Chapter 6

I.iii.90 (126,7) Oh, ny oblivion is a very Antony,/And I am all forgotten] [The plain meaning is, _My forgetfulness makes me forget myself_. WARBURTON.] [Hanmer explained "all forgotten" as "apt to forget everything"] I cannot understand the learned critic's explanation. It appears to me, that she should rather have said,

_O my_ remembrance _is a very_ Antony, _And I am all forgotten._

It was her memory, not her oblivion, that, like Antony, vas forgetting and deserting her. I think a slight change will restore the passage. The queen, having something to say, which she is not able, or would not seem able to recollect, cries out,

_O my oblivion_!--'Tis _a very Antony_.

The thought of which I was in quest is a very Antony, is treacherous and fugitive, and has irrevocably left me,

_And I am all forgotten._

If this reading stand, I think the explanation of Hanmer must be received, (see 1765, VII, 122, 6)

I.iv.3 (127,9) One great competitor] Perhaps, _Our_ great competitor.

I.iv.12 (128,1) as the spots of heaven,/More fiery by night's blackness] If by spots are meant stars, as night has no other fiery spots, the comparison is forced and harsh, stars having been always supposed to beautify the night; nor do I comprehend what there is in the counter-part of this simile, which answers to night's blackness. Hanmer reads,

--_spots_ on ermine Or fires, _by night's blackness_.

I.iv.14 (128,2) purchas'd] Procured by his own fault or endeavour.

I.iv.21 (128,3) say, this becomes him, (As his composure must be rare, indeed, Whom these things cannot blemish] This seems inconsequent. I read

_And his composure_, &c. _Grant that this becomes him_, and _if it can become him, he must have in him something very uncommon_; yet, _&c._

I.iv.25 (128,4) So great weight in his lightness] The word _light_ it one of Shakespeare's favourite play-things. The sense is, His trifling levity throws so much burden upon us.

I.iv.25 (129,5)

If he fill'd His vacancy with his voluptuousness, Full surfeits, and the dryness of his bones, Call on him for't]

_Call on him_, is, _visit him_. Says Caesar, _If Antony followed his debaucheries at a time of leisure, I should leave him to be punished by their natural consequences, by_ surfeits _and_ dry bones.

I.iv.31 (129,6) boys; who being mature in knowledge] For this Hanmer, who thought the _maturity_ of a _boy_ an inconsistent idea, has put,

--_who_, immature _in knowledge_,

but the words _experience_ and _judgment_ require that we read _mature_; though Dr. Warburton has received the emendation. By _boys mature in knowledge_, are meant, _boys old enough to know their duty_.

I.iv.38 (129,7) he is belov'd of these/That only have fear'd Caesar] Those whom not _love_ but _fear_ made adherents to Caesar, now shew their affection for Pompey.

I.iv.49 (130,2) which they ear] To _ear_, is to _plow_; a common metaphor.

I.iv.52 (130,3) Lack blood to think on't] Turn pale at the thought of it.

I.v.4 (132,5) mandragora] A plant of which the infusion was supposed to procure sleep. Shakespeare mentions it in _Othello_:

_Not poppy, nor_ mandragora, _Can ever med'cine thee to that sweet sleep_.

I.v.38 (133,8) that great medicine hath/With his tinct gilded thee] Alluding to the philosopher's stone, which, by its touch, converts base metal into gold. The alchemists call the matter, whatever it be, by which they perform transmutation, a _medicine_.

