him. 1 Sold. Walk; let's see if other watchmen 3 Sold. Do you hear, masters? do you hear? 1 Sold. Follow the noise so far as we have quarter; Let's see how it will give off. Ant. No, my chuck.-Eros, come; mine armour, Eros! Enter EROS, with Armour. Come, good fellow, put thine iron on: If fortune be not ours to-day, it is Because we brave her.-Come. Cleo. What's this for? Ant. Nay, I'll help too. Ah, let be, let be! thou art The armourer of my heart :-false, false; this, this. Cleo. Sooth, la! I'll help. Thus it must be3. Well, well; We shall thrive now.-Seest thou, my good fellow? Go, put on thy defences. Eros. Briefly, sir. Rarely, rarely: Cleo. Is not this buckled well? Ant. He that unbuckles this, till we do please To doff't for our repose, shall hear a storm.— Enter an armed Soldier. A workman in't.-Good morrow to thee; welcome: Thou look'st like him that knows a warlike charge. To business that we love, we rise betime, And go to't with delight. Sold. A thousand, sir, Early though't be, have on their riveted trim, And at the port expect you. [Shout. Trumpets flourish. Enter Captains, and Soldiers. Capt. The morn is fair.-Good morrow, general*. Ant. 'Tis well blown, lads. This morning, like the spirit of a youth * Sooth, la! I'll help. Thus it must be.] This and the two preceding speeches, in the folio, are printed only as one, and are given to Cleopatra ; a defect of which some modern editors take no notice, although they avail themselves of Sir T. Hanmer's" disentanglement," as Johnson calls it, of the dialogue, excepting that he erroneously gave "What's this for?" to Antony, a mistake, corrected by Malone. The morn is fair.-Good morrow, general.] This speech, in the old copy, is erroneously given to Alexas. Malone converted the "armed soldier," who enters above, into "an officer," and gave this speech to "2 Off." That means to be of note, begins betimes.- [Kisses her. And worthy shameful check it were, to stand [Exeunt ANTONY, EROS, Officers, and Soldiers. [Exeunt. SCENE V. ANTONY'S Camp near Alexandria. Trumpets sound. Enter ANTONY and EROS; a Soldier meeting them. Sold. The gods make this a happy day to Antony! Ant. Would thou, and those thy scars, had once prevail'd To make me fight at land! Hadst thou done so, Sold. 5 The gods make this a happy day to Antony !] This and some subsequent speeches are in the folios assigned to Eros; but, as Thirlby suggested, and as Theobald printed, there is little doubt that they belong to the same soldier who, before the battle of Actium, had advised Antony not to fight by sea. Some modern editors have printed the speeches as if no change from the old distribution had been required, thus giving a most false notion of the accuracy of the folio, 1623. Who's gone this morning? Ant. Sold. One ever near thee: call for Enobarbus, He shall not hear thee; or from Cæsar's camp Say, "I am none of thine." Ant. Sold. Who? What say'st thou ? Sir, Ant. Go, Eros, send his treasure after; do it: SCENE VI. [Exeunt. CESAR'S Camp before Alexandria. Flourish. Enter CESAR, with AGRIPPA, ENOBARBUS, and Others. Cæs. Go forth, Agrippa, and begin the fight. Our will is, Antony be took alive; Make it so known. 6 Agr. Cæsar, I shall. [Exit AGRIPPA. - despatch.-Enobarbus !] So the folio, 1623, but the folio, 1632, alters it to "Eros, dispatch." The latter certainly better suits the ten-syllable metre, for which Steevens invariably contended; but it is not at all unnatural that Antony, after giving his orders to Eros, should exclaim "Enobarbus !" calling to mind his ancient services and present desertion. |