Cle o. Bear'st thou her face in mind? ist long
or round?

Mes. Round even to faultiness.
Cleo. For the most part too,

5 They are foolish that are so.-Her hair, what

colour?

Cleo. Guess at her years, I pr'ythee.
Mes. Madam, she was a widow.
Cleo. Widow-Charmian, hark.
Mes. And I do think, she's thirty.

Cleo. There's gold for thee.

10 Thou must not take my former sharpness ill :-
I will employ thee back again; I find thee
Most fit for business: Go, make thee ready;
Our letters are prepared.

[or low?

Cleo. Is she as tall as me2?
Mes. She is not, madam.
Cleo. Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongu'd,
Mes. Madam, I heard her speak; she is low- 35
voic'd.
[long.
Cleo. That's not so good:-he cannot like her
Char. Like her? O Isis! 'tis impossible.
Cleo. I think so, Charmian: Dull of tongue
and dwarfish!-

Mes. Brown, madam: And her forehead
As low as she would wish it.

Char. A proper man.

15

Cleo. Indeed, he is so: I repent me much That I so harry'd him. Why, methinks, by him, This creature's no such thing.

20

Char. Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend,
And serving you so long! [Charmian:-
Cleo. I have one thing more to ask him yet, good
But 'tis no matter; thou shalt bring him to me
25 Where I will write: All may be well enough.
Char. I warrant you, madam. [Exeunt.

30

I do perceive 't:-There's nothing in her yet :-
The fellow has good judgement.

Char. Excellent.

Char. Nothing, madam.

Cleo. The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.

SCENE IV.

Antony's House at Athens.
Enter Antony and Octavia.
Ant. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,—
That were excusable, that, and thousands more
Of semblable import,—but he hath wag'd [it
New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read
To public ear:

Spoke scantily of me: when perforce he could not
But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly
He vented them; most narrow measure lent me :
When the best hint was given him, he not took it,
40 Or did it from his teeth.

Octa. O my good lord,

Believe not all; or, if you must believe,
Stomach not all. A niore unhappy lady,
If this division chance, ne'er stood between,

45 Praying for both parts; The good gods will mock
me presently

When I shall pray, 0, bless my lord and husband!
Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,

O, bless my brother! Husband win, win brother, 50 Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway Twixt these extremes at all.

Ant. Gentle Octavia,

Let

your best love draw to that point, which secks
Best to preserve it: If I lose mine honour,
55I lose myself: better I were not yours,

Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,
Yourself shall go between us: The mean time,
I'll raise the preparation of a war

[lady,

See note", p. 768. 2 This scene (says Dr. Grey) is a manifest allusion to the questions put by queen Elizabeth to Sir James Melvil, concerning his mistress, the queen of Scots.-Whoever will give himself the trouble to consult his Memoirs, will probably suppose the resemblance to be more than accidental. 3 Station, in this instance, means the act of standing. To harry, is to use roughly, ¿i, e, disgrace,

Sha

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

784

Mec. This in the public eye?

[exercise.

Shall stain your brother: Make your soonest
[haste;
So your desires are yours.
Tweak,
lord.
Octa. Thanks to
my
The Jove of power make me most weak, most
Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be
As if the world should cleave, and that slain, men
Should solder up the rift.

Cas. I' the common shew-place, where they
His sons he there proclaim'd, 'The kings of kings:
Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia,

5

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd
Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia: She

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,
Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults
Can never be so equal, that your love
Can equally move with them. Provide your going;
Choose yourowncompany, and commandwhat cost
Your heart has mind to.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

The same.

In the habiliments of the goddess Isis

That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience,
As 'tis reported, so.

10

Mec. Let Rome be thus

Informed.

Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence
Already, will their good thoughts call from him.
Cas. The people know it; and have now receiv'd
15 His accusations.

V.

Enter Enobarbus, and Eros.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?
Eros. There's strange news come, sir.
Eno. What, man?
Eros. Cæsar and Lepidus have made wars upon
Eno. This is old; What is the success?

Agr. Whom does he accuse?

