"Most grossly, by his own." I am firmly of opinion, that the frequent hemistics we meet with are the effects of mutilation and corruption, and were never made by the poet. Canidius, I suppose, added, here, something like this: And let him bide it." Enobarbus's speech perhaps ran thus: "The wounded chance of Antony, although 'SCENE IX. 171. "Do! Why, what else?" These words appear to have no meaning, and, as they interrupt the measure, I think they should be removed. There is no reason for supposing that the poet intentionally neglected the metre, which, I suppose, proceeded thus: Ant. 66 Eros. " No, no, no." See you here, sir?" Ant. "O fy! fy!" Char. "Madam". Iras. Eros. " 172. Nay, madam; O good Empress." He alone "Dealt on lieutenantry." Mr. Steevens, I think, has rightly explained lieutenantry; but the adverb here, as in some other instances that have been noted, is in the wrong place, and perverts the sense, which is not, that Octavius was the only commander that relied on his lieutenants, but that he did not act for himself, but trusted entirely to those under him; i. e. he dealt on lieutenantry alone. 173. "Ah! stand by." Ah me! would furnish the metre. 174. "Go to him, madam, speak to him.” Some words are wanting; perhaps,-beseech you. After Iras's speech, I suppose the measure ran thus: Cleo. "Well then, sustain me:-0!" Eros. " Most noble Sir, "Arise, the queen approaches, see, her head's "Declin'd, and death will quickly seize her; but "Your comfort, only, now can make the rescue." SCENE X. The queen Of audience, nor desire, shall fail." This is foul grammar: 99 nor, as it stands, must merely be a conjunction, and so the words exhibit the reverse of what was meant, the queen, of audience, &c. shall fail. This, however, is an inaccuracy of expression that, very probably, the poet himself is answerable for. Concord requires a different order of words: we might read, with a slight change: The queen, "Nor audience, nor desire shall lack, so she," &c. "Desire," as on other occasions, stands for the ⚫bject of desire. F 4 Think" is, certainly, take thought-become desperately melancholy. In the fourth Act, Enobarbus says, This blows my heart, "If swift thought break it not, a swifter mean "Shall outstrike thought; but thought will do't, I feel." See Note, Act 4, Scene 6, page 76; and also Julius Cæsar, Act 2, Scene 1, page 13 of this volume. 181. 66 Why should he follow?" We might restore the measure by reading, instead of "why," wherefore. 182. "From which, the world shall note." The metre requires that, instead of "from which," we should read whence. "That kneel'd unto the buds." How is this figure to be applied? Before the bud is disclosed we stoop to inhale the coy and scanty fragrance, which, when the flower is blown, intrudes upon and oppresses the sense. This is clear enough, as far as relates to the rose; but how does it apply to the omission of accustomed ceremony towards the queen? She appears here to be both the blown rose and the bud; but, though her vassal formerly kneeled to snuff the effluent sweets of her imperial state, where is now the full-fraught overpowering gale of aromatic greatness, against which he is to stop his nose? Or, may we interpret the passage thus; that Cæsar is the blown rose, and Cleopatra's highest prosperity, compared with his grandeur, no more than the infancy or bud of greatness? If so, the queen's reflections upon the rudeness of the messenger may be-What! no more ceremony! observe but this !-yet I ought not to wonder; could it be expected that they who so obsequiously bowed and cringed before my petty dignity, would turn their backs to the superlative magnificence of Cæsar? and not rather present all their devotion there? If this be the sense, a note of question, or at least of admiration, is wanting: 'Against the blown rose, may they stop their nose "That kneeled unto the buds ?" 184. See, my women!- I believe this to mean-They formerly paid more respect to the infant grandeur of me and my brother Ptolemy, and my then immature beauty, than they now pay to me in the height of my perfections. C. LOFFT. 190. Authority melts from me: of late, when I think that, to preserve the metre, we might omit the words, "of late," and form the line in this manner: Authority melts from me; cried I but, ho!" This seeming breach of grammar would be repaired by due punctuation: "With the hand of-She here. (It is she here whom I mean,) "What's her name?" &c. 192. "You have been a boggler ever." Perhaps, "Indeed we know you've been a boggler ever." 199. Since my lord "Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra." This should be "Is Antony again, I'm Cleopatra." -To be furious, "Is, to be frighted out of fear.". Fear, pressed to extremity, turns to fury. Never anger "Made good guard,” &c. This is uncouth phraseology, and might readily have been corrected: |