Cleo. How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath
With his tinct gilded thee 1.—

How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
Alex. Laft thing he did, dear queen,
He kifs'd, the laft of many doubled kiffes,
This orient pearl!-His speech sticks in my heart.
Cles. Mine ear muft pluck it thence.
Alex. Good friend, quoth he,

Say, "the firm Roman to great Ægypt fends
"This treasure of an oyfter: at whose foot,
"To mend the petty present, I will piece
"Her opulent throne with kingdoms: All the east,
"Say thou, fhall call her mistress." So he nodded,
And foberly did mount an arm-gaunt 2 steed,
Who neigh'd fo high, that what I would have spoke
Was beaftly dumb'd 3 by him.

Cleo. What, was he fad, or merry?

2

Alex. Like to the time o' the year between the

extreams

Of hot and cold; he was nor fad, nor merry.

Cleo. O well-divided difpofitien!-Note him, Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him:

He was not fad; for he would shine on those
That make their looks by his: he was not merry;
Which feem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay

Char. O that brave Cæfar!

Cleo. Be choak'd with fuch another emphafis! Say, the brave Antony.

Char. The valiant Cæfar!

Cleo. By Ifis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cæfar paragon again

My man of men.

Char. By your most gracious pardon,

20I fing but after you.

Cleo. My fallad days!

When I was green in judgement: Cold in blood, To fay, as I faid then 4!-But, come, away; Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day 25 A feveral greeting, or I'll unpeople Ægypt 5. [Exeunt

SCENE

I.

Melina. Pompey's House.

ACT II.

Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas.

He lofes hearts: Lepidus flatters both,
Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

Men. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field;

Pomp. F the great gods be juft, they shall affift 40 A mighty strength they carry.

The deeds of justest men.

Men. Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

[cays

Pomp. Whiles we are fuitors to their throne, deThe thing we fue for 6.

Men. We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wife powers
Deny us for our good: fo find we profit,
By lofing of our prayers.

Pomp. I fhall do well:

The people love me, and the fea is mine;

My power's a crefcent, and my auguring hope
Says, it will come to the full. Mark Antony
In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make

45 Looking for Antony: But all the charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, luft with both
Tie up the libertine in a field of feafts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,

50 Sharpen with cloylefs fauce his appetite;
That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even 'till a Lethe'd dulnefs-How now, Varrius?
Enter Varrius.

Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver:

No wars without doors: Cæfar gets money, where 55 Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Alluding to the philofopher's stone, which, by its touch, converts bafe metal into gold. The alchemifts call the matter, whatever it be, by which they perform tranfmutation, a medicine. 2 Armgant perhaps means, a horse fo fender that a man might clafp him, and therefore formed for expedition. In Chaucer's defcription of a King of Thrace in the Knight's Tale, armgrete is ufed to fignify as big as the arm; arm-gaunt therefore may mean as fender as the arm. We still fay, in vulgar comparison, as long as my arm, as thick as my leg, &c. 3 i. e. put to filence by him. 4 The meaning is, Thofe were my fallad days, when I was green in judgement; but your blood is as cold as my judgement, if you have the fame opinion of things now as I had then. 5 By fending out messengers. theaning is, While we are praying, the thing for which we pray is lofing its value,

Expected; fince he went from Egypt, 'tis

A space for farther travel.

Pomp. I could have given lefs matter A better ear.-Menas, I did not think,

Lep. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amifs,

May it be gently heard: When we debate

This amorous furfeiter would have don'd his helm 5 Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

For fuch a petty war: his foldiership

Is twice the other twain: But let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er luft-wearied Antony.

Men. I cannot hope 2,

Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together:
His wife, that's dead, did trefpaffes to Cæfar;
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pomp. I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater.
Were 't not that we ftand up against them all,
'Twere pregnant they should square 3 between
themselves;

For they have entertained caufe enough

To draw their fwords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divifions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be it as our gods will have it! It only stands
Our lives upon, to ufe our ftrongeft hands.
Come, Menas.

[Excunt.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,
And fhall become you well, to entreat your captain
To foft and gentle speech.

Eno. I fhall entreat him

To answer like himfelf: if Cæfar move him,

10

15

Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners, (The rather, for I earnestly befeech)

Touch you the foureft points with sweetest terms,

Nor curftness 5 grow to the matter.

Ant. "Tis fpoken well:

Were we before our armies, and to fight,
I fhould do thus.

Caf. Welcome to Rome.

