Perhaps this circumstance was
MAlone.

marvellous long.”
in Shakspeare's thoughts,

P. 118, 1. 20. If we compose well here,] i. e. if we come to a lucky composition, agreement. STEEVENS. P. 118, last lines. Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, Nor curstness graw to the matter.] Let not ill humour be added to the real subject of our difference. JOHNSON.

P. 119, 1. 6-9. Caes. Sit!

Ant. Sit, Sir!

Caes. Nay,

Then 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

ie. if you are so ready to resent what I meant as 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. The former editors leave a full point at the end of this as well as the preceding speech.. STEEVENS.

The following circumstance may serve to strengthen Mr.. Steevens's opinion: When the fictitious Sebastian made his appareance in Europe, he came to a conference with the Conde de Lemos; to whom, after the first 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. JOHNSON.

P. 119.

P. 119, 1. 24. 25. if you there

Did practise on my state,] To practise means to employ unwarrantable arts or stratagems.

P. 119, 1. 25. 26. your being in Egypt

STEEVENS.

Might be my question.] i. e. my theme or subject of conversation. MALONE.

P. 119, 1. 32. 33. and their contestation Was theme for you, you were the word of war.] The only meaning of this can be, that the war, which Antony' wife and brother made upon Caesar, was theme for Antony too to make war; or was the occasion why he did make war. But this is directly contrary to the context, which shows, Antony did neither encourage them to it, nor second them init. We cannot doubt then, but the poet wrote; and their contestation

Was them'd for you,

i. e. The pretence of the war was on your account, they took up arms in your name, and you were made the theine an subject of their insurrection. WARBURTON,

I am neither satisfied with the reading nor the✨ emendation; them'd is, I think, a word unauthorised, and very harsh. Perhaps we may read: their contestation

I

Had theme from you, you were the word of

war.

The dispute derived its subject from you. It's may be corrected by mere transposition :

their contestation

You were theme for, you were the word

JOHNSON.

Was theme for you, I believe means only, was proposed as an example for you to follow on a VOL. XV. 19

yet more extensive plan; as themes are given for a writer to dilate upon. Shakspeare, however, may prove the best commentator on himself. Thus, in Coriolanus, Act. I. sc. i:

throw forth greater themes

"For insurrection's arguing." Sicinius calls Coriolanus,

of our assembly." STEEVENS.

the theme

I should suppose that some of the words in this sentence have been misplaced, and that it ought to stand thus:

2

and for contestation

Their theme was you; you were the word ofs

P. 119, last 1.

war. M. MASON.

my brother never

Did urge me in his act :]i. e. Never did

make use of my name as a pretence for the war

WARBURTON.

P. 120, first 1. And have my learning from fyatua some true reports,] Reports for reporters. Mr. Tollet observes that Holinshed, 1181, uses records for vouchers; and in King Richard II. our author has wrongs for Wrongers. STEEVENS.

P. 120, 1. 2-6, Did he not rather

Discredit my authority with yours; si baibor And make the wars alike against my sto hmadh pow roy dit bai 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 sto-i mach, forkv

Hating alike our cause? JOHNSON.

The old reading is immediately explained by Antony's being the partner with Octavius in the cause against which his brother fought.

STEEVENS. P. 120, 1. 8. 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 author's works have necessarily taken. JOHNSON.

The old reading may be right. It seems to alJude to Antony's acknowledged neglect in aiding Caesar; but yet Antony does not allow himself to be faulty upon the present cause alledged against him, STBEVENS.

P. 120, 1. 18.

18. 19.

P120,
I would you had

fronted —] i. e. opposed,

JOHNSON.

Aguar

As for my wife, her spirit in such another:] Antony means to say, I wish you had the spirit of Fulvia, embodied in such another woman as her; I wish you were married to such another spirited woman; and then you would find, that though you can govern the third part of the world, the manage

ment of such a woman
is not
an
easy

By the words, you had her spirit,"
speare, I apprehend, méant, you were
or possessed of, a woman with her spirit.

to,

MALONE.

P. 121, 1. 2. I told him of myself;] i. e. told him the condition I was in, when he had his last audience. WARBURTONA

P, 121, 1.12, 13. The honour's sacred which he talks on now,

Supposing that I lack'd it:] Sacred, for unbroken, unviolated. WARBurton.

This

Dr. Warburton seems to understand this passage thus: The honour which he talks of me as lacking, is unviolated, I never lacked it. perhaps may 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. JOHNSON.

Antony, in my opinion, means to say, The theme of honour which he now speaks of, namely, the religion of an oath, for which he supposes me not to have a due regard, is sacred; it is a tender point, and touches my character nearly. Let him therefore urge bis charge, that I may vindicate myself. MALONE.

I do not think that either Johnson's or Malone's explanation of this passage is satisfactory. The true meaning of it appears to be this:

1

Caesar accuses Antony of a breach of honour in denying to send him aid when he required it, which was contrary to his path. Antony says, in his defence, that he did not deny his aid, but in the midst of dissipation neglected to send it that having now brought his forces to join him against Pompey, he had redeemed that error; and that therefore the honour which Caesar talked of, was now sacred and inviolate, supposing that he had been somewhat deficient before, in the performance of that