May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections? Mar. Yes, gracious madam.

Cleo.

Indeed!

*Unmanned.

Mar. Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing

But what indeed is honest to be done :

Yet have I fierce affections, and think
What Venus did with Mars.

Cleo.

O Charmian,

Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or

sits he?

Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?

20

O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou movest?

The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm

And burgonet* of men. He's speaking now,

Or murmuring 'Where's my serpent of old Nile?'

For so he calls me: now I feed myself

*Helmet.

With most delicious poison. Think on me,
That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black,
And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Cæsar,
When thou wast here above the ground, I was 30
A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey
Would stand and make his eyes grow in my
brow;

There would he anchor his aspect and die +Looks.
With looking on his life.

Alex.

Enter ALEXAS.

Sovereign of Egypt, hail ! 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?

Alex. Last thing he did, dear queen,

*Stain.

39

He kiss'd, the last of many doubled kisses,
This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.
Cleo. Mine ear must pluck it thence.

Alex.

Good friend,' quoth he,

'Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,

To mend the pretty present, I will piece Her opulent throne with kingdoms; all the east, Say thou, shall call her mistress.' So he nodded, +And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed, Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke

Was beastly dumb'd by him.

Cleo.

What, was he sad or merry? 50 Alex. Like to the time o' the year between the 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
That make their looks by his; he was not merry,
Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy; but between both :

60

O heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes,
So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts?
Alex. Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
Why do you send so thick?

Cleo.

Who's born that day

When I forget to send to Antony,

Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmnian,
Ever love Cæsar so?

Char.

O that brave Cæsar !

The valiant Cæsar!

Cleo. Be choked with such another emphasis ! Say, the brave Antony.

Char.

Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cæsar 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 judgement: cold in blood, To say as I said then! But, come, away;

Get me ink and paper:

71

He shall have every day a several greetingxeunt. Or I'll unpeople Egypt.

ACT II.

SCENE I. Messina. Pompey's house.

Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES. and MENAS, in warlike manner.

Pom. If the great gods be just, they shall assist

The deeds of justest men.

Mene.

Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

Pom.

Whiles we are suitors to their throne,

decays

The thing we sue for.

Mene.

We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wise

powers

Deny us for our good; so find we profit

By losing of our prayers.

I shall do well :

Pom.
The people love me, and the sea is mine;

My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope
Says it will come to the full. Mark Antony
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make

II

No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money where
He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd ; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

Men.

Cæsar and Lepidus

Are in the field: a mighty strength they carry.
Pom. Where have you this? 'tis false.

Men.
From Silvius, sir.
Pom. He dreams: I know they are in Rome
together,

Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love,
Salt* Cleopatra, soften thy waned+ lip! *Lascivious.
Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts, +Faded. 23
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite:
That sleep and feeding may proroguet his honour
Even till a Lethe'd dulness!

Defer.

Enter VARRIUS.

How now, Varrius!

Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver: Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected: since he went from Egypt 'tis

A space for further travel.

Pom.

A better ear. This amorous helm*

30

`I could have given less matter Menas, I did not think

surfeiter would have donn'd his

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.

*Helmet.

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 moved 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 themselves;

*Quarrel.

For they have entertained cause enough
To draw their swords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divisions and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be't as our gods will have 't! It only stands
Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

50

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Rome. The house of Lepidus.

Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain

To soft and gentle speech.

Eno.

I shall entreat him

To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him,

Let Antony look over Cæsar's head
And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

I would not shave 't to-day.

Lep.

For private stomaching.

Eno.

'Tis not a time

Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in 't.

IO

Lep. But small to greater matters must give

way.

Eno. Not if the small come first.

Lep.

Your speech is passion: But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony.

Eno.

Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS.

And yonder, Cæsar.

Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

Ant. If we compose* well here, to Parthia: Hark, Ventidius.

Cæs.

I do not know,

Noble friends,

Mecænas; ask Agrippa.

Lep.

*Agree.

20

That which combined us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,
May it be gently heard: when we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit
Murder in healing wounds: then, noble partners,
The rather, for I earnestly beseech,

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,
Nor curstness* grow to the matter. *Shrewishness.
Ant.
'Tis spoken well.
Were we before our armies, and to fight,
I should do thus.