Thyreus, Gallus, Varrius, } Friends to Pompey Taurus, Lieutenant-General to Cæsar. Euphronius, Ambassador from Antony to Alexas, Mardian, Seleucus, and Diomedes, A Soothsayer. A Clown. Octavia, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony. Charmian, Iras, Attendants on Cleopatra. Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE,-Dispersedly in several Parts of the Roman Empire. ACT I. His powerful mandate to you, this; "Do this, or SCENE I.-Alexandria. A Room in Cleopa-Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that; tra'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 Enter Antony and Cleopatra, with their 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 belov'd. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth. Enter an Attendant. Att. News, my good lord, from Rome. Ant. Grates me the sum. Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony: Fulvia, perchance, is angry; or, who knows If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent Perform't, or else we damn thee." tony. Ant. How, my love! Cleo. Perchance-nay and most like, [sion You must not stay here longer; your dismisIs come from Cæsar: therefore hear it, An[say? Both?Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's, I would Call in the messengers.-As I am Egypt's queen, [thine Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame [sengers! When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds. The mesAnt. Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space. And such a twain can do't, in which I bind, Cleo. Scene 2. note The qualities of people. Come, my queen; [Exeunt Ant. and Cleo., with their train. Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius priz'd so slight? Phi. Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony, I am full sorry SCENE II.-Alexandria. Rest you happy. [Exeunt. Another Room in Sooth. You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune, Than that which is to approach. Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no names: pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches must I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertile every wish, a million. Char. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch. Alex. You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes. Char. Nay, come, tell Iras hers. Iras. There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. Char. Even as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine. 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 particu- [lars. Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better she? the Palace. Enter Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Soothsayer. Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any-than 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! Sooth. Your will? 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. Alex. Show him your hand. Char. Good sir, give me good fortune. Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive. [ing. Char. Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all: let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage: find me to marry me with Octavius Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress. Sooth. You shall outlive the lady whom you [than figs. Char. O excellent! I love long life better] serve. 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 heaven 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 Alex. Lo, now, if it lay in their hands to A Char. No, madam. Eno. No, lady. [sudden, Cleo. He was dispos'd to mirth; but on the Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Alex. Here, at your service. My lord ap- Enter Antony, with a Messenger and Attend- My idleness doth hatch. Ho, Enobarbus! (This is stiff news) hath, with his Parthian force, Ant. Antony, thou wouldst say,- With such full licence, as both truth and malice Enter Enobarbus. 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. 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. 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 blessed withal, would have discredited your travel. Ant. Fulvia is dead. Eno. Sir? Ant. Fulvia is dead. Eno. Fulvia ! Ant. 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 Mess. At your noble pleasure. [Exit. man the tailors of the earth; comforting thereAnt. From Sicyon, ho, the news! Speak in, that when old robes are worn out, there are [a one? members to make new. If there were no 1 Att. The man from Sicyon,--is there such more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed 2 Att. He stays upon your will. Ant. These strong Egyptian fetters I must break, Or lose myself in dotage. there! a cut, and the case to be lamented: this grief Let him appear.-is crowned with consolation; your old smock brings forth a new petticoat-and, indeed, the tears live in an onion that should water this Enter another Messenger. What are you? 2 Mess. Fulvia thy wife is dead. Ant. 2 Mess. In Sicyon : What our contempts do often hurl from us, I must from this enchanting queen break off: sorrow. Ant. The business she hath broached in the Cannot endure my absence. [state Eno. And the business you have broached Ant. No more light answers. Let our Scene 3. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Upon his son; who, high in name and power, Which, like the courser's hair, hath yet but life, I shall do it. SCENE III.-Another Room in the Palace. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas. I did not see him since. Cleo. See where he is, who's with him, what he does : I did not send you. If you find him sad, You do not hold the method to enforce What should I do, I do not? [bear: Enter Antony. I am sick, and sullen. Cleo. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for staying, [poor, Ant. Cleo. I would How now, lady! had thy inches; thou There were a heart in Egypt. Hear me, queen : The strong necessity of time commands Breeds scrupulous faction: the hated, grown Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey, Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace threaten; And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge Cleo. Though age from folly could not give It does from childishness :-can Fulvia die? Ant. She's dead, my queen : [shall fall: The garboils she awak'd; at the last, best, Look here, and, at thy sovereign leisure, read Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian; I See when and where she died. It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature Will not sustain it. Now, my dearest queen,- some good news. What says the married woman? You may go: O, never was there queen Ant. Cleopatra, [gods, Ant. O most false love! know The purposes I bear; which are, or cease, Cut my lace, Charmian, come :- Ant. My precious queen, forbear; Ant. You'll heat my blood: no more. Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is How this Herculean Roman does become Ant. Cleo. "Tis sweating labour No way excuse his soils, when we do bear As his own state and ours,-'tis to be chid Pawn their experience to their present pleasure, Lep. Here's more news. Mess. Thy biddings have been done; and every hour, Most noble Cæsar, shalt thou have report Cæs. I should have known no less: It hath been taught us from the primal state, That he which is, was wish'd, until he were ; And the ebb'd man ne'er lov'd, till ne'er worth Let us go. Come; love, [body, Our separation so abides, and flies, Comes dear'd by being lack'd. This common That thou, residing here, go'st yet with me, Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream, And I, hence fleeting, here remain with thee.Goes to and back, lackeying the varying tide, Away! [Exeunt. To rot itself with motion. Mess. Cæsar, I bring thee word, Menecrates and Menas, famous pirates, Make the sea serve them, which they ear and wound SCENE IV.-Rome. Cæsar's House. Enter Octavius Cæsar, Lepidus, and Attend ants. Ces. You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth It is not Cæsar's natural vice to hate [know, Our great competitor: from Alexandria This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes The lamps of night in revel: is not more manlike or Than Cleopatra; nor the queen of Ptolemy Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy; (As his composure must be rare indeed, With keels of every kind: many hot inroads Cæs. revolt : No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as soon [more Though daintily brought up, with patience Than savages could suffer: thou didst drink The stale of horses, and the gilded puddle, Which beasts would cough at: thy palate then did deign The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; Lep. |