Cleo. How much unlike art thou Mark Antony Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath With his tinct gilded thee. !! How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? Cleo. extremes Of hot and cold; he was nor sad, nor merry. Cleo. O well-divided disposition!-Note him, Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him: He was not sad; for he would shine on those So does it no man else.-Met'st thou my posts? Cleo. Who's born that day When I forget to send to Antony, Shail die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian.Welcome, my good Alexas.-Did, I Charmian, Ever love Casar so? O that brave Cæsar! Char. Cleo. Be chok'd with such another emphasis ! Sav, the brave Antony. The valiant Cæsar! Char. Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Caesar paragon again My man of men. Char. By your most gracious pardon, I sing but after you. Cleo. My salad days; When I was green in judgment;-Cold in blood, To say, as I said then ?-But, come, away: Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day A several greeting, or I'll unpeople Egypt. ACT II. [Exe. gether, Looking for Antony: But all charms of love, Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver: Pom. I could have given less matter A better ear.-Menas, I did not think, This amorous surfeiter would have don'd' his helm For such a petty war: his soldiership Is twice the other twain: But let us rear The higher our opinion, that our stirring Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck The ne'er lust-wearied Antony. Men. I cannot hope, Cæsar and Antony shall well greet together: His wife, that's dead, did trespasses to Cæsar; His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think, Not mov'd by Antony. Pom. I know not, Menas, How lesser enmities may give way to greater. 'Were't not that we stand up against them all, 'Twere pregnant they should square between them selves; For they have entertain'd cause enough To draw their swords: but how the fear of us [Exeunt, SCENE II.-Rome. A room in the house of For private stomaching. Eno. 'Tis not a time Every time Serves for the matter that is then born in it. Lep. But smali to greater matters must give way. Eno. Not if the small come first. Lep. Your speech is passion: Which 'fronted mine own peace. As for my wife, But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes Lep. I would you had her spirit in such another: Eno. 'Would we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women! Ant. So much uncurable, her garboils, Cæsar, Did gibe my missive out of audience. Sir, That which combin'd us was most great, and let not Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, 'Tis spoken well: Were we before our armies, and to fight, He fell upon me, ere admitted; then C'œs. Lep. Soft, Cæsar. Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak; Cas. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd Ant. Neglected, rather; Lep. Worthily spoke, Mæcenas, Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you shall have time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do. Ant. Thou art a soldier only; speak no more. Eno. That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot. Ant. You wrong this presence, therefore speak Is now a widower. Cas. Ant. I am not married, Cæsar: let me hear Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity, To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts With an unslipping knot, take Antony Octavia to his wife: whose beauty claims No worse a husband than the best of men: Whose virtue, and whose general graces, speak That which none else can utter. By this marriage, All little jealousies, which now seem great, And all great fears, which now import their dan Not sickness should detain me. [Flourish. Exeunt Cæs. Ant, and Lep. Mac. Welcome from Egypt, sir. Eno. Half the heart of Cæsar, worthy Macenas! -my honourable friend, Agrippa!. Agr. Good Enobarbus! Mac. We have cause to be glad, that matters are so well digested. You staid well by it in Egypt. Eno. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking. Mac. Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve persons there; Is this true? Eno. This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deserved nothing. Mac. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.' Eno. When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart upon the river of Cydmus. Agr. There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised well for her. Eno. I will tell you: The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold; Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that The winds were love-sick with them: the oars were silver; Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made The fancy out-work nature: on each side her, Agr. O, rare for Antony ! Eno. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides, So many mermaids, tended her i'the eyes, And made their bends adornings: at the helm A seeming mermaid steers; the silken tackle Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands, That yarely frame3 the office. Froin the barge A strange invisible perfume hits the sense Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast Her people out upon her; and Antony, Enthron'd in the market-place, did sit alone, Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy, Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too, And made a gap in nature. Agr. Rare Egyptian! It should be better, he became her guest; Royal wench! Eno. I saw her once Hop forty paces through the public street: And, breathless, power breathe forth. Mac. Now Antony must leave her utterly. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale (3) Readily perform. Humbly, sir, I thank you. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same. A room in Cæsar's house. Enter Cæsar, Antony, Octavia between them; Attendants, and a Soothsayer. You must to Parthia; your commission's ready : Follow me, and receive it. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-The same. A street. Enter Lepidus, Mæcenas, and Agrippi. Lep. Trouble yourselves no further: pray you, hasten Your generals after. Agr. Sir, Mark Antony Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow. Lep. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress, Which will become you both, farewell. We shall, Mac. As I conceive the journey, be at mount' Ant. The world, and my great office, will some- You'll win two days upon me. times Say to me, Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's, or mine? Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side: Where Cæsar is not; but near him, thy angel Speak this no more. Sooth. To none but thee; no more, but when to thee. If thou dost play with him at any game, Ant. P the east my pleasure lies:-0, come, Ventidius, Sir, good success! [Exeunt. Mac. Agr. Lep. Farewell. SCENE V.-Alexandria. A room in the palace Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas. Cleo. Give me some music; music, moody food Of us that trade in love. Attend. The music, ho! Enter Mardian. Cleo. Let it alone; let us to billiards: Come, Charmian. Char. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian. Cleo. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd, As with a woman:-Come, you'll play with me, sir? Mar. As well as I can, madam. Cleo. And when good will is show'd, though it come too short, The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now:- Cleo. That time!-0 times!I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night I laugh'd him into patience: and next morn, Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed; Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst I wore his sword Philippan. O! from Italy; Cleo. Antony's dead?— Madam, madam,→→ If thou say so, villain, thou kill'st thy mistress: If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here Mess. To say, the dead are well: bring it to that, Mess. Good madam, hear me. (4) Inclosed. (6) Melancholy. (5) Mount Misenam. (7) Head-dress, Mess. Cleo. Madam, he's well. Well said. Some monstrous malefactor. Pr'ythee, friend, In state of health, thou say'st; and, thou say'st, free. Cleo. For what good turn? Mess. Good madam, patience. Smarting in ling'ring pickle. Mess. Gracious madam, Mess. Mess. Dranos a dagger. Nay, then I'll run :What mean you, madam? I have made no fault. [Exit. Char. Good madam, keep yourself within your- | self; The man is innocent. Re-enter Messenger. | Though it be honest, it is never good Mess. Cleo. Is he married? I have done my duty. I cannot hate thee worser than I do, Mess. He is married, madam. To punish me for what you make me do, That art not!-What? thou'rt sure of't?-Get Are all too dear for me; Lie they upon thy hand, Cæsar. Lead me from hence. But do not speak to me.-Lead me to my chamber. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-Near Misenum. Enter Pompey Pom. Your hostages I have, so have you mine; Cleo. Some innocents 'scape not the thunder-Our written purposes before us sent; |