T

Ola. Do not fay fo, my lord.

Caf. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.

Where is he now?

Oa. My lord, in Athens.

[pire

Caf. No, my moft wronged fifter; Cleopatra
Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his em-
Up to a whore; who now are levying
The kings o' the earth for war: He hath affembled
Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus,
Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas;
King Malchus of Arabia; king of Pont;

Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king

Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas,

The kings of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a more larger lift of scepters.

Ofa. Ay me, most wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do afflict each other!

Cf. Welcome hither:

Your letters did withhold our breaking forth;
'Till we perceived, both how you were wrong led,
And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart:
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these strong neceffities;
But let determin'd things to destiny
Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome:
Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd
Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,
To do you justice, make their ministers

Of us, and thofe that love you. Be of comfort;
And ever welcome to us.

Agr. Welcome, lady.

Mac. Welcome, dear madam,

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you :
Only the adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off;

And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
That noifes it against us.

Oda. Is it fo, fir?

Caf. Moft certain. Sifter, welcome: Pray you, Be ever known to patience: My dearest fister! [Exeunt.

SCENE VII.

Antony's Camp, near the Promontory of Actium.

Enter Cleopatra, and Enobarbus.

Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Ezo. But why, why, why?

Eno. Your prefence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his time,

What should not then be fpar'd. He is already
5 Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis faid in Rome,
That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids,
Manage this war.

Cleo. Sink Rome; and their tongues rot, [war,
That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the
10 And, as the president of my kingdom, will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
I will not flay behind.
[peror.
Eno. Nay, I have done: Here comes the em-
Enter Antony, and Canidius.

15 Ant. Is it not strange, Canidius,
That from Tarentum, and Brundufium,
He could fo quickly cut the Ionian sea,

20

25

30

1351

And take in 3 Toryne?--You have heard on't,
fweet?

Cleo. Celerity is never more admir'd,
Than by the negligent.

Ant. A good rebuke,

Which might have well becom'd the best of men,
To taunt at flacknefs. Canidius, we
Will fight with him by fea.

Cleo. By fea! What else?

Can. Why will my lord do fo?
Ant. For that he dares us to't.

Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to fingle fight.
Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharfalia,
Where Cæfar fought with Pompey: But these

offers,

Which ferve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And fo fhould you.

Eno. Your fhips are not well mann'd:
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Ingroft by fwift imprefs; in Cæfar's fleet

Are thofe, that often have 'gainst Pompey fought;
Their fhips are yare4; yours, heavy: No difgrace
40 Shall fall you for refufing him at sea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By fea, by fea.

Eno. Moft worthy fir, you therein throw away
The abfolute foldiership you have by land;
45 Distract your army, which doth most confift
Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promifes affurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,

[wars; 50 From firm fecurity.

Cleo. Thou haft forfpoke2 my being in these

And fay'ft, it is not fit.

Eno. Well, is it, is it?

Cleo. Is't not denounc'd against us? Why should Be there in perfon?

[not we

55

Eno. [Afide.] Well, I could reply:

If we should ferve with horfe and mares together,
The horse were merely loft; the mares would

A foldier, and his horse.

Cleo. What is't you say?

[bear

Ant. I'll fight at fea.

Cleo. I have fixty fails, Cæfar none better.
Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn;
And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of
Actium

Beat the approaching Cæfar. But if we fail,
We then can do 't at land.-Thy business?
Enter a Melfinger.

Mef. The news is true, my lord; he is defcried; 160 Cæfar has taken Toryne.

is ufed for regimen or government, by most of our ancient writers.

contradict, to speak againft, as forbid is to order negatively.

Ant. Can he be there in perfon? 'tis impoffible;
Strange, that his power should be.-Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou fhalt hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse :--We'll to our fhip;
Away, my Thetis !-How now, worthy földier?
Enter á Soldier.

Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by fea;
Truft not to rotten planks: Do you misdoubt
This fword, and thefe my wounds? Let the
Ægyptians,

And the Phoenicians, go a-ducking; we
Have us'd to conquer, ftanding on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant. Well, well, away.

[Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus.
Sold. By Hercules, I think, I am i' the right.
Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows
Not in the power on't: So our leader's led,
And we are women's men.

