If he fill'd
His vacancy with his voluptuousness,
Full surfeits, and the dryness of his bones,
Call on him for't]
_Call on him_, is, _visit him_. Says Caesar, _If Antony followed his
debaucheries at a time of leisure, I should leave him to be punished by
their natural consequences, by_ surfeits _and_ dry bones.
I.iv.31 (129,6) boys; who being mature in knowledge] For this Hanmer,
who thought the _maturity_ of a _boy_ an inconsistent idea, has put,
--_who_, immature _in knowledge_,
but the words _experience_ and _judgment_ require that we read _mature_;
though Dr. Warburton has received the emendation. By _boys mature in
knowledge_, are meant, _boys old enough to know their duty_.
I.iv.38 (129,7) he is belov'd of these/That only have fear'd Caesar]
Those whom not _love_ but _fear_ made adherents to Caesar, now shew
their affection for Pompey.
I.iv.49 (130,2) which they ear] To _ear_, is to _plow_; a common
metaphor.
I.iv.52 (130,3) Lack blood to think on't] Turn pale at the thought of
it.
I.v.4 (132,5) mandragora] A plant of which the infusion was supposed to
procure sleep. Shakespeare mentions it in _Othello_:
_Not poppy, nor_ mandragora,
_Can ever med'cine thee to that sweet sleep_.
I.v.38 (133,8) that great medicine hath/With his tinct gilded thee]
Alluding to the philosopher's stone, which, by its touch, converts base
metal into gold. The alchemists call the matter, whatever it be, by
which they perform transmutation, a _medicine_.
I.v.48 (134,9) arm-gaunt steed] [i.e. his steed worn lean and thin by
much service in war. So Fairfax, _His_ stall-worn _steed the champion
stout bestrode_. WARB.] On this note Mr. Edwards has been very lavish of
his pleasantry, and indeed has justly censured the misquotation of
_stall-worn_, for _stall-worth_, which means _strong_, but makes no
attempt to explain the word in the play. Mr. Seyward, in his preface to
Beaumont, has very elaborately endeavoured to prove, that an _arm-gaunt_
steed is a steed with _lean shoulders_. _Arm_ is the Teutonick word for
_want_, or _poverty_. _Arm-gaunt_ may be therefore an old word,
signifying, _lean_ for _want_, ill fed. Edwards's observation, that a
worn-out horse is not proper for Atlas to mount in battle, is
impertinent; the horse here mentioned seems to be a post horse, rather
than a war horse. Yet as _arm-gaunt_ seems not intended to imply any
defect, it perhaps means, a horse so slender that a man might clasp him,
and therefore formed for expedition. Hanmer reads,
--_arm-girt steed_.
I.v.50 (134,1) Was beastly dumb by him] Mr. Theobald reads _dumb'd_, put
to silence. _Alexas means_, (says he) _the horse made such a neighing,
that if he had spoke he could not have been heard_.
I.v.76 (136,3) Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day/ A several
greeting, or I'll unpeople Aegypt] By sending out messengers.
II.i (136,4) _Enter Pompey_, _Menecrates_, _and Menas_] The persons are
so named in the first edition; but I know not why Menecrates appears;
Menas can do all without him.
II.i.4 (136,5) While we are suitors to their throne, decays/The thing we
sue for] [W: delays] It is not always prudent to be too hasty in
exclamation; the reading which Dr. Warburton rejects as _nonsense_, is
in my opinion right; if _delay_ be what they sue for, they have it, and
the consolation offered becomes superfluous. The meaning is, _While we
are praying_, _the thing for which we pray_ is losing its value.
II.i.38 (138,8) The ne'er-lust-wearied Antony] [Theobald emended "near
lust-wearied" to "ne'er-lust-wearied"] Could it be imagined, after this
swelling exultation, that the first edition stands literally thus,
_The_ neere _lust wearied Antony_.
II.i.45 (139,9) square] That is, quarrel.
