CES.

Most meet,

That first we come to words; and therefore have

we

Our written purposes before us sent;

Which, if thou hast consider'd, let us know
If 'twill tie up thy discontented sword;
And carry back to Sicily much tall youth,
That else must perish here.

Ром.
To you all three,
The senators alone of this great world,
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,
That mov'd pale Cassius to conspire? And what
Made the all-honour'd, honest, Roman Brutus,
With the arm'd rest, courtiers of beauteous free-

5

dom,

To drench the Capitol; but that they would
Have one man but a man? And that is it,
Hath made me rig my navy; at whose burden
The anger'd ocean foams; with which I meant
To scourge the ingratitude that despiteful Rome
Cast on my noble father.

CES.

Take your time.

ANT. Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy

sails,

4— 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.

5 Made THE-] Thus the second folio. In the first, the article-the is omitted, to the manifest injury of the metre. STEEVENS.

6 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.

We'll speak with thee at sea: at land, thou know'st How much we do o'er-count thee.

POM.

At land, indeed,

Thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house 7: But, since the cuckoo builds not for himself, Remain in't as thou may'st.

Be pleas'd to tell us,

LEP. (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.

CES.

To try a larger fortune.

Ром.

7 At land, indeed,

And what may follow,

You have made me offer

Thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house :] At land indeed thou dost exceed me in possessions, having added to thy own my father's house. O'er-count seems to be used equivocally, and Pompey perhaps meant to insinuate that Antony not only outnumbered, 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."

66

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. 271, n. 9. MALONE.

8 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 can. JOHNSON.

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 Tempest, Act I. Sc. I. STEEVENS.

This word occurs as a substantive no less than seventeen times in our poet. BOSWELL.

Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must

Rid all the sea of pirates; then, to send
Measures of wheat to Rome: This 'greed upon,
To part with unhack'd edges, and bear back
Our targes1undinted.

CES. ANT. LEP. That's our offer.

Ром.

I came before you here, a man prepar'd
To take this offer: But Mark Antony

Know then,

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,

Which I do owe you.

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.

Well met here.

Lep. POм. I hope so, Lepidus.-Thus we are agreed: I crave, our composition may be written,

And seal'd between us.

Our targe] Old copy, unmetrically-targes. STEEVENS. 2 What COUNTS harsh fortune CASTS, &c.] Metaphor from making marks or lines in casting accounts in arithmetick.

WARBURTON.

CES.

That's the next to do.

POм. We'll feast each other, ere we part; and

let us

Draw lots who shall begin.

ANT.

That will I, Pompey.

3

POм. No, Antony, take the lot 3: but, first,

Or last, your fine Egyptian cookery

}

Shall have the fame. I have heard, that Julius

What, I pray you?

And I have heard, Apollodorus carried-
ENO. No more of that:-He did so.
Ром.
ENO. A certain queen to Cæsar in a mattress.
POм. I know thee now; How far'st thou, soldier?
ENO.

And well am like to do; for, I perceive,

Four feasts are toward.

Ром.

Well;

Let me shake thy hand;

I never hated thee: I have seen thee fight,
When I have envied thy behaviour.

ENO.

Sir,

I never lov'd you much; but I have prais'd you, When you have well deserv'd ten times as much As I have said you did.

3 take the lot :] Perhaps (a syllable being here wanting to the metre) our author wrote:

4-meanings,] Former editions, meaning. REED. The correction was suggested by Mr. Heath.

MALONE.

5 A certain queen to CÆSAR in a MATTRESS.] i. e. To Julius Cæsar. STEEVENS.

This is from the margin of North's Plutarch, 1579: " Cleopatra trussed up in a mattresse, and so brought to Cæsar, upon Apollodorus backe." RITSON.

Ром.

Enjoy thy plainness,

It nothing ill becomes thee.

Aboard my galley I invite you all:

Will you lead, lords?

CES. ANT. LEP. Show us the way, sir.
Ром.

Come.

[Exeunt POMPEY, CESAR, ANTONny, Lepidus, Soldiers and Attendants.

MEN. Thy father, Pompey, would ne'er have made this treaty.-[Aside.]-You and I have known, sir.

ENO. At sea, I think.

MEN. We have, sir.

ENO. You have done well by water.

MEN. And you by land.

ENO. I will praise any man that will praise me 7: though it cannot be denied what I have done by land.

MEN. Nor what I have done by water.

ENO. Yes, something you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great thief by sea.

MEN. And you by land.

ENO. There I deny my land service. But give me your hand, Menas: If our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing.

MEN. All men's faces are true, whatsoe'er their hands are.

6 You and I have known, sir.] i. e. been acquainted. So, in Cymbeline: Sir, we have known together at Orleans."

STEEVENS.

7 I will praise any man that will praise me :] The poet's art in delivering this humorous sentiment (which gives so very true and natural a picture of the commerce of the world) can never be sufficiently admired. The confession could come from none but a frank and rough character, like the speaker's: and the moral lesson insinuated under it, that flattery can make its way through the most stubborn manners, deserves our serious reflection.

WARBURTON.