Antony and Cleopatra. ACTI SCENE I. SCENE Alexandria in Ægypt. Enter Demetrius and Philo. PHILO. AY, but this Dotage of our General Eyes That o'er the Files and Mufters of the War, now turn The Office and Devotion of their view To cool a Gypfies Luft. Look where they come ! VOL. VI. A 4 Enter Enter Antony, and Cleopatra, her Ladies; the Train, with Take but good Note, and you fhall fee him, Cleo. If it be Love indeed, tell me how much? Ant. Then must thou needs find out new Heav'n, new Earth. Enter a Messenger. Mef. News, my good Lord, from Rome. Cleo. Nay, hear them Antony. Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows. Ant. How, my Love? Cleo. Perchance, nay, and moft like, Cleo. Excellent Falfhood! Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her? I'll feem the Fool I am not. Antony will be himself. Ant. Ant. But ftirr'd by Cleopatra. Now for the love of love, and his foft Hours, Ant. Fie wrangling Queen! Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, To Night we'll wander through the Streets, and note [Exeunt with their Train. Dem. Is Cafar with Antonius priz'd so flight? Phil. Sir, fometimes when he is not Antony, He comes too fhort of that great Property Which ftill fhould go with Antony. Dem. I am full forry, that he approves the common Liar, who thus fpeaks of him at Rome; but I will hope of better Deeds to morrow. Reft you happy. [Exeunt. Enter Enobardus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Southsayer. Char. L. Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almost most abfolute Aexas, where's the Soothsayer that you prais'd to th' Queen? Oh! that I knew this Huf band, which you fay, muft change his Horns with Garlands. Alex. Soothsayer. South. 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. Shew him your Hand, Eno. Bring in the Banquet quickly: Wine enough, Cleopatra's Health to drink. Char. Good Sir, give me good Fortune, Sooth. I make not, but forefee. Char. Pray then, forefee me one. Sooth. You fhall be yet far fairer than you are. Iras. No, you hall paint when you are old. Alex. Vex not his Patience, be attentive. Char. Huh! Sooth. You fhall be more beloving, then beloved. Char. Good now, fome 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 Cafar, and Companion me with my Mistress. Sooth. You fhall out-live the Lady whom you ferve. Char. Oh excellent, I love long Life better than Figs. Sooth. You have feen and proved a fairer former Fortune, than that which is to approach. Char. Then belike my Children fhall have no Names; Prithee how many Boys and Wenches muft I have? Sooth. If every of your Wifhes had a Womb, And foretel every With, 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. Alex. We'll know all our Fortunes. Eno. Mine, and most of our Fortunes to night, fhall be to go drunk to Bed. Iras. There's a Palm prefages Chastity, if nothing else. Char. E'en as the o'erflowing Nylus prefageth Famine. Iras. Go you wild Bedfellow, you cannot Soothsay. Char. Nay, if an oily Palm be not a fruitful Prognoftication, 1 cannot fcratch mine Ear. Prithee tell her but a Workyday Fortune. Sooth. Your Fortunes are alike. Iras. But how, but how-give me particulars. Sooth. I have faid. Iras. Am I not an inch of Fortune better than the? Char. Well, if you were but an inch of Fortune better than I; where would you chufe it? Oh let him Iras. Not in my Husband's Nofe. Char. Our worfer thoughts Heav'ns mend. Alex. Come, his Fortune, his Fortune. Marry a Woman that cannot go, fweet fis, I beseech thee, and let her die too, and give him a worfe, and let worse follow worfe, 'till the worst of all follow him laughing to his Grave, Fifty-fold a Cuckold. Good is, hear me this Prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more Weight; good Ifis, I beseech thee. Char. Amen, dear Goddefs, hear that Prayer of the People. For, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handsome Man loofe-wiv'd, so it is a deadly Sorrow, to behold a foul Knave Uncuckolded; therefore dear Ifis, keep decorum, and Fortune him accordingly. Char. Amen. Alex. Lo now, if it lay in their Hands to make me a Cuckold, they would make themselves Whores, but they'd do't. Enter Cleopatra. Eno. Hufh, here comes Antony. Char. Not he, the Queen. Cleo. Saw you my Lord? Eno. No, Lady. Cleo. Was he not here ? Char. No, Madam. Cleo. He was difpos'd to Mirth,but on the fudden A Roman thought had ftruck him. Enobarbus. Eno. Madam. Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither; where's Alexas? Alex. Here at your Service, my Lord approaches. Enter Antony with a Messenger and Attendants. Cleo. We will not look upon him; go with us. [Exeunt. Mef. Fulvia thy Wife, firft came into the Field. Ant. Againft my Brother Lucius ? Mef. Ay, but foon that War had end, and the times ftate Made Friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Cefar, Whose better Iflue in the War of Italy, Upon the first encounter drave them. Ant. Well, what worst? Mf. The Nature of Bad News infects the Teller. |