Come hither, sirrah: In Parthia did I take thee prisoner; Mes. It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius Tit. These tidings will well comfort Cassius. All disconsolate, Tit. No, this was he, Messala, But Cassius is no more.-O, setting sun! As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night, So in his red blood Cassius' day is set; The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone; [done! Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are Mistrust of my success hath done this deed, Mes. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed, O, hateful error, melancholy's child! Tit. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [Exit MESSALA. 1 The same expression occurs in Antony and Cleopatra: "That which was a horse, even with a thought, 2 Cassius is now on a hill: he therefore means a hillock somewhat higher than that on which he now is. 3 So in King Lear, the Bastard, dying, says: 'The wheel is come full circle. 4 Sırrah, as appears from many of the old plays, was the usual address in speaking to servants and children. See note on Macbeth, Act iv. Sc. 2. Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius? And bid me give 't thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts ? Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing. Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, young He is slain, Look, whe'r he have not crown'd dead Cassius! heads! Cato. What bastard doth not? Who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field:- [Charges the Enemy. Bru. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend: know me for Brutus. [Exit, charging the Enemy. CATO is overpowered, and falls. Lac. O, young and noble Cato, art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius; And may'st be honour'd, being Cato's son. 1 Sold. Yield, or thou diest. Luc. Only I yield to die : There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight; [Offering Money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. 1 Sold. We must not.-A noble prisoner! 2 Sold. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. 1 Sold. I'll tell the news.-Here comes the ge 5 - populumque potentem In sua victrici conversum viscera dextra." 6 So when he [Brutus] was come thither, after he had lamented the death of Cassins, calling him the last of all the Romans, being impossible that Rome should ever breed againe so noble and valiant a man as he, he caused his body to be buried.'-North's Plutarch. "Objectum est Historico (Cremutio Cordo. Tacit Ann, hb. iv. 34,) quod Brutum Cassiumque ultimos Romanorum dixisset.'-Suet. Tiber lib. iii. c. 61. Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus : Ant. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you, [Exeunt. SCENE V. Another Part of the Field. Enter Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this Cli. Statilius show'd the torch-light; but, my lord, [Whispering. Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius! Cli. O, Dardanius! Dar. O, Clitus! I'll rather kill myself. [Whispers him. I do such a deed? Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? That it runs over even at his eyes. Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word. Why, this, Volumnius: Not so, my lord. Volumnius. Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep; Hence; I will follow. LUMNIUS. I pr'ythee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord: Stra. Give me your hand first: Fare you well, still: Bru. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæsar, now be I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. Alarum. [He runs on his Sword and dien. Mes. My master's man.-Strato, where is thy Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala; And no man else hath honour by his death. Luc. So Brutus should be found.-I thank thee, That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true. Oct. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me? How died my master, Strato? Ant. This was the noblest Roman of them all: All the conspirators, save only he, 2 Hilts is frequently used where only one weapon is spoken of. Cassius says to Pindarus, in a former scene, Here, take thou the hilts. And, King Richard III. : 1 A passage from Plutarch will illustrate this scene: Furthermore, Brutus thought that there was no great number of men slaine in battell, and to know the truth of it there was one called Statilius, that promised to goe through his enemies, (for otherwise it was impossible to goe see their campe,) and from thence, if all were well, that he would lift up a torche-light in the aire, and then returne againe with speed to him. The torche-light was lift up as he had promised, for Statilius went thither.neither can let their posteritie to say, that they have Nowe Brutus seeing Statilius tarie long after, and that he came not againe, he sayd: If Statilius be alive, he will come againe. But his evil fortune was suche that, as he came backe, he lighted in his enemies' hands, and was slaine. Now the night being farre spent, Brutus, as he sate, bowed towards Clitus, one of his men, and told him somewhat in his eare; the other aunswered him not, but fell a weeping. Thereupon he proved Darda-Take him over the costard with the hilts of thy sword,' nius, and sayd somewhat also to him at length he So in the Mirror for Magistrates, 1587 :— came to Volumnius him selfe, and speaking to him in A naked sword he had, Greeke, prayed him for the studies sake which brought hem acquainted together, that he would helpe him to but his hande to his sword, to thrust it in him to kill him. Volumnius denied his request, and so did many others and amongest the rest one of them said there was no tarrying for them there, but that they must needes flie. Then Brutus rising up, We must flie in lecule, sayd he; but it must be with our hands, not with our feete. Then taking every man by the hand, he sayd these words unto them with a chearful countenance-It rejoyceth my hart that no one of my friends hath failed me at my neede, and I do not complayne of That to the hilts was all with blood imbrued.' 