Imatges de pàgina
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CLEOPATRA'S INFINITE POWER IN PLEASING.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety: Other women

Cloy th'appetites they feed; but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies. For vilest things Become themselves in her; that the holy priests Bless her, when she's riggish*.

THE UNSETTLED HUMOURS OF LOVERS.

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:Give me mine angle, We'll to the river: there, My music playing far off, I will betray

Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce Their slimy jaws; and, as I draw them up,

I'll think them every one an Antony,

And say, Ah, ha! you're caught.

Char.

'Twas merry, when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver

* Wanton.

+ Melancholy.

Did hang a salt-fish on his hook, which he
With fervency drew up.

Cleo.

That time!O 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.

ACT III.

AMBITION JEALOUS OF A TOO SUCCESSFUL FRIEND.

O Silius, Silius,

I have done enough: a lower place, note well, May make too great an act: For learn this, Silius; Better leave undone, than by our deeds acquire Too high a fame, when him we serve's away.

WHAT OCTAVIA'S ENTRANCE SHOULD Have been.

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Why have
you stol'n upon us thus? You come
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,
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
The ostent of our love, which, left unshown,
Is often left unlov'd: we should have met you
By sea, and land; supplying every stage

With an augmented greeting.

*Head-dress.

+ Show, token.

WOMEN.

Women are not,

In their best fortunes, strong; but want will
The ne'er-touch'd vestal.

FORTUNE FORMS OUR JUDGMENTS.

I see men's judgments are

per

[jure

A parcel* of their fortunes: and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,
To suffer all alike.

LOYALTY.

Mine honesty, and J, begin to squaret. The loyalty, well held to fools, does make Our faith mere folly:-Yet, he, that can endure To follow with allegiance a fallen lord, Does conquer him that did his master conquer, And earns a place i' the story.

WISDOM SUPERIOR TO FORTUNE.

Wisdom and fortune combating together,
If that the former dare but what it can,
No chance may shake it.

VICIOUS PERSONS INFATUATED BY HEAVEN.

Good, my lord,

But when we in our viciousness grow hard,
(O misery on't!) the wise gods seal our eyes;
In our own filth drop our clear judgments; make us
Adore our errors; laugh at us, while we strut
To our confusion.

* Are of a piece with them.

+ Quarrel.

+ Close up.

FURY EXPELS FEAR.

Now he'll out-stare the lightning. To be furious, Is, to be frighted out of fear: and, in that mood, The dove will peck the estridge*; and I see still, A diminution in our captain's brain

Restores his heart: When valour preys on reason, It eats the sword it fights with.

ACT IV.

A MASTER TAKING LEAVE OF HIS SERVANTS.

Tend me to night;

May be, it is the period of your duty:
Haply, you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow: perchance, to-morrow
You'll serve another master.

I look on you,

As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
I turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death:
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield you for't!

EARLY RISING THE WAY TO EMINENCE.

This morning, like the spirit of a youth That means to be of note, begins betimes.

ANTONY TO CLEOPATRA, AT HIS RETURN WITH VICTORY.

O thou day o'the world,

Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all, Through proof of harness§ to my heart, and there Ride on the pants triumphing.

*Ostrich.

+ Perhaps.
§ Armour of proof.

Reward.

LOATHED LIFE.

O sovereign mistress of true melancholy, The poisonous damp of night disponge* upon me; That life, a very rebel to my will,

May hang no longer on me.

ANTONY'S DESPONDENCY.

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more: Fortune and Antony part here; even here

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Do we shake hands. All come to this?-The hearts
That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I
gave
Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets
On blossoming Cæsar; and this pine is bark'd,
That overtopp'd them all.

DEPARTING GREATNESS.

The soul and body rivet not more in parting, Than greatness going off.

ANTONY'S REFLECTIONS ON HIS FADED GLORY.
Sometime, we see a cloud that's dragonish:
A vapour, sometime, like a bear, or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,

A forked mountain, or blue promontory
With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,

And mock our eyes with air: Thou hast seen these
They are black vesper's pageants. [signs;

Eros.

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Ay, my lord. Ant. That, which is now a horse, even with a thought,

The rack dislimns; and makes it indistinct,
As water is in water.

Discharge, as a sponge when squeezed discharges the

moisture it had imbibed.

+ Split.

The fleeting clouds.

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