Whofe better iffue in the war from Italy, Mef. The nature of bad news infects the teller. Mef. Labienus (this is stiff news) 2. Hath, with his Parthian force, extended Afia; Whilft Ant. Antony, thou wouldst say Mef. Oh, my Lord! Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the gen'ral tongue; Name Cleopatra as fhe's call'd in Rome. Rail thou in Fulvia's phrafe, and taunt my faults Mef. At your noble pleasure. Ant. From Sicyon, how the news? fpeak there. Mef. The Man from Sicyon, is there fuch an one? [Exit first Meffenger. Attend. He stays upon your will. -extended Afia;] i. e. widened or extended the bounds of the leffer Afia. 3 When our quick WINDS lye fill; We fhould read MINDS. The m was accidentally turn'd the wrong way at the prefs. The fenfe is this, While the active principle within us lies immerged in floth and luxury, we bring forth vices inflcad of virtues, weeds inftead of flowers and fruits: But the laying before us our ill condition plainly and honeftly is, at it were, the first culture of the mind, which gives hopes of a future harvest. This he fays to encourage the meffenger to hide nothing from him. Ant. Ant. Let him appear; Thefe ftrong Egyptian fetters I must break, Enter another Messenger, with a Letter. 2 Mef. Fulvia thy wife is dead. Ant. Where died fhe? 2 Mef. In Sicyon. Her length of fickness, with what else more ferious Importeth thee to know, this bears. Ant. Forbear me.→→→ [Exit fecond Meffenger. The oppofite of itself; fhe's good, being gone; Eno. What's your pleasure, Sir? Ant. I muft with hafte from hence. Eno. Why, then we kill all our women. We fee, how mortal an unkindness is to them; if they fuffer our departure, death's the word. Ant. I must be gone. Eno. Under a compelling occafion, let women die. It were pity to caft them away for nothing; though between them and a great caufe, they should be esteem'd nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the leaft noife of this, 4 the prefent pleafure, By revolution lowring, does become The oppofite of itself; -] The allufion is to the fun's diurnal courfe; which rifing in the east, and by revolution lowering, or fetting in the weft, becomes the oppofite of itself. dies dies inftantly; I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment: I do think, there is mettle in death, which commits fome loving act upon her; she hath fuch a celerity in dying. Ant. She is cunning paft man's thought. Eno. Alack, Sir, no; her paffions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love. We cannot call her winds and waters, fighs and tears: they are greater ftorms and tempefts than almanacks can report. This cannot be cunning in her: if it be, fhe makes a fhow'r of rain as well as Jove. Ant. 'Would I had never seen her! Eno. Oh, Sir, you had then left unfeen a wonderful piece of work, which, not to have been bleft withal, would have difcredited your travel. Ant. Fulvia is dead. Eno. Sir! Ant. Fulvia is dead. Ant. Dead. Eno. Why, Sir, give the Gods a thankful facrifice: when it pleafeth their Deities to take the wife of a man from him, it fhews to man the tailor of the earth; comforting him therein, that when old robes are worn but, there are members to make new. If there were you indeed a no more women but Fulvia, then had cut, and the cafe were to be lamented: this grief is crowned with confolation; your old fmock brings forth a new petticoat, and, indeed, the tears live in an onion that should water this forrow. Ant. The business, she hath broached in the state, Cannot endure my abfence. Eno. And the business, you have broach'd here, cannot be without you; efpecially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your aboad. Ant. No more light anfwers: let our officers Have notice what we purpose. I fhall break The The cause of our expedience to the Queen, And get her leave to part. For not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, Do ftrongly speak t'us; but the letters too Of many our contriving friends in Rome Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius Hath giv❜n the dare to Cæfar, and commands The Empire of the Sea. Our flipp'ry people, (Whose love is never link'd to the deferver, 'Till his deferts are past,) begin to throw Pompey the Great and all his Dignities Upon his fon; who high in name and pow'r, Higher than both in blood and life, ftands up For the main Soldier; whofe quality going on, The fides o' th' world may danger. Much is breeding; Which, like the courfer's hair, hath yet but life, And not a ferpent's poison. Say, our pleasure, To fuch whofe place is under us, requires Our quick remove from hence. Eno. I'll do't. SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Alexas, and Iras. Cleo. Where is he? Char. I did not fee him fince. Cleo. See, where he is, who's with him, what he does. I did not send you:-If you find him fad, The cause of our expedience-] Expedience, for expedition. 6— the courfer's hair, &c.] Alludes to an old idle notion that the hair of a horfe, dropt into corrupted water, will turn to an animal. Mr. Pope. You 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, cross him in nothing. Cleo. Thou teacheft, like a fool: the way to lose 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. It cannot be thus long, the fides of nature Will not fuftain it. Ant. Now, my deareft Queen, [Seeming to faint. Cleo. Pray you, ftand farther from me. Ant. What's the matter? Cleo. I know, by that fame eye, there's fome good news. What fays the marry'd woman? you may go;. 'Would, she 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. O, 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, Ant. |