Let witchcraft join with beauty, luft with both! Var. This is moft certain that I fhall deliver: either a corruption of wan, the adjective, or a contraction of wanned, or made wan, a participle. So, in Hamlet: "That, from her working, all his vifage wan'd" Again, in Marston's Antonia and Mellida: 66 - a cheek "Not as yet wan'd.” Or perhaps waned lip, i. e. decreafed, like the moon, in its beauty. So, in the Tragedy of Mariam, 1613: "And, Cleopatra then to seek had been "So firm a lover of her quained face." 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 fpeaker's private contempt of it. It may be remarked, that the lips of Africans and Afiatics are paler than thofe of European nations. STEEV. Shakspeare's orthography often adds a d at the end of a word. Thus, vile is (in the old editions) every where fpelt vild. Laund is given inftead of lawn: why not therefore wand for wan here? If this however should not be accepted, fuppofe we read with the addition only of an apoftrophe, wan'd: i. e. waned, declined, gone off from its perfection; comparing Cleopatra's beauty to the moon paft the full. 3 That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour, Even till a Letbe'd dulnefs.] I fufpect our authour wrote: That fleep and feeding may prorogue his bour, &c. So, in Timon of Athens: "let not that part of nature, "Which my lord pay'd for, be of any power "To expel fickness, but prolong his bour." PERCY. The words bonour and bour have been more than once confounded in thefe plays. What Pompey feems to wish is, that Antony fhould still remain with Cleopatra, totally forgetful of every other object. "To prorogue his bonour," does not convey to me at least, any precife notion. If, however, there be no corruption, I fuppofe Pompey means to with, that fleep and feafting may prorogue to fo diftant a day all thoughts of fame and military achievement, that they may totally flide from Antony's mind. MALONE. Mark Antony is every hour in Rome Expected; fince he went from Egypt, 'tis Pom. I could have given lefs matter This amorous furfeiter would have don'd his helm $ Is twice the other twain: But let us rear Men. I cannot hope", Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together: Pom. I know not, Menas, How leffer enmities may give way to greater. 'Twere pregnant they fhould fquare between themselves; For they have entertained cause enough •fince be went from Egypt, 'tis Το A Space for farther travel.] i. e. fince he quitted Egypt, a space of time has elapfed in which a longer journey might have been performed than from Egypt to Rome. STEEVENS. 5- would have don'd his belm] To don is to do on, to put on. So, in Webster's Dutchess of Malfy, 1623: "Call upon our dame aloud, "Bid her quickly don her throwd." STEEVENS. 6 I cannot hope, &c.] The judicious editor of the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer in four vols, 8vo, 1775, obferves that to bope on this occafion means to expect. So, in the Reves Tale, v. 4027: "Our manciple I bope he wol be ded." STEEVENS. 7- warr'd upon bim;-] The old copy has wan'd. The emendation, which was made by the editor of the fecond folio, is fupported by a paffage in the next fcene, in which Cæfar fays to Antony, 8 - your wife and brother "Made wars upon me." MALONE. Square-] That is, quarrel. So, in the Shoemaker's Holiday, or the gentle Craft, 1600: "What? Square they, mafter Scott? Sir, no doubt: "Lovers are quickly in, and quickly out." STEEVENS. See To draw their fwords: but how the fear of us SCENE II. [Exeunt. Rome. A Room in the House of Lepidus. Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, Eno. I fhall entreat him To answer like himself: if Cæfar move him, And fpeak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter, Lep. "Tis not a time for private ftomaching. Serves for the matter that is then born in it. Lep. Your fpeech is paffion: But, pray you, ftir no embers up. Here comes See Vol. II. p. 459, n. 2. MALONE. 9 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 commodiously 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 confefled, that it is of fmall importance, where thefe unconnected and defultory fcenes are interrupted. JOHNSON. 1 Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard, I would not have't to-day.] I believe he means, I would meet bim undreffed, without shew of respect. JOHNSON. Plutarch mentions that Antony after the overthrow he had at Modena, fuffered his beard to grow at length, and never clipt it, that it was marvelous long." Perhaps this cirumftance was in Shakspeare's thoughts. MALONE. Enter Enter ANTONY, and VENTIDIUS. Eno. And yonder, Cæfar. Enter CSAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA, Caf. I do not know, Mecænas; afk Agrippa. Lep. Noble friends, That which combin'd us was moft great, and let not May it be gently heard: When we debate Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners, Touch you the foureft points with sweetest terms, Ant. 'Tis fpoken well: Were we before our armies, and to fight, Caf. Welcome to Rome. Ant. Thank you. Caf. Sit. Ant. Sit, fir 3! Caf. Nay, then 2 Nor curftness grow to the matter.] Let not ill-bumour be added to the real fubject of our difference. JOHNSON. 3 Cæf. Sit. Ant. Sit, fir!] Antony appears to be jealous of a circumstance which feemed to indicate a confcioufnefs of fuperiority in his too fuccessful 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 refent what I meant an act of civility, there can be no reason to fup. pofe you have temper enough for the bufinefs on which at prefent we are met. The former editors leave a full point at the end of this as well as the preceding fpeech. STEEVENS. The following circumftance may ferve to ftrengthen Mr. Steevens's opinion: When the fictitious Sebaftian made his appearance in Europe, he came to a conference with the Conde de Lemos; to whom, after the first exchange of civilities, he said, 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. Ant. Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not fo; Or, being, concern you not. Caf. I must be laugh'd at, If, or for nothing, or a little, I Should fay myself offended; and with you Chiefly i' the world: more laugh'd at, that I fhould Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæfar, What was't to you? Caf. No more than my refiding here at Rome Might be to you in Egypt: Yet, if you there Did practise on my ftate, your being in Egypt Might be my questions. Ant. How intend you, practis'd? Caf. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, Ant. I believe, the authour meant no more than that Cæfar fhould defire Antony to be feated: "Sir." To this Antony replies, Be you, fir, feated! firft: "Sit, fir."" Nay, then" rejoins Cæfar, if you stand on ceremony, to put an end to farther talk on a matter of fo little moment, I will take my feat. However, I have too much respect for the two preceding editors, to fet my judgment above their concurring opinions, and therefore have left the note of admiration placed by Mr. Steevens at the end of Antony's fpeech, undisturbed. MALONE. 4 Did practile on my ftate,-] To pratife means to employ unwarrantable arts or ftratagems. So, in the Tragedie of Antonie, done inte English by the countess of Pembroke, 1595 5 nothing kills me so "As that I do my Cleopatra fee "Practife with Cæfar." STEEVENS. See Vol. II. p. 113, n. 7. MAIONE. my question.] i. e. my theme or fubject of converfation. So again, in this fcene: "Out of our question wipe him." See Vol. IV. p. 191, n. 2. MALONE. 6 their conteftation Was theme for you, you were the word of war.] The only meaning of this can be, that the war, which Antony's wife and brother made upon Cæfar, was theme for Antony too to make war; or was the eccafion why he did make war. But this is directly contrary to the context, |