Cas. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him
His part o' the isle: then does he say, he lent me
[Pompey. 20 Some shipping unrestor❜d: lastly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain
All his revenue.

Eros. Cæsar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him2 rivality; would not let him partake in the glory of 25 the action: and not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal', seizes him: So the poor third is up, 'till death enlarge his confine.

Eno. Then 'would thou hadst a pair of chaps, 30

Agr. Sir, this should be answer'd.

I

Cas. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone.
have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;
[quer'd,
That he his high authority abus'd,
And did deserve his change: for what I have con-
I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia,
And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I
Demand the like.

no more;

And throw between them all the food thou hast,
They'll grind the other. Where is Antony?
Eros. He's walking in the garden-thus; and

35

spurns

The rush that lies before him: cries, Fool, Lepidus!
And threats the throat of that his officer,
That murder'd Pompey.

Mec. He'll never yield to that.

Cas. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.
Enter Octavia.

Eno. Our great navy's rigg'd.

Eros. For Italy, and Cæsar. More, Domitius; 40
My lord desires you presently: my news
I might have told hereafter.

Eno. "Twill be naught:

But let it be.-Bring me to Antony.
Eros. Come, sir.

Octa. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear Cæsar!

cause.

Cæs. That ever I should call thee, cast-away!
Octa. You have not call'd me so, nor have you
[come not
Cas. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You
Like Cæsar's sister: The wife of Antony
Should have an army for an usher, and
The neighs of horse to tell of her approach,
Long ere she did appear: the trees by the way,
[Exeunt. 45 Should have borne men; and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not: nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Rais'd by your populous troops: But you are come
A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented

SCENE VI.

Rome. Cæsar's House.

Enter Cæsar, Agrippa, and Mecanas.

Cas. Contemning Rome, he has done all this: 50 The ostentation of our love, which, left unshewn,

and more;

Is often left unlov'd: we should have met you
By sea, and land; supplying every stage
With an augmented greeting.

In Alexandria, here's the manner of it,-
I' the market-place, on a tribunal silver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publicly enthron'd: at the feet, sat
Cæsarion, whom they call my father's son;
And all the unlawful issue, that their lust
Since then hath made between them. Unto her
He the 'stablishment of Egypt; made her
gave
Of Lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Absolute queen.

Octa. Good my lord,

55 To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it
On free will. My lord, Mark Antony,
my
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.

60

Cas. Which soon he granted,

Being an obstruct' 'tween his lust and him.

4

Lydia for Lybia.

Octa.

1i. e. disgrace.

2 i. e. equal rank.

3i. e. upon Cæsar's accusation.

• i. e. an obstruction, a bar to the prosecution of his wanton pleasures with Cleopatra.

Octa. Do not say so, my lord.
Cas. I have eyes upon him.
And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now?

Octa. My lord, in Athens.

Cus. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra
Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his em-
Up to a whore; who now are levying [pire
The kings o' the earth for war: He hath assembled
Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus,
Of Cappadocia, Philadelphos, king
Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas;
King Malchus of Arabia; king of Pont;
Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king
Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas,
The kings of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a inore larger list of scepters.

Octa. Ak me most wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do afflict each other!

Agr. Welcome, lady.

Mec. Welcome, dear madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you:
Only the adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off;
And gives his potent regiment' to a trull,
That noises it against us.

Cas. Welcome hither:

Your letters did withhold our breaking forth ;
Till we perceived, both how you were wrong led,
And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart:
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these strong necessities;
But let determin'd things to destiny
Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome ;
Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd
Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,|30|
To do you justice, make their ministers
Of us, and those that love you. Be of comfort;
And ever welcome to us.

Octa. Is it so, sir?

Cas. Most certain. Sister, welcome: Pray you, Be ever known to patience: My dearest sister! [Exeunt.

What should not then be spar'd. He is already
5 Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis said in Rome,
That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids,
Manage this war.

