"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 ! Flourish. Enter Antony and Cleopatra, her Ladies in the train, Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him "The triple pillar of the world transform'd "Into a strumpet's ftool. Behold, and fee. Clco. 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 bourn how far to be belov'd,

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

Enter a Messenger.

Me. News, my good Lord, from Rome.
Ant. It grates me. Tell the fum.
Cleo. Nay, hear it, Antony.

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 dismission Is come from Cæfar; therefore hear it, Antony. Where's Fulvia's process? Cæfar's? I'd fay both? Call in the meffengers; as I'm Egypt's Queen, Thou blufheft, Antony, and that blood of thine Is Cæfar's homager; elfe, fo thy cheeks pay fhame, 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 noblenefs of life

Is to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair, [Embracing, And fuch a twain can do't; in which, I bind (On pain of punishment) the world to weet

We ftand up peerless.

Cleo. Excellent falsehood!

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.

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 should stretch

Without fome pleasure new.
Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.

What sport to-night?

Ant. "Fie, wrangling Queen!

"Whom every thing becomes; to chide, to laugh, "To weep: whofe every paffion fully ftrives "To make itself in thee fair and admir'd. No meffenger, but thine;and all alone, To night we'll wander through the freets, and note The qualities of people, Come, my Queen, Last night you did defire it. Speak not to us.

[Exeunt, with their train.

Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd fo flight ? .
Phil. Sir, Sometimes, 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 lyar, Fame,
Who speaks him thus at Rome; but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Reft you happy!

[Exeunt.

Enter Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almost molt abfolute Alexas, where's the foothfayer that you prais'd fo to th' Queen? Oh that I knew this husband, which you fay muft charge his horns with garlands.

Alex. Soothfayer.

Sooth. Your will?

Char. Is this the man? Is't you, Sir, that know things?

Sooth. In Nature's infinite bock of secrecy,

A little I can read.

VOL, VII.

G

Alex. Shew him your hand.

Ano. 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, foresee me one.

Sooth. You fhall be yet far fairer than you are.

Char. He means in flesh.

Iras. No, you fhall paint when you are

Char. Wrinkles forbid !

old.

Alex. Vex not his prefcience, be attentive.

Char. Hufh!

Sooth. You fhall be more beloving than beloved.
Char. I had rather heat my liver with 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 me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage! find me, to marry rae with, Octavius Cæfar, and companion me with my mistress. Sooth. You fhall outlive the lady whom 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.

you

Char. Then, belike, my children fhall have no names *.

Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches muft I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb,

And fertile every with, a million.

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

Char. Nay, come, tell Iras her's.

Alex. We'll know all our fortunes.

Eno. Mine, and moft of our fortunes to-night, fhall be to go drunk to bed.

Iras. There's a palm prefages chastity, if nothing elfe.

Char. Ev'n as the o'erflowing Nilus prefageth famine.
Iras. Go, you wild bed-fellow, you cannot foothsay.
Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful progno
i. c. be of no note,

ftication, I cannot fcratch mine ear. Pr'ythee, tell

her but a workyday fortune.

Sooth. Your fortunes are alike.
Iras. But how, but how?

Sooth. I have faid.

-give me particulars.

Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than fhe? Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you chuse it?

Iras. Not in my husband's nose.

Char. Our worfer thoughts heav'ns mend! Alexas, Come, his fortune; his fortune.— -O, 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 a worse follow worst, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fiftyfold a cuckold! Good Ifis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Ifis, 1 befeech thee!

Iras. Amen, dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people ! for, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handfome man loose wiv'd, fo it is a deadly forrow 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 themfelves whores but they'd do't.

SCENE III. Enter Cleopatra.

Eno. Huh! 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 difpofed to mirth, but on the fudden A Roman thought hath ftruck him. Anobarbus. Eno. Madam.

Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's

Alexas?

Alex. Here at your fervice. My Lord approaches.

G. 2

Enter Antony with a messenger and Attendants.
Cleo. We will not look upon him; go with us.
[Exeunt.
Me. Fulvia thy wife firft came into the field.
Ant. Against my brother Lucius?

Me. Ay, but foon that war had end, and the
Time's state

Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainit Cæfar:
Whofe better iffue in the war, from Italy,

Upon the first encounter, drave them.

Ant. Well, what worft?

Me. The nature of bad news infects the teller.

Ant. "When it concerns the fool or coward; on-
Things that are past are done with me.
'Tis thus;
Who tells me true, though in the tale lie death,
I hear as if he flatter'd

Mef Labienus (this is stiff news)

Hath, with his Parthian force, extended Afia;
From Euphrates his conquering banner fhook,
From Syria to Lydia and Ionia;

Whilft

Ant. Antony, thou woulḍft say.
Me. Oh, my Lord!

Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the gen'ral
Name Cleopatra as fhe's call'd in Rome.

[tongue;

Rail thou in Fulvia's phrafe, and taunt my faults
With fuch full licence, as both truth and malice

Have power to utter. Oh, then we bring forth weeds,
When our quick minds lie ftill; and our ill told us,
Is as our earing. Fare thee well a while.

Me. At your noble pleasure.

Ant. From Sicyon, how the news? fpeak there.
Me. The man from Sicyon, is there fuch an one?
[Exit first messenger.
Attend. He stays upon your will.

Ant. Let him appear.

Thefe ftrong Egyptian fetters I must break,
Or lofe myself in dotage, What are you?

Enter another Messenger with a letter,

2 Me. Fulvia thy wife is dead.