I.v.48 (134,9) arm-gaunt steed] [i.e. his steed worn lean and thin by much service in war. So Fairfax, _His_ stall-worn _steed the champion stout bestrode_. WARB.] On this note Mr. Edwards has been very lavish of his pleasantry, and indeed has justly censured the misquotation of _stall-worn_, for _stall-worth_, which means _strong_, but makes no attempt to explain the word in the play. Mr. Seyward, in his preface to Beaumont, has very elaborately endeavoured to prove, that an _arm-gaunt_ steed is a steed with _lean shoulders_. _Arm_ is the Teutonick word for _want_, or _poverty_. _Arm-gaunt_ may be therefore an old word, signifying, _lean_ for _want_, ill fed. Edwards's observation, that a worn-out horse is not proper for Atlas to mount in battle, is impertinent; the horse here mentioned seems to be a post horse, rather than a war horse. Yet as _arm-gaunt_ seems not intended to imply any defect, it perhaps means, a horse so slender that a man might clasp him, and therefore formed for expedition. Hanmer reads,

--_arm-girt steed_.

I.v.50 (134,1) Was beastly dumb by him] Mr. Theobald reads _dumb'd_, put to silence. _Alexas means_, (says he) _the horse made such a neighing, that if he had spoke he could not have been heard_.

I.v.76 (136,3) Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day/ A several greeting, or I'll unpeople Aegypt] By sending out messengers.

II.i (136,4) _Enter Pompey_, _Menecrates_, _and Menas_] The persons are so named in the first edition; but I know not why Menecrates appears; Menas can do all without him.

II.i.4 (136,5) While we are suitors to their throne, decays/The thing we sue for] [W: delays] It is not always prudent to be too hasty in exclamation; the reading which Dr. Warburton rejects as _nonsense_, is in my opinion right; if _delay_ be what they sue for, they have it, and the consolation offered becomes superfluous. The meaning is, _While we are praying_, _the thing for which we pray_ is losing its value.

II.i.38 (138,8) The ne'er-lust-wearied Antony] [Theobald emended "near lust-wearied" to "ne'er-lust-wearied"] Could it be imagined, after this swelling exultation, that the first edition stands literally thus,

_The_ neere _lust wearied Antony_.

II.i.45 (139,9) square] That is, quarrel.

II.i.51 (139,1) Our lives upon] This play is not divided into acts by the authour or first editors, and therefore the present division may be altered at pleasure. I think the first act may be commodiously continued to this place, and the second act opened with the interview of the chief persons, and a change of the state of action. Yet it must be confessed, that it is of small importance, where these unconnected and desultory scenes are interrupted.

II.ii.7 (140,2) Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,/I would not shav't to-day] I believe he means, _I would meet him undressed_, _without shew of respect_.

II.ii.25 (141,3) Nor curstness grow to the matter] Let not _ill-humour_ be added to the real _subject_ of our difference.

II.ii.28 (141,4) _Caes_. Sit./_Ant_. Sit, sir!] [Antony appears to be jealous of a circumstance which seemed to indicate a consciousness of superiority in his too successful partner in power; and accordingly resents the invitation of Caesar to be seated: Caesar answers, _Nay then_--i.e. _if you are so ready to resent what I meant an act of civility, there can be no reason to suppose you have temper enough for the business on which at present we are met_. STEEVENS.] The following circumstance may serve to strengthen Mr. Steevens's opinion: When the fictitious Sebastian made his appearance in Europe, he came to a conference with the Conde de Lemos; to whom, after the firat exchange of civilities, he said, _Conde de Lemos, be covered_. And being asked by that nobleman, by what pretences he laid claim to the superiority expressed by such permission, he replied, I do it by right of my birth; I am Sebastian. (1773)

II.ii.43 (142,5) their contestation/Was theam for you, you were the word of war] [W: theam'd] I am neither satisfied with the reading nor the emendation; _theam'd_ is, I think, a word unauthorised, and very harsh. Perhaps we may read,

--_their contestation_

Had _theme_ from _you_, _you were the word o' th' war_. _The dispute derived its subject from you_. It may be corrected by mere transposition,

--_their contestation_

You were theme for, _you were the word_.

II.ii.51 (143,8) Having alike your cause?] The meaning seems to be, _having the same cause as you to be offended with me_. But why, because he was offended with Antony, should he make war upon Caesar? May it not be read thus,

--_Did he not rather Discredit my authority with yours, And make the wars alike against my stomach_, Hating _alike_ our _cause_?

