ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

J. and S. 1785.
Vol. VIII.

MALONE.
Vol. VII.

J. and S. 1793.
Vol. XII.

P. 134. 426.-411.

Cleo. I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony
Will be himself.

Ant.

But stirr'd by Cleopatra.-
Now, for the love of love, and her soft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh.

Mr. Malone is clearly right.

P. 136.-428.-414.

Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing
Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the sooth-
sayer that you praised so to the queen? O, that I
knew this husband, which, you say, must change his
horns with garlands.

I think, with Malone, that Theobald's reading charge is the true one. If, however, change be the right word, I think it here signifies to variegate.

P. 138.-430.-418.

Sooth. You have seen and prov'd a fairer former fortune
Than that which is to approach.

Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no names.

A fairer fortune is differently understood by the different speakers; the soothsayer uses it for a more prosperous one; Charmian takes it to mean a more reputable one.

P. 143.-434.-424.

Ant.

taunt my faults
With such full license, as both truth and malice
Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds,
When our quick winds lie still; and our ills told us,
Is as our earing.

pas

Of the true reading and meaning of this sage I still doubt; but I feel some inclination to adopt Warburton's reading of “minds” for "winds.'

P. 144.-436.—427.

Ant. What our contempts do often hurl from us,
We wish it ours again; the present pleasure,
By revolution lowering, does become
The opposite of itself.

I believe Mr. Steevens is right.

P. 145.-437.-429.

We cannot call her winds and waters,

Eno.
sighs and tears; they are greater storms and tempests
than almanacks can report.

I believe Mr. Malone's emendation is the true

one.

P. 146.-438.-431.

Ant.

I shall break

The cause of our expedience to the queen,
And get her love to part.

I suspect, with Mr. Malone, that for "love, we should read leave. If the present reading be the true one, it is rightly explained by Messrs. Steevens and Malone.

P. 149.-441.-436.

Cleo.

when you sued staying,

Then was the time for words: no going then ;-
Eternity was in our lips, and eyes;

Bliss in our brows 'bent; none our parts so poor,
But was a race of heaven.

I am very strongly inclined to believe that Mr. Malone's is the true explanation of these words.

P. 151.-442.-437.

Ant.

My more particular,

And that which most with you should safe my going,
Is Fulvia's death.

Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me freedom,
It does from childishness:-Can Fulvia dic?

I incline to think that Ritson is right.

P. 152.-443.-439.

Cleo. Cut my lace, Charmian, come ;

But let it be. I am quickly ill, and well:
So Antony loves.

I do not think Mr. Steevens is right. I am very strongly inclin'd to believe that the true meaning is that which Mr. Malone supposed before he had read Mr. Steevens's note.

P. 153.-444.-440.

Cleo. Courteous lord, one word.

Sir, you and I must part,-but that's not it:

Sir, you and I have lov'd, but there's not it;
That you know well: something it is I would,-
O, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten.

I think Mr. Steevens has explain'd this rightly.

P. 155.-445.—442.

Cas. You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know,

It is not Cæsar's natural vice to hate

One great competitor.

I think our great competitor is certainly right.

P. 155.-446.-443.

Lep.
I must not think, there are
Evils enough to darken all his goodness:
His faults, in him, seem as the spots of heaven,
More fiery by night's blackness.

I perfectly agree with Mr. Malone.

P. 157.-447-444.

Cæs.

say, this becomes him, (As his composure must be rare indeed, Whom these things cannot blemish,) I agree with Mr. Malone.

P. 157.-447.-445.

yet must Antony

No way excuse his soils, when we do bear
So great weight in his lightness.

I think Mr. Malone is right.

P. 164.-453.-454.

Alex.

So he nodded,
And soberly did mount a termagant steed,
Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke
Was beastly dumb'd by him.

If arm-gaunt be the true word, I think it means thin-shoulder'd; but this meaning does not appear to suit the passage; for Alexas seems to be describing a mettlesome courser.-Mr. M. Mason's emendation agrees with the sense, and may perhaps be right; but it is so bold a correction, that I confess I cannot help entertaining some doubt of it, though I wish to adopt it.

"We may reasonably suppose (says Mr. Davies, Dramatick Miscell. Vol. II. p. 342) "that the horse, which bore Marc Antony, was "remarkable for size and beauty. The Romans

were particularly attentive to the breed, as "well as management, of horses. Arm-gaunt "means fine-shaped, or, thin-shouldered. I must "suppose, says Bracken, that every one is sensible "that thin-shouldered horses move the best. Armgaunt, I think, is a word compounded of the "Latin words armus and gaunt; the latter is an "old word well known; and armus, a shoulder, "originally signified that part of a man's body,

66

"but the Latin writers afterwards more frequently applied it to the animal.”

Horace speaking of his mule says

Mantica cui lumbos onere ulceret, atque eques armos.
Lib. I. Sat. VI. 106.

I incline to think that arm-gaunt is the right word, and that it is rightly explained by Mr.

Davies.

Mene.

We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wise Powers
Deny us for our good; so find we profit
By losing of our prayers.

P. 167.-456.—457.

Evertere domos totas optantibus ipsis
Dii faciles.

P. 168.-456.-458.

Pom.
I know they are in Rome together,
Looking for Antony: but all charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!

Cœs.

Ant.

Cœs.

I think the true reading is wann'd, the contraction of the participle wanned.

Ant.

Cæs.
Then-

Juv. X. 7.

P. 172.-460.-463.

Welcome to Rome.

Thank you.
Sit.

Sit, sir!

Nay,

I think Malone is right--Mr. Davies is of the same opinion. Antony (he justly observes) is through the whole scene modest and temperate, rather the apologist than the vindicator of his past conduct. Dram. Miscell. Vol. II. p. 346.