a very fine poetical expression for the instability of human pleasure.
Scene 3.—Antony says to Cleopatra, who seems to doubt his love,
"My precious queen, forbear,
And give true evidence to his love which stands
An honourable trial"—
that is, bear true witness to my love. The MS. corrector changes "evidence" into credence, as better suited to the popular apprehension, though much less pleasing to the discriminating reader. There cannot be a doubt as to which of the words is Shakespeare's.
Scene 5.—"An arm-gaunt steed" has puzzled the commentators. Of all the substitutes proposed, termagant is perhaps the best. Arrogant, suggested by Mr Boaden, and adopted by Mr Singer, is also worthy of consideration. Either of these words harmonises with the character of the animal "who neigh'd so high." Sir T. Hanmer and the old corrector read arm-girt.
Act II. Scene 2.—In the description of Cleopatra in her barge, it is said,
"The silken tackles
Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands
That yarely frame the office."
Mr Collier says, "we ought undoubtedly, with the old corrector, to amend the text to
'Smell with the touches of the flower-soft hands.' "
Truly there is no accounting for tastes!
Scene 7.—"When Antony," says Mr Collier, "during the debauch, says to Cæsar, 'Be a child o' the time,' Cæsar replies rather unintelligibly,
'Possess it, I'll make answer; but I had rather fast
From all, four days, than drink so much in one.'
What does he mean by telling Antony 'to possess it?"' His meaning is quite obvious; he means, Be master of it. "Be a child of the time," says Antony. "Rather be its master, say I," rejoins Cæsar—a sentiment much more likely to come from the lips of the great dictator than the paltry rejoinder which the old corrector puts into his mouth—"Profess it"—that is, profess to be the child of the time.
Act III. Scene 4.—Antony, complaining of Cæsar's unjust treatment, says,
"When the best hint was given him, he not took't,
Or did it from his teeth;"
that is, when the most favourable representations of my conduct were made to him, he heeded them not, or merely put on the appearance of attending to them. The corrector reads, "but looked;" yet, although the folio 1623 has "he not looked," we may be pretty sure that the text, as given above, is the right reading, as it is assuredly the only one which makes sense.
Scene 6.—Cæsar expresses his dissatisfaction with the want of ceremony with which Octavia has been received on her entrance into Rome.
"But you are come
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The ostentation of our love, which left, unshown,
Is often left unlov'd."
For "left" the corrector reads held, and Mr Singer proposes felt. But if either of these emendations were adopted, we should require to read, "is often felt unloving," and this the measure will not permit. We therefore stand by the old text, the meaning of which we conceive to be—love which is left unshown is often left unreturned. "Wrong led" is better suited to its place than wrongéd, the MS. correction.
Scene 11.—Enobarbus, ridiculing the idea that Cæsar will accept Antony's challenge to meet him in single combat, says,
"That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæsar will
Answer his emptiness"—
that is, it is surprising that Antony, who has experienced every measure of fortune, has drunk of her fullest as well as of her emptiest cup, should dream that the full Cæsar will answer his emptiness. Here the words full and emptiness prove to a demonstration that "measure" is the right word; yet the MS. corrector alters it to miseries! Mr Collier remarks, in his supplementary notes, "Still, it may be fit to hesitate before miseries for 'measures' is introduced into the text." We see no ground for a moment's