II.i.51 (139,1) Our lives upon] This play is not divided into acts by
the authour or first editors, and therefore the present division may be
altered at pleasure. I think the first act may be commodiously continued
to this place, and the second act opened with the interview of the chief
persons, and a change of the state of action. Yet it must be confessed,
that it is of small importance, where these unconnected and desultory
scenes are interrupted.
II.ii.7 (140,2) Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,/I would not shav't
to-day] I believe he means, _I would meet him undressed_, _without shew
of respect_.
II.ii.25 (141,3) Nor curstness grow to the matter] Let not _ill-humour_
be added to the real _subject_ of our difference.
II.ii.28 (141,4) _Caes_. Sit./_Ant_. Sit, sir!] [Antony appears to be
jealous of a circumstance which seemed to indicate a consciousness of
superiority in his too successful partner in power; and accordingly
resents the invitation of Caesar to be seated: Caesar answers, _Nay
then_--i.e. _if you are so ready to resent what I meant an act of
civility, there can be no reason to suppose you have temper enough for
the business on which at present we are met_. STEEVENS.] The following
circumstance may serve to strengthen Mr. Steevens's opinion: When the
fictitious Sebastian made his appearance in Europe, he came to a
conference with the Conde de Lemos; to whom, after the firat exchange of
civilities, he said, _Conde de Lemos, be covered_. And being asked by
that nobleman, by what pretences he laid claim to the superiority
expressed by such permission, he replied, I do it by right of my birth;
I am Sebastian. (1773)
II.ii.43 (142,5) their contestation/Was theam for you, you were the word
of war] [W: theam'd] I am neither satisfied with the reading nor the
emendation; _theam'd_ is, I think, a word unauthorised, and very harsh.
Perhaps we may read,
--_their contestation_
Had _theme_ from _you_, _you were the word o' th' war_. _The dispute
derived its subject from you_. It may be corrected by mere
transposition,
--_their contestation_
You were theme for, _you were the word_.
II.ii.51 (143,8) Having alike your cause?] The meaning seems to be,
_having the same cause as you to be offended with me_. But why, because
he was offended with Antony, should he make war upon Caesar? May it not
be read thus,
--_Did he not rather
Discredit my authority with yours,
And make the wars alike against my stomach_,
Hating _alike_ our _cause_?
II.ii.53 (143,9) As matter whole you have not to make it with] The
original copy reads,
_As matter whole you_ have _to make it with_.
Without doubt erroneously; I therefore only observe it, that the reader
may more readily admit the liberties which the editors of this authour's
works have necessarily taken.
II.ii.61 (144,1) fronted] i.e. _opposed_.
II.ii.85 (145,4) The honour's sacred which he talks on now,/Supposing
that I lack'd it] [_Sacred_, for unbroken, unviolated. WARB.] Dr.
Warburton seems to understand this passage thus; _The honour which he_
talks _of me as_ lacking, _is_ unviolated, _I never lacked it_. This may
perhaps be the true meaning, but before I read the note, I understood it
thus: Lepidus interrupts Caesar, on the supposition that what he is
about to say will be too harsh to be endured by Antony; to which Antony
replies, _No, Lepidus, let him speak, the security of_ honour on which
he now speaks, _on which this conference is held now_, is sacred, _even_
supposing that I lacked _honour_ before.
II.ii.112 (146,5) your considerate stone] This line is passed by all the
editors, as if they understood it, and believed it universally,
intelligible. I cannot find in it any very obvious, and hardly any
possible meaning. I would therefore read,
_Go to then_, you _considerate_ ones.
You, who dislike my frankness and temerity of speech, and are so
_considerate_ and discreet, _go to_, do your on business.
II.ii.113 (146,6) I do not much dislike the matter, but/The manner of
his speech] I do not, says Caesar, think the man wrong, but too free of
him interposition; _for't cannot be, we shall remain in friendship: yet
if it were possible, I would endeavour it_.
