all for love-第5章

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tium　evasit　totum；　nec　pertulit　ictum。

For　my　part；　I　would　wish　no　other　revenge；　either　for　myself；　or　the　rest　of　the　poets；　from　this　rhyming　judge　of　the　twelve…penny　gallery；　this　legitimate　son　of　Sternhold；　than　that　he　would　subscribe　his　name　to　his　censure；　or　（not　to　tax　him　beyond　his　learning）　set　his　mark：　　For；　should　he　own　himself　publicly；　and　come　from　behind　the　lion's　skin；　they　whom　he　condemns　would　be　thankful　to　him；　they　whom　he　praises　would　choose　to　be　condemned；　and　the　magistrates；　whom　he　has　elected；　would　modestly　withdraw　from　their　employment；　to　avoid　the　scandal　of　his　nomination。　The　sharpness　of　his　satire；　next　to　himself；　falls　most　heavily　on　his　friends；　and　they　ought　never　to　forgive　him　for　commending　them　perpetually　the　wrong　way；　and　sometimes　by　contraries。　　If　he　have　a　friend；　whose　hastiness　in　writing　is　his　greatest　fault；　Horace　would　have　taught　him　to　have　minced　the　matter；　and　to　have　called　it　readiness　of　thought；　and　a　flowing　fancy；　for　friendship　will　allow　a　man　to　christen　an　imperfection　by　the　name　of　some　neighbour　virtue

　　　　　Vellem　in　amicitia　sic　erraremus；　et　isti　　　　　　Errori　nomen　virtus　posuisset　honestum。

But　he　would　never　allowed　him　to　have　called　a　slow　man　hasty；　or　a　hasty　writer　a　slow　drudge；　as　Juvenal　explains　it

　　　　　…　Canibus　pigris；　scabieque　vestusta　　　　　　Laevibus；　et　siccae　lambentibus　ora　lucernae；　　　　　　Nomen　erit；　Pardus；　Tigris；　Leo；　si　quid　adhuc　est　　　　　　Quod　fremit　in　terris　violentius。

Yet　Lucretius　laughs　at　a　foolish　lover；　even　for　excusing　the　imperfections　of　his　mistress

　　　　　Nigra　　est；　immunda　et　foetida　　　　　　　Balba　loqui　non　quit；　；　muta　pudens　est；　etc。

But　to　drive　it　ad　Aethiopem　cygnum　is　not　to　be　endured。　　I　leave　him　to　interpret　this　by　the　benefit　of　his　French　version　on　the　other　side；　and　without　further　considering　him；　than　I　have　the　rest　of　my　illiterate　censors；　whom　I　have　disdained　to　answer；　because　they　are　not　qualified　for　judges。　　It　remains　that　I　acquiant　the　reader；　that　I　have　endeavoured　in　this　play　to　follow　the　practice　of　the　ancients；　who；　as　Mr。　　Rymer　has　judiciously　observed；　are　and　ought　to　be　our　masters。　　Horace　likewise　gives　it　for　a　rule　in　his　art　of　poetry

　　　　　…　Vos　exemplaria　Graeca　　　　　　Nocturna　versate　manu；　versate　diurna。

Yet；　though　their　models　are　regular；　they　are　too　little　for　English　tragedy；　which　requires　to　be　built　in　a　larger　compass。　　I　could　give　an　instance　in　the　Oedipus　Tyrannus；　which　was　the　masterpiece　of　Sophocles；　but　I　reserve　it　for　a　more　fit　occasion；　which　I　hope　to　have　hereafter。　　In　my　style；　I　have　professed　to　imitate　the　divine　Shakespeare；　which　that　I　might　perform　more　freely；　I　have　disencumbered　myself　from　rhyme。　　Not　that　I　condemn　my　former　way；　but　that　this　is　more　proper　to　my　present　purpose。　　I　hope　I　need　not　to　explain　myself；　that　I　have　not　copied　my　author　servilely：　Words　and　phrases　must　of　necessity　receive　a　change　in　succeeding　ages；　but　it　is　almost　a　miracle　that　much　of　his　language　remains　so　pure；　and　that　he　who　began　dramatic　poetry　amongst　us；　untaught　by　any；　and　as　Ben　Jonson　tells　us；　without　learning；　should　by　the　force　of　his　own　genius　perform　so　much；　that　in　a　manner　he　has　left　no　praise　for　any　who　come　after　him。　　The　occasion　is　fair；　and　the　subject　would　be　pleasant　to　handle　the　difference　of　styles　betwixt　him　and　Fletcher；　and　wherein；　and　how　far　they　are　both　to　be　imitated。　　But　since　I　must　not　be　over…confident　of　my　own　performance　after　him；　it　will　be　prudence　in　me　to　be　silent。　Yet；　I　hope；　I　may　affirm；　and　without　vanity；　that；　by　imitating　him；　I　have　excelled　myself　throughout　the　play；　and　particularly；　that　I　prefer　the　scene　betwixt　Antony　and　Ventidius　in　the　first　act；　to　anything　which　I　have　written　in　this　kind。