Sold. You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Jufteius,
Publicola, and Cælius, are for fea:

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæfar's
Carries beyond belief.

Sold. While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in fuch diftractions 2, as
Beguil'd all spies.

Can. Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
Soid. They fay, one Taurus.

Can. Well I know the man.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. The emperor calls Canidius.

beard the noife of a fea-fight. Alarum. Enter Enobarbus.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold
no longer :

5 The Antoniad 3, the Ægyptian admiral,
With all their fixty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To fee 't, mine eyes are blafted.
Enter Scarus.

15

Scar. Gods, and goddesses,
All the whole fynod of them!

Eno. What's thy paffion?

Scar. The greater cantle 4 of the world is loft With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away Kingdoms and provinces.

End. How appears the fight?

Sear. On our fide like the token'd' peftilence,
Where death is fure. Yon ribald nag of Ægypt,
Whom leprofy7 o'ertake! i' the midft o' the
fight,

20 When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,
Both as the fame, or rather ours the elder,→→→
The brize 8 upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoifts fails, and flies.

Eno. That I beheld:

25 Mine eyes did ficken at the fight, and could not Endure a further view.

Scar. She once being looft 9,

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

Claps on his fea-wing, and, like a doating mallard,
30 Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:
I never faw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate fo itself.

Can. With news the time's with labour; and 35

throws forth,

Each minute, fome.

SCENE VIII.
The fame. A Plain.

Enter Cerfar, Taurus, Officers, &c.

Caf. Taurus.

Taur. My lord.

[Exeunt.

[not battle,

Caf. Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke

"Till we have done at fea. Do not exceed The prefcript of this scrowl: Our fortune lies Upon this jump.

[Exeunt.

Eno. Alack, alack!

Enter Canidius.

Can. Our fortune on the fea is out of breath,
And finks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight,
40 Moft grofsly, by his own.

45

Enter Antony and Enobarbus.
Ant. Set we our fquadrons on yon' fide o' the hill, 50
In eye of Cæfar's battle; from which place
We may the number of the fhips behold,
And fo proceed accordingly.
Enter Canidius, marching with his land army one way
over the ftage; and Taurus, the lieutenant of 55
Cafar, the ether way. After their going in, is

[Exeunt.

[night

Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good Indeed.

Can. Towards Peloponnefus are they fled.
Scar. 'Tis eafy to't; and there will I attend

What further comes.

Can. To Cæfar will I render

My legions, and my horfe; fix kings already
Shew me the way of yielding.

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Eno. I'll yet follow
Sits in the wind against me.

[Exeunt

IX.

Enter Antony, with Eros, and other Attendants. Ant. Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon't,

2 i. e. detachments;

That is, his whole conduct becomes ungoverned by the right, or by reason. feparate bodies. 3 Which, Plutarch fays, was the name of Cleopatra s ship. 4 Cantle is 8 corner. 5 i. e. fpotted. The death of thofe vifited by the plague was certain when particular eruptions appeared on the fkin; and thefe were called God's tokens. 6 A ribald is a lewd fellow. Yon ribald nag means, Yon ftrumpet, who is common to every wanton fellow. 7 Leprofy was one of the various names by which the Lues venerea was distinguished, bef (or luff) is to bring a ship close to the wind,

Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed To run, and fhew their fhoulders.-Friends, be gone:

I have myself refolv'd upon a course,
Which has no need of you; be gone:
My treasure's in the harbour, take it.-0,
I follow'd that I blush to look upon:
My very hairs do mutiny; for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doating.-Friends, be gone; you shall
Have letters from me to fome friends, that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not fad,
Nor make replies of lothnefs: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
Which leaves itfelf: to the fea-fide straightway:
I will poffefs you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little pray you now:-
Nay, do fo; for, indeed, I have lost command,
Therefore I pray you :-I'll fee you by and by.
Enter Eros, and Cleopatra, led by Charmian and Iras.|
Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him:-Comfort
Iras. Do, moft dear queen.

Char. Do! Why, what elfe?

By looking back on what I have left behind
'Stroy'd in difhonour.

Cleo. O my lord, my lord!

