That she did make defect, perfection, MEC. Now Antony must leave her utterly. Age 'cannot wither her, nor custom stale Cloy th' appetites they feed; but she makes hungry, 7 Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety:] Such is the praise bestowed by Shakspeare on his heroine; a praise that well deserves the consideration of our female readers. Cleopatra, as appears from the tetradrachms of Antony, was no Venus; and indeed the majority of ladies who most successfully enslaved the hearts of princes, are known to have been less remarkable for personal than mental attractions. The reign of insipid beauty is seldom lasting; but permanent must be the rule of a woman who can diversify the sameness of life by an inexhausted variety of accomplishments. To stale is a verb employed by Heywood, in The Iron Age, 1632: 8 “One that hath stal'd his courtly tricks at home." STEEVENS. Other women Cloy th' appetites they feed; but she makes hungry, Where most she satisfies.] Almost the same thought, clothed nearly in the same expressions, is found in the old play of Pericles: "Who starves the ears she feeds, and makes them hungry, "The more she gives them speech." Again, in our author's Venus and Adonis: "And yet not cloy thy lips with loath'd satiety, "But rather famish them amid their plenty." Malone. For vilest things Become themselves in her;] So, in our author's 150th Sonnet : "Whence hast thou this becoming of things ill?" MALONE. Bless her, when she is riggish.2 MEC. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle The heart of Antony, Octavia is A blessed lottery to him.3 1the holy priests &c.] In this, and the foregoing description of Cleopatra's passage down the Cydnus, Dryden seems to have emulated Shakspeare, and not without success: 66 she's dangerous: "Her eyes have power beyond Thessalian charms, "To draw the moon from heaven. For eloquence, 66 Age buds at sight of her, and swells to youth: "The holy priests gaze on her when she smiles; "They 'bless her wanton eyes. Even I who hate her, "And while I curse desire it." Be it remembered, however, that, in both instances, without a spark from Shakspeare, the blaze of Dryden might not have been enkindled. 2 REED. when she is riggish.] Rigg is an ancient word meaning a strumpet. So, in Whetstone's Castle of Delight, 1576: "Then loath they will both lust and wanton love, "Or else be sure such ryggs my care shall prove." Again: "Immodest rigg, I Ovid's counsel usde." Again, in Churchyard's Dolorous Gentlewoman, 1593: "About the streets was gadding, gentle rigge, "With clothes tuckt up to set bad ware to sale, "For youth good stuffe, and for olde age a stale." STEEVENS. Again, in J. Davies's Scourge of Folly, printed about the year 1611: 3 "When wanton rig, or lecher dissolute, "Do stand at Paules Cross in a-suite." MALONE. Octavia is A blessed lottery to him.] Dr. Warburton says, the poet wrote allottery, but there is no reason for this assertion. The ghost of Andrea, in The Spanish Tragedy, says: "Minos in graven leaves of lottery "Drew forth the manner of my life and death." FARMER. AGR. Let us go. Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest, Enter CESAR, ANTONY, OCTAVIA between them; Attendants and a Soothsayer. ANT. The world, and my great office, will sometimes Divide me from your bosom. Оста. All which time Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers* To them for you. ANT. Good night, sir.-My Octavia, Read not my blemishes in the world's report: I have not kept my square; but that to come So, in Stanyhurst's translation of Virgil, 1582: "By this hap escaping the filth of lottarye carnal." Again, in The Honest Man's Fortune, by Beaumont and Fletcher: "Fortune's false lottery." STEEVENS. Lottery for allotment. HENLEY. shall bow my prayers-] The same construction is found in Coriolanus, Act I. sc. i: "Shouting their emulation.' Again, in King Lear, Act II. sc. ii: "Smile you my speeches?" Modern editors have licentiously read: bow in prayers. STEEVENS. Shall all be done by the rule. Good night, dear lady. OCTA. Good night, sir.5 CES. Good night. [Exeunt CESAR and OCTAVIA. ANT. Now, sirrah! you do wish yourself in Egypt? SOOTH. 'Would I had never come from thence, nor you Thither! ANT. If you can, your reason? SOOTH. I see't in My motion, have it not in my tongue :" But yet Ant. -Good night, dear lady. Octa. Good night, sir.] These last words, which in the only authentick copy of this play are given to Antony, the modern editors have assigned to Octavia. I see no need of change. He addresses himself to Cæsar, who immediately replies, Good night. MALONE. I have followed the second folio, which puts these words (with sufficient propriety) into the mouth of Octavia. STEEVENS. Antony has already said "Good night, sir," to Cæsar, in the three first words of his speech. The repetition would be absurd. The editor of the second folio appears, from this and numberless other instances, to have had a copy of the first folio corrected by the players, or some other well-informed person. 6 • 'Would I had never come from thence, nor you RITSON. Thither!] Both the sense and grammar require that we should read hither, instead of thither. To come hither is English, but to come thither is not. The Soothsayer advises Antony to hie back to Egypt, and for the same reason wishes he had never come to Rome; because when they were together, Cæsar's genius had the ascendant over his. M. MASON. 7 I see't in My motion, have it not in my tongue :] i. e. the divinitory agitation. Warburton. Hie you again to Egypt.8 ANT. Say to me, Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's, or mine? SOOTH. Cæsar's. Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side: Where Cæsar's is not; but, near him, thy angel Mr. Theobald reads, with some probability, I see it in my notion. MALONE. 8 Hie you again to Egypt.] Old copy, unmetrically: Hie you to Egypt again. STEEVENS. • Becomes a Fear,] Mr. Upton reads: Becomes afear'd, The common reading is more poetical. JOHNSON. A Fear was a personage in some of the old moralities. Beaumont and Fletcher allude to it in The Maid's Tragedy, where Aspasia is instructing her servants how to describe her situation in needle-work: 66 and then a Fear: "Do that Fear bravely, wench.". Spenser had likewise personified Fear, in the 12th canto of the third Book of his Fairy Queen. In the sacred writings Fear is also a person: "I will put a Fear in the land of Egypt." Exodus. The whole thought is borrowed from Sir T. North's translation of Plutarch: "With Antonius there was a soothsayer or astronomer of Ægypt, that coulde cast a figure, and iudge of men's natiuities, to tell them what should happen to them. He, either to please Cleopatra, or else for that he founde it so by his art, told Antonius plainly, that his fortune (which of it selfe was excellent good, and very great) was altogether blemished, and obscured by Cæsars fortune: and therefore he counselled him vtterly to leaue his company, and to get him as farre from him as he could. For thy Demon said he, (that is to say, the good angell and spirit that keepeth thee) is affraied of his and : |