3 i. e. receive them into my service. 4 To prefer seems to have been the general term for recommending a servant. Thus in The Merchant of Venice, Act iii. Sec. 2: Shylock thy master, spoke with me this day, And hath preferr'd thee.' Its usual sense was to advance, or set before others. 'He was a man (then boldly dare to say) been strongly agitated in perusing it; and I think it somewhat cold and unaffecting, compared with some other of Shakspeare's plays: his adherence to the real story, and to Roman manners, seem to have impeded the Katura vigour of his genius. JOHNSON. Gildon has justly observed that this tragedy ought to have been called Marcus Brutus, Cæsar being a very inconsiderable personage in the scene, and being killed OF this tragedy many particular passages deserve re-in the third act." In whom so mix'd the elements all lay, He of a temper was so absolute, As that it seem'd when nature him began, She meant to show all that might be in man.' He afterwards revised the poem, which was, I believe, first published, under the title of the Barons' Wars, in 1603; and the stanza is thus exhibited in that edition: Such one he was (of him we boldly say,) In whose rich soule all soveraigne powers did sute; As all did govern, yet did all obey; That seem'd, when hearen his modell first began, The poem originally appeared under the title of 'Mor- ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. AFTER a perusal of this play, the reader will, I Warburton has observed that Antony was Shak doubt not, be surprised when he sees what John-speare's hero; and the defects of his character, a son has asserted:-That its power of delighting is lavish and luxurious spirit, seem almost virtues when derived principally from the frequent changes of the opposed to the heartless and narrow-minded littleness scene; and that no character is very strongly dis- of Octavius Cæsar. But the ancient historians, his criminated.' If our great poet has one superemi- flatterers, had delivered the latter down ready cut and nent dramatic quality in perfection, it is that of being dried for a hero; and Shakspeare has extricated him able to go out of himself at pleasure to inform and self with great address from the dilemma. He has animate other existences.' It is true, that in the number admitted all those great strokes of his character as he of characters many persons of historical importance found them, and yet has made him a very unamiable are merely introduced as passing shadows in the character, deceitful, mean-spirited, proud, and rescene; but the principal personages are most empha- vengeful. tically distinguished by lineament and colouring, and powerfully arrest the imagination.' The character of Cleopatra is indeed a masterpiece: though Johnson pronounces that she is only distinguished by feminine arts, some of which are too low.' It is true that her seductive arts are in no respect veiled over; but she is still the gorgeous Eastern Queen, remarkable for the fascination of her manner, if not for the beauty of her person; and though she is vain, ostentatious, fickle, and luxurious, there is that heroic regal dignity about her, which makes us, like Antony, forget her defects: Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Other women cloy Th' appetites they feed; but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies.' The mutual passion of herself and Antony is without moral dignity, yet it excites our sympathy:--they seem formed for each other. Cleopatra is no less remark. able for her seductive charms, than Antony for the splendour of his martial achievements. Her death, 100, redeems one part of her character, and obliterates all faults. Schlegel attributes this to the penetration of Shakspeare, who was not to be led astray by the false glitter of historic fame, but saw through the disguise thrown around him by his successful fortunes, and distinguished in Augustus a man of little mind. Malone places the composition of this play in 1609. No previous edition to that of the folio of 1623 has been hitherto discovered; but there is an entry of A Booke called Antony and Cleopatra,' to Edward Blount, in 1608, on the Stationers' books. Shakspeare followed Plutarch, and appears to have been anxious to introduce every incident and every personage he met with in his historian. Plutarch mentions Lamprias his grandfather, as authority for some of the stories he relates of the profuseness and luxury stage-direction of Scene 2, Act i. in the old copy, of Antony's entertainments at Alexandria. In the Lamprius, Ramnus, and Lucilius are made to enter with the rest; but they have no part in the dialogue, nor do their names appear in the list of Dramatis Personæ. 2 K SCENE I. Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's NAY, but this dotage of our general's Take but good note, and you shall see in him Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.4 Enter an Attendant. Ant. News, my good lord, from Rome. Ant. Grates me :-The sum.' Cleo. Nav, hear them, Antony: Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this: Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that; Perform't, or else we damn thee. 1 i. e. renounces. The metre would be improved by reading reneyes, or reneies, a word used by Chaucer and other of our elder writers: but we have in King Lear, renege, affirm, &c. Stanyhurst, in his version of the second book of the Eneid, has the word : To live now longer, Troy burat, he flatly reneageth.' 