II.ii.53 (143,9) As matter whole you have not to make it with] The original copy reads,

_As matter whole you_ have _to make it with_.

Without doubt erroneously; I therefore only observe it, that the reader may more readily admit the liberties which the editors of this authour's works have necessarily taken.

II.ii.61 (144,1) fronted] i.e. _opposed_.

II.ii.85 (145,4) The honour's sacred which he talks on now,/Supposing that I lack'd it] [_Sacred_, for unbroken, unviolated. WARB.] Dr. Warburton seems to understand this passage thus; _The honour which he_ talks _of me as_ lacking, _is_ unviolated, _I never lacked it_. This may perhaps be the true meaning, but before I read the note, I understood it thus: Lepidus interrupts Caesar, on the supposition that what he is about to say will be too harsh to be endured by Antony; to which Antony replies, _No, Lepidus, let him speak, the security of_ honour on which he now speaks, _on which this conference is held now_, is sacred, _even_ supposing that I lacked _honour_ before.

II.ii.112 (146,5) your considerate stone] This line is passed by all the editors, as if they understood it, and believed it universally, intelligible. I cannot find in it any very obvious, and hardly any possible meaning. I would therefore read,

_Go to then_, you _considerate_ ones.

You, who dislike my frankness and temerity of speech, and are so _considerate_ and discreet, _go to_, do your on business.

II.ii.113 (146,6) I do not much dislike the matter, but/The manner of his speech] I do not, says Caesar, think the man wrong, but too free of him interposition; _for't cannot be, we shall remain in friendship: yet if it were possible, I would endeavour it_.

II.ii.123 (147,7) your reproof/Were well deserv'd] In the old edition,

--_your_ proof _Were well deserv'd_--

Which Mr. Theobald, with his usual triumph, changes to _approof_, which he explains, _allowance_. Dr. Warburton inserted _reproof_ very properly into Hanmer's edition, but forgot it in his own.

II.ii.159 (148,8) Lest my remembrance suffer ill report] Lest I be thought too willing to forget benefits, I must barely return him thanks, and then I will defy him.

II.ii.210 (150,1) And what they undid, did] It might be read less harshly,

_And what they did_, undid.

II.ii.212 (150,2) tended her i' the eyes] Perhaps _tended her_ by th' _eyes_, discovered her will by her eyes.

II.iii.21 (153,6) thy angel/Becomes a Fear] Mr.Uptan reads,

_Becomes_ afear'd,--

The common reading is more poetical.

II.iii.37 (154,7) his quails ever/Beat mine] The ancients used to match quails as we match cocks.

II.iii.38 (154,8) inhoop'd, at odds] Thus the old copy. _Inhoop'd_ is _inclosed, confined_, that they may fight. The modern editions read,

_Beat mine_, in whoop'd-_at odds_.--

II.v.1 (155,9) musick, moody food] [The _mood_ is the _mind_, or _mental disposition_. Van Haaren's panegyrick on the English begins, _Groot-moedig Volk, great-minded nation_.] Perhaps here is a poor jest intended between _mood_ the _mind_ and _moods_ of musick.

II.v.41 (l57,4) Not like a formal man] [_Formal_, for ordinary. WARB.] Rather decent, regular.

II.v.103 (161,8) Thou art not what thou'rt sure of!] For this, which is not easily understood, Sir Thomas Hanmer has given,

_That_ say'st but _what thou'rt sure of!_

I am not satisfied with the change, which, though it affords sense, exhibits little spirit. I fancy the line consists only of abrupt starts.

_Oh that his fault should make a knave of thee_, That art--not what?--Thou'rt sure on't.--Get thee hence.

_That his fault should make a knave of thee that art_--but what _shall I say thou art not_? Thou art then sure of _this marriage._--Get thee hence.

Dr. Warburton has received Sir T. Hanmer's emendation.

II.v.115 (161,9) Let him for ever go] She is now talking in broken sentences, not of the messenger, but Antony.

