In her pavilion, (cloth of gold, of tissue,) Agr. O, rare for Antony. Eno. Her gentlewoman, like the Nereides, So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes, And made their bends adornings: at the helm A seeming mermaid steers; the silken tackle Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands, That yearly frames the office. From the barge A strange invisible perfume hits the sense Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast Her people out upon her; and Antony, Enthron'd in the market-place, did sit alone, Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy, Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too, And made a gap in nature. CLEOPATRA'S INFINITE POWER IN PLEASING. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety: Other women Cloy the appetites they feed; but she makes hungry THE UNSETTLED HUMOURS OF LOVERS. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS. Cleo. Give me some music; music, moody§ food Of us that trade in love. Attend. The music, ho! Enter MARDIAN. Cleo. Let it alone; let us to billiards: Come, Charmian. Char. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian. Cleo. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd As with a woman:---Come you'll play with me, sir? * Added to the warmth they were intended to diminish. † Readily perform. Wanton. § Melancholy. Mar. As well as I can, madam. Cleo. And when good will is show'd, though it come too short, The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now:- And say, Ah! ah! you're caught. Char. 'Twas merry, when You wager'd on your angling; when your diver Cleo. That time!-O times! I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night ACT III. AMBITION JEALOUS OF A TOO SUCCESSFUL FRIEND. O Silius, Silius, I have done enough: A lower place, note well, May make too great an act: For learn this, Silius; Better leave undone, than by our deed acquire Too high a fame, when him we serve's away. WHAT OCTAVIA'S ENTRANCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. Like Česar's sister: The wife of Antony * Head-dress. The ostent of our love, which, left unshown With an augmented greeting. Women are not, WOMEN. In their best fortunes, strong; but want will perjure The ne'er touch'd vestal. FORTUNE FORMS OUR JUDGMENTS. I see men's judgments are A parcelt of their fortunes: and things outward LOYALTY. Mine honesty, and I, begin to square.‡ WISDOM SUPERIOR TO FORTUNE. Wisdom and fortune combating together, VICIOUS PERSONS INFATUATED BY HEAVEN. Good, my lord, But when we in our viciousness grow hard, FURY EXPELS FEAR. Now he'll out-stare the lightning. To be furious, Is to be frighted out of fear: and in that mood, Restore his heart: When valour preys on reason, † Are of a piece with them. * Show, token. + Quarrel. § Close up. 1 AC'T IV. A MASTER TAKING LEAVE OF HIS SERVANTS. Tend me to-night; May be it is the period of your duty: EARLY RISING THE WAY TO EMINENCE. This morning, like a spirit of a youth That means to be of note, begins betimes. ANTONY TO CLEOPATRA, AT HIS RETURN WITH VICTORY. O thou day o' the world, Chain mine arm'd neck: leap thou, attire and all, Through proof of harness to my heart, and there Ride on the pants triumphing. LOATHED LIFE. O sovereign mistress of true melancholy, The poisonous damp of night disponges upon me; That life, a very rebel of my will, May hang no longer on me. ANTONY'S DESPONDENCY. O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more: Fortune and Antony part here; even here Do we shake hands. All come to this?--The hearts That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets On blossoming Cesar; and this pine is bark'd, 'That overtopp'd them all. DEPARTING GREATNESS. *The soul and body rive || not more in parting Than greatness going off. * Perhaps. † Reward. † Armour of proof. § Discharge, as a sponge when squeezed discharges the || Split. noisture it has imbibed. ANTONY'S REFLECTIONS ON HIS FADED GLORY. A vapour, sometimes, like a bear, or lion, And mock our eyes with air: Thou hast seen these Ay, my lord. Ant. That, which is now a horse, even with a thought, The rack* dislimns; and makes it indistinct, As water is in water. Eros. It does, my lord. Ant. My good knavet Eros, now thy captain is Even such a body; here I am Antony; Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave. Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us DESCRIPTION OF CLEOPATRA'S SUPPOSED DEATH. Was Antony! most noble Antony! CLEOPATRA'S REFLECTIONS ON THE DEATH OF It were for me ΑΝΤΟΝΥ. To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods; * The fleeting clouds. † Servant. |