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Can. With news the time's with labour; and throes forth,'

Each minute, some.

SCENE VIII.

A Plain near Actium.

[Exeunt.

Enter CESAR, TAURUS, Officers, and Others.

Cas. Taurus,

Taur. My lord.

Cæs.

Strike not by land; keep whole:

Provoke not battle, till we have done at sea.

Do not exceed the prescript of this scroll:
Our fortune lies upon this jump.

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

[Exeunt.

Ant. Set we our squadrons on yon' side o'the hill, In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place We may the number of the ships behold, And so proceed accordingly.

[Exeunt.

Enter CANIDIUS, marching with his Land Army one Way over the Stage; and TAURUs, the Lieutenant of Cæsar, the other Way. After their going in, is heard the Noise of a Sea-Fight.

Alarum. Re-enter ENOBARBUS.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer:

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

7 and throes forth,] i. e. emits as in parturition.

8

this jump.] i. e. hazard.

The Antoniad, &c.] Which Plutarch says, was the name of

Cleopatra's ship.

With all their sixty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To see't, mine eyes are blasted.

Scar.

Enter SCARUS.

Gods, and goddesses,

What's thy passion?

All the whole synod of them!

Eno.

Scar. The greater cantle' of the world is lost With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno.

How appears the fight? Scar. On our side like the token'd' pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon' ribald-rid nag3 of Egypt, Whom leprosy o'ertake! i' the midst o'the fight,When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,

4

Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,
The brize upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails, and flies.

Eno.

Did sicken at the sight on't, and could not

Endure a further view.

Scar.

-

That I beheld: mine eyes

She once being loof'd,"

The noble ruin of her magick, Antony,

Claps on his sea-wing, and like a doting mallard,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:

I never saw an action of such shame ;

'The greater cantle-] A piece or lump, or rather a corner. Cæsar, in this play, mentions the three-nook'd world. Of this triangular world every triumvir had a corner.

2

token'd-] Spotted. The death of those visited by the plague was certain, when particular eruptions appeared on the skin; and these were called God's tokens.

› ——— Yon ribald-rid nag—] i. e. Yon strumpet, who is common to every wanton fellow.

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• The brize upon her,] The brize is the gad-fly.

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being loof'd,] To loof is to bring a ship close to the

wind.

Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

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Can. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight,
Most grossly, by his own.

Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night

Indeed.

[Aside.

Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled. Scur. 'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend What further comes.

Can.
My legions, and my horse; six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.

To Cæsar will I render

Eno.

I'll yet follow

[Exeunt.

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason Sits in the wind against me.

SCENE IX.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY and Attendants.

Ant. Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon't, It is asham'd to bear me!-Friends, come hither, I am so lated in the world, that I

Have lost my way for ever:-I have a ship

The wounded chance of Antony,] i. e. the broken fortunes of Antony.

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so lated in the world,] Alluding to a benighted traveller.

Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Cæsar.

Att.

Fly! not we.

Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed

cowards

To run, and show their shoulders.-Friends, be gone;

I have myself resolv'd upon a course,
Which has no need of you; be gone:
My treasure's in the harbour, take it.—O,
I follow'd that I blush to look upon:
My very hairs do mutiny; for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting.-Friends, be gone; you shall
Have letters from me to some friends, that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of loathness: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
Which leaves itself: to the sea side straightway:
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little: 'pray you now:-
Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command,
Therefore I pray you:-I'll see you by and by.
[Sits down.

Enter EROS, and CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and IRAS.

Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him:-Comfort him.

Iras. Do, most dear queen.

Char. Do! Why, what else?

Cleo. Let me sit down.

O Juno!

Ant. No, no, no, no, no.

Eros. See you here, sir?

I have lost command,] i. e. I entreat you to leave me,

because I have lost all power to command your absence.

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Ant. O fye, fye, fye.

Char. Madam,

Iras. Madam; O good empress!

Eros. Sir, sir,

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes;-He, at Philippi, kept His sword even like a dancer; while I struck The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I,

That the mad Brutus ended: he alone

Dealt on lieutenantry,' and no practice had

In the brave squares of war: Yet now-No matter. Cleo. Ah, stand by.

Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen.

Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him;

He is unqualitied2 with very shame.

Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me:-O!

Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches;

Her head's declin'd, and death will seize her; but3 Your comfort makes the rescue.

Ant. I have offended reputation;

A most unnoble swerving.

Eros.

Sir, the

queen.

Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See, How I convey my shame out of thine eyes By looking back on what I have left behind 'Stroy'd in dishonour.

9 He, at Philippi, kept

His sword even like a dancer;] i. e. Cæsar never offered to draw his sword, but kept it in the scabbard, like one who dances with a sword on, which was formerly the custom in England.

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Dealt on lieutenantry,] i. e. fought by proxy, made war by his lieutenants, or on the strength of his lieutenants.

2 He is unqualitied-] Perhaps, unqualitied, signifies unmanned in general, disarmed of his usual faculties.

3

death will seize her; but-] But has here, as once before in this play, the force of except, or unless.

How I convey my shame-] How, by looking another way, I withdraw my ignominy from your sight.

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