Enter Charmian. Shew me, my women, like a queen: go fetch To play till dooms-day-Bring our crown and all, Enter one of the Guard. Guard. Here is a rural fellow, That will not be deny'd your highness' prefence; He brings you figs. Cleo. Let him come in. How poor an inftrument May do a noble deed!-He brings me liberty, i. e. the purposes, which they make themselves moft fure of accomplishing. THEOBALD. I have preferved the old reading. The defign certainly appeared abfurd enough to Cleopatra, both as he thought it unreasonable in itself, and as fhe knew it would fail. 6 No planet is of mine.} -now the fleeting moon JOHNSON. Alluding to the Ægyptian devotion paid to the moon under the name of Ifis. WARBURTON. I really believe that our poet was not at all acquainted with the devotion that the Egyptians paid to this planet under the name of Ifis; but that Cleopatra having faid, I have nothing of woman in me, added, by way of amplification, that she had not even the changes of difpofition peculiar to the fix, and which fometimes happen as often as thofe of the moon. Why should fhe fay on this occafion that the no longer made ufe of the forms of worship peculiar to her country? I STEEVENS. Re-enter Re-enter Guard, with the Clown bringing a basket. Guard. This is the man. [Exit Guard. Haft thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, Cleo. Avoid, and leave him. That kills and pains not? Clown. Truly I have him; but I would not be the party should defire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those, that do die of it, do feldom or never recover. Cleo. Remember'ft thou any that have dy'd on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honeft woman, but fomething given to lye; as a woman should not do, but in the way of honefty. How she dy'd of the biting of it, what pain fhe felt! truly, & but she makes a very good report o' the worm; he, that will believe all that they fay, fhall never be faved by half that they do. But this is moft fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewel. Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm. Cleo. Farewel. 8 Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind. Cleo. Ay, ay; farewel. 7-the pretty worm of Nilus-] Worm is the Teutonick word for Serpent; we have the blind-worm and flow-worm ftill in our language, and the Norwegians call an enormous monster, feen fomeJOHNSON. times in the northern ocean, the fea-worm. 8 but he that will believe all that they fay, shall never be faved by half that they do] Shakespeare's clowns are always jokers, and deal in fly fatire. It is plain this must be read the contrary way, and all and half change places. WARB. Probably Shakespeare defigned that confufion which the critick would difentangle. STEEVENS. 9 will do his kind.] The ferpent will act according to his na JOHNSON. Clown. Clown, Look you, the worm is not to be trufted but in the keeping of wife people; for, indeed, there is no goodnels in the worm. Cleo. Take thou no care; it fhall be heeded. Clown. Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. Cleo. Will it eat me? Clown. You must not think, I am so fimple, but I know, the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know that a woman is a dish for the Gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, these fame whorefon devils do the Gods great harm in their women! for, in every ten that they make, the devils mar five. Cleo. Well, get thee gone; farewel. Clown. Yes, forfooth, I wish you joy o' the worm. Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have [Exit. Immortal longings in me. Now no more The juice of Egypt's grape fhall moift this lip:Yare, yare, good Iras; quick.quick. Methinks, I hear Antony call; I fee him roufe himself To praife my noble act. I hear him mock Have I the afpick in my lips? doft fall? -Doft fall?] Iras must be fuppofed to have applied an afp to her arm while her miftrefs was fettling her drefs, or I know not why the should fall so soon. STEEVENS. Which hurts, and is defir'd. Doft thou lie ftill? It is not worth leave-taking. Iras dies. Char. Diffolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may fay, The Gods themselves do weep! If the first meet the curled Antony, 2 * He'll make demand of her, and spend that kifs, Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch, With thy fharp teeth this knot intrinficate [To the ferpent. Of life at once untie : poor venomous fool, Be angry, and dispatch. Oh, couldst thou speak! That I might hear thee call great Cæfar ass, Unpolicied! Char. Oh eastern star! Cleo. Peace, Peace! Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, That fucks the nurse asleep.? Char. O break! O break! Cleo. As fweet as balm, as foft as air, as gentle,3 O Antony !-Nay, I will take thee too:→→→→ [Applying another afp to her arm. What should I stay-- [Dies. He'll make demand of ber.] He will enquire of her concerning me, and kiss her for giving him intelligence. JOHNSON. 30 Antony! nay, I will take thee too.] As there has been hitherto no break in this verfe, nor any marginal direction, thee neceffarily muft seem to refer to Antony. But Cleopatra is here defigned to apply one afpick to her arm, as fhe had before clapp'd one to her breaft. And the laft fpeech of Dolabella in the play is a confirmation of this. The like is on her arm. THEOBALD. And And golden Phoebus never be beheld 4 Of eyes again fo royal! + Your crown's awry; Enter the Guard, rushing in. 1 Guard. Where is the queen? Char. Speak foftly, wake her not. 1 Guard. Cæfar hath fent Char. Too flow a meffenger. [Charmian applies the afp. Oh, come. Apace, dispatch :-I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well. Cæfar's beguil❜d. Guard. There's Dolabella fent from Cæfar:- 1.Guard. What work is here? Charmian, is this well done? Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess Defcended of fo many royal kings. Ah, foldier! Enter Dolabella. Dol. How goes it here? 2 Guard. All dead! Dol. Cæfar, thy thoughts [Charmian dies. Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming -Your crown's awry ;] This is well amended by the editors. The old editions had, -Your crown's away. JOHNSON. 5 Defcended of fo many royal kings] Thefe very words are found in fir T. North's tranflation of Plutarch. The book is not uncommon, and therefore it would be impertinent to crowd the page with every circumstance which Shakespeare has borrowed from the fame original. STEEVENS. Enter |