Cleo. Sink Rome; and their tongues rot, [war,
That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the
10 And, as the president of my kingdom, will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
I will not stay behind.
[peror.
Eno. Nay, I have done: Here comes the em-
Enter Antony, and Canidius.
Ant. Is it not strange, Canidius,
That from Tarentum, and Brundusium,
He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,
And take in Toryne?You have heard on't,

15

Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony. Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his time,

sweet?

120

Cleo. Celerity is never more admir'd,
Than by the negligent.

Ant. A good rebuke,

Which might have well becom❜d the best of men,
To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.

25

Cleo. By sea! What else?

Can. Why will my lord do so?
Ant. For that he dares us to 't,

SCENE VII.
Antony's Camp, near the Promontory of Actium.
Enter Cleopatra, and Enobarbus.
Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Eno. But why, why, why?
[wars; 50
Cleo. Thou hast forspoke my being in these
And say'st, it is not fit."

Eno. Well, is it, is it?

[not wel Cleo. Is'tnot denounc'd against us? Why should Be there in person?

Eno. [Aside.] Well, I could reply:-
If we should serve with horse and mares together,
The horse were merely lost; the mares would
A soldier, and his horse.

[bear

Cleo. What is 't you say?

Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight. Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia, Where Casar fought with Pompey: But these offers,

Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.

135

Eno. Your ships are not well mann'd:
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Ingrost by swift impress; in Cæsar's fleet
Are those, that often have 'gainst Pompey fought;
Their ships are yare; yours, heavy: No disgrace
40 Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By sea, by sea.

Eno. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away The absolute soldiership you have by land; 45 Distract your army, which doth most consist

Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.

Ant. I'll fight at sea.

Cleo, I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better.
Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn;
And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of
Actium

55

Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail,
We then can do't at land.-Thy business?
Enter a Messenger.

Mes. The news is true, my lord; he is descried; 60 Casar has taken Toryne.

1Regiment is used for regimen or government, by most of our ancient writers. contradict, to speak against, as forbid is to order negatively. signifies dextrous, manageable.

Le. conquer.

3 E

To forspeak is to • Yare generally

Ant.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible: Strange, that his power should be.-Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land, Andourt elve thousand horse:--We'll to our ship; Away, my Thetis!-How now, worthy soldier? Enter a Soldier.

Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
Trust not to rotten planks: Do you misdoubt
This sword, and these my wounds? Let the
Egyptians,

And the Phoenicians, go a-ducking; we
Have us'd to conquer, standing on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant. Well, well, away.

[Exeunt Ant ny, Cleopatra, and En barbus. 15
Sold. By Hercules, I think, I am i' the right.
Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole actiongrows
Not in the power on 't': So our leader's led,
And we are women's men.

Sold. You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea :
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæsar's
Carries beyond belief.

Soid. While he was yet in Rome,
His power went out in such distractions, as
Beguil'd all spies.

Can. Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
Sold. They say, one Taurus.
Can. Well I know the man.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer:

5

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To see 't, mine eyes are blasted.
Enter Scarus.
Scar. Gods, and goddesses,
10All the whole synod of them!
Eno. What's thy passion?

Scar. The greater cantle of the world is lost
With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away
Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno. How appears the fight?

Scar. On our side like the token'd' pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon ribai'd nag3⁄4 of Egypt, Whom leprosy 'o'ertake! i' the midst of the fight,

SCENE VIII.
The same. A Plain.

is heard the noise of a sea-fight. Alarum. Enter Enobarbus.

Enter Cæsar, Taurus, Officers, &c.
Cas. Taurus.-
Taur. My lord.

[not battle,

Cæs. Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke 'Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed The prescript of this scrowl: Our fortune lies Upon this jump. [Exeunt.

20 When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,
Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,-
The brize upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails, and flies.

Eno. That I beheld:

Enter a Messenger.
Mes. The emperor calls Canidius.
Can. With news the time's with labour; and
throws forth,

35

Each minute, some.

[Exeunt.

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doating mallard,
30 Leaving the fight in height, flies after her :
I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

Eno. Alack, alack!

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,
40 Most grossly, by his own.

[night

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

Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled. Scar. "Tis easy to't; and there will I attend 45 What further comes.