II.vi.24 (163,2) Thou canst not fear us] Thou canst not affright us with thy numerous navy.

II.vi.28 (163,3) But since the cuckow builds not for himself] Since, like the cuckow, that seizes the nests of other birds, you have invaded a house which you could not build, keep it while you can.

II.vii.1 (167,6) some o' their plants] _Plants_, besides its common meaning, is here used for the _foot_, from the Latin.

II.vii.14 (167,9) a partizan] A pike.

II.vii.16 (167,1) To be call'd into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in't, are the holes where eyes should be, which pitifully disaster the cheeks] This speech seems to be mutilated; to supply the deficiencies is impossible, but perhaps the sense was originally approaching to this.

_To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in it_, is a very ignominious state; great offices _are the holes where eyes should be, which_, if eyes be wanting, _pitifully disaster the cheeks_.

II.vii.88 (170,2) thy pall'd fortunes] _Palled_, is vapid, past its time of excellence; _palled_ wine, is wine that has lost its original spriteliness.

II.vii.102 (171,3) Strike the vessels] Try whether the casks sound as empty.

II.vii.116 (171,4) The holding every man shall bear] Every man shall accompany the chorus by drumming on his sides, in token of concurrence and applause. [Theobald had emended "beat" to "bear"] (1773)

III.i.1 (173,6) Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck] _Struck_ alludes to darting. Thou whose darts have so often struck others, art struck now thyself. (1773)

III.ii.12 (175,8) Arabian bird!] The phoenix.

III.ii.16 (176,9)

Ho! hearts, tongues, figure, scribes, bards, poets, cannot Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number, ho!]

Not only the tautology of _bards_ and _poets_, but the want of a correspondent action for the _poet_, whose business in the next line is only to _number_, makes me suspect some fault in this passage, which I know not how to mend.

III.ii.26 (176,1) as my furthest bond] As I will venture the greatest pledge of security, on the trial of thy conduct.

III.ii.40 (177,1) The elements be kind to thee, and make/Thy spirits all of comfort!] This is obscure. It seems to mean, _May the different_ elements _of the body, or principles of life, maintain such proportion and harmony as may keep you cheerful_.

III.iv.26 (182,7) I'll raise the preparation of a war/Shall stain your brother] [T: strain] I do not see but _stain_ may be allowed to remain unaltered, meaning no more than _shame_ or _disgrace_.

III.iv.30 (182,8) Wars 'twixt you 'twain would be/As if the world should cleave] The sense is, that war between Caesar and Antony would engage the world between them, and that the slaughter would be great in so extensive a commotion.

III.v.8 (183,9) rivality] Equal rank.

III.v.11 (183,1) Upon his own appeal] To _appeal_, in Shakespeare, is to _accuse_; Caesar seized Lepidus without any other proof than Caesar's accusation.

III.v.21 (184,3) More, Domitius] I have something _more_ to tell you, which I might have told at first, and delayed my news. Antony requires your presence.

III.vi.9 (184,4) made her/Of Lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia./Absolute queen] For _Lydia_, Mr. Upton, from Plutarch, has restored _Lybia_.

III.vi.68-75 (187,6) Mr. Upton remarks, that there are some errours in this enumeration of the auxiliary kings; but it is probable that the authour did not much wish to be accurate.

III.vi.95 (188,7) And gives his potent regiment to a trull] _Regiment_, is _government, authority_; he puts his _power_ and his empire into the hands of a false woman.

It may be observed, that _trull_ was not, in our author's time, a term of mere infamy, but a word of slight contempt, as _wench_ is now.

III.vii.3 (188,8) forespoke my being] To _forespeak_, is to _contradict_, to _speak against_, as _forbid_ is to order negatively.

III.vii.68 (191,1)

By Hercules, I think, I am i' the right. Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows Not in the power on't]

That is, his whole conduct becomes, ungoverned by the right, or by reason.

III.vii.77 (191,2) distractions] Detachments; separate bodies.

