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Obey it on all cause.

Cleo. O, pardon, pardon.

Ant. Fall not a tear, I fay; one of them rates All that is won and loft: give me a kiss,

Even this repays me.

We sent our schoolmafter; is he come back?
Love, I am full of lead; fome wine,

Within there, and our viands: Fortune knows,
We scorn her most, when most fhe offers blows.

SCENE

VIII.

Changes to Cæfar's Camp.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Thyreus, with others.

Caf.LE

ET him appear, that's come from Antony.
Know you him?

Dol. Cefar, 'tis his schoolmafter;

An argument that he is pluckt, when hither
He fends fo poor a pinnion of his wing,
Which had fuperfluous Kings for meffengers,
Not many moons gone by.

Enter Ambalador from Antony.

Cef. Approach and speak.

Amb. Such as I am, I come from Antony:

I was of late as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand fea.

Caf. Be't fo, declare thine office.

Amb. Lord of his fortunes he falutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted,
He leffens his requests, and to thee fues

To let him breathe between the heav'ns and earth,
A private man in Athens: this for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confefs thy greatness ;
Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves

The

The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
Caf. For Antony,

I have no ears to his requeft. The Queen
Of audience, nor defire, fhall fail, so she
From Egypt drive her all-difgraced friend,
Or take his life there. This if the perform,
She shall not fue unheard. So to them Both.
Amb. Fortune pursue thee!

Caf. Bring him through the bands:

[Exit Ambajador. To try thy eloquence now 'tis time; dispatch, From Antony win Cleopatra, promise; [To Thyreus. And, in our name, when the requires, add more From thine invention) offers. Women are not In their best fortunes ftrong; but want will perjure The ne'er-touch'd veftal. Try thy cunning, Thyreus ; Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we Will anfwer as a law.

Thyr. Cefar, I go.

Caf. Obferve how Antony becomes his flaw; And what thou think'ft his very action speaks In every power that moves.

Thyr. Cafar, I fhall.

S CE

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[Exeunt.

NE IX.

Changes to Alexandria.

Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and Iras.

Cleo. W
WH

I

HAT fhall we do, Enobarbus?
Eno. (a) Drink, and die.
Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this?

Eno:

1 Drink, and die.] This reply of Enobarbus feems grounded upon a particularity in the conduct of Antony and Cleopatra, which is related by Plutarch: that, after their defeat at A&tium,

they

(a) Drink, and die. Oxford Editor.-Vulg. think, and die.]

Eno. Antony only, that would make his will
Lord of his reason. What although you fled
From that great face of war, whofe feveral ranges
Frighted each other? why fhould he follow you?
The itch of his affection fhould not then

Have nickt his captainfhip; at fuch a point,
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being
The meered question. 'Twas a fhame no less
Than was his lofs, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.

Cleo. Pr'ythee, peace.

Enter Antony, with the Ambassador.

Ant. Is that his answer?

Amb. Ay, my lord.

Ant. The Queen fhall then have courtesie, So fhe will yield us up.

Amb. He fays fo.

Ant. Let her know't.

To the boy Cafar fend this grizled head,

And he will fill thy wishes to the brim

With Principalities.

Cleo. Thy head, my lord?

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Ant. To him again; tell him, he wears the rose Of youth upon him; from which, the world should

note

Something particular; his coyn, fhips, legions,
May be a coward's, whofe minifters would prevail
Under the Service of a child, as foon

As i' th' command of Cæfar. I dare him therefore

2

To lay his gay comparisons apart,

And

they inftituted a fociety of friends who entered into engagement to die with them, not abating in the mean time any part of their luxury, excess and riot, in which they had liv'd before. Oxford Editor.

2 To lay his gay comparifons apart,

And anfwer me declin'd,] The fenfe is, let him not infift on the inequality of our conditions, but defcend to my low

eftate,

And answer me declin'd, fword against sword, Our felves alone; I'll write it, follow me. [Exit Antony:

Eno. Yes, like enough; high-battled Cæfar will Unftate his happiness, and be staged to th' fhew Against a fworder." I 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 should dream, Knowing all measures, the full Cæfar will Answer his emptiness!-Cafar, thou haft fubdu'd His judgment too.

Enter a Servant.

Ser. A meffenger from Cæfar.

Cleo. What, no more ceremony? fee, my

women,

Against the blown rose may they stop their nose,
That kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, Sir.
Eno. Mine honefty and I begin to square;
The loyalty, well held, to fools does make
Our faith meer 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.

Enter Thyreus.

Cleo. Cafar's will?

Thyr. Hear it apart.

Cleo. None but friends; fay boldly.

Thyr. So, haply, are they friends to Antony.

eftate, and meet me fingle. I fuppofe Shakespear coined the word comparisons analogically from the Italian, which fays, veftito pofitivamente, to fignify one cloathed fimply and modeftly, in oppofition to the comparative and fuperlative. But, as ufual, he has made it ferve to quibble to--decline, another term of Gram

mar.

Eno.

Eno. 3 He needs as many, Sir, as Cæfar has:
Or needs not us if Cæfar please. Our master
Will leap to be his friend: for, as you know,
Whose he is, we are, and that's Cæfar's.
Thyr. So.

Thus then, thou moft renown'd, 4 Cæfar intreats,
Not to confider in what cafe thou ftand'st
Further than he is Cæfar.

Cleo. Go on ;-right royal.

Thyr. He knows, that you embrace not Antony As you did love, but as you fear'd him.

Cleo. Oh!

[Afide.

Thyr. The fcars upon your honour, therefore, he Does pity, as constrained blemishes,

Not as deferv'd.

Cleo. He is a God, and knows

What is most right. Mine honour was not yielded, But conquer'd meerly.

Eno. To be fure of that,

I will ask Antony-Sir, thou'rt fo leaky,
That we muft leave thee to thy finking, for

Thy deareft quit thee.

3 He needs as many, Sir, as Cæfar has:

Or needs not us. If Cæfar pleafe, our mafter

[Exit Eno.

Will leap &c.] All fenfe is loft in this falfe pointing, which fhould be reformed thus,

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i. e. while he is at enmity with Cafar he needs a power equal to Cafar's; but if he pleases to receive Antony into his friendship he will then want no other fupport. This is fenfible and polite.

4

Cæfar intreats,

Not to confider in what cafe thou ftand ft

Further than he is Cæfar.] i. e. Cæfar intreats, that at the fame time you confider your defperate fortunes, you would confider he is Cæfar: That is, generous and forgiving, able and willing to restore them.

Thyr.

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