Their most assured 'intents —— i. e. the purposes, which they make themselves most sure of accomplishing. Tueobald. Ehave preserved the old reading. The design certainly appeared absurd enough to Cleopatra, both as she thought it unreasonable in itself, aud as she knew it would fail. JOHNSON. C `P. 215, 1. 2. — Sirrah, Iras, go.] From hence it appears that Sirrali, an appellation generally addressed to males, was equally applicable to females. STEEVENS. P. 215, 1. 17-20. —— I have nothing Of woman in me. Now from head to foot I am marble-constant: now the fleeting moon No planet is of mine.] Alluding to the Aegyptian devotion paid to the moon under the name of Isis. WARBURTON. I really believe that our poet was not at all acquainted with the devotion that the Aegyptians paid to this planet under the name of Isis; but that Cleopatra having said, I have nothing of woman in me, added, by way of amplification, that she had not even the changes of disposition peculiar to her sex, and which sometimes happen as frequently as those of the moon, or that she was not, like the sea, governed by the moon. Why should she say on this occasion. that she longer made use of the forms of worship peculiar to her country ? Fleeting is inconstant. I STEEVENS. no Our author will himself furnish us with a commodious interpretation of this passage. I am now "whole as the marble, founded as the rock," and no longer changeable and fluctuating between different purposes, like the fleeting and inconstant moon, "That monthly changes in her circled orb." MALONE. P. 215, 1. 25. Hast thou the pretty worn of Nilus there, That kills and pains not?] Worm is the Teutonick word for serpent; we have the blindworm and slow-worm still in our language, and the Norwegians ca 1 an enormous monster, seen sometimes in the northern ocean, the sea-worm. JOHNSON. In the Northern counties, the word worm is still the given to the serpent species in general. I have seen a Northumberland ballad, entituled, The loidly Worm of Spindleston Heughes, i. e. The loathsome or foul serpent of Spindleston Craggs; certain rocks so called, near Bamburgh The mortal worm might make the sleep eternal. PERCY. P. 216, 1. 5–7. But he that will believe all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do Shakspeare's clowns are always jokers, and deal Satire. It is plain this must be I the contrary way, and all and half change ^_sly! places. WARBURTON, IS read Probably Shakspeare designed that co confusion which the critick would disentangle. STEEVÉSS, P. 216, 1. 13. the worm will do his kind.} The serpent will act according to his nature, JOHNSON. P. 14, 1.3. Fare, pares] i. c. make haste, be nimble, be ready. STEEVENS. 30P. 217) 1. 14. Have I the aspick in my lips?] Are my lips poison'd by the aspick, that my kiss has destroyed thee? MALONE T. 21, 1. 14. Dost fall? Iras must be Tram while supposed to have applied an asp to her her mistress was seuling her dress, or I know not why she should fall so soon. STEEVENS. P. 217, 1. 25. 26. He'll make demand of her; and spend that kiss, Which is my heaven to have.] He will enquire of her concerning me, and kiss her for giving him intelligence. JOHNSON.! P. 217, 1. 32. 33. That I might hear thee call great Caesar, ass Unpolicied!] e. an as without more palicy than to leave the means of death within my reach, and thereby deprive his triumph of its noLlest decoration. STEEVENS. Das 218 11. Charmian, in saying close Cleopatra's eyes Downy windows close; ] this, must be conceived to one of the first ceremonies performed toward a dead body. RITSON. ·PP218 No 15. Your crown's awry] This Friswell amended by the editors. The old editions ads 341 $79989 Tì CAP. 218, 1114 I'll mend it 1 JOHNSON, and then play.] having performed eplay her part in this tragick scene by destroying herself or she may means that - her last office for her mistress, she will accept the permission given her in p. 215, to "play till doomsday." STELVENS P219, 1.30. something blown:] The flesh is somewhat puffed or swoln. JOHNSON, A. P. 220, 1. 4. She hath pursu'd conclusions (infinite. ] To pursue conclusions, is to try experiments. STEEVENS, 207P. 226] 1. 5. Of easy ways to die.] Such was the death brought on by the aspick's venom. STEEVENS. P. 220, 1. 8. clip] i. e. enfold. STEEVENS. Jaཔ་ཚུ་གུཛ་སུ*e o% wou!}ts 5a!tO Sethe narrative of such events demands less, compassion for the sufferers, than glory on the part of him who brought on their sufferings. play keeps svugah jamE POSTEEVENS. always busy, and www.interested. The continual aud thesions always the quick succession of one pe Incidents, er, arts, to call the mind forward without intermission from the first act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine some of which are too low, which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired to find has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb according to 374 NOTES TO ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguishable from that of others: the most tumid speech in the play is that which Caesar makes to Octavia. The events, of which the principal are described according to history, are produced without any art of connexion or care of disposition. JOHNSON. END OF THE FIFTEENTH VOLUME. |