Her inclination, let him not leave out [TO MARDIAN. meant, the cast and make of her face. Feature, however, anciently appears to have signified beauty in general. So, in Greene's Farewell to Folly, 1617: "-rich thou art, featured thou art, feared thou art." Spenser uses feature for the whole turn of the body. Fairy Queen, B. I. c. viii: "Thus when they had the witch disrobed quite, Again, in B. III. c. ix : "She also doft her heavy haberjeon, "Which the fair feature of her limbs did hide." STEEVENS, Our author has already, in As you like it, used feature for the general cast of face. See Vol. VIII. p. 112, n. 4. 1 - let him not leave out The colour of her hair:] MALONE. This is one of Shakspeare's masterly touches. Cleopatra, after bidding Charmian to enquire of the Messenger concerning the beauty, age, and temperament of Octavia, immediately adds, let him not leave out the colour of her hair; as from thence she might be able to judge for herself, of her rival's propensity to those pleasures, upon which her passion for Antony was founded. HENLEY. Verily, I would, for the instruction of mine ignorance, that the commentator had dealt more diffusedly on this delectable subject, for I can in no wise divine what coloured hair is to be regarded as most indicative of venereal motions: perhaps indeed the xdual pursiai; and yet, without experience, certainty may still be wanting to mine appetite for knowledge. Cuncta prius tentanda, saith that waggish poet Ovidius Naso. AMNER. * Let him for ever go:] She is now talking in broken sentences, not of the Messenger, but Antony. JOHNSON. T'other way he's a Mars:] In this passage the sense is Bring me word, how tall she is.-Pity me, Char mian, But do not speak to me.-Lead me to my chamber. [Exeunt. SCENE VI. Near Misenum. Enter POMPEY and MENAS, at one side, with Drum and Trumpet: at another, CÆSAR, LEPIDUs, ANTONY, ENOBARBUS, MECENAS, with Soldiers marching. POм. Your hostages I have, so have you mine; And we shall talk before we fight. Most meet, CES.. Which if thou hast consider'd, let us know Ром. To you all three, The senators alone of this great world, clear, but, I think, may be much improved by a very little alteration. Cleopatra, in her passion upon the news of Antony's marriage, says: "Let him for ever go:-Let him not-Charmian,― This, I think, would be more spirited thus: Let him for ever go-let him-no,-Charmian; Chief factors for the gods,-I do not know, Wherefore my father should revengers want, Having a son, and friends; since Julius Cæsar, Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted,+ There saw you labouring for him. What was it, To drench the Capitol; but that they would CES. Take your time. ANT. Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails, We'll speak with thee at sea: at land, thou know'st How much we do o'er-count thee. Ром. At land, indeed, Thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house :" -the good Brutus ghosted,] This verb is also used by Burton, in his Anatomy of Melancholy. Preface, p. 22, edit. 1632. "What madnesse ghosts this old man? but what madnesse ghosts us all?" STEEVENS. Made the-] Thus the second folio. In the first, the article-the is omitted, to the manifest injury of the metre. STEEVENS. * Thou canst not fear us,] Thou canst not affright us with thy numerous navy. JOHNSON. So, in Measure for Measure: "Setting it up, to fear the birds of prey." STEEVENS. "At land, indeed, Thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house:] At land indeed thou dost exceed me in possessions, having added to thy But, since the cuckoo builds not for himself, LEP. Be pleas'd to tell us, (For this is from the present,") how you take The offers we have sent you. CES There's the point. ANT. Which do not be entreated to, but weigh What it is worth embrac’d. Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must Rid all the sea of pirates; then, to send Measures of wheat to Rome: This 'greed upon, own my father's house. O'er-count seems to be used equivocally, and Pompey perhaps meant to insinuate that Antony not only out-numbered, but had over-reached, him. The circumstance here alluded to our author found in the old translation of Plutarch: "Afterwards, when Pompey's house was put to open sale, Antonius bought it; but when they asked him money for it, he made it very straunge, and was offended with them." Again: "Whereupon Antonius asked him, [Sextus Pompeius] And where shall we sup? There, sayd Pompey; and showed him his admiral galley, which had six benches of owers: that said he is my father's house they have left me. He spake it to taunt Antonius, because he had his father's house, that was Pompey the Great." See p. 129, n. 9. MALONE. But, since the cuckoo builds not for himself, &c.] Since, like the cuckoo, that seizes the nests of other birds, you have invaded a house which you could not build, keep it while you JOHNSON. can. So, in P. Holland's translation of Pliny, B. X. ch. ix : "These (cuckows) lay alwaies in other birds' nests." STEEVENS. 9 this is from the present,] i. e. foreign to the object of our present discussion. See Vol. IV. p. 7, n. 6. STEEVENS. To part with unhack'd edges, and bear back CES. ANT. LEP. That's our offer. Ром. Know then, I came before you here, a man prepar'd To take this offer: But Mark Antony Put me to some impatience :-Though I lose The praise of it by telling, You must know, When Cæsar and your brothers were at blows, Your mother came to Sicily, and did find Her welcome friendly. ANT. I have heard it, Pompey; And am well studied for a liberal thanks, Ром. Let me have your hand: I did not think, sir, to have met you here. ANT. The beds i' the east are soft; and thanks to you, That call'd me, timelier than my purpose, hither; For I have gain'd by it. CES. Since I saw you last, Well, I know not There is a change upon you. Ром. What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face;2 But in my bosom shall she never come, To make my heart her vassal. LEP. Well met here. POм. I hope so, Lepidus.-Thus we are agreed: Our targe-] Old copy, unmetrically-targes. STEEVENS. What counts harsh fortune casts &c.] Metaphor from making marks or lines in casting accounts in arithmetick. WARBURTON. |
