You do not hold the method to enforce
The like from him.

Cleo. What fhould I do, I do not?

Char. In each thing give him way, crofs him in nothing.. Cleo. Thou teacheft like a fool: the way to lofe him. Char. Tempt him not fo, too far. I wish, forbear; In time we hate that which we often fear.

Enter Antony.

But here comes Antony.

Cleo. I'm fick, and fullen.

Ant. I am forry to give breathing to my purpose. Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall, It cannot be thus long, the fides of nature

Will not fuftain it.

Ant. Now, my dearest Queen,

Cleo. Pray you ftand farther from me.

Ant. What's the matter?

[Seeming to faint.

Cleo. I know by that fame eye there's fome good news! What fays the marry'd woman? you may go;

Would the had never given you leave to come:

Let her not fay 'tis I that keep you here,

I have no pow'r upon you: hers you are.
Ant. The Gods beft know-

Cleo. Oh never was there Queen
So mightily betray'd; yet at the first
I faw the treafons planted.

Ant. Cleopatra,

Cleo. Why fhould I think you can be mine, and true, Though you with fwearing fhake the throned Gods, Who have been falfe to Fulvia? riotous madness! To be entangled with these mouth-made vows, Which break themselves in fwearing.

Ant. Moft fweet Queen,

Cleo. Nay, pray you feek no colour for your going, But bid farewel, and go: when you fued staying, Then was the time for words: no going then;

Eternity

Eternity was in our lips, and eyes,

Blifs in our brows, none of our parts 8

9

fo poor,

But was a 'ray` of heav'n. They are fo ftill,

Or thou the greateft foldier of the world

Art turn'd the greatest liar.

Ant. How now, Lady?

Cleo. I would I had thy inches, thou fhould't know There were a heart in Egypt.

Ant. Hear me, Queen;

The strong neceffity of time commands

Our fervices awhile; but my full heart
Remains in ufe with you. Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil fwords; Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome.

Equality of two domestick pow'rs

Breeds fcrupulous faction; the hated, grown to ftrength,

Are newly grown to love; the condemn'd Pompey
Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace
Into the hearts of fuch, as have not thriv'n
Upon the prefent ftate, whofe numbers threaten ;
And quietnefs, grown fick of reft, would purge
By any defperate change. My more particular,
And that which moft with you fhould 'falve my going,
ls Fulvia's death.

Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me freedom, It does from childifhnefs. Can Fulvia die?

Ant. She's dead, my Queen.

Look here, and at thy fovereign leisure read
The garboils fhe awak'd; at the last, best.
See when, and where fhe died.

Cleo. O moft falfe love!

Where be the facred vials thou shou'dft fill

With forrowful water? now I fee, I fee,

In Fulvia's death, how mine fhall be receiv'd.
Ant. Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know
The purposes I bear; which are, or cease,

As you shall give th' advices: by the fire

VOL. V.

T

8 brows bent, none our 9 race A fave ... old edit. Theob. emend.

That

That quickens Nilus' flime, I go from hence
Thy foldier, fervant, making peace or war,
As thou affect'ft.

Cleo. Cut my lace, Charmian, come;
But let it be, I'm quickly ill, and well,
So Antony loves.

Ant. My precious Queen, forbear,

And give true evidence to his love, which stands
An honourable tryal.

Cleo. So Fulvia told me:

I pr'ythee turn afide, and weep for her,
Then bid adieu to me, and fay the tears
Belong to Egypt. Good now, play one scene
Of excellent diffembling, let it look

Like perfect honour.

Ant. You'll heat my blood; no more.

'Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly. Ant. Now by my fword

Cleo. And target. Still he mends.

But this is not the beft. Look pr'ythee, Charmian,
How this Herculean Roman does become

The carriage of his chafe.

Ant. I'll leave you, Lady.

Cleo. Courteous Lord, one word:

Sir, you and I muft part, but that's not it,
Sir, you and I have lov'd, but there's not it,
That you know well; fomething it is I would:
Oh my oblivion is a very Antony.

And I am all forgotten.

Ant. But that your royalty

Holds idlenefs your fubject, I fhould take you
For idlenefs it felf.

Cleo. 'Tis fweating labour,

To bear fuch idlenefs fo near the heart,

As Cleopatra this. But, Sir, forgive me,

Since my becomings kill me, when they do not

Eye

(a) All forgotten, is an old way of speaking for, apt to forget every

Eye well to you. Your honour calls you hence,
Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly,

And all the Gods go with you! On your fword
Sit lawrell'd victory, and fmooth fuccefs
Be ftrew'd before your feet!

Ant. Let us go: come,

Our feparation fo abides and flies,

That thou refiding here, goeft yet with me,
And I hence fleeting, here remain with thee.

[Exeunt

V.

Cæfar's Palace in Rome.

Enter Octavius Cæfar reading a Letter, Lepidus, and

Attendants.

Caf. You may fee, Lepidus, and henceforth know,
It is not Cafar's natural vice, to hate

A great competitor. From Alexandria
This is the news; he fishes, drinks, and waftes
The lamps of night in revels; not more manly
Than Cleopatra; nor the Queen of Ptolemy
More womanly than he hardly gave audience,
Or did vouchsafe to think that he had partners.
You fhall find there a man, who is the abftract
Of all faults all men follow.

Lep. I must not think

They're evils enough to darken all his goodness
His faults in him feem as the fpots of ermine,
Or fires by night's blackness: hereditary,
Rather than purchaft; what he cannot change,
Than what he chufes.

Caf. You're too indulgent. Let us grant it is not
Amifs to tumble on the bed of Ptolomy,
To give a kingdom for a mirth, to fit
And keep the turn of tipling with a slave,

2 One

T 2

3 of heav'n, more fiery

Το

To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet
With knaves that fmell of fweat; fay this becomes him;
(As his compofure must be rare indeed

Whom thefe things cannot blemish) yet muft Antony
No way excufe his foils, when we do bear

So great weight in his lightnefs. If he fill'd
His vacancy with his voluptuoufnefs;
Full furfeits, and the drynefs of his bones,
Call on him for't. But to confound fuch time,
That drums him from his fport, and fpeaks as loud
As his own ftate, and ours; 'tis to be chid,
As we rate boys, who 'immature in knowledge,
Pawn their experience to their prefent pleasure,
And fo rebel to judgment.

Enter a Meffenger.

Lep. Here's more news.

• Mef. Thy biddings have been done; and every hour,
Moft noble Cafar, fhalt thou have report
How 'tis abroad. Pompey is ftrong at sea,
And it appears, he is belov'd of thofe
That only have fear'd Cefar: to the ports
The difcontents repair, and mens reports
Give him much wrong'd.

Cef. I fhould have known no lefs;

It hath been taught us from the primal ftate,
That he which is, was wifh'd until he were :

And the ebb'd man, ne'er lov'd 'till ne'er worth love,

'Comes dear'd' by being lack'd. The common body, Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream,

Goes to, and back, 7'lacquying the varying tide
To rot it felf with motion,

Mef. Cefar, I bring thee word,

Menecrates and Menas, famous pirates,'

Make the fea ferve them, which they ear and wound
With keels of every kind. Many hot inroads

4 being mature

They

This 7 lafhing or lacking.

old edit. Thebemend.