TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar.

CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony.

SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's army.

EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar.

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE: In several parts of the Roman empire.

DRAMATIS PERSONA. First given, imperfectly, by Rowe.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Alexandria. A room in Cleopatra's palace.

Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.

Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,

That o'er the files and musters of the war

Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,

Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
And is become the bellows and the fan

To cool a gipsy's lust.

Flourish. Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, her Ladies, the Train, with Eunuchs fanning her.

5

10

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd

Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.

Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.
Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be beloved.
Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new

15

earth.

Enter an Attendant.

Att. News, my good lord, from Rome.
Ant.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:

Grates me: the sum.

Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows

If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you, 'Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform't, or else we damn thee.'

Ant.
Cleo.

How, my love!
Perchance! nay, and most like:

You must not stay here longer, your dismission

Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.

Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's I would say? both?
Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine

Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame

12.

The...world] Put in parenthe

ses in Fr.
13. fool] stool Warburton. tool
Grey conj.

17. Enter an Attendant.] Capell. Enter a Messenger. Ff.

18. Att.] Capell. Mes. Ff.

Rome.] Rome- Keightley. Grates me: the sum.] Grates me, the summe. Fr. Rate me, the summe. F2F3. Rate me, the summ. F4. Rate me the sum. Rowe. It grates me. Tell the sum. Pope. 'T grates me:-The sum. Capell.

Grates me:] Continued to

20

25

30

When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!
Ant. Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life
Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair
And such a twain can do't, in which I bind,
On pain of punishment, the world to weet
We stand up peerless.

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony

Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,

35

[Embracing.

Let's not confound the time with conference harsh:
There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
Without some pleasure now. What sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.
Ant.

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,

40

45

Fie, wrangling queen!

50

To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!

No messenger but thine; and all alone

To-night we'll wander through the streets and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;

32. messengers!] Collier. messengers. Ff. messengers- Theobald.

34. the ranged] the raing'd F,F2. the raign'd F3F4. the rais'd Rowe. derang'd Johnson conj. the rank'd Becket conj.

37. [Embracing.] Pope. om. Ff. 39. On] One F1.

40. Cleo.] Cleo. [aside. Johnson. Excellent] O excelling Seymour

conj.

42. I'll] I Capell.

42, 43. I'll...himself.] Divided as by Pope. One line in Ff.

43, 44. himself...Now,] himself, but stirr'd by Cleopatra. Ant. Now Upton conj.

44. her] his Rowe.

47. pleasure now. What] pleasure
new: what Warburton. pleasure:
now, what Jackson conj.

50. whose] F2F3F4. who Fr.
fully] fitly Collier MS.
52, 53. No... To-night] Divided as
by Rowe. One line in Ff.

52. messenger but thine;] messenger
but thine, Ff. messenger; but thine
Malone.

Last night you did desire it. Speak not to us.

55

[Exeunt Ant. and Cleo. with their train.
Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius prized so slight?
Phi. Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too short of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

Dem.

I am full sorry

That he approves the common liar, who
Thus speaks of him at Rome: but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow.

Rest you happy!

[Exeunt.

60

Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you praised so to the queen? O, that I knew this husband, which, you say, must charge his horns with garlands!

55. [Exeunt......] Steevens, after Capell. Exeunt with the Traine. Ff. 56. slight light Grey conj. 59-62. I am...happy!] Arranged as by Johnson. Prose in Ff and Rowe. Verse first by Pope.

59. I am full sorry] I'm sorry Pope.

60, 61. liar, who Thus speaks of him] liar Fame, Who speaks him thus Pope, ending line 60 at Fame.

SCENE II.] Pope.

Capell.

The same.

Another room.]

Enter...Soothsayer.] Steevens. Enter Enobarbus, Charmian,...... Rowe. Enter Alexas, Iras, Charmian, Soothsayer, and Others. Capell. Enter

Mardian the Eunuch, and Alexas. Ff
(a Soothsayer, F4).

I-4. Lord Alexas......garlands!]
Prose in Ff. Six lines of verse in
Capell, omitting Lord.

1. Lord] Johnson. L. Ff. om.
Pope.

sweet] most sweet Collier (Collier MS.).

2.

almost most] nay, almost most Capell. almost-most Nicholson conj. 3. so] om. F3F4.

3, 4. O...garlands!] As verse, S. Walker conj.

4. charge] Theobald (Warburton
and Southern MS.). change Ff chain
Jackson conj. hang Williams conj.
charge his horns with] change

Enobarbus, Lamprius, a Southsayer, for horns his Hanmer.
Rannius, Lucillius, Charmian, Iras,