This amorous furfeiter would have don'd his helm
For fuch a petty war: his foldiership

Is twice the other twain: But let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er luft-wearied Antony.

Men. I cannot hope?,

Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together:
His wife, that's dead, did trefpaffes to Cæfar;
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom. I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater.
Were't not that we ftand up against them all,
'Twere pregnant they should fquare between themfelves;
For they have entertained cause enough
To draw their fwords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divifions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be it as our gods will have it! It only ftands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

[Exeunt,

Rome. A Room in the House of Lepidus.
Enter ENOBARBUS, and LEPIDUS.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,
And fhall become you well, to entreat your captain
To foft and gentle speech.

Eno. I fhall entreat him

To anfwer like himfelf: if Cæfar move him,

Let Antony look over Cæfar's head,

And fpeak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,

Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

I would not shav't to-day &

F 3

• To don is to do on, to put on.

Lep

7 The judicious editor of the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer in four vols, 8vo, 1775, obferves that to hope on this occafion means to expect. He means, I would meet him undreffed, without shew of respect.

Lep. 'Tis not a time for private ftomaching.
Eno. Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in it.

Lep. But fmall to greater matters must give way.
Eno. Not if the fmall come first. :

Lep. Your speech is paffion:

But, pray you, ftir no embers
The noble Antony.

up.

Here comes

Enter ANTONY, and VENTIDIUS.

Eno. And yonder, Cæfar.

Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

Ant. If we compofe well here, to Parthia:

Hark you, Ventidius.

Caf. I do not know,

Mecænas; afk Agrippa.
Lep. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amifs,

May it be gently heard: When we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners,
(The rather, for I earneftly befeech,)

Touch you the foureft points with sweetest terms,
Nor curftness grow to the matter 9.

Ant. 'Tis fpoken well:

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

I fhould do thus.

Caf. Welcome to Rome.

Ant. Thank you.

Caf. Sit.

Ant. Sit, fir!

Caf. Nay, then

Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not fo;

Or, being, concern you not.

Caf. I must be laugh'd at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should fay myself offended; and with you

Chiefly

Let not ill. bumour be added to the real subje& of our difference.

Chiefly i' the world: more laugh'd at, that I should
Once name you derogately, when to found your name
It not concern'd me.

Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæfar,

What was❜t to you?

Caf. No more than my refiding here at Rome Might be to you in Egypt: Yet, if you there Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt Might be my question 2.

Ant. How intend you, practis'd?

Caf. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, By what did here befal me. Your wife, and brother, Made wars upon me; and their contestation

Was theme for you, you were the word of war.

Ant. You do mistake your business; my brother never Did urge me in his act 3: I did enquire it;

And have my learning from fome true reports,
That drew their fwords with you. Did he not rather
Difcredit my authority with yours;

And make the wars alike against my ftomach,
Having alike your caufe? Of this, my letters
Before did fatisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,
As matter whole you have not to make it with,
It must not be with this.

Caf. You praise yourself

By laying defects of judgment to me; but
You patch'd up your excufes.

Ant. Not fo, not so:

I know you could not lack, I am certain on't,
Very neceffity of this thought, that 1,

Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,
Could not with graceful eyes attend thofe wars
Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,
I would you had her spirit in fuch another:

F 4

To prallife means to employ unwarrantable arts or stratagems. 2 i. e. my theme or fubject of conversation.

3 i. e. never did make use of my name as pretence for the war. 4 i. c. opposed.

The

The third o' the world is yours; which with a fnaffle
You may pace eafy, but not fuch a wife.

Eno. 'Would, we had all fuch wives, that the men might go to wars with the women!

Ant. So much uncurbable, her garboils, Cæfar,
Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too,) I grieving grant,
Did you too much difquiet: for that, you must
But fay, I could not help it.

Caf. I wrote to you,

When rioting in Alexandria; you

Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my miffive out of audience.

Ant. Sir,

He fell upon me, ere admitted; then

Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want
Of what I was i' the morning: but, next day,
I told him of myfelf"; which was as much
As to have afk'd him pardon: Let this fellow
Be nothing of our ftrife; if we contend,
Out of our question wipe him.

Caf. You have broken

The article of your oath; which you shall never
Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep. Soft, Cæfar.

Ant. No, Lepidus, let him fpeak;

The honour's facred which he talks on now,
Suppofing that I lack'd it: But on, Cæfar;

The article of my oath,—

Caf. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them g The which you both deny'd.

Ant

5 i. e. told him the condition I was in, when he had his last audience. Lepidus interrupts Cæfar, on the fuppofition that what he is about to fay will be too harsh to be endured by Antony; to which Antony replies, No, Lepidus, let him Speak; the fecurity of honour on which he now fpeaks, on which this conference is held now, is facred, even fup. pofing that I lacked honour before. JOHNSON.

Antony, in my opinion, means to fay,-The theme of honour which he now fpeaks of, namely, the religion of an oath, for which he fuppofes me not to have a due regard, is facred; it is a tender point, and touches my character nearly. Let him therefore urge his charge, that I may vindicate myself. MALONE.

.

Ant. Neglected, rather;

And then, when poifon'd hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may,
I'll play the penitent to you: but mine honesty
Shall not make poor my greatnefs, nor my power
Work without it: Truth is, that Fulvia,
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do
So far afk pardon, as befits mine honour
To stoop in fuch a cafe.

Lep. 'Tis noble spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite, Were to remember that the prefent need

Speaks to atone you.

Lep. Worthily fpoken, Mecanas.

Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the in ftant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you fhall have time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do.

Ant. Thou art a foldier only; fpeak no more.

Eno. That truth fhould be filent, I had almost forgot.
Ant. You wrong this prefence, therefore fpeak ne

more.

Eno. Go to then; your confiderate stone 9.
Caf. I do not much dislike the matter, but
The manner of his fpeech': for it cannot be,
We shall remain in friendship, our conditions
So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew
What hoop should hold us ftaunch, from edge to edge

7 Nor my greatnefs work without mine honefty.
The griefs-] i. e. grievances.

Q' the

9 This line is paffed by all the editors, as if they understood it, and believed it univerfally intelligible. I cannot find in it any very obvious, and hardly any poffible meaning. I would therefore read:

Go to then, you confiderate ones.

You who diflike my frankness and temerity of fpeech, and are so con fiderate and difcreet, go to, do your own business. JOHNSON.

I do not, fays Cæfar, think the man wrong, but too free of his nterpofition; for it cannot be, we shall remain in friendship ; yet if it were poffible, I would endeavour it.