AND

CLEOPATRA'.

ACTI. SCENE I.

Cleopatra's Palace at Alexandria.

Enter Demetrius, and Philo.

Phil. Nay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and mufters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,

Which in the fcuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breaft, reneges all temper;

I

2

And

Among the entries in the books of the Stationers' Company, October 19, 1593, I find "A Booke entituled the Tragedie of Cleopatra.' It is entered by Symon Waterfon, for whom fome of Daniel's works were printed; and therefore it is probably by that author, of whofe Cleopatra there are several editions.

In the fame volumes, May 2, 1608, Edward Blount entered "A Booke called Anthony and Cleopatra." This is the first notice I have met with concerning any edition of this play more ancient than the folio, 1623. STEEVENS.

2 -reneges. ] Renounces. POPE.

So,

1

And is become the bellows, and the fan,

To cool a gypfy's luft.-Look, where they come!

Flourish. Enter Antony and Cleopatra, with their trains; Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a ftrumpet's fool: behold and fee.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.

So, in K. Lear: "Renege, affirm &c." This word is likewife used by Stanyhurst in his verfion of the second book of Virgil's Eneid:

"To live now longer, Troy burnt, he flatly reneageth."
STEEVENS,

3 And is become the bellows, and the fan,
To cool a gypfy's luft.]

In this paffage fomething feems to be wanting. The bellorus and fan being commonly used for contrary purposes, were probably opposed by the author, who might perhaps have written:

is become the bellows, and the fan,

To kindle and to cool a gypfy's luft. JOHNSON.

In Lylly's Midas, 1592, the bellows is ufed both to cool and to kindle: "Methinks Venus and Nature stand with each of them a pair of bellows, cne cooling my low birth, the other kindling my lofty affections." STEEVENS.

I do not fee any neceffity for fuppofing a word lost. The bel lows, as well as the fan, cools the air by ventilation; and Shakefpeare probably confidered it in that light only. We meet a fimilar phrafeology in his Venus and Adonis, 1593:

"Then with her windy fighs and golden hair
"To fan and blow them dry again, the feeks."

MALONE. ↑gypfy's luft.] Gypy is here used both in the original meaning for an Egyptian, and in its accidental fenfe for a bad woman. JOHNSON.

5 The triple pillar-] Triple is here used improperly for third, or one of three. One of the triumvirs, one of the three mafters of the world. WARBURTON.

Ant.

Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd'.

Cleo. I'll fet a 7 bourn how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then muft thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. News, my good lord, from Rome.
Ant. Grates me :-The fum 9.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:
Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæfar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchife that;
Perform't, or elfe we damn thee.

Ant. How, my love!

Cleo. Perchance,-nay, and most like,

You must not stay here longer, your difmiffion
Is come from Cæfar; therefore hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's procefs? Cæfar's, I would fay ?-
Both ?-

Call in the meffengers.-As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blufheft, Antony; and that blood of thine
Is Cæfar's homager: elfe fo thy cheek pays fhame,
When fhrill-tongu'd Fulvia fcolds.The meffen-
gers.

There's beggary in the love that can be reckon❜d.]
So, in Romeo and Juliet:

7

"They are but beggars that can count their worth."

"Bafia pauca cupit, qui numerare poteft."

Mart. 1. vi. ep. 36. STEEVENS.

·bourn -] Bound or limit. POPE.

• Then must thou needs find out new heaven, &c.] Thou must fet the boundary of my love at a greater distance than the present vifible univerfe affords. JOHNSON.

9

The fum.] Be brief, fum thy bufinefs in a few words.

JOHNSON.

Ant.

Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt!

arch

and the wide

Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beaft as man: the noblenefs of life
Is, to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair, [Embracing.
And fuch a twain can do't; in which, I bind
On pain of punishment, the world to weet,
We stand up peerless.

Cleo. Excellent falfhood!

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her ?
I'll feem the fool I am not; 3 Antony

Will be himself.

Ant. But ftirr'd by Cleopatra.

Now, for the love of love, and his foft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harfh:
There's not a minute of our lives fhould stretch
Without fome pleasure now: What fport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the embaffadors.

1

and the wide arch

Of the rang'd empire fall!-]

Taken from the Roman cuftom of raifing triumphal arches to perpetuate their victories. Extremely noble. WARBURTON.

I am in doubt whether Shakespeare had any idea but of a fabrick standing on pillars. The later editions have all printed the raised empire, for the ranged empire, as it was firft given. JOHNSON. The rang'd empire is certainly right. Shakespeare uses the fame expreffion in Coriolanus:

66

bury all which yet diftinctly ranges, "In heaps and piles of ruin."

Again, in Much ado about Nothing, act II. fc. ii: "Whatsoever comes athwart his affection, ranges evenly with mine."

STEEVENS.

Ant. But fir'd by Cleopatra.-]

But, in this paffage, feems to have the old Saxon fignification of without, unless, except. Antony, fays the queen, will recollect his thoughts. Unlefs kept, he replies, in commotion by Cleopatra.

JOHNSON.

Ant.

Ant. Fye, wrangling queen!

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whofe every paffion fully ftrives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd!
No meffenger, but thine ;-And all alone,
To-night, we'll wander through the streets, and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;
Laft night you did defire it :-Speak not to us.

[Exeunt Ant. and Cleop. with their train.
Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd so flight?
Phil. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too fhort of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

Dem. I am full forry,

That he approves the common liars, who
Thus fpeaks of him at Rome: But I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow.

Reft you happy!

[Exeunt.

-Some

To-night we'll wander through the fireets, &c.] So, in fir Thomas North's Tranflation of the Life of Antonius: " time alfo when he would goe up and downe the citie disguised like a flave in the night, and would peere into poore mens' windowes and their fhops, and scold and brawl with them within the house ; Cleopatra would be also in a chamber maides array, and amble up and down the streets with him, &c." STEEVENS.

5 That he approves the common liar,-] Fame. That he proves the common lyar, fame, in his cafe to be a true reporter.

MALONE.

SCENE