Ant. Thank you.

Caf. Sit.

Ant. Sit, fir!

Caf. Nay, then

Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are
not fo;

2cOr, being, concern you not.
Caf. I must be laugh'd at,

if, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should fay myfelf offended; and with you

Chiefly i' the world: more laugh'd at, that I should 25 Once name you derogately, when to found your

name

It not concern'd me.

Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæfar,
What was 't to you?

30 Caf. No more than my refiding here at Rome
Might be to you in Ægypt: Yet, if you there

35

1 To don is do on, to put on.

6

Did practife on my ftate, your being in Egypt
Might be my question 7.

Ant. How intend you, practis'd?

Caf. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, By what did here befal me. Your wife, and

brother,

Difcredit my authority with yours;
And make the wars alike against my stomach,
Having alike your caufe 11? Of this my letters
Before did fatisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,
50 As matter whole you have not to make it with,
It must not be with this.

55

2 Hope for expect. 3 i. e. quarrel.

4 i. e. I would meet him undreifed, without shew of refpect. si. e. Let not ill bumtur be added to the fubject of our difference. 6 To pratife means to employ unwarrantable arts or ftratagems. fubje&t of converfation. 7 i. c. my theme or 8 i. c. The pretence of the war was on your account; they took up arms in your name, and you were made the theme and fubject of their infurrection. make use of my name as a pretence for the war. 10 Reports for reporters. eaufe as you to be offended with me.

9 i. e. never did

" Having the fame

Your

Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,
Could not with graceful eyes attend thofe wars
Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,
I would you had her spirit in such another:

Eno. Go to then; your confiderate stone 4. Caf. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his fpeech: for it cannot be, We fhall remain in friendship, our conditions

The third o' the world is yours; which with a 5 So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew

fnaffle

You may pace eafy, but not such a wife.

Eno. 'Would, we had all fuch wives, that the men might go to wars with the women!

Ant. So much uncurbable, her garboils, Cæfar, 10
Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too) I grieving grant,
Did you too much difquiet: for that, you must
But fay I could not help it.

Caf. I wrote to you,

When rioting in Alexandria; you

Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my miffive out of audience.

Ant. Sir, he fell on me, ere admitted; then
Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want
Of what I was i' the morning: but, next day,
I told him of myself 2; which was as much
As to have afk'd him pardon: Let this fellow
Be nothing of our ftrife; if we contend,
Out of our question wipe him,

Caf. You have broken

The article of your oath; which you shall never
Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep. Soft, Cæfar.

Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak:

The honour 3 is facred which he talks on now,
Suppofing that I lack'd it :-But on, Cæfar ;-
The article of my oath,-

Caf. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them;

The which you both deny'd.

Ant. Neglected, rather;
And then, when poison'd hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may,
I'll play the penitent to you: but mine honesty
Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power
Work without it: Truth is, that Fulvia,
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do
So far afk pardon, as befits mine honour
To stoop in fuch a cafe.

Lep. 'Tis nobly spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further
The griefs between you: to forget them quite,
Were to remember that the prefent need
Speaks to atone you.

Lep. Worthily fpoken, Mecænas.

775

What hoop fhould hold us ftaunch, from edge to edge

O' the world I would pursue it.

Agr. Give me leave, Cæfar,-
Caf. Speak, Agrippa.

Agr. Thou haft a fifter by the mother's fide,
Admir'd Octavia: great Mark Antony
Is now a widower.

Caf. Say not fo, Agrippa;

15 If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof
Were well deferv'd of rashness.

Ant. I am not married, Cæfar: let me hear
Agrippa further speak.

Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity,

20 To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts
With an unflipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his wife: whofe beauty claims
No worfe a husband than the best of men ;
Whofe virtue, and whofe general graces, speak
25 That which none elfe can utter. By this marriage,
All little jealoufies, which now seem great,
And all great fears, which now import their dangers,
Would then be nothing; truths would be tales,
Where now half tales be truths: her love to both
30 Would each to other, and all loves to both,
Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke;
For 'tis a ftudied, not a prefent thought,
By duty ruminated.

35

40

Ant. Will Cæfar speak?

Caj. Not 'till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is fpoke already.

Ant. What power is in Agrippa,

If I would fay, Agrippa, be it fo,
To make this good?

Caf. The power of Cæfar, and
His power unto Octavia.

Ant. May I never

To this good purpose, that so fairly fhews,
Dream of impediment !—Let me have thy hand:
45 Further this act of grace; and, from this hour,
The heart of brothers govern in our loves,
And fway our great defigns!