Forgive my fearful fails! I little thought,
You would have follow'd.

Ant. Egypt, thou knew'ft too well,

My heart was to thy rudder ty'd by the strings 7,
And thou should'ft tow me after: O'er my fpirit
Thy full fupremacy thou knew'ft; and that
10 Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.

Cleo. O, my pardon.

Ant. Now I must

To the young man fend humble treaties, dodge 15 And palter in the fhifts of lowness; who With half the bulk o' the 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 20 Obey it on all caufe.

Cleo. Pardon, pardon.

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 school-mafter, 25 Is he come back?-Love, I am full of lead :Some wine, there, and our viands:Fortune knows,

[him.

30

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes;-He, at Philippi, kept
His fword even like a dancer2; while I ftruck
The lean and wrinkled Caffius; and 'twas I,
That the mad 3 Brutus ended: he alone
Dealt on lieutenantry 4, and no practice had
In the brave fquares of war: Yet now-No mat-
Cleo. Ah, ftand by.

Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen.
Iras. Go to him, madam, fpeak to him;

He is unquality'd with very fhame.

Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me :-O!

[ter.

Eros. Most noble fir, arife; the queen approaches; Her head's declin'd, and death will feize her; but s Your comfort makes the rescue.

Ant. I have offended reputation;

A most unnoble fwerving.

Eros. Sir, the queen.

Ant. O, whither haft thou led me, Egypt? See
How. I convey my fhame out of thine eyes,

35

Dal. Cæfar, 'tis his schoolmafter 8:

An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither
He fends fo poor a pinion of his wing,

40 Which had fuperfluous kings for meffengers,
Not many moons gone by.

Enter Ambaffador from Antony.

Caf. Approach, and speak.

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

45I was of late as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf
To his grand fea 9.

Caf. Be it fo; Declare thine office.

Amb. Lord of his fortunes he falutes thee, and 50 Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted, He leffens his requests; and to thee fues Tolet him breathe between the heavens and earth, A private man in Athens: This for him. Next, Cleopatra does confefs thy greatness; 155]Submits her to thy might! and of thee craves

Alluding to a benighted traveller. 2 Antony means, that Cæfar never offered to draw his fword, but kept it in the fcabbard, like one who dances with a fword on, which was formerly the custom in England. 3 Nothing, fays Dr. Warburton, can be more in character, than for an infamous debauched tyrant to call the heroic love of one's country and publick liberty, madness. Meaning, perhaps, that Cæfar only fought by proxy, made war by his lieutenants, or, on the ftrength of his lieutenants. 5 i. e. except or unless. 6 i. e. how, by looking another way, I withdraw my ignominy from your fight. 7 That is, by the beart-firing. * The name of this person was Euphronius. 9 His grand fea may mean his full tide of profperity.

3 E a

The

The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.

Caf. For Antony,

I have no ears to his request. The queen
Of audience, nor defire, fhall fail; fo fhe
From Ægypt drive her all-difgraced friend,
Or take his life there: This if the perform,
She shall not fue unheard. So to them both.
Amb. Fortune pursue thee!

Caf. Bring him through the bands.

[Exit Ambafador. To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time: Dispatch; From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,

[To Thyreus. And in our name, what she requires; add more, From thine invention, offers: Women are not, In their best fortunes, ftrong; but want will perjure

The ne'er touch'd veftal: Try thy cunning, Thyreus;
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will anfwer as a law.

The Palace in Alexandria.

Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and Iras.
Cleo. What fhall we do, Enobarbus?

Eno. Think, and die 3.

Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this?
Eno. Antony only, that would make his will
Lord of his reafon. What though you fled
From that great face of war, whofe feveral ranges
Frighted each other? why should he follow ?
The itch of his affection fhould not then
Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point,
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being
The meered question 4: 'Twas a fhame no lefs
Than was his lofs, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.

The diadem.

25

30

Enter an Attendant.

Attend. A meffenger from Cæfar.

Cleo. What? no more ceremony ?-See, my
women!-

Against the blown rofe may they stop their nose,
That kneel'd unto the buds.-Admit him, fir.
Eno. Mine honesty, and I, begin to square.
[Afide.
The loyalty, well held to fools, does make
Our faith mere folly: Yet, he, that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fallen lord,
Does conquer him that did his master conquer,
35 And earns a place i' the story.

