Cæs. The time of universal peace is near:
Prove this a prosperous day, the three-nook'd world
Shall bear the olive freely.

Plant those that have revolted in the van,
That Antony may seem to spend his fury
Upon himself.

[Exeunt CESAR and his Train. Eno. Alexas did revolt, and went to Jewry on

Affairs of Antony; there did dissuade'

Great Herod to incline himself to Cæsar,
And leave his master Antony: for this pains,
Cæsar hath hang'd him. Canidius, and the rest
That fell away, have entertainment, but
No honourable trust. I have done ill,
Of which I do accuse myself so sorely,
That I will joy no more.

Sold.

Enter a Soldier of CESAR'S.

Enobarbus, Antony

Hath after thee sent all thy treasure, with
His bounty overplus: the messenger
Came on my guard, and at thy tent is now
Unloading of his mules.

Eno.

I give it you.

Sold. Mock not, Enobarbus.

I tell you true: best you saf'd the bringer
Out of the host; I must attend mine office,

7 there did dissuade] So all the folios, and, as Johnson says, perhaps rightly.

8 best you SAF'D the bringer] Steevens pointed out an instance of a similar use of the verb "saf'd," in book iv. of Chapman's translation of the Odyssey; but no other has been adduced.

Or would have done't myself. Your emperor
Continues still a Jove.

[Exit Soldier.

Eno. I am alone the villain of the earth,
And feel I am so most. O Antony!

Thou mine of bounty, how would'st thou have paid
My better service, when my turpitude

Thou dost so crown with gold! This blows my

If swift thought break it not, a swifter mean

heart:

Shall outstrike thought; but thought will do't, I feel. I fight against thee?-No: I will go seek

Some ditch, wherein to die; the foul'st best fits

My latter part of life.

[Exit.

SCENE VII.

Field of Battle between the Camps.

Alarum. Drums and Trumpets. Enter AGRIPPA, and Others.

Agr. Retire, we have engag'd ourselves too far.

Cæsar himself has work, and our oppression

Exceeds what we expected.

Alarum.

[Exeunt.

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS, wounded.

Scar. O my brave emperor, this is fought indeed! Had we done so at first, we had driven them home With clouts about their heads.

Ant.

Thou bleed'st apace.

Scar. I had a wound here that was like a T,

But now 'tis made an H.

Ant.

They do retire.

Scar. We'll beat 'em into bench-holes. I have yet Room for six scotches more.

VOL. VIII.

H

Enter EROS.

Eros. They are beaten, sir; and our advantage serves

For a fair victory.

Scar.

Let us score their backs,

And snatch 'em up, as we take hares, behind:
"Tis sport to maul a runner.

Ant.
Once for thy sprightly comfort, and ten-fold
For thy good valour.

Scar.

I will reward thee

Come thee on.

I'll halt after. [Exeunt.

SCENE VIII.

Under the walls of Alexandria.

Alarum. Enter ANTONY, marching; SCARUS, and Forces.

Ant. We have beat him to his camp. Run one

before,

And let the queen know of our guests.-To-morrow,
Before the sun shall see us, we'll spill the blood
That has to-day escap'd. I thank you all,
For doughty-handed are you; and have fought
Not as you serv'd the cause, but as it had been
Each man's like mine: you have shown all Hectors.
Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends,
Tell them your feats; whilst they with joyful tears
Wash the congealment from your wounds, and kiss
The honour'd gashes whole.-Give me thy hand:

Enter CLEOPATRA, attended.

To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts,

8 — CLIP your wives,] i. e. embrace your wives. See Vol. vi. p. 233, &c.

Make her thanks bless thee.-O thou day o' the world!
Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all,
Through proof of harness to my heart, and there
Ride on the pants triumphing.

Cleo.

Lord of lords!

O infinite virtue! com'st thou smiling from
The world's great snare uncaught?

Ant.

My nightingale, We have beat them to their beds. What, girl! though

grey

Do something mingle with our younger brown; yet

have we

A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can

Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man;
Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand:-
Kiss it, my warrior: he hath fought to-day,
As if a god, in hate of mankind, had
Destroy'd in such a shape.

Cleo.

I'll give thee, friend, An armour all of gold; it was a king's.

Ant. He has deserv'd it, were it carbuncled Like holy Phoebus' car.-Give me thy hand: Through Alexandria make a jolly march;

Bear our hack'd targets like the men that owe them.
Had our great palace the capacity

To camp this host, we all would sup together,
And drink carouses to the next day's fate,
Which promises royal peril.-Trumpeters,
With brazen din blast you the city's ear;
Make mingle with our rattling tabourines";

That heaven and earth may strike their sounds to

gether,

Applauding our approach.

[Exeunt.

- our rattling TABOURINES ;] We have had this word used for drums in "Troilus and Cressida," Vol. vi. p. 108.

SCENE IX.

CAESAR'S Camp.

Sentinels on their Post. Enter ENOBARBUS.

1 Sold. If we be not reliev'd within this hour, We must return to the court of guard'. The night Is shiny, and, they say, we shall embattle

By the second hour i̇' the morn.

2 Sold.

A shrewd one to us.

Eno.

This last day was

O! bear me witness, night,—

3 Sold. What man is this?

2 Sold.

Stand close, and list him.

Eno. Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon!

When men revolted shall upon record

Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did

Before thy face repent.

1 Sold.

3 Sold.

Hark farther.

Enobarbus!

Peace!

Eno. O sovereign mistress of true melancholy!
The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me,
That life, a very rebel to my will,

May hang no longer on me: throw my heart
Against the flint and hardness of my fault,

Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder,
And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony!

Nobler than my revolt is infamous,

Forgive me in thine own particular;
But let the world rank me in register
A master-leaver, and a fugitive.

O Antony! O Antony!

2 Sold. Let's speak to him.

[Dies.

the court of guard.] For this expression see Vol. vii. p. 535.