The buckles on his breast, reneges

all temper;

"And is become the bellows and the fan

**To cool a gypsy's luft. Look where they come ! Flourish. Enter Antony and Cleopatra, her Ladies in the train, Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you fhall fee in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a ftrumpet's ftool. Behold, and fee.
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 fet a bourn how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heav'n, new earth.

Enter a Melenger.

Me. News, my good Lord, from Rome.
Ant. It grates me. Tell the fum.
Cleo. Nay, hear it, Antony.

Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows
If the fcarce-bearded Cæfar have not fent
His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and infranchise that;
Perform't, or elfe we damn thee.

Ant, How, my love?

Cleo. Perchance, (nay, and most like), You must not stay here longer, your dismission Is come from Cæfar; therefore hear it, Antony. Where's Fulvia's procefs? Cæfar's ? I'd fay bóth? Call in the meffengers; as I'm Egypt's Queen, 1 hou blufheft, Antony, and that blood of thine Is Cæfar's homager; elfe, fo thy cheeks pay fhame, When fhrill-tongu'd Fulvia fcolds. The meffengers→→→ Ant. "Let Rome in Tyber melt, and the wide arch "Of the rais'd empire fall! here is my space; Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike

Feeds beaft as man; the nobleness of life

Is to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair, [Embracing
And fuch a twain can do't; in which, I bind
(On pain of punishment) the world to weet
We stand up peerlefs.

Cleo. Excellent falsehood!

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll feem the fool I am not. Antony

Will be himself.

Ant. But ftirr'd by Cleopatra,

Now for the love of love, and his foft hours,

Let's not confound the time with conference harfh: There's not a minute of our lives fhould stretch Without fome pleasure new. What sport to-night? Cleo. Hear the ambaffadors.

Ant. "Fie, wrangling Queen!

Whom every thing becomes; to chide, to laugh, "To weep: whofe every paffion fully strives "To make itself in thee fair and admir'd. No meffenger, but thine; and all alone, To night we'll wander through the treets, and nott The qualities of people, Come, my Queen, Last night you did defire it. Speak not to us.

[Exeunt, with their train.

Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd so flight?
Phil. Sir, Sometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too fhort of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

Dem. I'm forry

That he approves the common lyar, Fame,
Who fpeaks him thus at Rome; but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Reft you happy!

[Exeunt.

Enter Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Alexas, fweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most abfolute Alexas, where's the foothsayer that you prais'd fo to th' Queen? Oh that I knew this hufband, which you fay muft charge his horns with garlands.

Alex. Soothfayer.

Sooth.. Your will?

Char. Is this the man? Is't you, Sir, that know things?

Sooth. In Nature's infinite bock of fecrecy,

A little I can read.

VOL. VII.

Alex. Shew him your hand.

no. 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, forefee me one.

Sooth. You fhall 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 prefcience, be attentive.
Char. Huh!

Sooth. You fhall be more beloving than beloved.
Char. I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
Alex. Nay, hear him.

Char. Good now, fome 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 Cæfar, and companion me with my mistress. Sooth. You fhall outlive the lady whom you ferve. Char. Ob, excellent! I love long life better than figs. Sooth. You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune, than that which is to approach.

Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no names *.

Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches muft I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb,

And fertile every wish, a million.

Char. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.

Alex. You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes.

Char. Nay, come, tell Iras her's..

Alex. We'll know all our fortunes.

Eno, Mine, and moft of our fortunes to-night, shall

be to go

drunk to bed.

Iras. There's a palm prefages chastity, if nothing elfe.

Char. Ev'n as the o'erflowing Nilus prefageth famine.
Iras. Go, you wild bed-fellow, you cannot foothfay.
Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful progno
i, e. be of no note,

ftication, I cannot fcratch mine ear. Pr'ythee, tell her but a workyday fortune.

Sooth. Your fortunes are alike.

Iras. But how, but how?-give me particulars. Sooth. I have faid.

Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than fhe? Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you chufe it?

Iras. Not in my husband's nofe.

Char. Our worfer thoughts heav'ns mend! Alexas, Come, his fortune; his fortune.-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go. fweet Ifis, I beseech thee; and let her die too, and give him a worse; and let a worfe follow worst, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fiftyfold a cuckold! Good Ifis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Ifis, I befeech thee!

Iras. Amen, dear goddefs, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handsome man loose-wiv'd, so it is a deadly forrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded; therefore, dear Ifis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly.

Char. Amen!

Alex. Lo, now! if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores but they'd do't.

SCENE III. Enter Cleopatra.

Eno. Hufh! here comes Antony.

Char. Not he, the Queen.

Cleo. Saw you mỷ Lord ?

Eno. No, Lady.

Cleo. Was he not here?

Char. No, Madam.

Cleo. He was disposed to mirth, but on the Tudden A Roman thought hath ftruck him. EnobarbusEno. Madam.

Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's

Alexas?

Alex. Here at your fervice. My Lord approaches. G 2.

Enter Antony with a messenger and Attendants.
Cleo. We will not look upon him ; go with us.
[Exeunt.
Me Fulvia thy wife first came into the field.
Ant. Against my brother Lucius?

Me. Ay, but foon that war had end, and the
Time's state

Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainft Cæfar:
Whofe better iffue in the war, from Italy,

Upon the fift encounter, drave them.

Ant. Well, what worst?

Me. The nature of bad news infects the teller.

Ant. When it concerns the fool or coward; onThings that are paft are done with me. 'Tis thus; Who tells me true, though in the tale lie death, I hear as if he flatter'd

Me Labienus (this is fliff news)

Hath, with his Parthian force, extended Afia ;
From Euphrates his conquering banner fhook,
From Syria to Lydia and Ionia;

Whilft

Ant. Antony, thou wouldst fay

M. Oh, my Lord!

Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the gen'rab Name Cleopatra as fhe's call'd in Rome.

[tongue; Rail thou in Fulvia's phrafe, and taunt my faults With fuch full licence, as both truth and malice

Have power to utter. Oh, then we bring forth weeds,
When our quick minds lie ftill; and our ill told us,
Is as our earing. Fare thee well a while.

Me. At your noble pleasure.

Ant. From Sicyon, how the news? fpeak there.
Me. The man from Sicyon, is there fuch an one?
[Exit firft meffenger..
Attend. He stays upon your will,

Ant. Let him appear.

Thefe ftrong Egyptian fetters I must break,
Or lofe myfelf in dotage. What are you?

Enter another Meffenger with a letter.

2 Me Fulvia thy wife is dead..