Ant. Cleopatra, Cleo. Why should I think, you can be mine, and true, Though you in swearing shake the thronged gods, Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness, To be entangled with those mouth-made vows, Which break themselves in swearing! Ant. Most sweet queen, Cleo. Nay, pray you seek no colour for your going, Bliss in our brows' bent; * none our parts so poor, Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world, Art turn'd the greatest liar. Ant. How now, lady! Cleo. I would, I had thy inches; thou shouldst know, 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 Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius Makes his approaches to the port of Rome: Equality of two domestic powers Breeds scrupulous faction: The hated grown to strength, Are newly grown to love: The condemn'd Pompey, Into the hearts of such as have not thrived Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten; Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me freedom, It does from childishness :-Can Fulvia die? Ant. She's dead, my queen: Look here, and, at thy sovereign leisure, read Cleo. O most false love! Where be the sacred vials thou should'st fill In Fulvia's death, how mine received shall be. Cleo. Cut my lace, Charmian, come; + Flavour. * Arch. + Gate. Il Commotion. But let it be.-I am quickly ill, and well; So Antony loves. Ant. My precious queen forbear; And give true evidence to his love, which stands Cleo. So Fulvia told me. I pr'ythee turn aside and weep for her; Like perfect honour. Ant. You'll heat my blood; no more. Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly. Cleo. And target,-Still he mends; But this is not the best: look pr'ythee, Charmian, The carriage of his chafe, † Ant. I'll leave you, lady. Cleo. Courteous lord, one word. Sir, you and I must part, but that's not it: And I am all forgotten. Ant. But that your royalty Holds idleness your subject, I should take you Cleo. Tis sweating labour, To bear such idleness so near the heart As Cleopatra this. But, Sir, forgive me; Since my becomings kill me, when they do no And all the gods go with you! upon your sword Ant. Let us go. Come; Our separation so abides, and flies, That thou, residing here, go'st yet with me, And I, hence fleeting, here remain with thee. Away. [Exeunt. SCENE IV-Rome. An Apartment in CESAR'S House. Enter OCTAVIUS CÆSAR, LEPIDUS, and Attendants. Cæs. You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know, It is not Cæsar's natural vice to hate One great competitor:§ from Alexandria This is the news; He fishes, drinks, and wastes *Egypt's queen. + Anger. § Associate. More womanly than he hardly gave audience, or Vouchsafed to think he had partners: You shall find there A man who is the abstract of all faults That all men follow. Lep. I must not think, there are Evils enough to darken all his goodness: His faults, in him, seem as the spots of heaven, Rather than purchased; * what he cannot change, Cas. You are too indulgent: let us grant, it is not To give a kingdom for a mirth; to sit And keep the turn of tippling with a slave; 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, Whom these things cannot blemish), yet must Antony So great weight in his lightness. + If he fill'd His vacancy with his voluptuousness, Full surfeits, and the dryness of his bones, Call on him for't: but, to confound‡ such time, That drums him from his sport, and speaks as loud As we rate boys; who, being mature in knowledge, Enter a MESSENGER. Lep. Here's more news. Mess. Thy biddings have been done; and every hour, Most noble Cæsar, shalt thou have report How 'tis abroad. Pompey is strong at sea; And it appears, he is beloved of those That only have fear'd Cæsar: to the ports 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 loved, till ne'er worth love, Comes dear'd, || by being lack'd. This common body, Like a vagabond flag upon the stream, Goes to, and back, lackeying the varying tide, ¶ 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 With keels of every kind: Many hot inroads * Acquired. + Levity. Following like a servant. Consume. ** Plough. They make in Italy; the borders maritime Lack blood* to think on't, and flush† youth revolt: Taken as seen; for Pompey's name strikes more, Cæs. Antony, Leave thy lascivious wassails. When thou once Did famine follow; whom thou fought'st against, Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets, Lep. It is pity of him. Cas. Let his shames quickly Drive him to Rome: "Tis time we twain Thrives in our idleness. Lep. To-morrow, Cæsar, I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly To 'front this present time. Cas. Till which encounter, It is my business too. Farewell. Lep. Farewell, my lord: What you shall know mean time Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, Sir, To let me be partaker. Cas. Doubt not, Sir; I knew it for my bond. § SCENE V-Alexandria. [Exeunt. A Room in the Palace. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN. Cleo. Charmian, Char. Madam. Cleo. Ha, ha! Give me to drink mandragora. Char. Why, Madam? Cleo. That I might sleep out this great gap of time, My Antony is away. Char. You think of him Cleo. O, treason! Char. Madam, I trust, not so. Cleo. Thou ennuch! Mardian ! Mar. What's your highness' pleasure? Cleo. Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure In aught a eunuch has: 'Tis well for thee, That, being unseminar'd,* thy freer thoughts May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections ? Cleo. Indeed ? Mar. Not in deed, Madam; for I can do nothing But what in deed is honest to be done: Yet have I fierce affections, and think, What Venus did with Mars. Cleo. O Charmian, Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? Or does he walk? or is he on his horse? O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st? The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm And burgonet † of men.-He's speaking now, Or murmuring, Where's my serpent of old Nile? With most delicious poison :-Think on me, And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Cæsar, Enter ALEXAS. Alex. Sovereign of Egypt, hail! Cleo. How much unlike art thou Mark Antony ? How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? He kiss'd, the last of many doubled kisses,— Alex. Good friend, quoth he, Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends To mend the petty present, I will piece Her opulent throne with kingdoms; All the east, Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke |