"Reftores his heart; when valour preys on reafon, It eats the fword it fights with: I will feek

Some way to leave him.

[Exit.

A CT IV. SCENE I

CESAR's Camp.

Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecenas, with their Army. Cæfar reading a Letter.

CESAR.

Habeat me out of Egypt. My meffenger
E calls me boy; and chides, as he had power
Η
To me

He hath whipt with rods, dares me to perfonal combat,
Cafar to Antony. Let the old ruffian know,

I have many other ways to die: mean time,
Laugh at his challenge.

Mec. Cæfar muft think,

When one fo great begins to rage, he's hunted
Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now
Make boot of his diftraction: never anger
Made good guard for itself.

Caf. Let our best heads

Know that to morrow the laft of many battles
We mean to fight. Within our files there are
Of those that ferv'd Mark Antony but late,
Enough to fetch him in. See, it be done;
And feast the army; we have store to do't,
And they have earn'd the wafte. Poor Antony!

Enter Antony and Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, with others.

Ant. HE will not fight with me, Domitius.

No.

Ant. Why fhould he not?

Eno. He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, He's twenty men to one.

Ant. To morrow, foldier,

By fea and land I'll fight: or I will live,

Or bathe my dying honour in the blood

Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well? Eno. I'll ftrike, and cry, "take all.

Ant. Well faid, come on:

Call forth my houfhold fervants, let's to night

Enter Servants.

Be bounteous at our meal. Give me thy hand,
Thou haft been rightly honest, so hast thou,

And thou, and thou, and thou: you've serv'd me well
And Kings have been your fellows.

Cleo. What means this?

I

Eno. 'Tis one of those odd Traits, which forrow fhoots

1 'Tis one of thofe odd TRICKS,] The uniformity of the metaphor leads us to fee that Shakespear wrote TRAITS, arrows, fhafts. A fimilar expreffion we have in Cymbeline: 'Twas but a bolt of nothing, hot at nothing, which the brain makes of fumes. J'ai eté quelque tems à entendre ce que vous voulez me dire par un TRAIT que vos tirez contre moi, fays M. de Turenne in one of his letters; where the word trait has much the fame fignification as in the place before us. The Oxford Editor alters it to freaks; but fure any thing which is predicated of freaks may be predicated of tricks, and nonfenfe for nonfenfe, the old fhould keep its ground as being in poffeffion.

Out

Out of the mind.

Ant. And thou art honeft too:

I with, I could be made fo many men;
And all of you clapt up together in

An Antony; that I might do you fervice,
So good as you have done.

Omnes. The Gods forbid!

Ant. Well, my good fellows, wait on me to night; Scant not my cups, and make as much of me, As when mine Empire was your fellow too,

And fuffer'd my command.

Cleo. What does he mean?

Eno. To make his followers weep.
Ant. Tend me to night;

May be, it is the period of your duty;
Haply, you fhall not fee me more; or if,-
A mangled fhadow. It may chance to morrow,
You'll ferve another mafter. I look on you,
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
I turn you not away; but like a master

Married to your good fervice, ftay till death:
Tend me to night two hours, I ask no more,
And the Gods yield you for't!

Eno. What mean you, Sir,

To give them this difcomfort? look, they weep.
And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd; for fhame,

Transform us not to women.

Ant. Ho, ho, ho!

Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus!

Grace grow, where thofe drops fall! my hearty friends,
You take me in too dolorous a fenfe ;

I fpake t' you for your comfort, did defire you
To burn this night with torches: know, my hearts,
I hope well of to morrow, and will lead you,
Where rather I'll expect victorious life,

-the witch take me,—] i, e. blast, bewitch.

N 3

Than

Than death and honour. Let's to fupper, come,
And drown confideration.

[Exeunt.

SCENE. A Court of Guard before the Palace. Enter a company of Soldiers.

* Sold. Brother, good night: to morrow is the day.

2 Sold. It will determine one way: Fare

you well.

Heard you of nothing ftrange about the streets? 1 Sold. Nothing: what news?

2 Sold. Belike, 'tis but a rumour; good night to you. 1 Sold. Well, Sir, good night.

[They meet with other Soldiers.

2 Sold. Soldiers, have careful watch.

1 Sold. And you, good night, good night.

[They place themselves in every corner of the stage.

2 Sold. Here, we; and if to morrow

Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope

Our landmen will stand up.

I Sold. 'Tis a brave army, and full of purpose.
[Mufick of the hautboys is under the stage.

2 Sold. Peace, what noife?

1 Sold. Lift, lift!

2 Sold. Hark!

1 Sold. Mufick i'th' air.-
3 Sold. Under the earth.

It fignes well, does it not?

2 Sold. No.

1 Sold. Peace, I fay: what fhould this mean!
2 Sold. 'Tis the God Hercules, who loved Antony,

Now leaves him.

1 Sold. Walk, let's fee if other watchmen

Do hear what we do.

2 Sold. How now, mafters?

[Speak together.

Omnes.

Omnes. How now? how now? do you hear this? 1 Sold. Is't not strange?

3 Sold. Do you hear, mafters? do you hear?

I Sold. Follow the noise fo far as we have quarter, Let's fee how 'twill give off.

Omnes. Content: 'tis ftrange.

[Exeunt.

Changes to Cleopatra's Palace.

Enter Antony and Cleopatra, with others.

Ant. EROS, mine armour, Eros.

Sleep a little.

Ant. No, my chuck: Eros, come, mine armour,

Eros.

Enter Eros.

Come, my good fellow, put thine iron on ;
If fortune be not ours to day, it is
Because we brave her. Come.

Cleo. Nay, I'll help too, Antony.

What's this for? ah, let be, let be; thou art

The armourer of my heart;-falfe, false; this, this ;Sooth-la, I'll help: thus it must be.

Ant. Well, well, we fhall thrive now;

Seeft thou, my good fellow? Go, put on thy defences. Eno. Briefly, Sir.

Cleo. Is not this buckled well?

Ant. Rarely, rarely:

He that unbuckles this, till we do please

To doff't for our repose, fhall hear a storm.

Thou fumbleft, Eros; and my Queen's a fquire More tight at this than thou; dispatch. O love! That thou could'st see my wars to day, and knew’st

N 4

The