PROLOGUE

What　flocks　of　critics　hover　here　to…day；　As　vultures　wait　on　armies　for　their　prey；　All　gaping　for　the　carcase　of　a　play！　With　croaking　notes　they　bode　some　dire　event；　And　follow　dying　poets　by　the　scent。　Ours　gives　himself　for　gone；　y'　have　watched　your　time：　He　fights　this　day　unarmed；without　his　rhyme；　And　brings　a　tale　which　often　has　been　told；　As　sad　as　Dido's；　and　almost　as　old。　His　hero；　whom　you　wits　his　bully　call；　Bates　of　his　mettle；　and　scarce　rants　at　all；　He's　somewhat　lewd；　but　a　well…meaning　mind；　Weeps　much；　fights　little；　but　is　wond'rous　kind。　In　short；　a　pattern；　and　companion　fit；　For　all　the　keeping　Tonies　of　the　pit。　I　could　name　more：　　a　wife；　and　mistress　too；　Both　（to　be　plain）　too　good　for　most　of　you：　The　wife　well…natured；　and　the　mistress　true。　　　Now；　poets；　if　your　fame　has　been　his　care；　Allow　him　all　the　candour　you　can　spare。　A　brave　man　scorns　to　quarrel　once　a　day；　Like　Hectors　in　at　every　petty　fray。　Let　those　find　fault　whose　wit's　so　very　small；　They've　need　to　show　that　they　can　think　at　all；　Errors；　like　straws；　upon　the　surface　flow；　He　who　would　search　for　pearls；　must　dive　below。　Fops　may　have　leave　to　level　all　they　can；　As　pigmies　would　be　glad　to　lop　a　man。　Half…wits　are　fleas；　so　little　and　so　light；　We　scarce　could　know　they　live；　but　that　they　bite。　But；　as　the　rich；　when　tired　with　daily　feasts；　For　change；　become　their　next　poor　tenant's　guests；　Drink　hearty　draughts　of　ale　from　plain　brown　bowls；　And　snatch　the　homely　rasher　from　the　coals：　So　you；　retiring　from　much　better　cheer；　For　once；　may　venture　to　do　penance　here。　And　since　that　plenteous　autumn　now　is　past；　Whose　grapes　and　peaches　have　indulged　your　taste；　Take　in　good　part；　from　our　poor　poet's　board；　Such　rivelled　fruits　as　winter　can　afford。




ALL　FOR　LOVE　　　or　THE　WORLD　WELL　LOST

A　TRAGEDY


DRAMATIS　PERSONAE

MARK　ANTONY。　VENTIDIUS；　his　General。　DOLABELLA；　his　Friend。　ALEXAS；　the　Queen's　Eunuch。　SERAPION；　Priest　of　Isis。　MYRIS；　another　Priest。　Servants　to　Antony。

CLEOPATRA；　Queen　of　Egypt。　OCTAVIA；　Antony's　Wife。　CHARMION；　Cleopatra's　Maid。　IRAS；　Cleopatra's　Maid。　Antony's　two　little　Daughters。


SCENE。Alexandria。



　　　　　Act　I

　　　　　Scene　I。The　Temple　of　Isis

　　　　　Enter　SERAPION；　MYRIS；　Priests　of　Isis

SERAPION。　　Portents　and　prodigies　have　grown　so　frequent；　That　they　have　lost　their　name。　　Our　fruitful　Nile　Flowed　ere　the　wonted　season；　with　a　torrent　So　unexpected；　and　so　wondrous　fierce；　That　the　wild　deluge　overtook　the　haste　Even　of　the　hinds　that　watched　it：　　Men　and　beasts　Were　borne　above　the　tops　of　trees；　that　grew　On　the　utmost　margin　of　the　water…mark。　Then；　with　so　swift　an　ebb　the　flood　drove　backward；　It　slipt　from　underneath　the　scaly　herd：　Here　monstrous　phocae　panted　on　the　shore；　Forsaken　dolphins　there　with　their　broad　tails；　Lay　lashing　the　departing　waves：　　hard　by　them；　Sea　horses　floundering　in　the　slimy　mud；　Tossed　up　their　heads；　and　dashed　the　ooze　about　them。

　　　　　Enter　ALEXAS　behind　them

MYRIS。　　Avert　these　omens；　Heaven！

SERAPION。　　Last　night；　between　the　hours　of　twelve　and　one；　In　a　lone　aisle　of　the　temple　while　I　walked；　A　whirlwind　rose；　that；　with　a　violent　blast；　Shook　all　the　dome：　　the　doors　around　me　clapt；　The　iron　wicket；　that　defends　the　vault；　Where　the　long　race　of　Ptolemies　is　laid；　Burst　open；　and　disclosed　the　mighty　dead。　》From　out　each　monument；　in　order　placed；　An　armed　ghost　starts　up：　　the　boy…king　last　Reared　his　inglorious　head。　　A　peal　of　groans　Then　followed；　and　a　lamentable　voice　Cried；　Egypt　is　no　more！　　My　blood　ran　back；　My　shaking　knees　against　each　other　knocked；　On　the　cold　pavement　down　I　fell　entranced；　And　so　unfinished　left　the　horrid　scene。

ALEXAS。　　And　dreamed　you　this？　or　did　invent　the　story；　　　　　　＇Showing　himself。＇　To　frighten　our　Egyptian　boys　withal；　And　train　them　up；　betimes；　in　fear　of　priesthood？

SERAPION。　　My　lord；　I　saw　you　not；　Nor　meant　my　words　should　reach　you　ears；　but　what　I　uttered　was　most　true。

ALEXAS。　　A　foolish　dream；　Bred　from　the　fumes　of　indigested　feasts；　And　holy　luxury。

SERAPION。　　I　know　my　duty：　This　goes　no　further。

ALEXAS。　　'Tis　not　fit　it　should；　Nor　would　the　times　now　bear　it；　were　it　true。　All　southern；　from　yon　hills；　the　Roman　camp　Hangs　o'er　us　black　and　threatening　like　a　storm　Just　breaking　on　our　heads。