Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

To tell them, that this world did equal theirs,
Till they had stolen our jewel. All's but naught:
Patience is fottifh; and impatience does
Become a dog that's mad. Then is it fin,
To rush into the fecret houfe of death,

Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women? What, what? Good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian?

My noble girls!-Ah, women, women! look,
Our lamp is fpent, it's out:-Good firs, take heart :-
We'll bury him: and then, what's brave, what's noble,
Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
And make death proud to take us.
This cafe of that huge spirit now is cold.

Come away,

Ah, women, women! come, we have no friend
But refolution, and the briefeft end.

[Exeunt, bearing off Antony's body.

It is fomewhat unfortunate that the words, mere woman, which fo much strengthen the oppofition to either empress or Ifis, are not in the original edition, which ftands thus,

No more but in a woman.

Mere woman was probably the arbitrary reading of Rowe. I fuppofe, however, that we may juftly change the ancient copy thus,

No more, but e'en a woman.

which will enough accommodate either of the editors.

I am inclined to think that she speaks abruptly, not answering her woman, but difcourfing with her own thoughts,

No more-but e'en a woman.

I have no more of my wonted greatness, but am even a woman, on the level with other women; were I what I once was,

-It were for me

To throw my scepter, &c.

If this fimple explanation be admitted, how much labour has been thrown away. Peace, peace, Iras, is faid by Charmian, when the fees the queen recovering, and thinks fpeech troublesome.

JOHNSON.

ACT

ACT V. SCENE I.

CESAR's CAM P.

Enter Cafar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Mecanas, Gallus, and train.

CESAR.

O to him, Dolabella, bid him yield;

G Being to fruftrate, tell him,

He mocks the pauses that he makes.

Dol. Cæfar, I fhall.

[Exit Dolabella,

[ocr errors]

Enter Dercetas, with the fword of Antony.

Caf. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, that dar'ft

Appear thus to us?

Der.

Enter Cafar, Agrippa, Dolabella, and Menas.] But Menas and Menecrates, we may remember, were two famous pirates, linked with Sextus Pompeius, and who affifted him to infeft the Italian coaft. We no where learn, exprefly in the play, that Menas ever attached himself to Octavius's party. Notwithstanding the old folios concur in marking the entrance thus, yet in the two places in the fcene, where this character is made to fpcak, they have marked in the margin, Mec. fo that, as Dr. Thirlby fa gaciously conjectured, we must cafhier Menas, and fubftitute Mecænas in his room. Menas, indeed, deserted to Cæfar no less than twice, and was preferred by him. But then we are to con fider, Alexandria was taken, and Antony kill'd himself, anno U. C. 723. Menas made the fecond revolt over to Auguftus, U. C. 717; and the next year was flain at the fiege of Belgrade in Pannonia, five years before the death of Antony. THEOB.

2 Dol. Cæfar, I fhall.] I make no doubt but it should be marked here, that Dolabella goes out. 'Tis reasonable to imagine he fhould prefently depart upon Cæfar's command; fo that the fpeeches, placed to him in the fequel of this fcene, muft be

R 2

trans

Der. I am call'd Dercetas;

Mark Antony I ferv'd, who beft was worthy,
Beft to be ferv'd: whilft he ftood up, and fpoke,
He was my mafter, and I wore my life
To spend upon his haters. If thou please
To take me to thee, as I was to him
I'll be to Cæfar; if thou pleafest not,
I yield thee up my life.

Caf. What is't thou say'st?

Der. I fay, oh Cæfar, Antony is dead.

Caf. The breaking of fo great a thing fhould make A greater crack.

4 The round world

Should have fhook lions into civil streets,

And citizens to their dens :-The death of Antony
Is not a fingle doom; in that name lay
A moiety of the world.

Der. He is dead, Cæfar;

Not by a publick minifter of juftice,

Nor by a hired knife; but that self-hand,

Which writ his honour in the acts it did,

Hath, with the courage, which the heart did lend it,
Splitted the heart.-This is his fword,

I robb'd his wound of it: Behold it ftain'd
With his most noble blood.

Caf. Look you fad, friends?

5

May the Gods rebuke me, but it is tidings

Το

transferred to Agrippa, or he is introduced as a mute. Befides, that Dolabella fhould be gone out, appears from this, that when Cæfar afks for him, he recollects that he had sent him on business. THEOBALD.

-The round world fhould have shook

Lions into civil ftreets, &c.] I think here is a line loft, after which it is in vain to go in queft. The fenfe feems to have been this: The round world fhould have hook, and this great alteration of the fyftem of things fhould fend lions into streets, and citizens into dens. There is fenfe ftill, but it is harsh and violent.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

To wash the eyes of kings!

Agr. And ftrange it is,

That nature must compel us to lament

Our most persisted deeds.

Mec. His taints and honours

'Waged equal with him.

Agr. A rarer fpirit never

Did steer humanity: but you, Gods, will give us
Some faults to make us men. Cæfar is touch'd.
Mec. When such a spacious mirror's fet before him,
He needs muft fee himself.

Caf. O Antony!

I have followed thee to this;-but we do lance
Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
Have fhewn to thee fuch a declining day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world. But yet let me lament
With tears as fovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all defign, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart,
Where mine his thoughts did kindle; that our stars,
Unreconciliable, 7 fhould divide

Our equalness to this.-Hear me, good friends,-
But I will tell you at fome meeter season;

Enter an Egyptian.

The business of this man looks out of him,

To wash the eyes of kings !] That is, May the Gods rebuke me, if

this be not tidings to make kings wrep.

But, again, for if not.

JOHNSON.

6

Waged equal with him.] For waged, the modern editions have

weighed.

JOHNSON.

-fhould divide

Our equalnefs to this.-] That is, should have made us, in our equality of fortune, difagree to a pitch like this, that one of us muft die.

R 3

JOHNSON.

We'll

We'll hear him what he fays.-Whence are you ? Egypt. A poor Ægyptian yet; the queen my miftrefs,

Confin'd in all he has, her monument,
Of thy intents defires inftruction;
That the preparedly may frame herself
To the way fhe's forc'd to.

Caf. Bid her have good heart;

She foon fhall know of us, by fome of ours,
How honourably and how kindly we

Determine for her. For Cæfar cannot live,
To be ungentle.

Egypt. So the Gods preferve thee!

Caf. Come hither, Proculeius; go, and fay,

[Exit.

We purpose her no fhame: give her what comforts
The quality of her paffion fhall require;
Left, in her greatnefs, by fome mortal stroke,
She do defeat us: for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in our triumph: Go,

And with your fpeedieft bring us what the fays,
And how you find of her.

Pro. Cæfar, I shall.

[Exit Proculeius.

Caf. Gallus, go you along.-Where's Dolabella, To fecond Proculeius.

All. Dolabella !

[Exit Gallus,

Caf. Let him alone; for I remember now, How he's employ'd; he fhall in time be ready.

8

A poor gyptian yet; the queen my miftrefs, &c.] If this punctuation be right, the man means to fay, that he is yet an Egyptian, that is, yet a fervant of the queen of Egypt, though foon to become a fubject of Rome. JOHNSON.

9

-ber life in Rome

Would be eternal in our triumpb.] Hanmer reads judicioufly enough, but without neceffity,

Would be eternalling our triumph.

The fenfe is, If he dies her, she will be forgotten, but if I fed her in triumph at Rome, her memory and my glory will be eternal.

JOHNSON.

Go

« AnteriorContinuar »