On pain of punishment, the world to weet,
We stand up peerless.

Cleo.

Excellent falshood!

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony

Will be himself.

Ant.

But stirr'd by Cleopatra.

Now, for the love of Love, and her soft hours,

Let's not confound the time with conference harsh: There's not a minute of our lives should stretch Without some pleasure now: What sport to-night? Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.

Ant.

Fye, wrangling queen! Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, To weep; whose every passion fully strives To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd! No messenger; but thine and all alone,

To-night, we'll wander through the streets, and

note

The qualities of people. Come, my queen; Last night you did desire it :- Speak not to us.

[Exeunt ANT. and CLEOP. with their Train. Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius priz'd so slight? Phi. Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony, He comes too short of that great property Which still should go with Antony.

Dem.

I'm full sorry, That he approves the common liar3, who Thus speaks of him at Rome: But I will hope Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy!

[Exeunt.

6 Know.

7 Consume.

Fame.

SCENE II.

Another Room.

Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where 's the soothsayer that you praised so to the queen ? O, that I knew this husband, which, you say, must change his horns with garlands !

Alex. Soothsayer.

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.

Show him your hand.

Enter ENOBARBUS.

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 foresee.

Char. Pray then, foresee me one.

Sooth. You shall be yet far fairer than you are.

Char. He means, in flesh.

Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old.

Char. Wrinkles forbid!

Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive.
Char. Hush!

Sooth. You shall be more beloving, than beloved.
Char. I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
Alex. Nay, hear him.

Char. Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all: find me to marry me with Octavius Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress.

A

Sooth. You shall outlive the lady whom you serve. Char. O 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. Nay, come, tell Iras hers.

Alex. We'll know all our fortunes.

Eno. Mine, and most of our fortunes, to-night, shall be-drunk to bed.

Char. Pr'y thee, tell her but a worky-day fortune.
Sooth. Your fortunes are alike.

Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars.
Sooth. I have said.

Char. Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas, come, his fortune, his fortune. O, let him marry, sweet Isis', I beseech thee! And let her die, and give him a worse! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave. Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Isis, I beseech thee!

of

Iras. Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer the people! Dear Isis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly!

Char. Amen.

Char. No, madam.

Cleo. He was dispos'd to mirth; but on the sudden A Roman thought hath struck him.-Enobarbus, —

An Egyptian goddess.

Eno. Madam.

Cleo. Seek him and bring him hither. Where's

Alexas?

Alex. Here, madam, at your service. - My lord approaches.

Enter ANTONY, with a Messenger and Attendants.

Cleo. We will not look upon him: Go with us. [Exeunt CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, ALEXAS, IRAS, CHARMIAN, Soothsayer, and Attendants.

Mess. Fulvia thy wife first came into the field. Ant. Against my brother Lucius ?

Mess. Ay:

But soon that war had end, and the time's state Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Cæsar;

Whose better issue in the war, from Italy,

Upon the first encounter, drave them.

Ant.

What worst?

Well,

Mess. The nature of bad news infects the teller. Ant. When it concerns the fool, or coward.

On:

Things, that are past, are done, with me.- 'Tis

thus;

Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death,
I hear him as he flatter'd.

Mess.

Labienus

(This is stiff news) hath, with his Parthian force,
Extended Asia from Euphrates;

His conquering banner shook, from Syria
To Lydia, and to Ionia;

Whilst

Ant.

Mess.

Antony, thou would'st say,

O, my lord!

1 Overrun

Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the general tongue;

Name Cleopatra as she 's call'd in Rome:

Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase; and taunt my faults
With such full licence, as both truth and malice
Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth
weeds,

When our quick winds' lie still; and our ills told us,
Is as our earing.3 Fare thee well a while.
Mess. At your noble pleasure.

[Exit. Ant. From Sicyon how the news? Speak there. 1 Att. The man from Sicyon.- Is there such an

one?

2 Att. He stays upon your will.

Ant.

Let him appear, These strong Egyptian fetters I must break,

Enter another Messenger.

Or lose myself in dotage.

What are you?

Where died she?

2 Mess. Fulvia thy wife is dead. Ant.

2 Mess. In Sicyon:

Her length of sickness, with what else more serious Importeth thee to know, this bears. [Gives a Letter. Ant.

Forbear me.-
[Exit Messenger.
There's a great spirit gone! Thus did I desire it:
What our contempts do often hurl from us,
We wish it ours again; the present pleasure,
By revolution lowering, does become

The opposite of itself: she's good, being gone;
The hand could pluck her back, that shov'd her on.
I must from this enchanting queen break off;
Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know,
My idleness doth hatch.-How now! Enobarbus!

2 In some editions minds.

3 Tilling, ploughing; prepares us to produce good seed.