CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt.

OCTAVIA, Sifter to Cæfar, and Wife to Antony.

CHARMIAN,

IRAS,

Ladies attending on Cleopatra.

Ambaladors from Antony to Cæfar, Captains, Soldiers, Meffengers, and other Attendants.

The SCENE is difpers'd in feveral Parts of the Roman Empire.

Antony

Antony and Cleopatra.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

Phil.

The Palace at Alexandria in Ægypt.
Enter Demetrius and Philo.

N

AY, but this dotage of our General

O'erflows the measure; thofe his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and mufters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn
The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front. His captain's heart,
Which in the fcuffles of great fights hath burft
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
And is become the bellows and the fan

To cool a gypfy's luft. Look where they come !
Enter Antony, and Cleopatra, ber Ladies in the Train,
Eunuchs fanning ber.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a ftrumpet's fool. Behold and fee.

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 fet a borne how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then muft thou needs find out new heav'n, new earth.

Enter a Messenger.

Mef. News, my good Lord, from Rome,

Ant. It grates me. Tell the fum..

Cleo. Nay, hear it, Antony.

X 3

Fulvia

Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows,
If the fcarce-bearded Cæfar have not fent
His powerful mandate to you; Do this; or this;
Take in that kingdom, and infranchise that;
Perform't, or elfe we damn thee.

Ant. How, my love?

Cleo. Perchance, (nay, and moft like,)

You must not stay here longer, your difmiffion
Is come from Cæfar; therefore hear it, Antony.
Where's Fulvia's procefs? Cafar's? I would fay; both?
Call in the meffengers; as I'm Ægypt's Queen,
Thou blusheft, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cafar's homager: fo thy cheeks pay shame,
When fhrill-tongu'd Fulvia fcolds. The meffengers.
Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt, and the wide arch
Of the rais'd empire fall! here is my space,
Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike
Feeds beaft as man; the nobleness of life
Is to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair,
And fuch a twain can do't; in which, I bind
(On pain of punishment) the world to weet
We ftand up peerlefs.

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. But ftirr'd by Cleopatra:

[Embracing.

Now for the love of love, and his foft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh ;
There's not a minute of our lives fhould ftretch
Without fome pleasure now: what sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the ambaffadors.

Ant. Fie, wrangling Queen!

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whofe every paffion fully ftrives

To make it felf in thee fair and admir'd.

No meffenger but thine; and all alone

To-night we'll wander through the ftreets, and note
The qualities of people. Come, my Queen,

Laft

Laft night you did defire it. Speak not to us.

[Exeunt with their train.
Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd fo flight?
Phil. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too fhort of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.
Dem. I'm forry,

That he approves the common liar Fame,
Who speaks him thus at Rome; but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Reft you happy!

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Enter Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Sootbfayer. Char. Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almoft most abfolute Alexas, where's the Soothfayer that you prais'd, to th' Queen? Oh! that I knew this husband which, you fay, muft change for horns his garlands. Alex. Soothfayer!

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. 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. Madam, I make not, but foresee.

Char. Pray then, foresee me one.

Sooth. You fhall be yet

Far fairer than you are.

Cbar. He means in flesh.

Iras. No, you shall paint when old.

Char. Wrinkles forbid !

Alex. Vex not his prescience, be attentive.

Char. Hush!

Sooth. You fhall be more beloving, than beloved.

Char. I had rather heat my liver with much drinking.

Alex. Nay, hear him.

Char: Good now,

fome excellent fortune! Let me be married to three Kings in a forenoon, and widow them all;

let

let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage. Find me, to marry me with, Octavius Cæfar; 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 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 with, a million.

Char. Out, out, fool, I forgive thee for a witch. Alex. You think none but your fheets are privy to Your wishes.

Char. Nay come, and tell Iras hers.

Alex. We'll know all our fortunes.

no. Mine, and most of our fortunes to-night, fhall be to go drunk to bed.

Iras. There is a palm presages chastity,

If nothing else.

Char. E'en as th' o'erflowing Nile prefageth famine, Iras. Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot foothsay. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognoftication, I cannot fcratch mine ear, Pr'ythee, 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?

Iras. Not in my husband's nofe.

Char. Our worfer thoughts heav'ns mend! Come, his fortune, his fortune.

Alexas

Oh let him marry a

woman that cannot go, fweet Ifis, I beseech thee, and let her die too, and give him a worse, and let worfe follow worfe, 'till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold. Good Ifis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Ifis, I beseech thee!