Enter CANIDIUS.

Can. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath, And sinks most lamentably. Had our general Been what he knew himself, it had gone well: O! he has given example for our flight',

Most grossly, by his own.

Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night

Indeed.

Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled. Scar. "Tis easy to't; and there I will attend What farther comes.

Can.

To Cæsar will I render

My legions, and my horse: six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.

Eno.

I'll yet follow

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY, and Attendants.

Ant. Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon't; It is asham'd to bear me.-Friends, come hither,

I am so lated in the world, that I

Have lost my way for ever.-I have a ship

Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Cæsar.

Att.

Fly! not we.

1 O! He has given example for our flight,] The folio, 1623, “O ! his has,” &c., an error corrected by the folio, 1632.

Ant. I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards

To run, and show their shoulders.-Friends, be gone;
I have myself resolv'd upon a course,
Which has no need of you; be gone:

My treasure's in the harbour, take it.-O!
I follow'd that I blush to look upon:
My very hairs do mutiny; for the white

2

Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting.-Friends, be gone: you shall
Have letters from me to some friends, that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of lothness: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
Which leaves itself: to the sea side straightway:
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little; 'pray you now:—
Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command,
Therefore, I pray you. I'll see you by and by.

[Sits down.

Enter EROS, and CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN, and

2

IRAS3.

Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him; comfort him.

Iras. Do, most dear queen.

Char. Do! Why, what else?

Cleo. Let me sit down. O Juno!

Ant. No, no, no, no, no.

Eros. See you here, sir?

Ant. O fie, fie, fie!

Char. Madam,

-

- let THAT be left] The folios, "let them be left," which might be right, if we read, "Which leave themselves," in the next line.

3 and IRAS.] In the folios, "and Eros." Eros, however, enters at the same time.

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes.—He, at Philippi, kept
His sword e'en like a dancer, while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I
That the mad Brutus ended: he alone
Dealt on lieutenantry', and no practice had

In the brave squares of war; yet now-No matter.
Cleo. Ah! stand by.

Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen.

Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him:

He is unqualitied with very shame.

Cleo. Well then,-sustain me:-O!

Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches: Her head's declin'd, and death will seize her; but Your comfort makes the rescue.

Ant. I have offended reputation;

A most unnoble swerving.

Eros.

Sir, the queen.

Ant. O! whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See,

How I convey my shame out of thine eyes,

By looking back what I have left behind 'Stroy'd in dishonour.

Cleo.

O my lord, my lord!

Forgive my fearful sails: I little thought,
You would have follow'd.

Ant.

Egypt, thou knew'st too well,

My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings,
And thou should'st tow me after": o'er my spirit
The full supremacy thou knew'st, and that

Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.

Cleo.

Ant.

O, my pardon!

Now I must

To the young man send humble treaties, dodge

And palter in the shifts of lowness, who

* Dealt on lieutenantry,] The context seems to show that "dealt on lieu

tenantry" here means, fought by proxy, as Steevens supposed.

5 - should'st row me after :] The folio, "should'st stow me after."

With half the bulk o' the world play'd as I pleas'd,
Making, and marring fortunes. You did know,
How much you were my conqueror; and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all cause.

Cleo.

Pardon, pardon!

Ant. Fall not a tear, I say: one of them rates
All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss;
Even this repays me.-We sent our schoolmaster;

Is he come back?-Love, I am full of lead.--

Some wine, within there, and our viands!-Fortune knows,

We scorn her most when most she offers blows.

[Exeunt.

SCENE X.

CESAR'S Camp in Egypt.

Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, and others.

Cæs. Let him appear that's come from Antony.— Know you him?

Dol.

Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster:

An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,

Which had superfluous kings for messengers,
Not many moons gone by.

Cæs.

Enter EUPHRONIUS".

Approach, and speak.

Eup. Such as I am, I come from Antony:

I was of late as petty to his ends,

• Enter Euphronius.] Only called “ Ambassador” in the old copies. Euphronius was the instructor of the children of Antony by Cleopatra. The previous stage-direction includes the name of Agrippa, but he does not appear to have been on the stage.

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand sea.

Cæs.

Be it so.

Declare thine office.

Eup. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted,
He lessens his requests, and to thee sues
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens: this for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness,
Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.

Cæs.

For Antony,
I have no ears to his request. The queen
Of audience, nor desire, shall fail; so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,
Or take his life there: this if she perform,
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
Eup. Fortune pursue thee!
Cæs.

Bring him through the bands. [Exit EUPHRONIUS.

To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time; despatch.

From Antony win Cleopatra: promise, [To THYREUS.
And in our name, what she requires; add more,
From thine invention, offers. Women are not
In their best fortunes strong, but want will perjure
The ne'er-touch'd vestal. Try thy cunning, Thyreus7;
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I go.

Cæs. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw, And what thou think'st his very action speaks In every power that moves.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exeunt.

7 Try thy cunning, THYREUS ;] Called Thidias, and in the prefixes.