Page:Antony and Cleopatra (1921) Yale.djvu/156

144 little change of vocabulary. He tears out words, phrases, sentences from his source, and rebuilds according to his own design. Sometimes the suggestions in North are so good that the dramatist has scarcely improved upon them. But usually his rendering makes all the difference between fair prose and great poetry. Compare the lines in Shakespeare (IV. xiii. 51–58) with this from North:

'And as for himselfe, that she should not lament nor sorow for the miserable chaunge of his fortune at the end of his dayes: but rather that she should thinke him the more fortunate, for the former triumphes & honours he had received, considering that while he lived he was the noblest and greatest Prince of the world, & that now he was overcome, not cowardly, but valiantly, a Romaine by an other Romaine.'

This represents perhaps the extreme of dependence. A fairer idea of the relationship between the two texts may be gained by considering also this which follows in comparison with III. ix. Here the first sentence, which merely records a dramatic situation, has served as the suggestion for a great scene.

'When he arrived at the head of Tænarus, there Cleopatræs women first brought Antonius and Cleopatra to speake together, Now for himself, he determined to cross over into Africk, & took one of his carects or hulks loden with gold,  & gave it unto his friends: commanding them to depart, and to seek to save themselves. They answered him weeping, that they would neither doe it, nor yet forsake him. Then Antonius verie courteously and lovingly did comfort them, and prayed them to depart: and wrote unto Theophilus governour of Corinthe, that he would see them safe, & helpe to hide them in some secret place, untill they had made their way & peace with Cæsar.'