Caf. There is my hand.

A fifter I bequeath you, whom no brother
50 Did ever love fo dearly: Let her live
To join our kingdoms, and our hearts; and never
Fly off our loves again!

Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the inftant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you fhall have 55 time to wrangle in, when you have nothing elfe

to do.

Ant. Thou art a foldier only; fpeak no more.
Eno. That truth fhould be filent, I had almoft
forgot.
Ant. You wrong this prefence, therefore fpeak|
[no more. 60

Lep. Happily, Amen!

[Pompey;

For he hath laid ftrange courtefies, and great,
Ant. I did not think to draw my sword 'gainit
Of late upon me: I must thank him only,
Left my remembrance fuffer ill report;
At heel of that, defy him.

Lep. Time calls upon us :

Of us must Pompey prefently be fought,
Or elfe he feeks out us.

3 Mean

2 i. e. told him the condition I was in, when he had his laft audience.
4 i. e. "I will henceforth feem fenfelefs as a stone, however I may

1i. e. oppofed.

ing, the religion of an oath.

obferve and confider your words and actions."

Agr. Good Enobarbus !

Mec. We have caufe to be glad, that matters are fo well digested. You ftay'd well by it in Ægypt. Eno. Ay, fir; we did fleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking. Mec. Eight wild boars roafted whole at a breakfaft, and but twelve perfons there; Is this true? Eno. This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monftrous matter of feaft, which worthily deferved noting.

Mec. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be fquare to her '.

25

Eno. I faw her once

Hop forty paces through the publick street:
And having loft her breath, the spoke, and panted,
That she did make defect, perfection,

And, breathlefs, power breathe forth.

Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Eno. Never; he will not:

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
30 Her infinite variety: Other women cloy

En. When the first met Mark Antony, fhe purs'd up his heart, upon the river of Cydnus. Agr. There the appear'd indeed; or my reporter 35

Devis'd well for her.

Eno. I will tell you:

The barge fhe fat in, like a burnish'd throne,
Burnt on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
Purple the fails, and fo perfum'd, that

The winds were love-fick with them: the oars

were filver;

The appetites they feed; but she makes hungry,
Where moft the fatisfies. For vileft things
Become themselves in her; that the holy priests
Blefs her, when she is riggish 3.

Mec. If beauty, wisdom, modefty, can settle
The heart of Antony, Octavia is
A bleffed lottery to him.

Agr. Let us go.

Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest, 40 Whilft you abide here.

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water, which they beat, to follow fafter,
As amorous of their ftrokes. For her own perfon,[45]
It beggar'd all defcription: he did lie
In her pavilion, (cloth of gold, of tiffue)
O'er-picturing that Venus where we fee
The fancy out-work nature: on each fide her,
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like fmiling Cupids,
With divers-colour'd fans, whofe wind did seem
To glow the delicate checks which they did cool,
And what they undid, did.

Agr. O, rare for Antony!

Eng. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,
So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes,
And made their bends 2 adornings: at the helm
A feeming mermaid fteers; the filken tackles

Eno. Humbly, fir, I thank you.

SCENE

III.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cafar, Antony, Octavia between them; Attendants, and a Soothsayer.

Ant. The world, and my great office, will fometimes

Divide me from your bofom.

Ofta. All which time,

Before the gods my knee shall bow in prayers 50 To them for you.

55

Ant. Good night, fir.-My Octavia,
Read not my blemishes in the world's report:
I have not kept my square; but that to come
Shall all be done by the rule. Good night, dear lady.
Ota. Good night, fir.

Caf. Good night.

[Exeunt Cæfar, and Olavia. Ant. Now, firrah! you do with yourself in Ægypt?

i. e. if report quadrates with her, or fuits with her merits. Mr. Tollet thinks bends or bands is the fame word, and means in this place the feveral companies of Nereids that waited on Cleopatra ; while Mr. Malone apprehends, their bends refers to Cleopatra's eyes, and not to her gentlewomen. "Her attendants, in order to learn their mistress's will, watched the motion of her eyes, the bends or "movements of which added new luftre to her beauty." Arumpet. 3 Rigg is an ancient word meaning a

Sectb

Sastb. 'Would I had never come from thence, Thither!

Ant. If you can, your reason?

Scoth. I fee it in

[nor you

My motion, have it not in my tongue: But yet 5
Hie you again to Ægypt.