III.x.6 (193,4) The greater cantle] [A piece or lump. POPE.] _Cantle_ is rather a _corner_. Caesar in this play mentions the _three-nook'd world_. Of this triangular world every triumvir had a corner. (see 1765, VII, 185, 6)

III.x.9 (193,5) token'd pestilence] Spotted.

III.x.10 (193,6) Yon' ribauld nag of Aegypt] The word is in the old edition _ribaudred_, which I do not understand, but mention it, in hopes others may raise some happy conjecture. [Tyrwhitt: hag] The brieze, or oestrum, the fly that stings cattle, proves that _nag_ is the right word. (1773)

III.x.11 (193,7) Whom leprosy o'ertake!] _Leprosy_, an epidemical distemper of the Aegyptians; to which Horace probably alludes in the controverted line.

_Contaminato cum grege turpium Morbo virorum._

III.x.36 (195,1) The wounded chance of Antony] I know not whether the author, who loves to draw his images from the sports of the field, might not have written,

_The wounded_ chase _of Antony_,--

The allusion is to a deer wounded and chased, whom all other deer avoid. _I will_, says Enobarbus, _follow Antony_, though _chased_ and _wounded_.

The common reading, however, may very well stand.

III.xi.3 (195,2) so lated in the world] Alluding to a benighted traveller.

III.xi.23 (196,3) I have lost command] I am not master of my own emotions.

III.xi.35 (196,4) He at Philippi kept/His sword e'en like a dancer] In the Moriaco, and perhaps anciently in the Pyrrhick dance, the dancers held swords in their hands with the points upward.

III.xi.39 (196,6) he alone/Dealt on lieutenantry] I know not whether the meaning is, that Caesar acted only as lieutenant at Philippi, or that he made his attempts only on lieutenants, and left the generals to Antony.

III.xi.47 (197,7) death will seize her; but/Your comfort] _But_ has here, as once before in this play, the force of _except_, or _unless_.

III.ii.52 (197,8) How I convey my shame] How, by looking another way, I withdraw my ignominy from your sight.

III.ii.57 (197,9) ty'd by the strings] That is by the _heart string_.

III.xii.18 (199,1) The circle of the Ptolemies] The diadem; the ensign of royalty.

III.xii.34 (199,2) how Antony becomes his flaw] That is, how Antony conforms himself to this breach of his fortune.

III.xiii.1 (200,3) Think, and die] [Hanmer: Drink] This reading, offered by sir T. Hanmer, is received by Dr. Warburton and Mr. Upton, but I have not advanced it into the page, not being convinced that it is necessary. _Think, and die_; that is, _Reflect on your folly, and leave the world_, is a natural answer.

III.xiii.9 (201,4) he being/The meered question] The _meered_ question is a term I do not understand. I know not what to offer, except,

_The_ mooted _question_.--

That is, the _disputed_ point, the subject of debate. _Mere_ is indeed a _boundary_, and the _meered question_, if it can mean any thing, may, with some violence of language, mean, the _disputed boundary_.

III.xiii.25 (202, 5)

I dare him therefore To lay his gay comparisons apart And answer me declin'd]

I require of Caesar not to depend on that superiority which the _comparison_ of our different fortunes may exhibit to him, but to answer me man to man, in this decline of my age or power.

III.xiii.42 (202,6) The loyalty, well held to fools, does make/Our faith meer folly] [T: Though loyalty, well held] I have preserved the old reading: Enobarbus is deliberating upon desertion, and finding it is more prudent to forsake a fool, and more reputable to be faithful to him, makes no positive conclusion. Sir T. Hanmer follows Theobald; Dr. Warburton retains the old reading.

III.xiii.77 (204,9) Tell him, from his all-obeying breath I hear/The doom of Aegypt] _Doom_ is declared rather by an _all-commanding_, than an _all-obeying breath_. I suppose we ought to read,

--_all_-obeyed breath.

III.xiii.81 (205,1) Give me grace] Grant me the favour.

