ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

VOL. VIII.

D D

TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar.

CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony.

SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's Army.

EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar.
ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELEUCUS, and DIOMEDES;
attendants on Cleopatra.
A Soothsayer. A Clown.

CLEOPATRA, queen of Egypt.

OCTAVIA, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony.
CHARMIAN,

IRAS, } attendants on Cleopatra.

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, dispersed; in several parts of the Roman

empire.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I.

Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's Palace.

Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.

Phil. NAY, but this dotage of our general's,
O'erflows the measure: Those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights had burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper;
And is become the bellows and the fan,

To cool a gypsy's will. Look, where they come!

Flourish. Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their Trains; Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd

Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

Renounces.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon❜d.

Cleo. I'll set a bourn 2 how far to be belov❜d. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Enter an Attendant.

Att. News, my good lord, from Rome.

Ant.

Grates 3 me: The sum?

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony.

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform't, or else we damn thee.

How, my love! and most like,

You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's process?5 Cæsar's, I would say?-

Both?

Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest Antony; and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame,
When shrill'd-tongu'd Fulvia scolds. The mes-
sengers.

Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt! and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: The nobleness of life
Is, to do thus; when such a mutual pair

[Embracing. And such a twain can do't, in which, I bind,

2 Bound or limit.
4 Subdue, conquer.

3 Offends.

5 Summons.