Eno. Sir!

Ant. Fulvia is dead.

Eno. Fulvia?

Ant. Dead.

Eno. Why, Sir, give the gods a thankful facrifice, When it pleaseth 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 out, there are members to make new. If there were no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a 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 fhould water this forrow.

Ant. The bufinefs fhe hath broached in the state, Cannot endure my abfence.

Eno. And the bufinefs you have broach'd here, cannot be without you; efpecially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode.

Ant. No more light answers: let our officers Have notice what we purpose.

I fhall break

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 fpeak t' us; but the letters too
Of many our contriving friends in Rome
Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius
Hath given the dare to Cæfar, and commands
The empire of the fea. Our flipp❜ry people
(Whofe love is never link'd to the deferver,
'Till his deferts are paft) 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 foldier: 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 poifon. Say, our pleasure,
To fuch whofe place is under us, requires

* expedience, for expedition.

Our

This alludes to an old idle notion, that the hair of a horfe

dropp'd into corrupted water, will turn to an animal.

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 finee.

Cleo. See where he is, who's with him, what he does.

I did not send you.- -If you find him fad,

Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report

That I am fudden fick.

Quick, and return.

Char. Madam, methinks if you did love him dearly, You do not hold the method to inforce

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 teachest like a fool: the way to lofe him. Char. Tempt him not fo too far. I wifh, forbear; In time we hate that which we often fear.

Enter Antony.

But here comes Antony.

Cleo. I'm fick and fullen.

Ant. I'm forry to give breathing to my purpose.
Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, fhall fall;

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 What fays the marry'd woman? you may go; [news. '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: her's you are.
Ant. The gods beft know,

Cleo. O, never was their Queen

So mightily betray'd; yet at the first
I faw the treafons planted.

Ant

Ant. Cleopatra,

Cleo. Why fhould I think you can be mine, and true, Though you with fwearing fhake the throned gods, Who have been falfe to Fulvia? riotous madness To be intangled with these mouth-made vows, Which break themfelves in fwearing!

Ant. Moft sweet Queen,

Cleo. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going,
But bid farewel, and go: when you fued ftaying,
Then was the time for words; no going then ;-
Eternity was in our lips and eyes,

Blifs in our brows' bent, none our parts fo poor,
But was a race of heav'n t. They are so still,
Or thou, the greatest foldier of the world,
Art turn'd the greatest lyar.

Ant. How now, Lady?

Cleo. I would I had thy inches, thou fhouldft know There were a heart in Ægypt.

Ant. Hear me, Queen.

The ftrong neceffity of time commands

Our fervices a while; but my full heart

Remains in ufe with you. Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil fwords; Sextus Pompeiust

Makes his approaches to the port of Rome.

Equality of two domeftic pow'rs

Breeds crupulous faction; the hated, grown to ftrength,

Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey,

Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace

Into the hearts of fuch as have not thriv'n
Upon the present ftate, whofe numbers threaten;
And quietnefs, grown fick of reft, would purge
By any defperate change. My more particular,
And that which moft with you fhould falve my going,.
Is Fulvia's death.

Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me freeIt does from childishness. Can Fulvia die?

Ant. She's dead, my Queen.,

Look here, and at thy fovereign leifure read.
The garboils fhe awak'd; at the laft, beft.
See when and where fhe died.

Cleo. O moft falfe love!

[dom,

Where

ti. e. had a fmack or flavour of heaven.

Where be the facred phials thou should't fill
With forrowful water? Now I fee, I fee,
In Fulvia's death, how mine fhall be receiv'd,
Aut. Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know
The purpofes I bear; which are, or cease,
As you fhall give th' advices. By the fire
That quickens Nilus' flime, I go from hence
Thy foldier, fervant, making peace or war,
As thou affect't.

Cleo. Cut my lace, Charmian, come;
But let it be, I'm quickly ill and well:
So Antony loves.

Ant. My precious Queen, forbear,

And give true evidence to his love, which ftands
An honourable trial.

Cleo. So Fulvia told me.

I pr'ythee, turn afide, and weep for her;
Then bid adieu to me, and fay, the tears
Belong to Egypt. Good now, play one fcene
Of excellent diffembling, and let it look
Like perfect honour.

Ant. You'll heat my blood; no more.

Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly.
Ant. Now, by my

Cleo. And target

fword

But this is not the beft.

-Still he mends:

Look, pr'ythee, Charmian,

How this Herculean Roman does become

The carriage of his chafe.

Ant. I'll leave you, Lady.

Cleo. Courteous Lord, one word.

Sir, you and I must part, (but that's not it)
Sir, you and I have lov'd, (but there's not it,
That you know well); fomething it is I would:
Oh, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten t

Ant. But that your royalty

Holds idleness your fubject, I should take you
For idlenefs itself..

Cleo. 'Tis fweating labour

To bear fuch idlenefs fo near the heart,

As Cleopatra this. But, Sir, forgive me

e;

The meaning is, My forgetfulness makes me forget myself.

Since

Since my becomings kill me, when they do not
Eye well to you. Your honour calls you hence;
Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly,

And all the gods go with you! On your fword
Sit laurell'd victory, and smooth fuccefs
Be ftrew'd before your feet!

Ant. Let us go: come,

Our feparation fo abides and flies,

That thou refiding here, goeft yet with me,
And 1 hence fleeting, here remain with thee.
Away.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V. Changes to Gafar's Palace in Rome. Enter Odavius Cafar reading a letter, Lepidus and Attendants.

Caf. You may fee, Lepidus, and henceforth know,
It is not Cæfar's natural voice to hate
One great competitor. From Alexandria

This is the news; he fifhes, drinks, and waftes
The lamps of night in revel; is not more manly
Than Cleopatra; nor the Queen of Ptolemy
More womanly than he; hardly gave audience,
Or did vouchfafe to think that he had partners.
You fhall there find a man, who is the abftra&t
Of all faults all men follow.

Lep. I must not think
They're evils enough to darken all his goodness ;
His faults in him feem as the spots of heav'n,
More fiery by night's blackness; hereditary,
Rather than purchas'd; what he cannot change,
Than what he chufes.

Caf. You're too indulgent. Let us grant it is not Amifs to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy,

To give a kingdom for a mirth, to fit

And keep the turn of tipling with a slave,

To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet

With knaves that smell of sweat; fay, this becomes him, (As his compofure must be rare indeed,

No

Whom these things cannot blemish), yet muft Antony way excufe his foils, when we do bear So great weight in his lightnefs. If he fill'd