VARRIUS, TAURUS, lieutenant-general to CÆSAR. CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to ANTONY. SILIUS, an officer in VENTIDIUS's army. EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from ANTONY to CÆSAR. ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELEUCUS, DIOMEDES, A Soothsayer. A Clown. attendants on CLEOPATRA. CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt. OCTAVIA, sister to CESAR, and wife to ANTONY. IRAS, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. ` SCENE.-Dispersed; in several parts of the Roman Empire. Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO. Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes, That o'er the files and musters 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 scuffles of great fights hath burst Take but good note, and you shall see in him Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see. 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 set a bourn how far to be belov'd. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth. Enter an Attendant. Att. News, my good lord, from Rome- Grates me :-The sum. Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony : Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent His powerful mandate to you, 'Do this, or this; Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that; Perform 't, or else we damn thee.' Ant. How, my love! Cleo. Perchance,- nay, and most like, Call in the messengers.-As I am Egypt's queen, sengers. Ant. Let Rome in Tiber melt! and the wide arch Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space. Cleo. Excellent falsehood! Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?—— Will be himself Ant. But stirr'd by Cleopatra.- Now, for the love of Love, and her soft hours, Let's not confound the time with conference harsh : There's not a minute of our lives should stretch Without some pleasure now: What sport to-night? Cleo. Hear the ambassadors. Ant. Fie, wrangling queen! Whom everything becomes, to chide, to laugh, To weep; whose every passion fully strives To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd! [Exeunt ANT. and CLEOP., with their Train. I'm full sorry That he approves the common liar who Thus speaks of him at Rome: But I will hope Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same. Another Room. Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Soothsayer. Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you praised so to the queen. O, that I knew this husband, which, you say, must change his horns with garlands! Alex. Soothsayer. 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. Show him your hand. Enter ENOBARBUS. 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 foresee. Char. Pray then, foresee me one. Sooth. You shall be yet far fairer than you are. Char. He means in flesh. Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old. Char. Wrinkles forbid ! Alex. Vex not his prescience: be attentive. Char. Hush! Sooth. You shall be more beloving than belov'd. Char. I had rather heat my liver with drinking. Alex. Nay, hear him. VI. D 2 Char. Good now, some 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 Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress. Sooth. You shall outlive the lady whom you serve. Char. O excellent! I love long life better than figs. Sooth. You have seen and prov'd a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach. Char. Then, belike my children shall have no names: Prithee, how many boys and wenches must I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertile every wish, 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, shall be drunk to bed. Iras. There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. Char. Even as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine. Iras. Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot sooth say. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful nostication, I cannot scratch mine ear. tell her but a worky-day fortune. Sooth. Your fortunes are alike. progPrithee, Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars. Sooth. I have said. Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you choose it? Iras. Not in my husband's nose. Char. Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas,-come, his fortune, his fortune;-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee! And let her die too, and give him a worse! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight, good Isis, I beseech thee! |