Were nice3 and lucky, men did ransome lives
Of me for jests; but now, I'll set my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me.-Come,
Let's have one other gaudy night : call to me
All my sad captains, fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.

Cleo. It is my birth-day :

I had thought, to have held it poor; but, since my lord I's Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

Ant. We'll yet do well.

Cleo. Call all his noble captains to my lord.

Ant. Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night I'll force The wine peep through their scars.-Come on, my queen • There's sap. .in't yet. The next time I do fight,

I'll make death love me; for I will contend

Even with his pestilent scythe.

[Exeunt ANT. CLEO. and Attend.

Eno. Now he'll out-stare the lightning. To be furious,

Is, to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood,

The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still,

A diminution in our captain's brain

Restores his heart. When valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him.

[Exit.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-CESAR's Camp at Alexandria.

Enter CESAR,

reading a letter; AGRIPPA, MECENAS, and others.

Caes. He calls me boy; and chides, as he had power To beat me out of Egypt: my messenger

He hath whipp'd with rods; dares me to personal combat, Cæsar to Antony: Let the old ruffian know,

I have many other ways to die; mean time,

[3] Nice-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.

JOHNSON.

[1 This is still an epithet bestowed on feast days in the colleges of either univer sity. STEEVENS. Gawdy, or Grand Days in the Inns of court, are four in the year, Ascension day, Midsummer day, Allsaints day, and Candlemas day. REED

Laugh at his challenge."

Mec. Cæsar must think,"

When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted

Even to falling.

Give him no breath, but now

Make boot of his distraction : Never anger
Made good guard for itself.

Cæs. Let our best heads

Know, that to-morrow the last of many battles
We mean to fight :-Within our files there are
Of those that serv'd Mark Antony but late,
Enough to fetch him in. See it be done;
And feast the army: we have store to do't,
And they have earn'd the waste.

Poor Antony !

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter ANTONY, CLEOpatra, EnobarBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and others.

Ant. He will not fight with me, Domitius.

Eno. No.

Ant. Why should he not?

Eno. He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, He is twenty men to one.

Ant. To-morrow, soldier,

By sea and land I'll fight or I will live,

Or bathe my dying' honour in the blood

Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well?
Eno. I'll strike; and cry, Take all.

Ant. Well said; come on.-

Call forth my household servants; let's to-night,

[5] What a reply is this to Antony's challenge? 'tis acknowledged that he should die under the unequal combat; but if we read--

He hath many other ways to die: mean time,

I laugh at his challenge.

In this reading we have poignancy, and the very repartee of Cæsar. Let's hear Plutarch. After this, Antony sent a challenge to Cesar, to fight him hand to band, and received for answer, that he might find several other ways to end his life. UPTON. Most indisputably this is the sense of Plutarch, and given so in the modern translations; but Shakespeare was misled by the ambiguity of the old one. [6] Read:

FARMER.

Cæsar needs must think.
Take advantage of. JOHNSON.

RITSON.

Let the survivor take all No composition, victory or death.

JOHNSON.

Enter Servants.

Be bounteous at our meal.-Give me thy hand,

Thou hast been rightly honest ;-so hast thou ;And thou ;-and thou,-and thou:-you have serv'd me well,

And kings have been your fellows.

Cleo. What means this?

Eno. [Aside.] 'Tis one of those odd tricks, which sorrow shoots

Out of the mind.

Ant. And thou art honest too.

I wish, I could be made so many men ;
And all of you clapp'd up together in
An Antony; that I might do you service,
So good as you have done.

Serv. The gods forbid !

Ant. Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night: Scant not my cups; and make as much of me,

As when mine empire was your fellow too,

And suffer'd my command.

Cleo. What does he mean?

Eno. To make his followers weep.
Ant. Tend me to-night;

May be, it is the period of your duty;
Haply, you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow: perchance, to-morrow
You'll serve another master. I look on you,
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,

I turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death :
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield you for't!

Eno. What mean you, sir,

To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;
And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd :' for shame,

Transform us not to women.

Ant. Ho, ho, ho!?

[1] I have my eyes as full of tears as if they had been fretted by onions.

JOHNSON.

[2] That is, stop, or desist. So, in Chaucer, The Knightes Tale, v. 1706, edit.

1775:

"This duk his courser with his sporres smote,

And at a stert he was betwixt hem two,

And pulled out a swerd, and cried, ho!

No more, up paine of lesing of your hed."

And in Myrrour of good Manners, Ambition is compared to

"The sacke insatiable,

The sacke without bottome, which never can say ho."

H. WHITE.

Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus ! .

Grace grow where those drops fall! My hearty friends, You take me in too dolorous a sense :

I spake to you for comfort; did desire you

To burn this night with torches: Know, my hearts,
I hope well of to-morrow; and will lead you,
Where rather I'll expect victorious life,

Than death and honour. Let's to supper; come,
And drown consideration.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

The same. Before the Palace. Enter two Soldiers to their

guard.

1 Sold. Brother, good-night: to-morrow is the day. 2 Sold. It will determine one way: fare you well. Heard you of nothing strange about the streets ? 1 Sold. Nothing: What news?

2 Sold. Belike, 'tis but a rumour:

Good night to you.

1 Sold. Well, sir, good night.

Enter two other Soldiers.

2 Sold. Soldiers,

Have careful watch.

3 Sold. And you: Good night, good night.

[The first two place themselves at their posts.

4 Sold. Here we: [They take their posts.] and if to

morrow

Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope

Our landmen will stand up.

3 Sold. 'Tis a brave army,

And full of purpose.

[Music of hautboys under the stage.

4 Sold. Peace, what noise?

1 Sold. List, list!

2 Sold. Hark!

1 Sold. Music i'the air,

3 Sold. Under the earth. 4 Sold. It signs well,*

Does't not?

3 Sold. No.

1 Sold. Peace, I say.

What should this mean?

UPTON.

[3] That is, an honourable death,
That is, it is a good sign, it bodes well, &c.

STEEVENS

2 Sold. 'Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony lov'd, Now leaves him.

1 Sold. Walk; let's see if other watchmen Do hear what we do.

[They advance to another post.

2 Sold. How now, masters? Sold. How now ?

How now ? do you hear this?

1 Sold. Ay; is't not strange?

[Several speaking together.

3 Sold. Do you hear, masters? do you hear? 1 Sold. Follow the noise so far as we have quarter; Let's see how 'twill give off.

Sold. [several speaking.] Content: 'Tis strange.

[Exeunt.

The same.

SCENE IV.

Enter ANTONY and

A Room in the Palace.

CLEOPATRA; CHARMIAN, and others, attending.

Ant. Eros! mine armour, Eros !

Cleo. Sleep a little.

Ant. No, my chuck.-Eros, come; mine armour, Eros !
Enter EROS, with armour.

Come, my good fellow, put thinę iron on :----
If fortune be not ours to-day, it is
Because we brave her.-Come.

Cleo. Nay, I'll help too.

What's this for?

Ant. Ah, let be, let be! thou art

The armourer of my heart :-False, false; this, this.
Cleo. Sooth, la, I'll help : Thus it must be.

Ant. Well, well;

We shall thrive now.-See'st thou, my good fellow ?
Go, put on thy defences.

Eros. Briefly, sir.”

Cleo. Is not this buckled well?

Ant. Rarely, rarely:

He that unbuckles this, till we do please
To doff't for our repose shall hear a storm.-
Thou fumblest. Eros; and my queen's a squire
More tight at this, than thou: Despatch.-O love,
That thou couldst see my wars to-day, and knew'st