SCENE III. .
Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Alexas, and Iras.
Cleo. Where is he?
Char. I did not see him since.
Cleo. See, where he is, who's with him, what he

does.' I did not send you. – If you find him sad, Say, I am dancing; if in mirth, report, That I am sudden sick. Quick, and return. Char. Madam, methinks, if you did love him

dearly,
You do not hold the method to enforce
The like from him.

Cleo. What should I do, I do not?
Char. In each thing give him way, cross him in

nothing. Cleo. Thou teachest, like a fool, the way to lose

him. Char. Tempt him not fo too far. I wish forbear; In time we hate that which we often fear.

Enter Antony.
But here comes Antony.

Cleo. I am sick, and sullen.
Ant. I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose.

Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall;
It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature
Will not sustain it.

Ant. Now, my dearest queen,
Cleo. Pray you, stand farther from me.
Ant. What's the matter?
Cleo. I know, by that same eye, there's some good

news,

I did not send 304.-) You must go as if you came without my order or knowledge.

JOHNSON.

What

What says the marry'd woman?— You may go ;
'Would, she had never given you leave to come!
Let her not say, 'tis I that keep you here,
I have no power upon you :-Her's you are.

Ant. The Gods best know,

Cleo. O never was there queen
So mightily betray'd ! yet at the first
I saw the treasons planted.

Ant. Cleopatra,-
Cleo. Why should I think, you can be mine, and

true,
Though you with swearing shake the throned Gods,
Who have been false to Fulvia ? Riotous madness,
To be entangled with those mouth-made vows,
Which break themselves in swearing!

Ant. Moft sweet queen, -
Cleo. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your

going
But bid farewell, and

when
go: you

sued staying,
Then was the time for words : No going then ;-
Eternity was in our lips and eyes ;
Bliss in our brows' bent; none our parts so poor,
But was ’ a race of heaven. They are so still,
Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world,
Art turn’d the greatest liar,

Ant. How now, lady ?
Cleo. I would I had thy inches; thou should'At know
There were a heart in Ægypt.

Ant. Hear me, queen:
The strong necessity of time commands
Our services a-while; but my full heart

2

-a race of heaven. -] i, e. had a smack or flavour of heaven.

WARB. This word is well explained by Dr. Warburton; the race of wine is the tafte of the foil. Sir T. Hanmer, not understanding the word, reads, ray,

JOHNSON. Remains

3 Remains in use with you. Our Italy
Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome.
Equality of two domestic powers
Breeds scrupulous faction: The hated, grown to

strength,
Are newly grown to love: the condemn’d Pompey,
Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace
Into the hearts of such as have not chriven
Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten;
And quietness, grown fick of rest, would purge
By any desperate change. My more particular,
And that which most with you should safe my going,
Is Fulvia's death.
Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me

freedom,
It does from childishness.-Can Fulvia die ?

Ant. She's dead, my queen:
Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read
The garboils she awak’d; at the last, best,
See, when, and where she died.

4

3 Remains in ufe -] The poet seems to allude to the legal distinction between the use and abfoluie pofefion. JOHNSON,

My more particular,
And that which most with you should save my going,

Is Fulvia's death.] Thus all the more modern editions ; the first and second folio's read safe : All corruptedly. Antony is giving several reasons to Cleopatra, which make his departure from Ægypt necessary; most of them, reasons of state; but the death of Fulvia, his wife, was a particular and private call. Cleopatra is jealous of Antony, and suspicious that he is seeking colours for his going. Antony replies to her doubts, with the reasons that obliged him to be absent for a time; and tells her, that, as his wife Fulvia is dead, and so she has no rival to be jealous of, that circumstance should be his best plea and excuse, and have the greatest weight with her for his going. Who does not see now, that it ought to be read, -Jhould salve my go'ng.

THEOBALD.
Mr. Upton reads, I think rightly,
Jafe my going

JOHNSON.

Cleo.

Cleo. O most false love!
Where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill
With forrowful water? Now I see, I fee,
In Fulvia's death, how mine shall be receiv'd.

Ant. Quarrel no more, but be prepar’d to know
The purposes I bear; which are, or cease,
As you shall give the advices. By the fire, ,
That quickens Nilus' lime, I go from hence,
Thy soldier, servant; making peace, or war,
As thou affect'ft.

Cleo. Cut my lace, Charmian, come :
But let it be.--I am quickly ill, and well.
-So, Antony loves.

Ant. My precious queen, forbear;
And give true evidence to his love, which stands
An honourable trial.

Cleo. So Fulvia told me.
I pr’ythee, turn aside, and weep for her;
Then bid adieu to me and say, the tears
Belong to Egypt. Good now, play one scene
Of excellent diffembling, and let it look
Like perfect honour.

Ani. You'll heat my blood : No more.
Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly.
Ant. Now by my sword,
Cleo. And target,

-Still he mends;
But this is not the best. Look, pr’ythee, Charmian,
How this Herculean Roman does become
The carriage of his chafe.

Ant. I'll leave you, lady.
Cleo. Courteous lord, one word.

50 moft falfe love! Where be the sacred vials thou shouldạ fill With forrowful water?. -] Alluding to the lachrymatory vials, or bottles of tears, which the Romans sometimes put into the urn of a friend.

JOHNSON. -to Egypt.) To me, the queen of Egypt. Johnson.

Sir, you and I must part,—but that's not ît ;
Sir, you and I have lov'd,-but there's not it;
That you know well : something it is, I would :-
7 Oh, my oblivion is a very Antony,
And I am all forgotten.

Ant. But that your royalty
Holds idleness your subject, I should take you
For idleness itself.

Cleo. 7 Ob, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten.] The plain meaning is, My forgetfulness makes me forget myself. But she expreffes it by calling forgetfulness, Antony ; because forgetfulness had forgot her, as Antony had done. For want of apprehending this quaintness of expression, the Oxford editor is forced to tell us news, That all forgotten is an old way of Speaking, for apt to forget every thing.

WARBURTON. I cannot understand the learned critic's explanation. It appears to me, that she should rather have said,

O my remembrance is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten. It was her memory, not her oblivion, that, like Antony, was forgetting and deserting her. I think a slight change will restore the paffage. The queen, having something to say, which she is not able, or would not seem able to recollea, cries out,

O my oblivion !'Tis a very Antony. The thought of which I was in queft is a very Antony, is treacherous and fugitive, and has irrevocably left me,

And I am all forgotten. If this reading stand, I think the explanation of Hanmer must be received.

JOHNSON. Dr. Warburton's explanation is certainly juft, and I cannot see any occasion for alteration. Cleopatra has something to say, which seems to be suppress’d by sorrow, and after many attempts to produce her meaning, the cries out, This quality I bave of forgetting what concerns me nearly, too much resembles Antony, or is an Antony, and my w:lfare is alike forgoiten by him and by myself.

STEEVENS. 8 But that your royalty Holds idleness your subject, I foould take you

For idleniss itself.) i. e. But that your charms bold me, who am the greatest fool on earth, in chains, I should have adjudged you to be she greatest. That this is the sense is hewn by her answer,