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Thy beck might from the bidding of the Gods
Command me.

Cleo. Oh, my pardon !

Ant. Now I must

To the young man fend humble treaties, dodge
And palter in the fhift of lowness, who

With half the bulk o' th' world play'd as I pleas'd,
Making and marring fortunes, You did know
How much you were my conqueror, and that
My fword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all caufe.

Cleo. Oh! pardon, pardon!

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Ant. Fall not a tear, I fay; one of them rates All that is won and loft: give me a kifs, Even this repays me. We fent our schoolmaster, Is he come back? Love, I am full of lead; Some wine there, and our viands: fortune knows, We scorn her moft, when moft the offers blows. SCENE IX. Cæfar's Camp. Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Thyrëus, with others, Caf. Let him appear that's come from Antony.

Know you him?

Dol. Cæfar, 'tis his schoolmafter,

An argument that he is pluckt, when hither
He fends fo poor a pinnion of his wing,
Which had fuperfluous Kings for messengers,

Not many moons gone by!

Enter Ambafador from Antony.

Caf. Approach and speak.

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

I was of late as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To the grand fea.

Caf. Be't fo, declare thine office.

Amb, Lord of his fortunes he falutes thee, and
Requires to live in Ægypt; which not granted,
He leffens his requefts, and to thee fues

To let him breathe between the heav'ns and earth
A private man in Athens: this for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confefs thy greatness;

[Exeunt.

Submits

Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
Caf. For Antony,

I have no ears to his requeft.

The Queen

Of audience nor defire fhall fail, fo fhe

From Egypt drive her all-difgraced friend,
Or take his life there. This if she perform,
She fhall not fue unheard. So to them both.
Amb. Fortune pursue thee!

Caf. Bring him through the bands. [Exit Ambassador.
To try thy eloquence now 'tis time, dispatch,
From Antony win Cleopatra, promise,

[To Thyrëus. And in our name; when the requires, add more As thine invention offers. Women are not

In their best fortunes ftrong; but want will perjure
The ne'er-touch'd veftal. Try thy cunning, Thyrëus,
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.

Thyr. Cæfar, I go.

Caf, Obferve how Antony becomes his flaw, And what thou think'st his very action speaks In every power that moves.

Thyr. Cafar, I fhall.

[Exeunt.

SCENE X. ALEXANDRIA.
nobarbus, Charmian, and Iras.
nobarbus?

Enter Cleopatra,

Cleo. What fhall we do,

Eno. Drink, and die.*

Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this? no. Antony only, that would make his will Lord of his reafon. What although you fled From that face of great whofe feveral ranges Frighted each other? why should he follow you? The itch of his affection fhould not then

war,

This reply of Enobarbus teems grounded upon a particularity in the conduct of Antony and Cleopatri which is related by Plutarch: that after their defeat at Aum they instituted a fociety of friends who enter'd into engagement to die with them, not abating in the mean time any part of that luxury, excefs, and riot, in which they had lived before.

Have nickt his captainfhip at fuch a point,
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being
The meered queftion. 'Twas a fhame no less
Than was his lofs, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.
Cleo. Pr'ythee peace.

Enter Antony, with the Ambassador.

Ant. Is that his answer?

Amb. Ay, my Lord.

Ant. The Queen

Shall then have courtefie, fo fhe will yield

Us up.

Amb. My Lord, he says fo.

Ant. Let her know't.

To the boy Cæfar fend this grizled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
With principalities.

Cleo. That head, my Lord?

Ant. To him again, tell him he wears the rofe Of youth upon him; from which, the world should note Something particular; his coin, fhips, legions,

May be a coward's, whofe minifters would prevail

Under the fervice of a child, as foon

As i' th' command of Cæfar. I dare him therefore
To lay his gay caparisons apart,

And answer me declin'd, fword against fword,

Our felves alone; I'll write it, follow me. [Exit Antony,
Eno. Yes, like enough: high-battled Cæfar will
Unftate his happiness, and be ftag'd to th' fhew
Against a fworder. I fee mens judgments are
A parcel of their fortunes, and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them
To fuffer all alike. That he fhould dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæfar will
Answer his emptiness! Cæfar, thou haft fubdu'd
His judgment too.

Enter a Servant.

Ser. A meffenger from Cæfar.

Cleo. What, no more ceremony? fee, my women

Against the blown rofe may they stop their nose,

VOL, VII,

Cc

That

That kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, Sir.

Eno. Mine honesty and I begin to fquare ;
Tho' loyalty well held, to fools does make
Our faith meer folly; yet he that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fall'n lord,
Do's conquer him that did his mafter conquer,
And earns a place i'th'ftory.

Cleo. Cafar's will?

Thyr. Hear it apart.

Enter Thyrëus.

Cleo. None here but friends; fay boldly.
Thyr. So haply are they friends to Antony.
Ano. He needs as many, Sir, as Cæfar has;
Or needs not us. If Cæfar pleafe, our mater
Will leap to be his friend for as you know,
Whofe he is, we are, and that's Cæfar's.
Thyr. So.

Thus then, thou moft renown'd; Cæfar intreats
Not to confider in what cafe thou ftand'ft
Further than he is Cæfar.

Cleo. Go on; right royal.

Thyr. He knows that you embrace not Antony

As you did love, but as you fear'd him.

Cleo. Oh!

Thyr. The fears upon your honour therefore he

Do's pity, as conftrained blemishes,

Not as deferv'd.

Cleo. He is a God, and knows

What is moft right. Mine honour was not yielded,
But conquer'd meerly.

Eno. To be fure of that,

I will afk Antony. Sir, thou'rt fo leaky

That we must leave thee to thy linking, for

Thy deareft quit thee.

Thyr. Shall I fay to Cæfar

What you require of him? he partly begs

[Afide.

[Afide.

[Afide.

[Exit #nob.

To be defir'd to give. It much would pleafe him,
That of his fortunes you would make a staff
To lean upon. But it would warm his fpirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,

And

And put your felf under his throwd, the great,

The univerfal landlord.

Cleo. What's your name?

Thyr. My name is Thyrëus.
Cleo. Moft 'kind meffenger,'

Say to great Cæfar this; in deputation

I kifs his conqu'ring hand: tell him, I'm prompt
To lay my crown at's feet, and there to kneel,
Tell him, that from his all-obeying breath
I hear the doom of Egypt.

Thyr. It is your nobleft courfe:

Wisdom and fortune combating together,

If that the former dare but what it can,

No chance may shake it.

My duty on your hand.

Give me grace to lay

Cleo. Your Cafar's father,

When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in,
Beftow'd his lips on that unworthy place,

As it rain'd kiffes.

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Thyr. One that but performs

The bidding of the fulleft man, and worthieft

To have command obey'd.

End. You will be whipp'd.

Ant. Approach there

devils!

ah you kite! now, Gods and

Authority melts from me of late. When I
Cry'd, Hoa! like boys unto a mufs, Kings would
Start forth, and cry, Your will? have you no ears?
I'm Antony yet. Take hence this jack and whip him.

Enter Servants.

Eno. 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp, Than with an old one dying.

Ant. Moon and ftars!

Whip him were't twenty of the greatest Tributaries
That do acknowledge Cæfar, fhould I find them

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