Cassius. Is't possible? Brutus. Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted, when a madman stares? Cassius. O ye gods! ye gods! must I endure all this? Brutus. All this? Ay, more: fret till your proud heart break; Go, show your slaves how cholerick you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? Cassius. Is it come to this? Brutus You say, you are a better soldier: Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well: For mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men. Cassius. You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus: I said an elder soldier, not a better. Did I say better? Brutus. If you did, I care not. Cassius. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me. Brutus. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempted him. Cassius. I durst not? Brutus. No. Cassius. What, durst not tempt him? Brutus. For your life, you durst not. Cassius. Do not presume too much upon my love, I may do that I shall be sorry for. Brutus. You have done that you should be sorry for. you denied me ; For I can raise no money by vile means: And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring To you for gold to pay my legions, Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius ? Cassius. Brutus. You did. I denied you not. I did not he was but a fool That brought my answer back. Brutus hath riv'd Brutus. I do not like your faults. Cassius. A friendly eye could never see such faults. Brutus. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus. Cassius. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come; Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother; When thou did'st hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better Be Brutus. Sheath your dagger: Cassius. Hath Cassius liv'd To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him? Brutus. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too. Cassius. Do you confess so much; Give me your hand. Cassius. Brutus. O Brutus! What's the matter? Cassius. Have you not love enough to bear with me, gave me Brutus. Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth, When you are over earnest with your Brutus, He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so. (Noise within. Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.) Brutus. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders Prepare to lodge their companies to-night. Cassius. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you Immediately to us. (Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.) Brutus. Lucius, a bowl of wine. Cassius. I did not think you could have been so angry. Cassius. Of your philosophy you make no use, If you give place to accidental evils. Brutus. No man bears sorrow better:-Portia is dead. Brutus. She is dead. Cassius. How scap'd I killing, when I cross'd you so? O insupportable and touching loss !— Upon what sickness? Brutus. Impatience of my absence; And grief, that young Octavius with Mark Antony Have made themselves so strong; for with her death That tidings came; with this she fell distract, And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire. Cassius. And died so? Brutus. Even so. Cassius. O ye immortal gods. (Enter LUCIUS with wine and tapers.) Brutus. Speak no more of her.-Give me a bowl of wine. In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. (Drinks.) Cassius. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge: Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup; I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.—Sc. 3. (Drinks.) Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Is bound in shallows, and in miseries.—Id. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. This play keeps curiosity always busy, and the passions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one personage to another, call the mind forward, without intermission, from the first act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for except the feminine arts, some of which are too low, which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discrimi nated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguishable from that of others: the most tumid speech in the play is that which Cæsar makes to Octavia. The events, of which the principal are described according to history, are produced without any art of connection or care of disposition.Johnson. Antony. Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death, I hear him as he flatter'd . Speak to me home, mince not the general tongue; Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase: and taunt my faults Antony. Most sweet queen, Cleopatra. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going. But bid farewell, and go: when you sued staying, Then was the time for words :-No going then ; Eternity was in our lips and eyes: Bliss in our brows' bent.-Sc. 3. Sit laurel'd victory! and smooth success Be strew'd before your Upon your sword feet!-Sc. 3. Cæsar and Lepidus Are in the field; a mighty strength they carry. Pompey. Where have you this? 'tis false. Menecrates. From Silvius, sir. Pompey. He dreams; I know they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd lip! Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both! Mecanas. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her. Enobarbus. When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart upon the river of Cydnus. Agrippa. There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised well for her. Enobarbus. I will tell you: The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold: Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that The winds were lovesick with them: the oars were silver; The water, which they beat, to follow faster, As amorous of their strokes. For her own person, Agrippa. O! rare for Antony. And made a gap in nature. Agrippa. Rare Egyptian! Enobarbus. Upon her landing, Antony sent to her, |