Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/564

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NOTES AND QUERIES, no s. xn. DEC. n, 1909.

' As You LIKE IT,* III. v. 123 : Betwixt the constant red and mingled damask. In closing his note on " damask " Furness says :

" Until we can gain more information we must rest content with imagining Ganymede's cheek to 'be of the fairest earthly tint and finest earthly texture. But where is the umber ? "

Celia's original plan (I. iii. 113-16), when they were to travel as two maids, was that both of their faces should be smirched with umber ; but Rosalind chose to dress as a man, which rendered the umber in her case unnecessary. A pointed reference to their

.appearance is found in Oliver's quoted

.description of the pair :

The boy is fair,

Of female favour, and bestows himself Like a ripe sister : the woman low, And browner than her brother.

E. MERTON DEY.

' ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.' I. i. 54-7 {Globe 40-43) :

Cleo. Excellent falshood : Why did he marry Fuluia, and not loue her ? lie seeme the Foole I am not. Anthony will be himselfe.

Ant. But stirr'd by Cleopatra.

Since the entrance of the messenger .announcing news from Rome, Cleopatra has been skilfully working, first upon Antony's self-esteem, and then through a pretended doubt of his perfect loyalty and love, to induce him to turn a deaf ear to the messengers. In pretty resignation she says, " I '11 seem the fool I am not " " I '11 continue to love and appear to believe that I am loved in return." " Antony will be himself" "Antony will be the heart- free rover, uncontrolled, sufficient unto himself." The latter remark is rather flattering than otherwise, implying as it does Antony's strength of character, not to be moved by any one. She knows that this declaration of his free-will, coupled with her asserted helpless subjection to him, can result only in binding his will to her the more, as the event proves. He accepts the proud, independent position she assigns him, but graciously makes an exception in his allegiance to her, " But stirr'd by Cleopatra."

I. i. 67-70 (Globe 52-5) :

No Messenger but thine, and all alone, to night Wee'l wander through the streets, and note The qualities of people. Come my Queene, Last night you di desire it.

The comment on " No messenger but thine, and" in the New Variorum edition is as follows :

" That the punctuation here is important is manifest by the changes recorded in the text Notes. There can be hardly a question that the

Eunctuation of the Folios is wrong. Cleopatra ad neither received nor sent a messenger. Malone's punctuation gives, I think, the true interpretation. In Antony's complete surrender and acknowledgement that he belongs to Cleo- patra, the latter's victory is gained and her wrangling ceases. Ed." (Malone's punctuation Messenger ; but thine.)

By taking " but thine " away from " No messenger " and adding it to what follows, as suggested above, we have the strange combination, " but thine and all alone to- night We 'II wander," &c. " But thine. . . . I '11 wander with thee," or, if the kingly plural is used, " We ? 11 wander with thee," would naturally be expected. " Thine," in the construction required by Malone's punctuation, is in the air, so to speak, and does not in reality refer to anything ; there is nothing following to identify the person or thing possessed. The punctuation of the Folios would therefore seem to be correct, since the proposed change would result in such an awkward grammatical construction. To be sure, Cleopatra has neither received nor sent a messenger, but the talk has been of messengers. In saying to Cleopatra, according to the Folio punctuation, "No messenger but thine," Antony declares himself, I believe, subject to no orders but hers possibly, as referred to in " Last night you did desire it," the excursion through the streets.

II. i. 3-8 (Globe 1-5) ':

Pom. If the great Gods be iust, they shall

assist The deeds of iustest men.

Mene. Know worthy Pompey, that what they do delay, they not deny.

Pom. Whiles we are sutors to their Throne, decayes the thing we sue for.

This conversation evidently refers to the chances of victory in war. Pompey be- speaks the favour of the gods upon " the deeds of justest men."- Menecrates states that while this victory is delayed, probably through waiting for the opportune moment to force the issue, it is not therefore denied. Pompey in turn asserts that while they are kept in the position of suitors the chance of victory decays.

II. vi. 137-48 (Globe 122-34) :

Men. Then is Caesar and he, for euer knit together.

Enob. If I were bound to Diuine of this vnity, I wold not Prophesie so.