Ant. Say to me,

Whofe fortunes fhall rife higher, Cæfar's or mine?
Sootb. Cæfar's.

Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his fide:

Thy dæmon, that's thy spirit which keeps thee, is
Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable,

Where Cæfar's is not; but, near him, thy angel
Becomes a fear 2, as being o'erpower'd; therefore
Make space enough between you.

Ant. Speak this no more.

[to thee.

Scoth. To none but thee; no more, but when

If thou doft play with him at any game,

Thou art fure to lofe; and, of that natural luck,

Omnes. The mufic, ho!

Enter Mardian.

Cleo. Let it alone; let us to billiards: come,
Charmian.

Char. My arm is fore, beft play with Mardian.
Cleo. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd,
As with a woman:-come, you'll play with me,
Mar. As well as I can, madam.

[fir? Cleo. And when good will is fhew'd, though it come too short,

The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now :-
Give me mine angle,-We'll to the river: there,
My mufick playing far off, I will betray
Tawny-finn'd fifhes: my bended hook shall pierce
15 Their flimy jaws; and, as I draw them up,
I'll think them every one an Antony,

And say, Ah, ha! you're caught.

Char. 'Twas merry, when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver

He beats thee 'gainst the odds; thy luftre thickens, 20 Did hang a falt-fish on his hook, which he

When he shines by: I fay again, thy fpirit

Is all afraid to govern thee near him;
But, he away, 'tis noble.

Ant. Get thee gone :

Say to Venditius, I would speak with him:

[Exit Soothsayer.

He fhall to Parthia.-Be it art, or hap,
He hath spoken true: The very dice obey him:
And, in our sports, my better cunning faints
Under his chance: if we draw lots, he speeds:
His cocks do win the battle ftill of mine,
When it is all to nought; and his quails 3 ever
Beat mine, inhoop'd 4, at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,
Enter Ventidius.

I' the east my pleasure lies.-O, come, Ventidius,
You must to Parthia; your commiffion's ready :
Follow me, and receive it.

SCENE

The fame; a Street.

[Exeunt.

IV.

Enter Lepidus, Mecænas, and Agrippa.

Lep. Trouble yourselves no farther: pray you

Your generals after.

With fervency drew up.

Cleo. That time-O times!

I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night
I laugh'd him into patience: and next morn,
25 Ere the ninth hour, I drank him to his bed;
Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst
I wore his fword Philippan. O! from Italy;-
Enter a Messenger.

Ram 7 thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears,
30 That long time have been barren.
Mef. Madam, madam,—

Cleo. Antony's dead?—

If thou fay fo, villain, thou kill'st thy mistress
But well and free,

35 If fo thou yield him, there is gold, and here
My blueft veins to kiss; a hand, that kings
Have lipp'd, and trembled kissing.

140

[haften

Mef. First, madam, he is well.

Cleo. Why, there's more gold. But, firrah,
mark; we use

To fay, the dead are well: bring it to that,
The gold I give thee, will I melt, and pour
Down thy ill-uttering throat.

Mef. Good madam, hear me.

Cleo. Well, go to, I will;

But there's no goodness in thy face: If Antony

Be free, and healthful,-fo tart a favour

To trumpet fuch good tidings? If not well,

Thou should'ft come like a furycrown'dwith snakes,

50 Not like a formal man.

Cleo. I have a mind to ftrike thee, ere thou Yet, if thou fay, Antony lives, is well,

Or friends with Cæfar, or not captive to him,

[Exeunt. 55 I'll fet thee in a shower of gold, and hail
Rich pearls upon thee 9.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas. Cleo. Give me fome mufick; mufick, moody Of us that trade in love.

Mef. Madam, he's well.
Cleo. Well faid.

6

[food 60

Mef. And friends with Cæfar.
Cleo. Thou art an honest man.

1 i.e. the divinitory agitation. 2 i. e. a fearful thing. A fear was a perfonage in some of the old moralities. 3 The antients used to match quails as we match cocks. 4 Inbop'd is inclofed, confined, that they may fight. 5 i. e. Mount Mifenum. • i. e. melancholy. 7 Shakspeare probably wrote

(as Sir T. Hanmer obferves) Rain thou, &c. which agrees better with the epithets fruitful and barren.

8

i. e. like a man in form or shape. 9 i. e. I will give thee a kingdom; it being the eastern ceremony, at the coronation of their kings, to powder them with gold-dust and seed-pearl.

Maf