2 Triple is here used for third, or one of three; one of the Triumvirs, one of the three masters of the world. To sustain the pillars of the earth is a scriptural phrase. Triple is used for third in All's Well that Ends Well: Which, as the dearest issue of his practice; He bade me store up as a triple eye.' 3 So in Romeo and Juliet: They are but beggars that can count their worth. And in Much Ado about Nothing: I were but little happy, if I could say how much.' 'Basia pauca cupit, qui numerare potest.' Martial, vi. 36. 4 Then must you set the boundary at a distance greater than the present visible universe affords.' 5 Be brief, sum thy business in a few words." 6 i. e. the nears; which was considered plural in Shakespeare y time. See King Richard III. Act. iv. Sc. 4 7 Take in, it has before been observed, signifies subdue, conquer. MENAS, MENECRATES, VARRIUS, Friends of Pompey. TAURUS, Lieutenant-General to Cæsar. SILIUS, an Officer in Ventidius's Army. EUPHRONIUS, an Ambassador from Antony to Cæsar. ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELEUCUS, and DIOMEDES, Attendants on Cleopatra. A Soothsayer. A Clown. CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt. OCTAVIA, Sister to Cæsar, and Wife to Antony. CHARMIAN, and IRAs, Attendants on Cleopatra. Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attend ants. SCENE, dispersed in several Parts of the Roman Empire. Ant. How, my love! 8 Process here means summons. 'Lawyers call that the processe by which a man is called into the court, and no more. To serve with processe is to cite, to summon.'--Minsheu. 9 The rang'd empire is the well arranged, well ordered empire. Shakspeare uses the expression again in Coriolanus: bury all which yet distinctly ranges, In heaps and piles of ruins.' 10 To weet is to know. 11 I think that Johnson has entirely mistaken the meaning of this passage, and believe Mason's explanation nearly correct. Cleopatra means to say that Antony will act like himself,' (i. e. nobly,) without regard to the mandates of Cæsar or the anger of Fulvia. To which he replies, But stirr d by Cleopatra,' i. e. ‘Add, if moved to it by Cleopatra. This is a compliment to her. Johnson was wrong in supposing but to be used here in its exceptive sense. 12 That is, for the sake of the Queen of Love.' 13 To confound the time, is to consume it, to lose it 14 Quicquid enim dicit, seu facit, omne decet.' See Shakspeare's 150th Sonnet. Marellus, lib. ii. 15 The folio reads, who, every, &c.: corrected by Rowe. The qualities of people. Come, my queen; [Exeunt ANT. and CLEO. with their Train. Dem. I'm full sorry, [Exeunt. Alex. Soothsayer. Sooth. Your will? say. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear.-Pr'ythee, tell her but a worky-day fortune. Sooth. Your fortunes are alike. Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars. Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? Char. Our worser thoughts heavens mend!Alexas,-come, his fortune, his fortune.-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I be Char. Is this the man?-Is't you, sir, that know seech thee! And let her die, too, and give him a things? Sooth. In nature's infinite book of secrecy, worse! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Isis, I beseech thee! Iras. Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of Eno. Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough, the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to see a Cleopatra's health to drink. Char. Good sir, give me good fortune. Sooth. I make not, but foresee. Char. Pray then, foresee me one. Sooth. You shall be yet far fairer than you are. Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old. Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive. Sooth. You shall be more beloving, than beloved. Char. Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all: let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage: find me to marry me with Octavius Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress. you serve. Sooth. You shall outlive the lady whom Than that which is to approach. Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no names: Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches must I have! Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertile' every wish, a million. Char. Out, fool; I forgive thee for a witch. Alex. You think, none but your sheets are privy to your wishes. Char. Nay, come, tell Iras hers. 1 Sometime also when he would goe up and down the city disguised like a slave in the night, and would peere into poor mens windows and their shops, and scold and brawl with them within the house; Cleopatra would be also in a chambermaid's array, and amble up and down the streets with him.' handsome man loose-wived, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded: Therefore, dear Isis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly! Char. Amen. Aler. Lo, now! if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores, but they'd do't. Eno. Hush! here comes Antony. Not he, the queen. crece :Life of Antonius in North's Plutarch. 2 That he proves the common liar, Fame, in his case to be a true reporter.' Shakspeare usually uses approve for prove, and approof for proof. A 3 The old copy reads, change his horns,' &c similar error of change for charge is also found in Coriolanus. 4 The liver being considered the seat of love, Charmian says she would rather heat her liver with drinking than with love's fire. A heated liver was supposed to make a pimpled face. Thy issue blurr'd with nameless bastardy. And Launce, in the third act of The Two Gentlemen of Verona :-- That's as much as to say bustard virtues, that indeed know not their fathers, and therefore have no names. A fairer fortune means a more serene or more prosperous fortune. 7 The old copy reads, foretel. Warburton has the merit of the emendation. 8 This has allusion to the common proverbial saying, 'You'll never be burnt for a witch,' spoken to a silly 5 This (says Johnson) is one of Shakspeare's natu-person, who is indeed no conjuror. 9 This prognostic is alluded to in Othello :- |