The design certainly appeared _absurd_ enough
to Cleopatra, both as she thought it unreasonable in itself, and as she
knew it would fail.
V.ii.243 (263,7) the pretty worm of Nilus] _Worm_ is the Teutonick word
for _serpent_; we have the _blind-worm_ and _slow-worm_ still in our
language, and the Norwegians call an enormous monster, seen sometimes in
the northern ocean, the _sea-worm_.
V.ii.264 (263,9) the worm will do him kind] The serpent will act
according to his nature.
V.ii.305 (205,2) He'll make demand of her, and spend that kiss,/ Which
is my heaven to have] He will enquire of her concerning me, and kiss her
for giving him intelligence.
V.ii.352 (267,5) something blown] The flesh is somewhat _puffed_ or
_swoln_.
(268) General Observation. This play keeps curiosity always busy, and
the passions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the
variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one personage to
another, call the mind forward without intermission from the first act
to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the
frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts, some of
which are too low, which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very
strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired
to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill
and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice.
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