With moft delicious poifon: Think on me,
That am with Phebus' amorous pinches black,
And wrinkled deep in time. Broad-fronted Cafar,
When thou waft here above the ground, I was
A morfel for a monarch; and great Pompey
Would ftand and make his eyes grow in my brow,
There would he anchor his afpect, and die
With looking on his life.

Enter Alexas.

Alex. Sovereign of Ægypt, hail!

Cleo. How much art thou unlike Mark Antony? Yet coming from him, that great med'cin hath With his tinct gilded thee. How goes it with

My brave Mark Antony?

Alex. Laft thing he did, dear Queen,
He kift, the laft of many doubled kiffes,
This orient pearl. His fpeech fticks in my heart.
Cleo. Mine ear muft pluck it thence.

Alex. Good friend, quoth he,

Say the firm Roman to great Ægypt fends
This treasure of an oyfter; at whose foot,
To mend the petty prefent, I will pace

Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the Eaft,
Say thou, fhall call her miftrefs. So he nodded,
And foberly did mount an arm-girt fteed,

Who neigh'd fo high, that what I would have spoke,
Was beaft-like dumb'd by him.

Cleo. What, was he fad

Or merry?

Alex. Like to the time o' th' year, between Th' extreams of hot and cold, he was not fad

Nor merry.

Cleo. Oh well divided difpofition!

Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him,

He was not fad, for he would fhine on those

That make their looks by his. He was not merry,
Which feem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy; but between both.
Oh heav'nly mingle! be'ft thou fad, or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes,

I

So do's it no man elfe. Met'ft thou my posts ?
Alex. Ay, Madam, twenty feveral meffengers.
Why do you fend fo thick ?

Cleo. Who's born that day

When I forget to fend to Antony,

Shall die a beggar.

Ink and paper, Charmian.

Welcome, my good Alexas.

Did I, Charmian,

Ever love Cæfar fo?

Char. Oh, that brave Cæfar!

Cleo. Be choak'd with fuch another emphafis!

Say, the brave Antony.

Char. The valiant Cæfar.

Cleo. By Ifis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cæfar paragon again

My man of men.

Char. By your moft gracious pardon,

I fing but after you.

Cleo. My fallad days!

When I was green in judgment, cold in blood!

To fay as I faid then!.

But come away,

Get me ink and paper; he fhall have every day
A feveral greeting, or I'll unpeople Ægypt.

ACT II. SCENE I.

SICILY.

Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas.
F the great Gods be juft, they fhall affift

Pom. The deeds of jufteft men.

Mene. Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

[Exeunt.

Pom. While we are fuitors to their throne, decays

The thing we fue for.

Men. We, ignorant of our felves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wife powers
Deny us for our good; fo find we profit

By lofing of our prayers.

Pom. I fhall do well:

The people love me, and the fea is mine;
My power's a crefcent, and my auguring hope
Says it will come to th' full. Mark Antony

In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make
No wars without doors. Cæfar gets mony where
He lofes hearts; Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd ; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

Mene. Cæfar and Lepidus

Are in the field, a.mighty ftrength they carry.
Pom. Where have you this? 'tis false.

Mene. From Silvius, Sir.

Pom. He dreams; they are in Rome together looking For Antony: but all the charms of love,

Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, luft with both;
Tie up the libertine in a field of feafts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloylefs fawce his appetite;

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even to a Letbe'd dulnefs!

How now, Varrius ?

Enter Varrius.

Var. This is most certain, that I fhall deliver:
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected. Since he went from Egypt, 'tis
A fpace for farther travel.

Pom. I could have given less matter
A better ear, Menas, I did not think

This am'rous furfeiter would have donn'd his helm
For fuch a petty war; his foldiership

Is twice the other twain; but let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our firring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er luft-wearied Antony.

Men. I cannot hope,

Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together.
His wife, who's dead, did trefpaffes to Cafar,
His brother warr'd upon him, although I think
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom. I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater.
Were't not that we stand up against them all,

'Twere

"Twere pregnant they should square between themselves ; For they have entertained cause enough

To draw their fwords; but how the fear of us
May cement their divifions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be't as our Gods will have't; it only stands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

SCENE II. ROME.
Enter Ænobarbus and Lepidus.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,
And thall become you well, t' entreat your captain
To foft and gentle speech.

Eno. I fhall entreat him

To answer like himself; if Cafar move him,

Let Antony look over Cafar's head,

And fpeak as loud as Mars.

By Jupiter,

Were I the wearer of Antonio's beard,

I would not fhave't to-day.

Lep. 'Tis not a time

For private ftomaching.

no. Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in't.

Lep. But fmall to greater matters must give way.
Eno. Not if the fmall come first.

Lep. Your fpeech is paffion;

But pray you ftir no embers up.

The noble Antony.

Here comes

Enter Antony and Ventidius.

no. And yonder Cæfar.

Enter Cæfar, Mecænas, and Agrippa.

Ant. If we compofe well here, to Parthia,

Hark thee, Ventidius.

Caf. I do not know, Mecanas; ask Agrippa.
Lep. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was moft great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amifs,

May it be gently heard! When we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murther in healing wounds. Then, noble partners,

(The

(The rather for I earnestly befeech)

Touch you the fowreft points with sweetest terms,

Nor curftness grow to th' matter.

Ant. 'Tis fpoken well;

Were we before our armies and to fight,

I fhould do thus.

Caf. Welcome to Rome.

Ant. Thank you.

Caf. Sit.

Ant. Sit, Sir.

Caf. Nay, then

Ant. I learn you take things ill, which are not fo: Or being, concern you not.

Caf. I must be laught at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should fay my felf offended, and with you

Chiefly i' th' world: more laught at, that I should
Once name you derogately; when to found

Your name it not concern'd me.

Ant. My being in Egypt, Cafar, what was't to you?
Caf. No more than my refiding here at Rome
Might be to you in Ægypt: if you there

Did practife on my state, your being in Ægypt
Might be my question.

Ant. How intend you, practis'd?

Caf. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent,
By what did here befall. Your wife and brother
Made wars upon me, and their conteftation

Was theam'd for you, you were the word of war.
Ant. You do miftake the bufinefs: my brother never
Did urge me in this act: I did inquire it,

And have my learning from fome true reporters
That drew their fwords with you. Did he not rather
Difcredit my authority with yours,

And make the wars alike against my stomach,
Having alike your caufe? of this my letters
Before did fatisfie you. If you'll patch a quarrel,
(As matter whole you've not to make it with,)
It must not be with this.

Caf. You praife your felf,

By