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In her pavilion, (cloth of gold, of tissue,)
O'er picturing that Venus, where we see,
The fancy out-work nature: on each side her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With diverse-coloured fans, whose wind did seem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid, did.*

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 framef 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 Where most she, satisfies. For vilest things Become themselves in her; that the holy priests Bless her, when she's riggish.‡

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:-
Give me mine angle,-We'll to the river: there,
My music playing far off, I will betray

Tawny finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce
Their slimy jaws; and, as I draw them up,
I'll think them every one an Antony,

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

Char.

'Twas merry,

when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver
Did hang a salt fish on his hook, which he
With fervency drew up.

Cleo.

That time!-0 times!

I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night
I laugh'd him into patience; and next morn,
Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed;
Then put my tires* and mantles on him, whilst
I wore his sword Philippan.

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.

Why have
you stol'n upon us thus? You come not
Like Česar's sister: The wife of Antony
Should have an army for an usher, and

The neighs of horse to tell of her approach,
Long ere she did appear; the trees by the way,
Should have borne men; and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not: nay the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Rais'd by your populous troops: But you are come
A market-maid to Rome: and have prevented

*Head-dress.

The ostent* of our love, which, left unshown
Is often left unlov'd: we should have met you
By sea, and land; supplying every stage
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 parcelf of their fortunes: and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,
To suffer all alike.

LOYALTY.

Mine honesty, and I, begin to square.‡
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,
And earns a place i' the story.

WISDOM SUPERIOR TO FORTUNE.

Wisdom and fortune combating together,
If that the former dare but what it can,
No chance may shake it.

VICIOUS PERSONS INFATUATED BY HEAVEN.

Good, my lord,

But when we in our viciousness grow hard,

(0 misery on't!) the wise gods seal§ our eyes;
In our own filth, drop our clear judgments; make us
Adore our errors; laugh at us, while we strut
To our confusion.

FURY EXPELS FEAR.

Now he'll out-stare the lightning.

To be furious,

Is to be frighted out of fear: and in that mood,
The dove will peck the estridge;|| and I see still,
A diminution in our captain's brain

Restore his heart: When valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with.

*Show, token. + Quarrel.

† Are of a piece with them.
§ Close up.
!! Ostrich.

ACT IV.

A MASTER TAKING LEAVE OF HIS SERVANTS.

Tend me to-night;

May be it is the period of your duty:
Haply,* you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow: perchance, to-morrow
You'll serve another master. I look on you,
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
1 turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death:
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield† you for't!

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,

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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 disponge§ 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.

§ Discharge, as a sponge when squeezed discharges the

moisture it has imbibed.

Armour of proof.

Il Split.

ANTONY'S REFLECTIONS ON HIS FADED GLORY.

Sometime, we see a cloud that's dragonish:

A vapour, sometimes, like a bear, or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendant rock,

A forked mountain, or blue promontory
With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,

And mock our eyes with air: Thou hast seen these signs;

They are black vesper's pageants.

Eros.

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.
I made these wars for Egypt; and the queen,
Whose heart, I thought, I had, for she had mine:
Which, while it was mine, had annex'd unto't
A million more, now lost,-she, Eros, has
Pack'd cards with Cesar, and false play'd my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph.-

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
Ourselves to end ourselves.

DESCRIPTION OF CLEOPATRA'S SUPPOSED DEATH.
Death of one person can be paid but once;
And that she has discharged: What thou would'st do,
Is done unto thy hand; the last she spake

Was Antony! most noble Antony!

Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
The name of Antony; it was divided

Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
Thy name so buried in her.

CLEOPATRA'S REFLECTIONS

It were for me

ANTONY.

ON THE DEATH OF

To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;

* The fleeting clouds.

† Servant.

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