ye;

I durst not try you, nor expect a courtesy,
Above the pious love you shew'd to Pompey.
You have found me merciful in arguing with
Swords, hangmen,' fires, destructions of all natures,
Demolishments of kingdoms, and whole ruins,
Are wont to be my orators. Turn to tears,
You wretched and poor seeds of sun-burnt Egypt,*
And now you have found the nature of a conqueror,
That you cannot decline,3 with all your flatteries,
That, where the day gives light, will be himself still;
Know how to meet his worth with humane cour-

tesies!

Go, and embalm those bones of that great soldier, Howl round about his pile, fling on your spices,

I

Swords, hangers, fires.] As hangers give much the same idea as swords, especially in the mouth of a Roman, I hope the reader will agree to the change of it to hang-men, which were proper to be threatened to the murderers of Pompey, and which afterward proved the fate of Septimius. There is something extremely noble in this passage; it even approaches to those terrible graces before spoke of.-Seward.

The reader will, no doubt, greatly admire the integrity, perspiand ingenuity of Mr Seward, when he is informed, that hang men is the reading-not of that gentleman, but-of the second

cacity,

2

.Ed. 1778.

folio You wretched and poor seeds of sun-burnt Egypt.] This reading is quite good sense, and must therefore stand, though modern might find twenty epithets more poetical. Seward and Colman change seeds to reeds; and the former thinks to support his amendment by making the following observations, which, to

editors

as it

stands in both the folios: "Observing the great propriety of all our author's metaphors, which he applies to the Egyptians, as where he calls them the spawn of Egypt; and again, these beds of slimy eels; and Septimius, that vermin that's now become a natural

crocodile,

a better reading occurred, reeds, to which Egypt is

greatly subject from the overflow of the Nile." These very epithets

have certainly
that reading;
in the text.

no analogy to reeds, and therefore do not support on the contrary, every one of them suits the epithet

3 Decline.] Debase, subdue.-Mason.

Make a Sabæan bed, and place this phoenix.
Where the hot sun may emulate his virtues,
And draw another Pompey from his ashes,

Divinely great, and fix him 'mongst the worthies!
Ptol. We will do all.

Cæsar. You have robb'd him of those tears His kindred and his friends kept sacred for him, The virgins of their funeral lamentations; And that kind earth that thought to cover him (His country's earth) will cry out 'gainst your cruelty,

And weep unto the ocean for revenge,

Till Nilus raise his seven heads and devour ye! My grief has stopt the rest! When Pompey lived, He used you nobly; now he's dead, use him so.

[Exit with ANTONY, DOLABELla, Sceva, and Soldiers.

Ptol. Now where's your confidence, your aim,
Photinus,

The oracles and fair favours from the conqueror,
You rung into mine ears? How stand I now?
You see the tempest of his stern displeasure;
The death of him, you urged a sacrifice
To stop his rage, presaging a full ruin!
Where are your counsels now?

Achor. I told you, sir,

And told the truth, what danger would fly after;
And, though an enemy, I satisfied you

He was a Roman, and the top of honour;
And howsoever this might please great Cæsar,
I told you, that the foulness of his death,
The impious baseness-

Pho. Peace; you are a fool!

Men of deep ends must tread as deep ways to 'em ; Cæsar I know is pleased, and, for all his sorrows, Which are put on for forms and mere dissemblings, I am confident he's glad: To have told you so,

And thank'd you outwardly, had been too open, And taken from the wisdom of a conqueror.

Be confident, and proud you have done this service; You have deserved, and you will find it, highly. Make bold use of this benefit, and be sure

You keep your sister, the high-soul'd Cleopatra, Both close and short enough, she may not see him. The rest, if I may counsel, sir

Ptol. Do all;

For in thy faithful service rests my safety.

[Exeunt.

Sept. Here's a strange alteration in the court; Men's faces are of other sets and motions, Their minds of subtler stuff. I pass by now As though I were a rascal; no man knows me, No eye looks after; as I were a plague,

Their doors shut close against me, and I wonder'd at,

Because I have done a meritorious murder: Because I have pleased the time, does the time plague me?

I have known the day they would have hugg'd me for't;

For a less stroke than this, have done me reverence, Open'd their hearts and secret closets to me, Their purses, and their pleasures, and bid me wallow.

I now perceive the great thieves eat the less,

1

And the huge leviathans of villainy

Sup up the merits, nay, the men and all,
That do them service, and spout 'em out again
Into the air, as thin and unregarded

As drops of water that are lost i' th' ocean..

I was loved once for swearing, and for drinking,
And for other principal qualities that became me :
Now a foolish unthankful murder has undone me,
If
my lord Photinus be not merciful,

That set me on. And he comes; now, Fortune!

Enter PHOTINUS.

Pho. Cæsar's unthankfulness a little stirs me, A little frets my blood: Take heed, proud Roman, Provoke me not, stir not mine anger farther! may find out a way unto thy life too,

I

Though arm'd in all thy victories, and seize it!
A conqueror has a heart, and I may hit it.
Sept. May't please your lordship

Pho. Oh, Septimius!

Sept. Your lordship knows my wrongs?
Pho. Wrongs?

Sept. Yes, my lord;

How the captain of the guard, Achillas, slights me? Pho. Think better of him, he has much be

friended thee,

Shewed thee much love, in taking the head from thee.

The times are alter'd, soldier; Cæsar's angry,

4 And the huge leviathans of, &c.] I should not take the liberty of marking out beautiful passages, but that I am very desirous this play should meet with due regard from every reader; and I therefore beg him not to pass slightly over this passage, where a metaphor is carried on with such exquisite beauty, that it may vie with the finest strokes of this sort even in Shakspeare.-Seward.

And our design to please him lost and perish'd: Be glad thou art unnamed; 'tis not worth the owning.

Yet, that thou mayst be useful-
Sept. Yes, my lord,

I shall be ready.

Pho. For I may employ thee

To take a rub or two out of my way,

As time shall serve; say, that it be a brother,
Or a hard father?

Sept. 'Tis most necessary;

A mother, or a sister, or whom you please, sir.
Pho. Or to betray a noble friend?

Sept. "Tis all one.

Pho. I know thou wilt, stir for gold.

Sept. 'Tis all my motion.

Pho. There, take that for thy service, and fare

well!

I have greater business now.

Sept. I am still your own, sir.

[Gives him a purse.

Pho. One thing I charge thee; see me no more, Septimius,

Unless I send.

Sept. I shall observe your hour.

[Exit PHOTINUS.

So! this brings something in the mouth, some

favour:

This is the lord I serve, the power I worship,
My friends, allies; and here lies my allegiance.
Let people talk as they please of my rudeness,
And shun me for my deed; bring but this to 'em,
Let me be damn'd for blood, yet still I am honour-

able:

This god creates new tongues and new affections; And, though I had kill'd my father, give me gold, I'll make men swear I have done a pious sacrifice.