Ant. The Business she hath broached in the State,
Cannot endure my Absence.
Exo. And the Business you have broach'd here cannot be without you, especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your Aboad.
Ant. No more like Answers: Let our Officers
Have notice what we purpose. I shall break
The cause of our Expedience to the Queen,
And get her Love to part. For not alone
The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches
Do strongly speak to us, but the Letters too
Of many our contriving Friends in Rome,
Petition us at Home. Sextus Pompeius
Hath giv'n the Dare to Cafar, and commands
The Empire of the Sea. Our flipp'ry People,
Whofe Love is never link'd to the Deserver,
'Till his Deferts are past, begin to throw
Pompey the Great, and all his Dignities
Upon his Son; who high in Name and Pow'r,
Higher than both in Blood and Life, stands up
For the main Soldier: Whose Quality going on,
The fides o'th' World may danger. Much is breeding,
Which like the Courfer's Hair, hath yet but Life,
And not a Serpent's Poison. Say our Pleasure,
To such whose place is under us, requires
Our quick remove from hence.
Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Alexas, and Iras.
Cleo. Where is he?
Char. I did not fee him fince.
Cleo. See where he is, who's with him, what he do's:
I did not fend you. If you find him fad,
Say I am Dancing: if in Mirth, report
That I am fudden fick. Quickly, and return.
Char. Madam, methinks if you did love him dearly,
You do not hold the method, to enforce
The like from him.
Cleo. What should I do, I do not?
Char. In each thing give him way, cross him in nothing. Cleo. Thou teachest like a Fool: the way to lose him.
Char. Tempt him not, so, too far. I wish, forbear,
In time we hate that which we often fear.
Ant. I am forry to give Breathing to my purpose. Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall, It cannot be thus long, the fides of Nature [Seeming to faint. Will not sustain it.
Ant. Now, my dearest Queen.
Cleo. Pray you ftand farther from me,
Ant. What's the matter?
Cleo. I know by that same Eye there's fome good News. What says the marry'd Woman? you may go; Would the had never given you leave to come, Let her not say 'tis I that keep you here, I have no Pow'r upon you: Hers you are. Ant. The Gods best know. Cleo. Oh never was there Queen So mightily betrayed; yet at the first I saw the Treasons planted.
Cleo. Why should I think you can be mine, and true,
Though you with Swearing shake the throned Gods,
Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous Madness!
To be entangled with those Mouth-made Vows,
Which break themselves in Swearing.
Ant. Most sweet Queen.
Cleo. Nay pray you feek no colour for your going,
But bid farewel, and go: When you fued staying,
Then was the time for words: No going then,
Eternity was in our Lips, and Eyes,
Bliss in our Brows bent, none our Parts so poor,
But was a race of Heav'n. They are sostill,
Or thou the greatest Soldier of the World,
Art turn'd the greater Liar.
Ant. How now, Lady?
Cleo. I would I had thy Inches, thou should'st know
There were a Heart in Ægypt.
Ant. Hear me, Queen;
The strong necessity of time, commands
Our services awhile; but my full Heart
Remains in use with you. Our Italy
Shines o'er with civil Swords; Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the Port of Rome.
Equality of two Domestick Pow'rs,
Breed scrupulous Faction; the hated, grown to Strength,
Are newly grown to Love; the condemn'd Pompey,
Rich in his Father's Honour, creeps apace,
Into the Hearts of such, as have not thriv'n
Upon the present State, whose Numbers threaten,
And Quietness grown fick of rest, would purge
By any defperate change. My more particular,
And that which most with you should save my going,
Is Fulvia's death.
Cleo. Though Age from Folly could not give me freedom, It does from Childishness. Can Fulvia die?
Ant. She's dead, my Queen,
Look here, and at thy Sovereign leisure read
The Garboyls she awak'd; at the last, best.
See when, and where she died.
Cleo. O most false Love!
Where be the sacred Viols thou should'st fill
With forrowful Water? now I fee, I fee,
In Fulvia's death, how mine shall be receiv'd.
Ant. Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know
The purposes I bear: which are, or cease,
As you shall give th'advice. By the Fire
That quickens Nilus Slime, I go from hence
Thy Soldier, Servant, making Peace or Wars
As thou affect'st.
Cleo. Cut my Lace, Charmian, come,
But let it be, I am quickly ill, and well,
So Anthony loves.
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 Ægypt. Good now, play one Scene
Of excellent dissembling, and let it look
Like perfect honour.
Ant. You'll heat my Blood; no more.
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, Charmian,
How this Herculean Roman does become
The carriage of his Chafe.
Ant. I'll leave you, Lady.
Cleo. Courteous Lord, one word:
Sir, you and I must part, but that's not it,
Sir, you and I have lov'd, but there's not it,
That you know well, something it is I would:
Oh, my oblivion is a very Antony,
And I am all forgotten.
Ant. But that your Royalty
Holds Idleness your subject, I should take you
For Idleness it self.
Cleo. 'Tis sweating labour,
To bear such Idleness to near the Heart
As Cleopatra this. But, Sir, forgive me,
Since my becomings kill me, when they do not
Eye well to you. Your honour calls you hence,
Therefore be deaf to my unpitied Folly,
And all the Gods go with you. Upon your Sword
Sit lawrell'd Victory, and smooth Success
Be strew'd before your Feet.
Come: Our separation so abides and flies,
That thou refiding here, goest yet with me,
And I hence fleeting, here remain with thee.
Enter Octavius Cæfar reading a Letter, Lepidus, and
Caf. You may fee, Lepidus, and henceforth know,
It is not Cafar's natural Voice, to hate
One great Competitor. From Alexandria
This is the News; he fishes, drinks, and wastes
The Lamps of Night in revels; Is not more Manlike
VOL. VI.
Than Cleopatra; nor the Queen of Ptolemy
More Womanly than he. Hardly gave Audience,
Or did vouchsafe to think he had Partners. You
Shall find there a Man, who is th'abstract of all faults;
That all Men follow.
There are Evils enough to darken all his Goodness;
His Faults in him, seem as the spots of Heav'n,
More fiery by Night's blackness; Hereditary,
Rather than purchast; what he cannot change,
Than what he chuses.
Cas. You are too indulgent. Let's grant it is
Amiss to tumble on the Bed of Ptolomy,
To give a Kingdom for a Mirth, to fit
And keep the turn of Tipling with a Slave,
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 Antany
No way excuse his Foils, when we do bear
So great weight in his Lightness. If he fill'd
His vacancy with his Voluptuousness;
Full furfeits, and the driness of his Bones,
Call on him for't. But to confound such time,
That drums him from his sport, and speaks as loud
As his own State, and ours, 'tis to be chid:
As we rate Boys, who being mature in Knowledge,
Pawn their experience to their present Pleasure,
And fo rebel to Judgment.
Mes. Thy biddings have been done, and every hour,
Most noble Cafar, shalt thou have report
How 'tis abroad. Pompey is strong at Sea,
And it appears, he is belov'd of those
That only have fear'd Cafar: to the Ports
The Discontents repair, and Mens reports
Give him much wrong'd.
Caf. 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:
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