Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

ANTONY

AND

CLEOPATRA.

[blocks in formation]

Varrius,

Silius, an Officer in Ventidius's Army.

Taurus, Lieutenant-General to Cæfar.

[blocks in formation]

Clown.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.

Octavia, Sifter to Cæfar, and Wife to Antony.

Charmian, } Ladies attending on Cleopatra.

Iras,

Ambassadors from Antony to Cæfar, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

The SCENE is difperfid in feveral Parts of the Roman Empire.

AND

CLEOPATRA.

ACT I. SCENE I.

N

Cleopatra's Palace at Alexandria.

Enter Demetrius and Philo.

PHILO.

AY, but this dotage of our general's O'erflows the measure: thofe his goodly eyes,

That o'er the files and mufters of the war

Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front. His captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breaft, 'reneges all temper;

'-reneges-] Renounces.

РОРЕ.

And

2 And is become the bellows, and the fan,

To cool a' gypfy's luft. Look, where they come!

Flourish. Enter Antony and Cleopatra, and their trains, Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you fhall fee in him * The triple pillar of the world transform'd Into a ftrumpet's fool. Behold, and fee.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me, how much. Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.

Cleo. I'll fet a bourn how far to be belov'd.

6

Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. News, my good lord, from Rome.
Ant. Grates me. 7 The fum.

2 And is become the bellows, and the fan,

To cool a gypfy's luft.-] In this paffage fomething feems to be wanting. The bellows and fan being commonly used for contrary purposes, were probably opposed by the author, who might perhaps have written,

-is become the bellows, and the fan, To kindle and to cool a gypsy's luft.

JOHNSON. 3 —gypfy's luft.—] Gypsy is here used both in the original meaning for an Egyptian, and in its accidental sense for a bad wo

man.

JOHNSON. + The triple pillar-] Triple is here used improperly for third, or one of three. One of the triumvirs, one of the three masters of the world. WARBURTON.

5-bourn

Bound or limit.

POPE.

• Then must thou needs find out new heaven, &c.] Thou must fet the boundary of my love at a greater diftance than the present vifible universe affords.

JOHNSON.

7-The fum.] Be brief, fum thy bufinefs in a few words.

JOHNSON.

Cleo.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony.

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; or who knows,
If the scarce-bearded Cæfar have not fent
His powerful mandate to you, "Do this, or this;
"Take in that kingdom, and infranchise that; ́.
"Perform't, or else we damn thee."

Ant. How, my love!

Cleo. Perchance, nay, and moft like,

You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Cæfar; therefore hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's procefs? Cæfar's, I would fay?-
Both ?-

-Call in the meffengers.-As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blufheft, Antony; and that blood of thine
Is Cæfar's homager: elfe fo thy cheek pays fhame,
When fhrill tongu'd Fulvia fcolds. The meffengers-
Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt! and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike

Feeds beast as man: the noblenefs of life

Is to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair, [Embracing.
And fuch a twain can do't; in which, I bind
On pain of punishment, the world' to weet,
We stand up peerless.

-and the wide arch

Of the rang'd empire fall!] Taken from the Roman custom of raifing triumphal arches to perpetuate their victories. Extremely noble. WARBURTON.

I am in doubt whether Shakespeare had any idea but of a fabrick ftanding on pillars. The later editions have all printed the Taifed empire, for the ranged empire, as it was first given.

JOHNSON. The rang'd empire is certainly right. Shakespeare uses the fame expreffion in Coriolanus:

bury all which yet distinctly ranges

In heaps and piles of ruin.

-to weet,] To know.

STEEVENS.

POPE.

Cleo,

« AnteriorContinuar »