Dol.

Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster :s

An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,
Which had superfluous kings for messengers,
Not many moons gone by.

Cæs.

Enter EUPHRONIUS.

Approach, and speak.

Eup. Such as I am, I come from Antony:
I was of late as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf
To his grand sea.'

Cæs.

Be it so; Declare thine office.
Eup. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted,
He lessens his requests; and to thee sues

To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens: This for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;
Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.

8

Cæs.
For Antony,
I have no ears to his request. The queen
Of audience, nor desire, shall fail; so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,
Or take his life there: This if she perform,

his schoolmaster :] The name of this person was Euphronius. He was schoolmaster to Antony's children by Cleopatra. as petty to his ends,

7

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand sea.] His grand sea may mean his full tide of prosperity; or it may mean the sea from which the dew-drop is exhaled. Shakspeare might have considered the sea as the source of dews as well as rain. His is used instead of its.

8 circle of the Ptolemies-] The diadem; the ensign of royalty.

-friend,] i. e. paramour.

She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
Eup. Fortune pursue thee!

Cas.

Bring him through the bands. [Exit EUPHRONIUS. To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time: Despatch; From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,

[To THYREUS And in our name, what she requires; add more, From thine invention, offers: women are not, In their best fortunes, strong; but want will perjure The ne'er-touch'd vestal: Try thy cunning, Thyreus; Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we Will answer as a law.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I go.

Cas. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw;'
And what thou think'st his very action speaks
In every power that moves.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exeunt.

SCENE XI.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and

IRAS.

Cleo. What shall we do, Enobarbus ?

Eno. Think, and die. Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this? Eno. Antony only, that would make his will Lord of his reason. What although you fled From that great face of war, whose several ranges Frighted each other? why should he follow? The itch of his affection should not then

I

how Antony becomes his flaw;] That is, how Antony conforms himself to this breach of his fortune.

3

Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point,
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being
The mered question: "Twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.

Cleo.

Pr'ythee, peace.

Enter ANTONY, with EUPHRONIUS.

Ant. Is this his answer?

Eup.

Ant.

Ay, my lord.

The queen

Shall then have courtesy, so she will yield

Us up.

Eup. He says so.

Ant.

Let her know it.—

To the boy Cæsar send this grizled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim

With principalities.

Cleo.

That head, my lord?

Ant. To him again; Tell him, he wears the rose Of youth upon him; from which, the world should

note

Something particular: his coin, ships, legions, May be a coward's; whose ministers would prevail Under the service of a child, as soon

As i' the command of Cæsar: I dare him therefore
To lay his gay comparisons apart,

And answer me declin'd, sword against sword,
Ourselves alone: I'll write it; follow me.

[Exeunt ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS.

• Have nick'd his captainship;] i. e. set the mark of folly on it. 3 he being

The mered question:] Mered is, I suspect, a word of our author's formation, from mere: he being the sole, the entire subject or occasion of the war. MALONE.

his gay comparisons apart,

And answer me declin'd,] I require of Cæsar not to depend on

Eno. Yes, like enough, high-battled Cæsar will Unstate his happiness, and be stag'd to the show, Against a sworder.-I see, men's judgments are A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward Do draw the inward quality after them,

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To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæsar will
Answer his emptiness!-Cæsar, thou hast subdu'd
His judgment too.

Att.

Cleo. What,

Enter an Attendant.

A messenger from Cæsar. no more ceremony?-See, my

women!

Against the blown rose may they stop their nose,
That kneel'd unto the buds.-Admit him, sir.
Eno. Mine honesty, and I, begin to square."
[Aside.

The loyalty, well held to fools, does make
Our faith mere folly :-Yet, he, that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fallen lord,

Does conquer

him that did his master conquer,

And earns a place i' the story.

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. JOHNSON.

sbe stag'd to the show,] that is, exhibited, like conflicting gladiators, to the publick gaze.

are

A parcel of their fortunes;] i. e. as we should say at present, are of a piece with them.

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to square.] i. e. to quarrel,

Thyr. So, haply, are they friends to Antony. Eno. He needs as many, sir, as Cæsar has; Or needs not us. If Cæsar please, our master Will leap to be his friend: For us, you know, Whose he is, we are; and that's, Cæsar's.

Thyr. So.Thus then, thou most renown'd; Cæsar entreats, Not to consider in what case thou stand'st, Further than he is Cæsar.

Cleo.

Go on: Right royal.

Thyr. He knows, that you embrace not Antony As you did love, but as you fear'd him.

Cleo.

O!

Thyr. The scars upon your honour, therefore, he Does pity, as constrained blemishes,

Not as deserv'd.

Cleo.

He is a god, and knows

What is most right: Mine honour was not yielded, But conquer'd merely.

Eno.

To be sure of that, [Aside.

[Exit ENOBARBUS.

I will ask Antony.-Sir, sir, thou'rt so leaky,
That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
Thy dearest quit thee.

Thyr.

Shall I say to Cæsar

What you require of him? for he partly begs
To be desir'd to give. It much would please him,
That of his fortunes you should make a staff
To lean upon: but it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,

And put yourself under his shrowd,

The universal landlord.

Cleo.

What's your name?

Thyr. My name is Thyreus.
Cleo.

Most kind messenger,

Say to great Cæsar this, In disputation

I kiss his conqu'ring hand: tell him, I am prompt To lay my crown at his feet, and there to kneel!

4.