And then, when poison'd hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge; as nearly as I may,
I'll play the Penitent to you. But mine honesty
Shall not make poor my Greatnefs; nor my Power
Work without it.. Truth is, that Fulvia,
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;
For which myfelf, the ignorant motive, do
So far afk pardon, as befits mine Honour
To ftoop in fuch a cafe.

Lep. 'Tis nobly spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite, Were to remember, that the present Need Speaks to attone you.

Lep. Worthily fpoken, Mecenas.

Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the inftant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you fhall have time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do.'

Ant. (11) Thou art a Soldier only; fpeak no more. Eno. That truth fhould be filent, I had almost forgot. Ant. You wrong this Prefence, therefore speak no

more.

Eno. Go to then: your confiderate ftone. Caf. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his fpeech: for't cannot be, We fhall remain in friendship, our conditions So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew

What hoop would hold us ftaunch, from edge to edge O' th' world, I would purfue it.

Agr. Give me leave, Cæfar.

(11) Thou art a Soldier, only speak no more.] I think, the Tranfpofition of the Comma here is abfolutely neceffary, because the Remove will give a Senfe which the Context feems to require. The Argument betwixt Antony and Cæfar turns upon high Matters of State; and Enobarbus bufily interpofing with his blunt Reflections, Antony checks him, and would fay, "Don't you pretend to mix "your Counsel in thefe Affairs, that are only a Soldier, and Action all your Talent.

Caf.

Caf. Speak, Agrippa.

Agr. Thou haft a Sifter by the Mother's fide,
Admir'd Octavia! great Mark Antony
Is now a Widower.

Caf. Say not fo, Agrippa.

(12) If Cleopatra heard you, your Approof Were well deferv'd of rafhrefs.

Ant. I am not married, Cæfar, let me hear Agrippa further speak.

your

hearts

Agr. To hold you in perpetual Amity,
To make you brothers, and to knit
With an unflipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his Wife; whofe beauty claims
No worse a hufband than the best of men ;
Whose virtue, and whofe general graces speak
That which none elfe can utter. By this marriage,
All little jealoufies, which now feem great,

And all great fears, which now import their dangers,
Would then be nothing. Truths would be but tales,
Where now half tales be truths: her love to both,
Would each to other, and all loves to both
Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke,
For 'tis a ftudied, not a prefent thought,
By duty ruminated.

Ant. Will Cafar speak?

Caf. Not 'till he hears, how Antony is touch'd With what is fpoke already.

Ant. What power is in Agrippa

(If I would fay, Agrippa, be it so",) To make this good?

(13) If Cleopatra beard You, your proof were

Well deferved of Rafbnefs,] But was Agrippa's barely faying, that Antony was a Widower, any Proof that he was fo? Befides, will Well deferved of Rafhness run, as the initial Part of a Verfe, in Mr. Pope's Ear? If fo, Emphafis and Cadence are tuned peculiarly, to his Service. I make no Scruple to restore,

If Cleopatra beard You, your Approof

Were well deferv'd of Rafonefs.

I have in a former Note juftified our Author's Ufage of this Word Approof, i. e. Allowance, admitting.

Caf. The power of Cafar, and
His power unto Octavia.
Ant. May I never

To this good purpose, that so fairly fhews,
Dream of impediment! let me have thy hand;
Further this act of grace: and, from this hour,
The heart of brothers govern in our loves,
And fway our great defigns!

Caf. There is my hand :

A fifter I bequeath you, whom no brother
Did ever love fo dearly. Let her live

To join our kingdoms, and our hearts, and never
Fly off our loves again!

Lep. Happily, amen.

Ant. I did not think to draw my fword 'gainst Pompey, For he hath laid ftrange courtefies and great

Of late upon me.

I muft thank him only,

Left my remembrance fuffer ill report :

At heel of that, defy him.

Lep. Time calls upon's:

Of us muft Pompey prefently be fought,
Or elfe he feeks out us.

Ant. Where lies he?

Cef. About the mount Mifenum.
Ant. What is his ftrength by land?

Caf. Great, and increafing: but by fea

He is an abfolute mafter.

Ant. So is the fame.

1

'Would, we had spoke together! hafte we for it; Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we The bufinefs we have talk'd of.

Caf. With most gladness;

And do invite you to my fifter's view,
Whither ftraight I'll lead you.

Ant. Let us, Lepidus, not lack your company.
Lep. Noble Antony, not fickness fhould detain me.
[Flourish. Exeunt.

Manent

Manent Enobarbus, Agrippa, Mecanas.

Mec. Welcome from Ægypt, Sir.

Eno. Half the heart of Cajar, worthy Mecenas! my honourable friend, Agrippa!

Agr. Good Enobarbus!

Mec. We have caufe to be glad, that matters are fo well digefted you ftay'd well by't in Ægypt.

Eno. Ay, Sir, we did fleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking.

Mec. Eight wild boars roafted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve perfons there ;-Is this true?

Eno. This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monftrous matter of feaft, which worthily deserved noting,

Mec. She's a moft triumphant Lady, if report be square

to her.

Eno. When she first met Mark Antony, fhe purs'd up his heart upon the river of Cydnus.

Agr. There he appear'd, indeed; or my reporter devis'd well for her.

Eno. I will tell you;

The barge the fat in, like a burnish'd throne,
Burnt on the water; the poop was beaten gold,
Purple the fails, and fo perfumed, that

The winds were love-fick with 'em; th' oars were filver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept ftroke, and made
The water, which they beat, to follow fafter,
As amorous of their ftrokes. For her own perfon,
It beggar'd all defcription; fhe did lie
In her pavilion, cloth of gold, of tiffue,
O'er-picturing that Venus, where we fee

The fancy out-work nature. On each fide her,
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like fmiling Cupids,
With divers-colour'd fans, whofe wind did feem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid, did.

Agr. Oh, rare for Antony!

Eno. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereids, So many mermaids, tended her i'th' eyes.

And

And made their bends adornings. At the helm,
A feeming mermaid fteers; the filken tackles
Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands,
That yarely frame the office. From the barge
A ftrange invifible perfume hits the fenfe
Of the adjacent wharfs. The city caft
Her people out upon her; and Antony,
Enthron'd i'th' Market-place, did fit alone,
Whiftling to th' air; which, but for vacancy,
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,
And made a gap in nature,

Agr. Rare Egyptian!

Eno. Upon her landing, Antony fent to her,
Invited her to fupper: the reply'd,

It should be better, he became her gueft;
Which the intreated. Our courteous Antony,
Whom ne'er the word of No woman heard fpeak,
Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feaft;
And for his ordinary, pays his heart,

For what his eyes eat only.

Agr. Royal wench!

She made great Cæfar lay his fword to bed;
He plough'd her, and the cropt.

Eno. I faw, her once

Hop forty paces through the publick ftreet:

And having loft her breath, the fpoke, and panted,
That he did make defe&t, perfection,

And breathlefs power breathe forth.

Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Eno. Never, he will not.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale

Her infinite variety: other women cloy

The appetites they feed; but he makes hungry,
Where moft the fatisfies. For vileft things
Become themselves in her, that the holy Priests
Blefs her, when she is riggish.

Mec. (13) If beauty, wifdom, modefty, can settle

(13) If Beauty, Wifdem, Modefty, can settle

The Heart of Antony, Octavia is

The

A blefled Lottery to him.] Methinks, it is a very indifferent

Compli