Men. We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wife powers
Deny us for our good: fo find we profit
By lofing of our prayers.

Pomp:

fhall do well:

The people love me, and the fea is mine;

My power's a crefcent, and my auguring hope Says, it will come to the full. Mark Antony

In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors. Cæfar gets money, where
He lofes hearts: Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd ; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

Men. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field

A mighty ftrength they carry.

Pomp. Where have you this? 'tis falfe.
Men. From Silvius, fir.

Pomp. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together,

Looking for Antony: but all the charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let

right; if delay be what they fue for, they have it, and the confolation offered becomes fuperfluous. The meaning is, While we are praying, the thing for which we pray is lofing its value.

In old editions,

My powers are crefcent, and my auguring hope

Says it will come to th' full.]

JOHNSON.

What does the relative it belong to? It cannot in fenfe relate to hope, nor in concord to powers. The poet's allufion is to the moon; and Pompey would fay, he is yet bata half moon, or crefcent; but his hopes tell him, that crefcent will come to a full orb.

thy wan lip!] In the old edition it is

thy wand lip!

THEOBALD.

Perhaps, for fond lip, or warm lip, fays Dr. Johnson. Wand, if it ftand, is either a corruption of wan, the adjective, or a contraction of wanned, or made wan, a participle.

Ye

Let witchcraft join with beauty; luft with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts;
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloylefs fauce his appetite;

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even till a Lethe'd dulnefs

How now, Varrius?

Enter Varrius.

Var. This is most certain, that I fhall deliver.
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected; fince he went from Egypt, 'tis
A space for farther travel.

Pomp. I could have given less matter

A better ear. Menas, I did not think,
This amorous furfeiter would have don'd his helm
For fuch a petty war: his foldierfhip

8

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

Men.

Yet this expreffion of Pompey's perhaps, after all, implies a wifh only, that every charm of love may confer additional foftness on the lips of Cleopatra: i. e. that her beauty may improve to the ruin of her lover. The epithet wan might have been added, only to fhew the speaker's private contempt of it. It may be remarked, that the lips of Africans and Afiatics are paler than those of European nations. STEEVENS.

Sextus Pompeius, upon hearing that Antony is every hour expected in Rome, does not much relish the news. He is twice the foldier, (fays he) that Octavius and Lepidus are; and I did not think, the petty war, which I am raifing, would rouze him from

Men. I cannot hope,

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

Pomp. I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater. Wer't not that we ftand up against them all, 'Twere pregnant, they fhould fquare between themfelves;

୨

For they have entertained caufe 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't as our Gods will have it! it only ftands

Our lives upon, to ufe our ftrongest hands. Come, Menas.

[Exeunt.

his amours in Egypt--But why fhould Pompey hold a higher opinion of his own expedition, because it awaked Antony to arms, who was near weary, almoft furfeited, of lafcivious pleafures? Indolent and ftupid editors, that can difpenfe with words without ever weighing the reafon of them! How eafy is the change to the true reading!

The ne'er-luft-wearied Antony.

If Antony, though never tired of luxury, yet moved from that charm, upon Pompey's firring, it was a reafon for Pompey to pride himfelf upon being of fuch confequence. Could it be imagined, after this fwelling exultation, that the frft edition ftands literally thus,

The necre luft wearied Antony.

2-Square-] That is, quarrel.

THEOBALD.

JOHNSON.

Our lives upon,] This play is not divided into acts by the authour or firft editors, and therefore the prefent divifion may be altered at pleasure. I think the first act may be commodioufly continued to this place, and the fecond act opened with the interview of the chief perfons, and a change of the ftate of action. Yet it must be confeffed, that it is of fmall importance, where thefe unconnected and defultory fcenes are interrupted.

JOHNSON.

SCENE

SCENE II.

ROME.

Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus.

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

Eno. I fhall entreat him

To answer, like himfelf: if Cæfar move him,
Let Antony look over Cæfar's head,

And fpeak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
2 Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,
I would not fhav't to-day..

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

Serves for the matter that is then born in it.
Lep. But small to greater matters must give way.
Eno. Not, if the small come first.

Lep. Your fpeech is paffion:

But, pray you, ftir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony.

Enter Antony and Ventidius.

Eno. And yonder, Cæfar.

Enter Cafar, Mecanas, and Agrippa.

Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia:
-Hark, Ventidius.

2 Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,
I would not shav't 10-day.]

Alluding to the phrafe, I will beard him.

WARB'

I believe he means, I would meet him undressed, without she w

respect.

JOHNSON.

Caf.

Caf. I do not know, Mecænas, afk Agrippa.
Lep. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was moft 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, nobie partners, (The rather, for I earneftly befeech)

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

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. 4

Ant. Sit, fir!

Caf. Nay, then——

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

3 Nor curfiness grow to the matter.] Let not ill-humour be added to the real fubject of our difference.

+ Cæf. Sit.

Ant. Sit, fir!]

JOHNSON.

Antony appears to be jealous of a circumftance which feemed to indicate a confcioufnefs of fuperiority in his too fuccefsful partner in power; and accordingly refents the invitation of Cæfar to be feated: Cæfar anfwers, Nay then- i. e. if you are fo ready to re fent what I meant an act of civility, there can be no reason to suppose you bave temper enough for the business on which at prefent we are The former editors leave a full point at the end of this as well as the preceding speech.

met.

STEEVENS.

The following circumftance may serve to ftrengthen Mr. Steevens's opinion: When the fictitious Sebaftian made his appear ance in Europe, he came to a conference with the Conde de Lemos; to whom, after the firft exchange of civilities, he faid, Conde de Lemos, be covered. And being asked by that nobleman, by what pretences he laid claim to the fuperiority expreffed by fuch permiffion, he replied, I do it by right of my birth; I am Sebaftian.

JOHNSON.

Caf.