III.xiii.109 (206,3) By one that looks on feeders?] One that waits at the table while others are eating.

III.xiii.128 (207,4) The horned herd] It is not without pity and indignation that the reader of this great poet meets so often with this low jest, which is too much a favourite to be left out of either mirth or fury.

III.xiii.151 (208,5) to quit me] To repay me this insult; to _requite_ me.

III.xiii.180 (209,9) Were nice and lucky] [_Nice_, for delicate, courtly, flowing in peace. WARBURTON.] _Nice_ rather seems to be, _just fit for my purpose, agreeable to my wish_. So we vulgarly say of any thing that is done better than was expected, it is _nice_.

IV.i.5 (210,1) I have many other ways to die] [Upton: He hath.../I laugh] I think this emendation deserves to be received. It had, before Mr. Upton's book appeared, been made by sir T. Hanmer.

IV.i.9 (211,2) Make boot of] Take advantage of.

IV.ii.8 (212,3) _take all_] Let the survivor take all. No composition, victory or death.

IV.ii.14 (212,4) one of those odd tricks] I know not what obscurity the editors find in this passage. _Trick_ is here used in the sense in which it is uttered every day by every mouth, elegant and vulgar: yet sir T. Hanmer changes it to _freaks_, and Dr. Warburton, in his rage of Gallicism, to _traits_.

IV.ii.26 (213,5) Haply, you shall not see me more; or if,/A mangled shadow] _Or if_ you see me more, you will see me _a mangled shadow_, only the external form of what I was.

IV.ii.35 (213,6) onion-ey'd] I have my eyes as full of tears as if they had been fretted by onions.

IV.iv.3 (215,8) Come, good fellow, put thine iron on] I think it should be rather,

--mine _iron_--

IV.iv.5 (215,9) Nay, I'll help too] These three little speeches, which in the other editions are only one, and given to Cleopatra, were happily disentangled by sir T. Hanmer.

IV.iv.10 (215,1) Briefly, sir] That is, _quickly_, sir.

IV.v.17 (218,3) Dispatch. Enobarbus!] Thus [_Dispatch, my Eros_] the modern editors. The old edition reads,

--_Dispatch Enobarbus_.

Perhaps, it should be,

--_Dispatch! To Enobarbus!_ (see 1765, VII, 208, 3)

IV.vi.12 (219,6) persuade] The old copy has _dissuade_, perhaps rightly.

IV.vi.34 (219,7) This blows my heart] All the latter editions have,

--_This_ bows _my heart_;

I have given the original word again the place from which I think it unjustly excluded. _This generosity_, (says Enobarbus) swells _my heart_, so that it will quickly break, _if thought break it not, a swifter mean_.

IV.vii.2 (220,8) and our oppression] Sir T. Hanmer has received _opposition_. Perhaps rightly.

IV.viii.1 (221,9) run one before,/And let the queen know of our guests] [W: gests] This passage needs neither correction nor explanation. Antony after his success intends to bring his officers to sup with Cleopatra, and orders notice to be given her of their _guests_.

IV.viii.12 (222,1) To this great fairy] Mr. Upton has well observed, that _fairy_; which Dr. Warburton and sir T. Hanmer explain by _Inchantress_, comprises the idea of power and beauty.

IV.viii.22 (222,2) get goal for goal of youth] At all plays of barriers, the boundary is called a _goal_; to _win a goal_, is to be superiour in a contest of activity.

IV.viii.31 (223,4) Bear our hack'd targets like the men that owe them] i.e. hack'd as much as the men are to whom they belong. WARB.] Why not rather, _Bear our hack'd targets_ with spirit and exaltation, such as becomes the brave warriors _that own them_?

IV.ix.15 (224,5)

Throw my heart Against the flint and hardness of my fault; Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder, And finish all foul thoughts]

The pathetick of Shakespeare too often ends in the ridiculous. It is painful to find the gloomy dignity of this noble scene destroyed by the intrusion of a conceit so far-fetched and unaffecting.