originality (of. Baker's Bibliographia Dramatica). It held the stage for a century, and has in all probability been acted ten times oftener than Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Campbell evidenced this fact as a proof of England's neglect of Shakespeare, as a disgrace to British taste. "Dryden's Marc Antony is a weak voluptuary from first to last. queen, a siren, a Shakespeare's Cleopatra alone could have entangled Shakespeare's Antony, while an ordinary wanton could have enslaved Dryden's hero."

A

Duration of Action. The Time of the Play, as represented on the stage, covers twelve days, with intervals :

Day 1, Act I. Sc. i.-iv. Interval of twenty days. Day 2, Act I. Sc. v.; Act II. Sc. i.-iii. Day 3, Act II. Sc. iv. Interval. Day 4, Act II. Sc. v.-vii. [Act III. Sc. iii.] Interval (?). Day 5, Act III. Sc. i. and ii. Interval. Day 6, Act III. Sc. iv. and v. Interval. Day 7, Act III. Sc. vi. Day 8, Act III. Sc. vii. Day 9, Act III. Sc. viii.-x. Interval. Day 10, Act III. Sc. xi.-xiii.; Act IV. Sc. i.-iii. Day 11, Act IV. Sc. iv.-ix. Day 12, Act IV. Sc. x.-xv.; Act V. Sc. i. and ii. (cp. Trans. New Shak. Soc., 1877-79). The historic period embraces as many years as there are days in the play, stretching from about B.C. 42 to 30; that is, from the events immediately following the deaths of Brutus and Cassius at Philippi to the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra in Egypt.

"The gorgeous East, with liberal band,

Showers on ber kings barbaric pearl and gold."

CHARMIAN,

}

Antony and Cleopatra.

ACT FIRST.

Scene I.

Alexandria. A room in Cleopatra's palace.
Enter Demetrius and Philo.

Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's

O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view
Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
And is become the bellows and the fan

To cool a gipsy's lust.

Flourish. Enter Antony, Cleopatra, her Ladies, the train, with Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd

Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.

Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.

Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be beloved.

Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new

Enter an Attendant.

Att. News, my good lord, from Rome.
Ant.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:

Ant.

Grates me: the sum.

Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows

If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you, 'Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;

Perform 't, or else we damn thee.'

Cleo. Perchance! nay, and most like :

How, my love!

20

You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.
Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's I would say?

both?

Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame
When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!

30

Ant. Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life

Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair (Embracing.

And such a twain can do't, in which I bind,

On pain of punishment, the world to weet

We stand up peerless.

Cleo.

Excellent falsehood!

40

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?

I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony

Will be himself.

Ant.

But stirr'd by Cleopatra.

Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh:
There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
Without some pleasure now. What sport to-night?

Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.

Ant.

Fie, wrangling queen!

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!

No messenger but thine; and all alone

To-night we'll wander through the streets and note

The qualities of people. Come, my queen;

Last night you did desire it. Speak not to us.

50

[Exeunt Ant. and Cleo. with their train.

Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius prized so slight?
Phi. Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too short of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

Dem.

I am full sorry

That he approves the common liar, who
Thus speaks of him at Rome: but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy!

60

Scene II.

The same.

Another room.

[Exeunt.

Enter Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Soothsayer. Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you praised so to the queen ?