Remains in use with you. Our Italy Breed scrupulous faction: the hated, grown to strength, Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey, Is Fulvia's death. Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me freedom, It does from childishness: can Fulvia die? She's dead, my queen: 60 Ant. Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read The garboils* she awaked; at the last, best: *Uproar. See when and where she died. O most false love! Cleo. In Fulvia's death, how mine received shall be. Ant. Quarrel no more, but be prepared to know The purposes I bear; which are, or cease, Cleo. Ant. My precious queen, forbear; And give true evidence to his love, which stands An honourable trial. Cleo. So Fulvia told me. I prithee, turn aside and weep for her; Then bid adieu to me, and say the tears Belong to Egypt: good now, play one scene 70 Of excellent dissembling; and let it look Ant. You'll heat my blood: no more. 80 Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly. Ant. Now, by my sword, Cleo. And target. Still he mends; But this is not the best. Look, prithee, Char mian, How this Herculean Roman does become The carriage of his chafe. Ant. Cleo. I'll leave you,lady. Courteous lord, one word. Sir, you and I must part, but that's not it: And I am all forgotten. Ant. But that your royalty Holds idleness your subject, I should take you Cleo. 'Tis sweating labour To bear such idleness so near the heart As Cleopatra this. But, sir, forgive me; And all the gods go with you! upon your sword Be strew'd before your feet! Ant. Let us go. Come; *Passing away. 90 100 [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Rome. Cæsar's house. Enter OCTAVIUS CÆSAR, reading a letter, LEPIDUS, and their Train. Cæs. You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know, It is not Cæsar's natural vice to hate This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes The lamps of night in revel; is not more manlike Than Cleopatra; nor the queen of Ptolemy More womanly than he; hardly gave audience, or Vouchsafed to think he had partners: you shall find there A man who is the abstract of all faults That all men follow. Lep. I must not think there are ΙΟ His faults in him seem as the spots of heaven, More fiery by night's blackness; hereditary, Rather than purchased: what he cannot change, Than what he chooses. Cæs. You are too indulgent. is not Let us grant, it Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy; To give a kingdom for a mirth; to sit And keep the turn of tippling with a slave; 19 To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet With knaves that smell of sweat: say this becomes him, As his composure must be rare indeed Whom these things cannot blemish,-yet must Antony No way excuse his soils, when we do bear So great weight in his lightness. If he fill'd loud *Consume. As his own state and ours,-'tis to be chid 30 As we rate boys, who, being mature in know ledge, Pawn their experience to their present pleasure, And so rebel to judgement. Lep. Enter a Messenger. Here's more news. Mess. Thy biddings have been done: and every hour, Most noble Cæsar, shalt thou have report *Malcontents. Cæs. I should have known no less. It hath been taught us from the primal state, That he which is was wish'd until he were; 4I And the ebb'd man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth love, Comes dear'd by being lack'd. This common body, Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream, Goes to and back, lackeying the varying tide, Mess. Cæsar, I bring thee word, Menecrates and Menas, famous pirates, Make the sea serve them, which they ear* and wound *Plough. 50 With keels of every kind: many hot inroads Antony, Cæs. Leave thy lascivious wassails.* When thou once Wast beaten from Modena, where thou slew'st Hirtius and Pansa, consuls, at thy heel Did famine follow; whom thou fought'st against, Though daintily brought up, with patience more Than savages could suffer: thou didst drink 61 The stalet of horses, and the gilded puddle Which beasts would cough at: thy palate then did deign *Drinking-bouts. †Urine. The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets, The barks of trees thou browsed'st; on the Alps It is reported thou didst eat strange flesh, Which some did die to look on; and all this It wounds thine honour that I speak it now- Lep. 'Tis pity of him. Cas. Let his shames quickly Drive him to Rome: 'tis time we twain Did show ourselves i' the field; and to that end Assemble we immediate council: Pompey Thrives in our idleness. Lep. To-morrow, Cæsar, I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly Cæs. It is my business too. Till which encounter, Farewell. 70 80 Lep. Farewell, my lord: what you shall know meantime Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir, To let me be partaker. Cæs. I knew it for my bond. Doubt not, sir; [Exeunt. SCENE V. Alexandria. Cleopatra's palace. MARDIAN. Char. Give me to drink mandragora. Why, madam? Cleo. That I might sleep out this great gap of Cleo. Not now to hear thee sing; Î take no pleasure In aught an eunuch has: 'tis well for thee, ΙΟ |