(Which towards you are most gentle) you shall find | Cleo. And may, through all the world: 'tis yours; and we Your 'fcutcheons, and your figns of conqueft, fhall Hang in what place you pleafe. Here, my good lord. Caf. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra. Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, I am poffefs'd of: 'tis exactly valued ; Not petty things admitted.-Where's Seleucus ? lord, Sel. Enough to purchafe what you have made Caf. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra ; I approve Your wifdom in the deed. Cleo. See, Cæfar! O, behold, How pomp is follow'd! mine will now be yours; And, fhould we shift eftates, yours will be mine. The ingratitude of this Seleucus does Even make me wild :-O flave, of no more trust Than love that's hir'd!-What, goest thou back? thou shalt Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, Caf. Good queen, let us intreat you. Cleo. O Cæfar, what a wounding fhame is this; To one fo meek, that mine own fervant should [me Addition of his envy! Say, good Cæfar, [Exit Seleucus. Cleo. Be it known, that we, the greatest, ars mif-thought For things that others do; and, when we fall, Caf. Cleopatra, Not what you have referv'd, nor what acknowledg'd, For we intend fo to difpofe you, as [Exeunt Cæfar, and bis train. Cleo. He words me, girls, he words me, that I fhould not Be noble to myself: But hark thee, Charmian, Cleo. Hie thee again : I have spoke already, and it is provided ; Go put it to the haste. Char. Madam, I will. [Exit Charmian. [mand, Re-enter Dolabella. Dol. Where is the queen? Char. Behold, fir. Cleo. Dolabella? Dol. Madam, as thereto fworn by your comWhich my love makes religion to obey, I tell you this: Cæfar through Syria Intends his journey; and, within three days, You with your children will he send before: Make your best use of this: I have perform'd Your pleasure, and my promise. Cleo. Dolabella, I fhall remain your debtor. Dol. I your fervant. Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cæfar. [Exit. Cleo. Farewel, and thanks. Now, Iras, what think'st thou? Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shewn Cleo. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: Saucy lictors Will catch at us, like ftrumpets; and fcald 5 rbi mers 1 i. c. close up my lips as effectually as the eyes of a hawk are closed. 2 i. c. base in an uncom mon degree. 3 Or fortune. The meaning is, Begone, or I fhall exert that royal fpirit which I had in my profperity, in fpight of the imbecility of my prefent weak condition. 4 Merits is in this place taken in an ill fenie, for actions meriting cenfure. 5 Scald was a word of contempt, implying poverty, difease, and filth. Ballad Ballad us out o' tune: the quick comedians Shall be brought drunken forth, and I fhall fee I Some fqueaking Cleopatra boy my greatness I' the potture of a whore. Iras. O the good gods! Cleo. Nay, that's certain. but in the keeping of wife people; for, indeed, there is no goodnefs in the worm, Cleo. Take thou no care; it fhall be heeded. Clown. Very good give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. Cleo. Will it eat me? Clown. You muft not think I am so fimple, but I know, the devil himself will not eat a woman : Iras. I'll never fee it; for, I am fure, my nails I know, that a woman is a difh for the gods, if the Are ftronger than mine eyes. Gles. Why, that's the way To fool their preparation, and to conquer Shew me, my women, like a queen ;-Go fetch To play 'till dooms-day.-Bring our crown and all. Enter one of the Guard. Guard. Here is a rural fellow, devil drefs her not. But, truly, thefe fame whore- Cleo. Well, get thee gone; farewel. worm. [Exit. That will not be deny'd your highness prefence; Now to that name my courage prove my title! He brings you figs. I am fire, and air; my other elements I give to bafer life -So,-have you done? [Iras dies. Char. Diflolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may fay, The gods thenfelves do weep! Clo. This proves me base : If the first meet the curled Antony, [To the afp. Cleo. Remember'it thou any that have dy'd on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. 1 heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: With thy fharp teeth this knot intrinficate a very honeft woman, but fomething given to lye :) as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty: how the dy'd of the biting of it, what pain the felt,-Truly, the makes a very good report o' the worm: But he that will believe all that they fay, fhall never be faved by half that they do: But this is moft fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewel. Clown. I with you all joy of the worm. Cleo. Farewel. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind +. Cleo. Ay, ay; farew el. Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool, Char. O eastern star! Cleo. Peace, peace! Doit thou not fee my baby at my breast, Char. O, break! O, break! Cleo. As fweet as baim, as foft as air, as gentle,O Antony Nay, I will take thee too :-[Applying another afp to Ler arm. [Dies. Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trufted, What should I Ray I We have before obferved, that the parts of women were afted on the flage by boys in our author's time. 2 i. e. incomitant. 3 Worm is the Touto ick word for ferpent; end in the Northern counties, the word worm is till given to the ferpent fpecies in general. 4 i. e. will act according to his nature. 5 i. e. make hafte, be nimble, be ready. 1. e. an afs with out more policy than to Icave the means of death within my reach, and thereby deprive his triumph of its noblet decoration. Gbar. In this wild world ?—So, fare thee well.) Of eyes again fo royal! Your crown's awry; Enter the Guard, rushing in. 1 Guard. Where is the queen? [Charmian applies the afp. O, come; apace, difpatch:-I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Cæfar's beguil'd. [call him. 2 Guard. There's Dolabella fent from Cæfar ;-There is a vent of blood, and something blown 2; 1 Guard. What work is here?-Charmian, is The like is on her arm. this well done? Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess Defcended of fo many royal kings. Ah, foldier! Enter Dolabella. Dol. How goes it here? 2 Guard. All dead. Dol. Cæfar, thy thoughts 1 Guard. This is an afpick's trail; and theis fig leaves Have flime upon them, fuch as the afpick leaves [Charmian dies. Upon the caves of Nile. Caf. Moft probable, That fo fhe dy'd; for her phyfician tells me, And then to Rome.-Come, Dolabella, see 1 Mr. Steevens conjectures, that our author may have written vild (i. e. vile according to ancient fpelling) for worthless. ? i. e. fwoln. TIMON SERVILIUS, Thieves, Senators, Poet, Painter, Jeweller, and Merchant; with Servants and Attendants, Mer. A moft incomparable man; breathi'd1, as few. I have a jewel here. ffir? Mer. O, pray, let's fee't: For the lord Timon, 3 i. e. come up to the price. Pact. A thing flipt idly from me. Our poefy is as a gum, which oozes From whence 'tis nourished; The fire i' the flint Paia. A picture, fir. forth? What have you there? When comes your book Poct. Upon the heels of my prefentment, fir. Let's fee your piece. Pain. 'Tis a good piece. Poet. So'tis: this comes offs well and excellent. Poct. Admirable: How this grace Speaks his own ftanding? what a mental power 1 Breathed is inured by conflant practice; lo trained as not to be wearied. To breathe a 2 i. e. he exceeds, goes beyond common bounds. horfe is to exercife him for the course. 4 We must here fuppofe the poet bufy in reading his own work; and that these three lines are the introduction of the poem addreffed to Timon, which he afteraccording to Dr. Johnfon, The figure rifes well wards gives the painter an account of. That is, How the graceful attitude of this figure proclaims from the canvas. C'eft bien relevé. that it stands firm on its centre, or gives evidence in favour of its own fixture. 5 i. e. Fff2 This This eye shoots forth? how big imagination Poet. Nay, fir, but hear me on: Moves in this lip? to the dumbnefs of the gesture] All thofe which were his fellows but of late, One might interpret. Pain. It is a pretty mocking of the life. Here is a touch; Is't good? Poct. I'll fay of it, It tutors nature: artificial ftrife! Lives in thefe touches, livelier than life. Pain. How this lord is follow'd! [of vifitors. Paix. How thall I understand you? S You fee, how all conditions, how all minds, To Apemantus, that few things loves better Pain. I faw them fpeak together. A thoufand moral paintings I can fhew, Trumpets found. Enter Timon, addrefsing binfef Tim. Imprifon'd is he, fay you? [To a Milaze. To thofe have shut him up; which failing him, Tim. Noble Ventidius! Well ; I am not of th it feather, to fake off Mf. All happiness to your honour 14! [Exit. Old Ath. Lord Timon, hear me speak. Poet. Sir, I have upon a high and pleafant hillBut to fupport him after.—Fare you well. Pain. 'Tis conceiv'd to scope 9. This throne, this Fortune, and this hill, methinks, I (thee. Old Ath. Thou haft a fervant nam'd Lucilius. Luc. Here, at your lordship's fervice. 1 Strife is either the contest or aft with nature. 2. e. My defign does not ftop at any fingle character. 3 Anciently they wrote upon waxen tables with an iron file. 4 i. e. I'll open, I'll explain. 5 Slippery is Smooth, unrefifting. Meaning, the flatterer who shows in his own look, as by reflection, the looks of his patron. 7 i. e. cover'd with ranks of all kinds of men, 8. e. to advance or improve their various conditions of life. 9. e. is properly imagined. 10 Condition for art. 11 That is, calumniate thofe whom Timon hated or envied, or whole vices were oppofite to his own. This offering up, to the perfon flattered, the murdered reputation of others, Shakspeare, with the utmost beauty of thought and expreflion, calls facrificial wl![prings, alluding to the victims offered up to idols. 12 That is, catch his breath in affected fondnels. 13 i. e. inferior fpectators. 14 The common addrefs to a lord in our author's time, was your honour, which was indifferently ufed with your lordship. |