ANTONY and CLEOPATRA. A C T I. SCENE, the Palace at Alexandria in Ægypt. Enter Demetrius and Philo. PHILO. *AY, but this dotage of our General now turn, The office and devotion of their view Flourish. Enter Antony, and Cleopatra, her Ladies in the Train, Eunuchs fanning her. Take but good note, and you fhall fee in him Into Into a Strumpet's fool. Behold, and fee. 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 fet a bourn how far to be belov'd. Ant. Then muft thou needs find out new heav'n, new earth. Enter a Messenger. Mef. News, my good Lord, from Rome. Fulvia, perchance, is angry; or who knows, His powerful mandate to you, "Do this, or this; "Take in that Kingdom, and infranchise that; "Perform't, or else we damn thee. Ant. How, my love? Cleo. Perchance, (nay, and moft like,) You must not ftay here longer, your difmiffion Feeds beaft as man; the nobleness of life Is to do thus; when fuch a mutual Pair, [Embracing. And fuch a twain can do't; in which, I bind (On pain of punishment) the world to weet, We stand up peerless. Cleo. Excellent falfhood ! Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her? Will be himself. Ant. But ftirr'd by Cleopatra. Now for the love of love, and his foft hours, Let's Let's not confound the time with conference harfh; There's not a minute of our lives fhould ftretch Without fome pleasure now: what sport to-night? Cleo. Hear the Ambaffadors. Ant. Fy, wrangling Queen! Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, No Meffenger, but thine;and all alone, [Exeunt, with their Train. Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd so slight; Phil.. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony, He comes too fhort of that great property Which still should go with Antony. Dem. I'm forry, That he approves the common lyar, Fame, [Exe. Enter Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Soothsayer. Char. Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almoft moft abfolute Alexas, where's the Soothsayer that you prais'd fo to th' Queen? (1) Oh! that I knew this husband, which you fay, muft charge his horns with garlands. (1) Ob, that I knew this Husband, which, you say, must change bis Horns with Garlands.] Changing Horns with Garlands, is, surely, a fenfeless, unintelligible, Phrafe. We must restore, in Oppofition, to all the printed Copics, which you fay, muft charge bis Horns with Garlands. i. e. must be an honourable Cuckold, must have his Horns hung with Garlands. Charge and change frequently ufurp each other's Place in our Author's old Editions, as I have occafionally obferv'd in my Notes on other Paffages. I ought to take Notice, that Mr. Warburton likewife started this Emendation. Alex. Alex. Soothfayer, Sooth. Your will? Char. Is this the man? Is't you, Sir, that know things! Sooth. In Nature's infinite Book of Secrecy, A little I can read. Alex. Shew him your hand. Eno. Bring in the banquet quickly: wine enough, Cleopatra's health to drink. Char. Good Sir, give me good fortune. Sooth. I make not, but forefee. Char. Pray then, foresee me one. Sooth. You fhall be yet far fairer than you are. Char. He means, in flesh. Iras. No, you fhall paint when you are old. Alex. Vex not his prefcience, be attentive. Sooth. You fhall be more beloving, than beloved. Char. Good now, fome excellent fortune! let me be married to three Kings in a forenoon, and widow them all; let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage! find me, to marry me with Octavius Cæfar, and companion me with my mistress. Sooth. You fhall out-live the Lady whom you ferve. Char. Oh, excellent! I love long life better than figs. Sooth. You have seen, and proved, a fairer former fortune, than that which is to approach. Char. Then, belike, my children fhall have no names; Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches muft I have? South. (2) If every of your wifhes had a womb, And (2) If every of your Wishes bad a Womb, And foretold every Wish, a Million.] the Wishes foretold themfelves? This can What foretold? If never be genuine, however And fertil every wish, a million. Char. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch. Alex. You think, none but your fheets are privy to your wishes. Char. Nay, come, tell Iras hers. Alex. We'll know all our fortunes. Eno. Mine, and most of our fortunes to-night, fhall be to go drunk to bed. Iras. There's a palm prefages chastity, if nothing else. Char. Ev'n as the o'erflowing Nilus prefageth famine. Iras. Go, you wild Bedfellow, you cannot foothfay. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognoftication, I cannot fcratch mine ear. Pr'ythee, tell her but a workyday fortune. Sooth. Your fortunes are alike. Sooth. I have faid. give me particulars. Iras. Am not I an inch of fortune better than fhe? Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you chufe it? As, Iras. Not in my husband's nofe. Char. (3) Our worfer thoughts heav'ns mend! AlexCome, his fortune; his fortune. O, let him however it has pafs'd hitherto upon the Editors. It makes the Word Womb abfolutely fuperfluous, if only the telling her Wishes beforehand would help her to the Children. The Poet certainly wrote, If every of your Wishes had a Womb, (3) Char. Our worfer Thoughts Heav'ns mend. Alex. Come, bis Fortune, bis Fortune. O, let him marry a Woman, &c.] Whofe Fortune does Alexas call out to have told? But, in fhort, this I dare pronounce to be fo palpable and signal a Tranfpofition, that I cannot but wonder it should have flipt the Obfervation of all the Editors especially, of the Sagacious Mr. Pope, who has made this Declaration, That if, throughout the Plays, had all the Speeches been printed without the very Names of |