Iras. Amen, dear Goddess, hear that prayer of the people! For, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handfome man loofewiv'd, fo it is a deadly forrow, to behold a foul knave uncuckolded; therefore, dear Ifis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly.

Char. Amen.

Alex. Lo now! if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores but they'd do't.

SCENE III. Enter Cleopatra.

Eno. Hufh, here comes Antony.

Char. Not he, the Queen.

Cleo. Saw you my Lord ?

Eno. No, Lady.

Cleo. Was he not here?

Char. No, Madam.

Cleo. He was difpos'd to mirth, but on the fudden A Roman thought had struck him. Ænobarbus!

Eno. Madam.

Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither; where's Alexas?
Alex. Here at your fervice; fee, my Lord approaches.
Enter Antony with a Messenger and Attendants.

Cleo. We will not look upon him; go with us, [Exeunt.
Mef. Fulvia thy wife first came into the field.
Ant. Against my brother Lucius?

Mef. Ay, but foon

That war had end, and the time's ftate made friends
Of them, jointing their forces againft Cæfar,

Whose better iffue in the war, from Italy

Upon the first encounter, drave them.

Ant. Well,

What worse ?

Mef. The nature of bad news infects the teller.
Ant. When it concerns the fool or coward: on.

Things that are paft, are done, with me: 'Tis thus
Who tells me true, though in the tale lye death,
I hear as if he flatter'd.

Mef. Labienus

Hath, with his Parthian force, thro' extended Afia,
His conqu'ring banner from Euphrates shook

And

And Syria, to Lydia and Ionia ;
Whilft

Ant. Anthony thou wouldst fay.
Mef. Oh, my Lord!

Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the genʼral tongue, Name Cleopatra as fhe's call'd in Rome.

Rail thou in Fulvia's phrafe, and taunt my faults
With fuch full licence, as both truth and malice
Have power to utter. Oh then we bring forth weeds,
When our quick minds lye ftill; and our ill, told us,
Is as our earing; fare thee well a while.

Mef. At your noble pleasure.

Ant. From Sicyon how the news? speak there.

Mef. The man from Sicyon, is there fuch an one? [Exit. Attend. He stays upon your

Ant. Let him appear;

will.

Thefe ftrong Egyptian fetters I must break,

Or lofe my felf in dotage. What are you ?
Enter another Messenger with a letter.

2 Mef. Fulvia thy wife is dead.

Ant. Where died fhe ?

2 Mef. In Sicyon.

Her length of fickness with what else more serious
Importeth thee to know, this bears.

Ant. Forbear me.

[Exit Melenger.

There's a great spirit gone! thus I defir'd it.
What our contempts do often hurl from us,
We wish it ours again; the present pleasure,
By revolution lowring does become

The oppofite of it felf; fhe's good, being gone;
The hand could pluck her back, that fhov'd her on.
I must from this enchanting Queen break off.
Ten thoufand harms, more than the ills I know,
My idleness doth hatch. How now, Enobarbus ?

Enter nobarbus.

Eno. What's your pleasure, Sir?
Ant. I muft with hafte from hence.

Eno. Why then we kill all our women.

We fee how

mortal an unkindness is to them; if they fuffer our depar

ture, death's the word.

Eno. Under a compelling occafion, let women die. It were pity to caft them away for nothing, though between them and a great caufe, they should be esteem'd nothing. Cleopatra catching but the least noise of this dies inftantly; I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment: I do think there is mettle in death, which commits fome loving act upon her, the hath fuch alacrity in dying.

Ant. She is cunning paft man's thought.

Eno. Alack, Sir, no; her paffions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love. We cannot call her winds and waters, fighs and tears: they are greater ftorms and tempefts than almanacks can report. This cannot be cunning in her if it be, the makes a fhow'r of rain as well as Jove.

Ant. Would I had never feen her!

Eno. Oh Sir, you had then left unsfeen a wonderful piece of work, which not to have been bleft withal, would have difcredited your travel.

Ant. Fulvia is dead.
Eno. Sir!

Ant, Fulvia is dead.

Eno. Fulvia?

Ant. Dead.

no. Why, Sir, give the Gods a thankful facrifice: when it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man from him, they fhew to man the tailors of the earth; comforting him therein, that when old robes are worn out, there are numbers to make new. If there were no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the cafe were to be lamented: this grief is crowned with confolation, your old fmock brings forth a new petticoat, and indeed the tears live in an onion that should water this forrow. Ant. The business she hath broached in the state,

Cannot endure my abfence.

Eno. And the bufinefs you have broach'd here cannot be without you, especially that of Cleopatra, which wholly depends on your aboad.

Ant. No more light anfwers: let our officers Have notice what we purpose. I fhall break The caufe of our expedience to the Queen,

And

And get her leave to part. For not alone
The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,
Doth strongly speak t'us; but the letters too
Of many of our contriving friends in Rome
Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius

Hath giv'n the dare to Cæfar, and commands
The empire of the fea. Our flipp'ry people,
(Whose love is never link'd to the deferver,
'Till his deferts are past,) begin to throw
Pompey the Great and all his dignities
Upon his fon; who high in name and pow'r,
Higher than both in blood and life, ftands up
For the main foldier; whofe 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 ferpent's poison. Say, our pleasure,
To fuch whofe place is under us, requires

Our quick remove from hence.

[Exeunt.

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. Quick, 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 fhould I do, I do not?

Char. In each thing give him way, cross him in nothing. Cleo. Thou teacheft like a fool: the way to lose him. Char. Tempt him not fo, too far. I wifh, forbear; In time we hate that which we often fear.

Enter Antony.

But here comes Antony.

Cleo. I'm fick, and fullen.

Alludes to an old idle notion that the hair of a horse dropt into corrupted water, will turn to an animal.

Ant

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 fuftain it.

Ant. Now, my dearest Queen,

Cleo. Pray you ftand farther from me.

Ant. What's the matter?

Cleo. I know by that fame eye there's fome good news.
What fays the marry'd woman? you may go;
Would he had never given you leave to come;
Let her not fay '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 betray'd; yet at the first
I faw the treafons planted.

Ant. Cleopatra,

Cleo. Why should I think you can be mine, and true, Though you with fwearing shake the throned Gods, Who have been falfe to Fulvia ? riotous madness ! To be entangled with these mouth-made vows, Which break themfeves in fwearing.

Ant. Moft fweet Queen,

Cleo. Nay, pray you seek 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,

Blifs in our brows, none of our parts fo poor,
But was a ray of heav'n. They are fo ftill,
Or thou the greatest foldier of the world
Art turn'd the greatest liar.

Ant. How now, Lady?

Cleo. I would I had thy inches, thou shouldst know There were a heart in Egypt.

Ant. Hear me, Queen;

The ftrong neceffity of time commands
Our fervices awhile; but my full heart
Remains in ufe with you. Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil fwords; Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome,
VOL. VII.
Y

Equality