2 That is, how Antony conforms himself to this breach of his fortune. 3 Think, and die; that is, Reflect on your folly, and leave the world. 4 The meered question is a term we do not underftand. Dr. Johnfon fays, mere is indeed a boundary, and the meered question, if it can 5 The meaning mean any thing, may, with fome violence of language, mean, the difputed boundary. is, I require of Cefar not to depend on the fuperiority which the comparison of our different fortunes may exhibit to him, but to answer me man to man, in this decline of my age or power. intreats, that at the fame time you confider your defperate fortunes, you would confider he is Cæfar; that is, generous and forgiving, able and willing to rettore them.

6 i. e. Cæfar

Glee

What you require of him? for he partly begs
To be defir'd to give. It much would please him,
That of his fortunes you would make a staff
To lean upon: but it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,
And put yourself under his fhrowd,
The univerfal landlord.

Cleo. What's your name?

Thyr. My name is Thyreus.

Cleo. Moft kind messenger,

Say to great Cæfar this, In difputation

15

Cleo. O, is it come to this?'

Ant. I found you as a morfel, cold upon
Dead Cæfar's trencher: nay, you were a fragment
Of Cneius Pompey's; befides what hotter hours,
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have
Luxuriously pick'd out :-For, I am fure,
Though you can guess what temperance should be,
You know not what it is.

I kifs his conquering hand 1 : tell him, I am prompt 20 Cleo. Wherefore is This?

To lay my crown at his feet, and there to kneel:

Tell him, from his all-obeying breath I hear
The doom of Ægypt.

Thyr. 'Tis your nobleft course.
Wisdom and fortune combating together,
If that the former dare but what it can,

No chance may shake it. Give me grace 2 to lay
My duty on your hand.

Cleo. Your Cæfar's father oft,

When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in,
Beftow'd his lips on that unworthy place,
As it rain'd kiffes.

Re-enter Antony, and Enobarbus.

Ant, Favours, by Jove that thunders !— What art thou, fellow?

Thyr. One, that but performs

The bidding of the fulleft man, and worthiest
To have command obey'd.

Eno. You will be whipp'd.

Ant. To let a fellow that will take rewards,
And fay, God quit you! be familiar with
My play-fellow, your hand, this kingly seal,
And plighter of high hearts!-O, that I were
25 Upon the hill of Bafan, to out-roar
The horned herd! for I have savage cause;
And to proclaim it civilly, were like

30

A halter'd neck, which does the hangman thank
For being yare about him.-Is he whipp'd?
Re-enter Attendants, with Thyreus.
Attend. Soundly, my lord.

Ant. Cry'd he? and begg'd he pardon?
Attend. He did ask favour.

Ant. If that thy father live, let him repent

35 Thou waft not made his daughter; and be thou forry
To follow Cæfar in his triumph, fince [forth,
Thou haft been whipp'd for following him: hence-
The white hand of a lady fever thee,
Shake thou to look on't.-Get thee back to Cæfar,
Tell him thy entertainment: Look, thou say,
He makes me angry with him: for he seems
Proud and disdainful; harping on what I am,
Not what he knew I was: He makes me angry;
And at this time most easy 'tis to do't;

Ant. Approach, there:-Ah, you kite!-Now, 40 gods and devils!

[ho!

45 When my good stars, that were my former guides,
Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
Into the abifm of hell. If he mislike
My fpeech, and what is done; tell him, he has
Hipparchus, my enfranchis'd bondman, whom
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
As he fhall like, to quit 4 me: Urge it thou:
Hence with thy stripes, begone.

Whip him :-Were 't twenty of the greatest tri-50
That do acknowledge Cæfar, should I find them
So faucy with the hand of the here, (What's her

Cleo. Have you done yet?
Ant. Alack, our terrene moon

[Exit Thyreut.

55 Is now eclips'd; and it portends alone
The fall of Antony!

i. c. I own he has the better in the controversy,-I
e. Grant me the favour. 3 i, e, a fcramble.
3 E 3

From