Can. To Cæsar will I render

My legions and my horse; six kings already
Shew me the way of yielding.

Enter Antony and Enobarbus.

Eno. I'll yet follow

Sits in the wind against me.

[Exeunt.

Ant. Set we our squadrons on yon side o' the hill, 50 The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place We may the number of the ships behold, And so proceed accordingly. [Exeunt. Enter Canidius, marching with his land army ont way over the stage; and Taurus, the lieutenant 55 Enter Antony, with Eros, and other Attendants. of Casar, the other way. After their going in, Ant. Hark,thelandbids me tread no moreupon't,

SCENE IX.
The Palace in Alexandria.

'That is, his whole conduct becomes ungoverned by the right, or by reason. i. e, detachments; separate bodies. Which, Plutarch says, was the name of Cleopatra's ship. * Cantle is a corner. i, e. spotted. The death of those visited by the plague was certain when particular eruptions appeared on the skin; and these were called God's tokens. "A ribald is a lewd fellow. Yon ribald nag means, Yon strumpet, who is common to every wanton fellow. Leprosy was one of the various names by which the Lues venerea was distinguished. The brize is the gud-fly. To loof (or luff) is to bring a ship close to the wind.

7

9

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.

Omnes. Fly! not we.

[cowards

Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed] To run, and shew 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.-0,
I follow'd that I blush to look upon:
My very hairs do mutiny; for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doating.-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. 25
Enter Eros,and Cleopatra, led by Charmian and Iras.
Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him:-Comfort
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?

[him.

Ant. O fye, fye, fye.
Char. Madam,-

Iras. Madam; O good empress!-
Eros. Sir, sir,-

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes;-He, at Philippi, kept
His sword even like a dancer2; while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I,
That the mad3 Brutus ended: he alone
Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had
In the brave squares of war: Yet now-No mat-

Cleo. Ah, stand by.

[ter.

Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen. Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him; He is unquality'd with very shame.

Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me :-0!

[es;

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

Ant. I have offended reputation;

A most unnoble swerving.

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

Cleo. O my lord, my lord!
Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought,
5 You would have follow'd.

Eros. Sir, the queen.

Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See How I convey my shame out of thine eyes,

Ant. Egypt, thou knew'st too well,
My heart was to thy rudder ty'd by the strings',
And thou should'st tow me after: O'er my spirit
Thy full supremacy thou knew'st; and that
10 Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.

Cleo. O, my pardon.
Ant. Now, I must

15

To the young man send humble treaties, dodge
And palter in the shifts of lowness; who
With half the bulk of 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.

20

Cico. 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 school-master,
Is he come back?-Love, I am full of lead :-
Some wine, there, and our viands:-Fortune
knows,

We scorn her most, when most she offers blows.
[Exeunt.

30

SCENE X.

Casar's Cump, in Ægypt.

Enter Casar, Dolabella, Thyreus, with others.
Cas. Let him appear that's come from An-
tony.-
Know you him?

35

Dol. Cæsar, 'tis his school-master":

An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,
40 Which had superfluous kings for messengers,
Not many moons gone by.

Enter Ambassador from Antony.

Cas. Approach, and speak.

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

45I was of late as petty to his ends,
As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf
To his grand sea”.

Cas. Be it so; Declare thine office.

Amb. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and 50 Requires to live in Ægypt: 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;
[55]Submits her to thy might! and of thee craves

'Alluding to a benighted traveller. 2 Antony means, that Cæsar never offered to draw his sword, but kept it in the scabbard, like one who dances with a sword on, which was formerly the custom in England. 'Nothing, says Dr. Warburton, can be more in character, tlfan for an infamous debauched tyrant to call the heroic love of one's country and public liberty, madness. Meaning, perhaps, that Cæsar only fought by proxy, made war by his lieutenants, or, on the strength of his lieutenants. i. e. except or unless. i. e. how, by looking another way, I withdraw my ignominy from your sight. "That is, by the heart-string. Euphronius. ? His grand sea may mean his full tide of prosperity.

5

The name of this

person was The

3 E 2