Iras. Amen, dear Goddess, hear that prayer of the people! For, as it is a heart-breaking to see 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 ftruck him. Eno. Madam. Enobarbus! Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither; where's Alexas? Mef. Ay, but foon That war had end, and the time's ftate made friends 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. Things that are paft, are done, with me: 'Tis thus Mef. Labienus Hath, with his Parthian force, thro' extended Afia, And Ant. Anthony thou wouldst say. Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the gen'ral tongue, Name Cleopatra as fhe's call'd in Rome. Rail thou in Fulvia's phrafe, and taunt my faults Mef. At your noble pleasure. Ant. From Sicyon how the news? fpeak there. Ant. Let him appear; Thefe trong Egyptian fetters I muft break, Or lofe my felf in dotage. What are you? 2 Mef. Fulvia thy wife is dead. Ant. Where died the ? 2 Mef. In Sicyon. Her length of fickness with what else more ferious Importeth thee to know, this bears. Ant. Forbear me. [Exit Meflenger. There's a great fpirit gone! thus I defir'd it. The oppofite of it felf; fhe's good, being gone; Enter nobarbus. Eno. What's your pleasure, Sir?- no. 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. Ant. I must be gone. 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 fhould be efteem'd nothing. Cleopatra catching but the leaft noife of this dies instantly; I have feen 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 forms and tempefts than almanacks can report. This cannot be cunning in her: if it be, the makes a show'r of rain as well as Jove. Ant. Would I had never feen her! Eno. Oh Sir, you had then left unfeen a wonderful piece of work, which not to have been bleft withal, would have difcredited your travel. Ant. Fulvia is dead. Ant. Fulvia is dead. Eno. Fulvia? Ant. Dead. Eno. Why, Sir, give the Gods a thankful facrifice : when it pleafeth 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 con folation, your old fmock brings forth a new petticoat, and indeed the tears live in an onion that should water this forrow. Ant. The bufinefs fhe hath broached in the ftate, Cannot endure my abfence. no. 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 answers: 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 Eno. I'll do't. SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Alexas, and Iras, 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 should I do, I do not? Char. In each thing give him way, crofs him in nothing. Cleo. Thou teachest like a fool: the way to lose him. Char. Tempt him not fo, too far. I wish, forbear; In time we hate that which we often fear, * Alludes to an old idle notion that the hair of a horfe dropt int corrupted water, will turn to an animal. A Ant. I am forry to give breathing to my purpose. Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I fhall 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 the 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 fhould I think you can be mine, and true, Though you with fwearing fhake 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, Blifs in our brows, none of our parts fo poor Ant. How now, Lady? Cleo. I would I had thy inches, thou shouldft know There were a heart in Egypt. Ant. Hear me, Queen; The ftrong neceffity of time commands Y Equality |