II.ii.123 (147,7) your reproof/Were well deserv'd] In the old edition,
--_your_ proof
_Were well deserv'd_--
Which Mr. Theobald, with his usual triumph, changes to _approof_, which
he explains, _allowance_. Dr. Warburton inserted _reproof_ very properly
into Hanmer's edition, but forgot it in his own.
II.ii.159 (148,8) Lest my remembrance suffer ill report] Lest I be
thought too willing to forget benefits, I must barely return him thanks,
and then I will defy him.
II.ii.210 (150,1) And what they undid, did] It might be read less
harshly,
_And what they did_, undid.
II.ii.212 (150,2) tended her i' the eyes] Perhaps _tended her_ by th'
_eyes_, discovered her will by her eyes.
II.iii.21 (153,6) thy angel/Becomes a Fear] Mr.Uptan reads,
_Becomes_ afear'd,--
The common reading is more poetical.
II.iii.37 (154,7) his quails ever/Beat mine] The ancients used to match
quails as we match cocks.
II.iii.38 (154,8) inhoop'd, at odds] Thus the old copy. _Inhoop'd_ is
_inclosed, confined_, that they may fight. The modern editions read,
_Beat mine_, in whoop'd-_at odds_.--
II.v.1 (155,9) musick, moody food] [The _mood_ is the _mind_, or _mental
disposition_. Van Haaren's panegyrick on the English begins,
_Groot-moedig Volk, great-minded nation_.] Perhaps here is a poor jest
intended between _mood_ the _mind_ and _moods_ of musick.
II.v.41 (l57,4) Not like a formal man] [_Formal_, for ordinary. WARB.]
Rather decent, regular.
II.v.103 (161,8) Thou art not what thou'rt sure of!] For this, which is
not easily understood, Sir Thomas Hanmer has given,
_That_ say'st but _what thou'rt sure of!_
I am not satisfied with the change, which, though it affords sense,
exhibits little spirit. I fancy the line consists only of abrupt starts.
_Oh that his fault should make a knave of thee_,
That art--not what?--Thou'rt sure on't.--Get thee
hence.
_That his fault should make a knave of thee that art_--but what _shall I
say thou art not_? Thou art then sure of _this marriage._--Get thee
hence.
Dr. Warburton has received Sir T. Hanmer's emendation.
II.v.115 (161,9) Let him for ever go] She is now talking in broken
sentences, not of the messenger, but Antony.
II.vi.24 (163,2) Thou canst not fear us] Thou canst not affright us with
thy numerous navy.
II.vi.28 (163,3) But since the cuckow builds not for himself] Since,
like the cuckow, that seizes the nests of other birds, you have invaded
a house which you could not build, keep it while you can.
II.vii.1 (167,6) some o' their plants] _Plants_, besides its common
meaning, is here used for the _foot_, from the Latin.
II.vii.14 (167,9) a partizan] A pike.
II.vii.16 (167,1) To be call'd into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to
move in't, are the holes where eyes should be, which pitifully disaster
the cheeks] This speech seems to be mutilated; to supply the
deficiencies is impossible, but perhaps the sense was originally
approaching to this.
_To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in it_, is
a very ignominious state; great offices _are the holes where eyes should
be, which_, if eyes be wanting, _pitifully disaster the cheeks_.
II.vii.88 (170,2) thy pall'd fortunes] _Palled_, is vapid, past its time
of excellence; _palled_ wine, is wine that has lost its original
spriteliness.
II.vii.102 (171,3) Strike the vessels] Try whether the casks sound as
empty.
II.vii.116 (171,4) The holding every man shall bear] Every man shall
accompany the chorus by drumming on his sides, in token of concurrence
and applause. [Theobald had emended "beat" to "bear"] (1773)
III.i.1 (173,6) Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck] _Struck_ alludes
to darting. Thou whose darts have so often struck others, art struck now
thyself. (1773)
III.ii.12 (175,8) Arabian bird!] The phoenix.