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I'll feem 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 fhould ftretch
Without fome pleasure now: What sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the ambaffadors.

Ant.

Fye, wrangling queen!
Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whofe every paffion 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 defire it :-Speak not to us.

[Exeunt ANT. and CLEOP. with their train.
Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd fo flight?
Phi. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too short of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

Dem.

I'm full forry,

That he approves the common liar, who

Thus fpeaks of him at Rome : But I will hope

Of better deeds to-morrow. Reft you happy! [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The fame. Another Room.

Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Lord Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the footh

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fayer that you praised so to the queen? O, that I knew this husband, which, you say, must change his horns with garlands !

Alex. Soothfayer.

Sooth. Your will?

Char. Is this the man?-Is't you, fir, that know things? Sooth. In nature's infinite book of fecrecy,

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 fir, give me good fortune.

Sooth. I make not, but foresee.

Char. Pray then, foresee me one.

South. You fhall 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. Hufh!

Sooth. You fhall be more beloving, than belov`d.
Char. I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
Alex. Nay, hear him.

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 outlive the lady whom you ferve.
Char. O excellent! I love long life better than figs.

Sooth.

Sooth. You have seen and prov'd a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach.

Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no names: Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches muft I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb,

And fertile every wish, a million.

Char. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.

Alex. You think, none but your sheets 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-drunk to bed.

Iras. There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. Char. Even 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 prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear.-Pr'ythee, tell her but a worky-day fortune.

Sooth. Your fortunes are alike.

Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars.

Sooth. I have faid.

Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than fhe?

Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you choose it?

Iras. Not in my husband's nose.

Char. Our worfer thoughts heavens mend! Alexas,come, his fortune, his fortune,-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, fweet Ifis, I befeech thee! And let her die too, and give him a worfe! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Ifis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Ifis, I beseech thee!

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Iras. Amen. Dear goddefs, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handsome man loose-wiv'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.

Eno. Hufh! here comes Antony.

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Cleo. He was difpos'd to mirth: but on the fudden A Roman thought hath struck him.-Enobarbus,— Eno. Madam.

Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas ? Alex. Here, madam, at your fervice.-My lord approaches.

Enter ANTONY, with a Meffenger, and Attendants.

Cleo. We will not look upon him: Go with us.
[Exeunt CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, ALEXAS, IRAS,
CHARMIAN, Soothfayer, and Attendants.
Mef. Fulvia thy wife first came into the field.
Ant. Against my brother Lucius ?

Mef. Ay:

But foon that war had end, and the time's ftate

Made

Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainft Cæfar; Whose better iffue in the war, from Italy,

Upon the first encounter, drave them.

Ant.

What worst?

Well,

Mef. 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.

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

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

Whilft

Ant.

Mef.

Antony, thou would'st say,

O, my

lord!

Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the general tongue; Name Cleopatra as she's call'd in Rome :

Rail thou in Fulvia's phrafe; and taunt my faults
With fuch full licence, as both truth and malice

Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds,
When our quick winds lie ftill; and our ills told us,
Is as our earing. Fare thee well a while.

Mef. At your noble pleasure.

Ant. From Sicyon how the news? Speak there.

[Exit.

1 Att. The man from Sicyon.-Is there such an one? 2 Att. He ftay's upon your will.

Ant.

Let him appear.

These strong Egyptian fetters I must break,

B 4

Enter

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