Mec. This in the publick eye?

Caf. I' th' common fhew-place, where they exercise. His fons were there proclaim'd the Kings of Kings; Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he affign'd
Syria, Cilicia, and Phanicia: fhe

In the habiliments of the Goddess Ifis

That day appear'd, and oft before gave audience,

As 'tis reported, fo.

Mec. Let Rome be thus inform'd.

Agr. Who, queafy with his infolence already, Will their good thoughts call from him.

Caf. The people know it, and have now receiv'd His accufations.

Agr. Whom does he accufe?

Caf. Cafar; and that having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius fpoil'd, we had not rated him
His part o' th' Ifle. Then does he fay, he lent me
Some Shipping unreftor'd. Laftly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the Triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain
All his revenue.

Agr. Sir, this fhould be anfwer'd.

Caf. 'Tis done already, and his meffenger gone: I told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deserve his Change. For what I've conquer'd, I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia,

And other of his conquer'd Kingdoms, I

Demand the like.

Mec. He'll ne'er yield to that.

Caf. Nor muft he then be yielded to in this.

Enter Octavia, with Attendants.

Oda. Hail, Cafar, and my Lord! hail, moft dear

Cafar!

Caf. That ever I fhould call thee caft-away!
Oda. You have not call'd me fo, nor have

you cause. Caf. Why haft thou ftol'n upon us thus? you come not

Like Cafar's fifter; the wife of Antony
Should have an army for an usher, and
The neighs of horse to tell of her approach,
Long ere fhe did appear. The trees by th' way
Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not. Nay, the duft
Should have afcended to the roof of heav'n,
Rais'd by your populous troops; but you are come (21)
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The oftent of our love; which, left unfhewn,
Is often left unlov'd; we fhould have met you
By fea and land, fupplying every stage
With an augmented greeting.

Octa. Good my Lord,

To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it
On my free will. My Lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My grieving ear withal; whereon I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Caf. Which foon he granted, (22)

(21)

--------but you are come

201

A Market-maid to Rome; and have prevented
The Oftentation of our Love, which left unshewn,]

Being

This dragging, inharmonious Alexandrine, I am perfuaded, is the Manufacture of our Player-Editors. They loved a founding Word; and feeing one that did not fo fully anfwer that End, and one that they, perhaps, were not immediately acquainted with, they, doubtlefs, took it for an Abbreviation. I dare fay, the Poct wrote;

The Oftent of our Love, which, left unfhewn,

i. e. the Shewing, Token, Demonftration, of our Love: and he ufes it both in these Acceptations, and likewife to fignify Oftentation. The Alexandrine therefore is wholly unneceffary.

(22)

Which form he granted,

Being an Abftract 'tween his Luft and him.]

Antony very foon complied to let Oktavia go, at her Requeft, fays Cæfar; and why? Because he was an abstract between his inordinate Paffion and him. If Mr. Pope, or any other of the Editors understand this, I'll willingly fubmit to be taught the Meaning: but till then, I muft Lelieve, the Poet wrote;

Bein;

Being an Obftruct 'tween his luft and him.
Qata. Do not fay fo, my Lord.

Caf. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind:

Where is he now?

Octa. My Lord, in Athens.

Caf. No, my moft wronged fifter; Cleopatra

Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore, who now are levying

The Kings o' th' earth for war.

He hath affembled

Bocchus the King of Libya, Archelaus
Of Cappadocia, Philadelphos King

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian King Adullas,
King Malchus of Arabia, King of Pont,
Herod of Jewry, Mithridates King
Of Comagene, Polemon and Amintas,
The King of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a more larger lift of scepters.
Octa. Ay me, moft wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,"
That do afflict each other!

Caf. Welcome hither;

Your letters did with-hold our breaking forth,
'Till we perceiv'd, both how you were wrong led,
And we in negligent danger; cheer your heart.
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content thefe ftrong neceffities;
But let determin'd things to Destiny

Hold unbewail'd their way.

Nothing more dear to me.

Welcome to Rome;
You are abus'd

Beyond the mark of thought; and the high Gods, (23)

Being an Obftruct 'trveen his Luft and him.

i. e. His Wife being an Obftruction, a Bar, to the Profecution of his wanton Pleafures with Cleopatra. And I am the rather convinc'd that this is the true Reading, becaufe Mr. Warburton ftarted the Emendation too, unknowing that I had meddled with the Paffage.

(23)
and the high Gods,
To do you juftice, make his Minifiers
Of Us, and thofe that love you,]

Why

To do you justice, make their minifters

Of us, and thofe that love you. Be of comfort,
And ever welcome to us.

Agr. Welcome, lady.

Mec. Welcome, dear Madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you ;
Only th' adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off,

And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
That nofes it against us.

Octa. Is it fo, Sir?

Caf. It is most certain: fifter, welcome; pray you, Be ever known to patience. My dear'ft fifter! [Exeunt.

SCENE, near the Promontory of Actium.

Cleo.

I

Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus.

Will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Eno. But why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou haft forefpoke my being in thefe wars; And fay'ft, it is not fit.

Eno. Well; is it, is it?

Cleo. Is't not denounc'd against us? why should not we be there in person?

Eno. Well, I could reply; if we should ferve with horfe and mares together, the horse were merely loft; the mares would bear a foldier and his horfe.

Cleo. What is't you say?

Eno. Your prefence needs muft puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time, What should not then be fpar'd. He is already Traduc'd for levity, and 'tis faid in Rome,

Why muft Shakespeare be guilty of fuch an obvious falfe Concord? the high Gods make his Minifters? He has not writ thus in a parallel Paffage; and therefore the Abfurdity ought to be laid to the Editors.

Macbeth

Is ripe for fhaking, and the Pow'rs above
Put on their Infiruments.

Macbeth.
That

That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids,
Manage this war.

Cleo. Sink Rome, and their tongues rot

That fpeak againft us! A charge we bear i' th' war;
And, as the prefident of my Kingdom, will I
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it,
I will not ftay behind.

Enter Antony and Canidius.

Eno. Nay, I have done here comes the Emperor. Ant. Is it not ftrange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum, and Brundufium,

He could fo quickly cut th' Ionian fea,

And take in Toryne? You have heard on't, Sweet?
Cleo. Celerity is never more admir'd

Than by the negligent.

Ant. A good rebuke,

Which might have well become the best of men

To taunt at flackness.

Canidius, we

Will fight with him by fea.

Cleo. By fea, what else?

Can, Why will my Lord do fo?

Ant. For that he dares us to❜t.

Eno. So hath my Lord dar'd him to fingle fight.
Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharfalia,
Where Cafar fought with Pompey. But thefe offers,
Which ferve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And fo fhould you.

Eno. Your fhips are not well mann'd,
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people.
Ingroft by fwift imprefs. In Cafar's feet
Are thofe that often have 'gainft Pompey fought;
Their fhips are yare, yours heavy no difgrace
Shall fall you for refufing him at sea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By fea, by sea.

Eno. Moft worthy Sir, you therein throw away
The abfolute foldierfhip you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth moft confift
Of war-mark'd footmen: leave unexecuted

Your