Cleo. This is my treasurer; let him speak, my lord, Upon his peril, that I have referv'd To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus. Sel Enough to purchase what you have made known. Cleo. See, Cæfar! Oh, behold, How pomp is follow'd! mine will now be yours; And, fhould we shift eftates, yours would be mine. The ingratitude of this Seleucus does Even make me wild. Oh flave, of no more trust Than love that's hir'd!-What, goeft thou back? thou fhalt Go back, I warrant thee: but I'll catch thine eyes, Cleo. O Cæfar, what a wounding fhame is this; That thou, vouchfafing here to vifit me, Doing the honour of thy lordliness To one fo meek, that mine own fervant should JOHNSON. 5-feel my lips,] Sew up my mouth. •O Cæfar, &c.] This fpeech of Cleopatra is taken from fir Thomas North's tranflation of Plutarch, where it ftands as follows. "O Cæfar, is not this great fhame and reproach, that thou "having vouchsafed to take the pains to come unto me, and hast "done me this honour, poor wretch and caitiff creature, brought "into this pitiful and miferable eftate, and that mine own fer"vant fhould come now to accufe me. Though it may be that I have reserved fome jewels and trifles meet for women, but not " for me (poor foul) to fet out myself withal; but meaning to give "fome pretty presents unto Octavia and Livia, that they making "means and interceffion for me to thee, thou mightest yet extend "thy favour and mercy upon me," &c. STEEVENS. *Ob rarely base!] i. e. base in an uncommon degree. STEEVENS. VOL. VIII. S Parcel 7 Parcel the fum of my difgraces by Their mediation; muft I be unfolded By one that I have bred? The Gods! it fmites me Beneath the fall I have. Pry'thee, go hence; [To Seleucus. Or I fhall fhew the cinders of my fpirits "Through the ashes of my chance.-Wert thou a man, Thou wouldst have mercy on me. Caf. Forbear, Seleucus. [Exit Seleucus. Cleo. Be't known, that we, the greatest, are mis thought For things that others do; and, when we fall, Are therefore to be pitied. Caf. To parcel her difgraces, might be expressed in vulgar language, to bundle up her calamities. JOHNSON. Through the afhes of my chance.] Or fortune. The meaning is, Begone, or I fhall exert that royal fpirit which I had in my profperity, in fpite of the imbecillity of my prefent weak condi tion. This taught the Oxford editor to alter it to mischance. WARBURTON. 9 Be't known, that we the greatest are mifthought For things that others do ; and when we fall, Are therefore to be pitied.] This falfe pointing has rendered the fentiment, which was not very eafy at beft, altogether unintelligible. The lines should be pointed thus, Bi't known, that we, the greatest, are mifthought For things that others do. And when we fall i. e. W Caf. Cleopatra, Not what you have referv'd, nor what acknowledg'd, Put we i' the roll of conqueft: ftill be it yours; Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe, Cæfar's no merchant to make prize with you Of things that merchants fold. Therefore, be cheer'd; 'Make not your thoughts your prifons: no, dear queen; i. e. We monarchs, while in power, are accused and blamed for the mifcarriages of our minifters; and when any misfortune bath fubjected us to the power of our enemies, we are fure to be punished for tboje faults. As this is the cafe, it is but reafenable that we should have the merit of our minifters' good actions, as well as bear the blame of their bad. But the foftens the word merit into pity. The reafon of her making the reflexion was this: her former conduct was liable to much cenfure from Octavius, which he would hereby artfully infinuate was owing to her evil minifters. And as her prefent conduct, in concealing her treasures, appeared to be her own act, fhe being detected by her minister; the begs, that as fhe now anfwers for her former minifter's mifcarriages, fo her present minifter's merit in this difcovery might likewife be placed to her account: which the thinks but reasonable. The Oxford editor is here again at his old work of altering what he did not understand, and fo transforms the paffage thus, and when we fall, We pander others' merits with our names; WARBURTON. I do not think that either of the criticks have reached the fenfe of the author, which may be very commodiously explained thus ; We suffer at our highest state of elevation in the thoughts of mankind for that which others do, and when we fall, thofe that contented themselves only to think ill before, call us to answer in our own names for the merits of others. We are therefore to be pitied. Merits is in this place taken in an ill fenfe, for actions meriting cenfure. If any alteration be neceffary, I should only propofe, Be't known, that we at greateft, &c. JOHNSON. ▾ Make not your thoughts your prisons ;—] I once wished to read, Make not your thoughts your poison : Do not deftroy yourself by mufing on your misfortune. Yet I would change nothing, as the old reading prefents a very proper fense. Be not a prifoner in imagination, when in reality you are free. S 2 JOHNSON. For we intend fo to difpofe you, as Yourself shall give us counfel. Feed, and fleep: Our care and pity is fo much upon you, That we remain your friend; and fo adieu. Cleo. My mafter, and my lord! Caf. Nor fo:---Adieu. [Exeunt Cæfar and his train. Cleo. He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian. [Whispers Charmian. Iras. Finish, good lady.-The bright day is done, And we are for the dark. Cleo. Hie thee again. I have spoke already, and it is provided; Go put it to the hafte. Char. Madam, I will. [Exit Charmian. Re-enter Dolabella. Dol. Where is the queen? Char. Behold, fir. Cleo. Dolabella? Dol. Madam, as thereto fworn, by your command, Which my love makes religion to obey, I tell you this: Cæfar through Syria Intends his journey; and, within three days, Cleo. Dolabella, I fhall remain your debtor. Dol. I your fervant. Adieu, good queen: I must attend on Cæfar. [Exit. Cleo. Farewel, and thanks. Now, Iras, what think'ft thou? Thou, an Ægyptian puppet, shalt be shewn In Rome, as well as I: mechanic flaves Iras. The Gods forbid! Cleo. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: faucy lictors Will catch at us like ftrumpets; and fcald rhimers Ballad us out o'-tune. The quick comedians Extemporally will stage us, and present Our Alexandrian revels: Antony 4 Shall be brought drunken forth, and I fhall fee Iras. O the good Gods! Iras. I'll never fee it; for I am fure my nails Cleo. Why, that's the way To fool their preparation, and to conquer -Scald rbimers] Sir T. Hanmer reads, -ftall'd rhimers. Enter Scald was a word of contempt, implying poverty, difeafe, and filth. JOHNSON. 3-quick comedians] The gay inventive players. JOHNSON. 4-boy my greatness,] The parts of women were acted on the ftage by boys. HANMER. Nah, in Pierce Pennyleffe his Supplication, &c. 1595 fays "Our players are not as the players beyond fea, a fort of squirt"ing bawdy comedians, that have whores and common courte"fans to play women's parts, &c." STEEVENS. 5 Their moft abfurd intents.-] Why fhould Cleopatra call Cafar's defigns abfurd? She could not think his intent of carrying her in triumph, fuch, with regard to his own g'ory: and her finding an expedient to difappoint him, could not bring it under that predicament. I much rather think the poet wrote, Their most affur'd intents- ..i. c. |