Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO. Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's The office and devotion of their view Flourish, Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, her Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd. TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar. CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony. SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's army. EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar. ALEXAS, MARDIAN, a Eunuch, attendants on Cleo SELEUCUS, DIOMEDES, A Soothsayer. A Clown. patra. CLEOPATRA, queen of Egypt. OCTAVIA, sister to Cæsar and wife to Antony. CHARMIAN, IRAS, } attendants on Cleopatra. Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE: In several parts of the Roman empire. Perform't, or else we damn thee.' 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 31 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. [Embracing. Cleo. Ant. 40 But stirr'd by Cleopatra. Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours, 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. Fie, wrangling queen! Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, To weep; whose every passion fully strives To make itself, in thee, fair and admired! No messenger, but thine; and all alone 50 To-night we'll wander through the streets and note The qualities of people. Come, my queen; [Exeunt Ant. and Cleo. with their train. Alex. You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes. Char. Nay, come, tell Iras hers. Eno. Mine, and most of our fortunes, to-night, shall be-drunk to bed. Iras. There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. Char. E'en as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine. 60 Dem. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. Another room. Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Sooth sayer. 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! Alex. Soothsayer! Char. Is this the man? Is't you, sir, that know things? Sooth. In nature's infinite book of secrecy A little I can read. ΤΟ 50 Iras. Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars. Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? 60 Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you choose it? Iras. Not in my husband's nose. Char. Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas,-come, his fortune, his fortune! O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee! and let her die too, and give him a worse! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Isis, I beseech thee! Iras. Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to see wine a handsome man loose-wived, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded: therefore, dear Isis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly ! Sooth. You shall be yet far fairer than you are. Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old. Char. Amen. Enter CLEopatra. 21 Cleo. He was disposed to mirth; but on the A Roman thought hath struck him. Enobarbus! Cleo. Seek hin, and bring him hither. Where's Alex. Here, at your service. My lord ap proaches. 90 Cleo. We will not look upon him: go with us. Ant. There's a great spirit gone! sire it: 129 What our contempt doth often hurl from us, I must from this enchanting queen break off: Eno. What's your pleasure, sir? Ant. I must with haste from hence. Eno. Why, then, we kill all our women: we see how mortal an unkindness is to them; if they suffer our departure, death's the word. Ant. I must be gone. 140 Eno. Under a compelling occasion, let women die: it were pity to cast them away for nothing; though, between them and a great cause, they should be esteemed nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least noise of this, dies instantly; I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment: I do think there is mettle in death, which commits some loving act upon her, she hath such a celerity in dying. Ant. She is cunning past man's thought. 150 Eno. Alack, sir, no; her passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love: we cannot call her winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater storms and tempests than almanacs can, report: this cannot be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a shower of rain as well as Jove. Ant. Would I had never seen her! Eno. O, sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of work; which not to have been blest withal would have discredited your travel. Ant. Fulvia is dead. Eno. Sir? Ant. Fulvia is dead. Eno. Why, sir, give the gods a thankful sacrifice. When it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man from him, it shows to man the tailors of the earth; comforting therein, that when old robes are worn out, there are members to make new. If there were no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the case to be lamented: this grief is crowned with consolation; your old smock brings forth a new petticoat: and indeed the tears live in an onion that should water this sorrow. Ant. The business. she hath broached in the state Cannot endure my absence. 179 Eno. And the business you have broached here cannot be without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode. 190 Ant. No more light answers. Let our officers Which, like the courser's hair, hath yet but life, [Exeunt. SCENE III. The same. Another room. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS. Cleo. Where is he? Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian; I shall It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature Ant. What says the married woman? You may go: 20 O, never was there queen So mightily betray'd! yet at the first I saw the treasons planted. Ant. Cleo. Why should I think you can be mine and true, Cleopatra, Though you in swearing shake the throned gods, Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness, To be entangled with those mouth-made vows, 30 Which break themselves in swearing! Ant. Most sweet queen, Cleo. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going, But bid farewell, and go: when you sued staying, Then was the time for words: no going then ; Bliss in our brows' bent; none our parts so poor, Ant. There were a heart in Egypt. Ant. Hear me, queen; The strong necessity of time commands Our services awhile; but my full heart Remains in use with you. Our Italy 40 Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me freedom, It does from childishness: can Fulvia die? Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read 60 Cleo. The purposes I bear; which are, or cease, 70 My precious queen, forbear; And give true evidence to his love, which stands An honourable trial. Cleo. So Fulvia told me. Ant. You'll heat my blood: no more. So Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly. Ant. Now, by my sword, Cleo. And target. Still he mends; But this is not the best. Look, prithee, Charmian, How this Herculean Roman does become Ant. I'll leave you, lady. Courteous lord, one word. Ant. But that your royalty Holds idleness your subject, I should take you For idleness itself. Cleo. 'Tis sweating labour To bear such idleness so near the heart SCENE IV. Rome. Cæsar's house. Enter OCTAVIUS CESAR, reading a letter, LEPIDUS, and their Train. Cas. You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know, It is not Cæsar's natural vice to hate ΙΟ A man who is the abstract of all faults Cæs. You are too indulgent. Let us grant, it is not Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy; 19 To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet With knaves that smell of sweat: say this becomes him, As his composure must be rare indeed No way excuse his soils, when we do bear 30 As his own state and ours,-'tis to be chid As we rate boys, who, being mature in knowledge, Pawn their experience to their present pleasure, And so rebel to judgement. Enter a Messenger. Here's more news. 50 With keels of every kind: many hot inroads Cæs. 61 The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; 70 80 Till which encounter, Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir, Cæs. I knew it for Doubt not, sir; my bond. [Exeunt. Lep. Mess. Thy biddings have been done; and every hour, Most noble Cæsar, shalt thou have report Cas. I should have known no less. It hath been taught us from the primal state, .41 That he which is was wish'd until he were; |