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OCTAVIA, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony.
Appears, Act II. sc. 3. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 6.

CHARMIAN, an attendant on Cleopatra.

Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 5. Act III. sc. 3; sc. 9; sc. 11. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 11; sc. 13. Act V. sc. 2.

IRAS, an attendant on Cleopatra.

Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 9; sc. 11. sc. 2.

sc. 3; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 5.
Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 11; sc. 13.

Act III.
Act V.

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

[graphic]

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's Palace.

Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.

Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneagues a all temper;
And is become the bellows, and the fan,

To cool a gipsy's lust. Look, where they come! Flourish. Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their Trains; Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

a Reneagues-renounces. This is usually spelt reneges. The orthography we have adopted gives us the proper pronunciation, as in league.

b Triple is here used in the sense of third, or one of three. So in All's Well that Ends Well' we have a triple eye for a third eye. We are not aware that any other author uses triple otherwise than in the ordinary sense of three-fold,

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.
Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be

reckon'd.

Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Enter an Attendant.

Att. News, my good lord, from Rome

Ant.

Grates me :-The sum.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent

His powerful mandate to you, " Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform 't, or else we damn thee."

Ant.

How, my love!
Cleo. Perchance,-nay, and most like,

You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's, I would say.-
Both.-

Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame
When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds.-The messengers.
Ant. Let Rome in Tiber melt! and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life
Is, to do thus; when such a mutual pair,
And such a twain can do 't, in which I bind,

a Grates me-offends me; is grating to me.

b Process-summons.

c Rang'd empire. Capell properly explains this-" Orderly ranged-whose parts are now entire and distinct, like a number of well-built edifices."

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

Cleo.

Excellent falsehood!

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.

Fie, wrangling queen!
Whom everything 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 liar, who

Thus speaks of him at Rome: But I will hope

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

a To weet-to know.

b Antony accepts Cleopatra's belief of what he will be. He will be himself; but still under the influence of Cleopatra; and to show what that influence is, he continues, "Now, for the love of Love," &c.

SCENE II.-The same.

Another Room.

Enter CHARMIAN, IRAs, Alexas, and a Soothsayer. Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything 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 heloving than belov'd.
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 let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage: find me to marry me with Octavius Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress. a Change-vary, give a different appearance to.

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