ACT I

Sc. II

Things that are past are done with me. "Tis thus:
Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death,
I hear him as he flatter'd.

(This is stiff news) hath, with his Parthian force,
Extended Asia from Euphrates;

His conquering banner shook from Syria

To Lydia and to Ionia; whilst—

ANT. Antony, thou would'st say—

MESS. O, my Lord!

ANT. Speak to me home, mince not the general tongue :
Name Cleopatra as she is call'd in Rome;

Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase; and taunt my faults
With such full licence as both truth and malice
Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds
When our quick minds lie still; and our ills told us
Is as our earing. Fare thee well awhile.

MESS. At your noble pleasure.

ANT. From Sicyon, ho, the news!

Speak there!

[exit.

IIO

FIRST ATT. The man from Sicyon; is there such an one?
SEC. ATT. He stays upon your will.

Her length of sickness, with what else more serious
Importeth thee to know, this bears. [gives a letter.

ANT.

Forbear me.
[Exit Second Messenger.

There's a great spirit gone! Thus did I desire it:
What our contempts doth often hurl from us,
We wish it our's again; the present pleasure,

By revolution lowering,1 does become

The opposite of itself: she's good, being gone;
The hand could pluck her back that shov'd her on.

1 threatening.

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I must from this enchanting Queen break off:
Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know,
My idleness doth hatch. How now! Enobarbus!

Re-enter ENOBARBUS.

ENO. What's your pleasure, Sir?

ANT. I must with haste from hence.

129

ENO. Why, then we kill all our women: we see how mortal an unkindness is to them; if they suffer our departure, death's the word.

ANT. I must be gone.

ENO. Under a compelling occasion, let women die: it
were pity to cast them away for nothing; though,
between them and a great cause, they should be
esteem'd nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least
noise of this, dies instantly; I have seen her die twenty
times upon far poorer moment: I do think there is
mettle in death, which commits some loving act upon
her, she hath such a celerity in dying.
ANT. She is cunning past man's thought.
ENO. Alack, Sir, no; her passions are made of nothing
but the finest part of pure love. We cannot call her
winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater
storms and tempests than almanacs can report: this
cannot be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a shower
of rain as well as Jove.

ANT. Would I had never seen her!

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149

ENO. O, Sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of work; which not to have been blest withal would have discredited your travel.

ANT. Fulvia is dead.

ENO. Sir?

ACT I

Sc. II

ANT. Fulvia is dead.

ENO. Fulvia!

ANT. Dead.

157

ENO. Why, Sir, give the Gods a thankful sacrifice. When it pleaseth their Deities to take the wife of a man from him, it shews to man the tailors of the Earth; comforting therein, that when old robes are worn out, there are members to make new. If there were no more women

L

ACT I
Sc. II

but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the case to be lamented: this grief is crown'd with consolation ; your old smock brings forth a new petticoat: and, indeed, the tears live in an onion that should water this sorrow.

ANT. The business she hath broached in the State

169

Cannot endure my absence. ENO. And the business you have broach'd here cannot be without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode. ANT. No more light answers.

Let our officers

Have notice what we purpose. I shall break
The cause of our expedience to the Queen,
And get her leave to part. For not alone
The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,
Do strongly speak to us; but the letters too
Of
many our contriving friends in Rome
Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius
Hath given the dare to Cæsar, and commands
The empire of the Sea: our slippery People
(Whose love is never link'd to the deserver
Till his deserts are past) begin to throw
Pompey the Great, and all his dignities,
Upon his son: who, high in name and power,
Higher than both in blood and life, stands
For the main soldier: whose quality, going on,

up

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190

The sides o' the World may danger. Much is breeding,
Which, like the courser's hair, hath yet but life,
And not a serpent's poison. Say, our pleasure,
To such whose place is under us, requires

Our quick remove from hence.

ENO. I shall do 't.

[exeunt.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS. CLEO. Where is he?

CHAR.

I did not see him since.

CLEO. See where he is, who's with him, what he does:

I did not send you. If you find him sad,
Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report

ACT 1
Sc. III

[Exit ALEXAS.

That I am sudden sick : quick, and return.

CHAR. Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly,
You do not hold the method to enforce

The like from him.

CLEO.

What should I do, I do not?

10

CHAR. In each thing give him way, cross him in nothing.
CLEO. Thou teachest like a fool; the way to lose him.
CHAR. Tempt him not so too far; I wish, forbear:
In time we hate that which we often fear.

But here comes Antony.

CLEO.

I am sick and sullen.

Enter ANTONY.

ANT. I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose--
CLEO. Help me away, dear Charmian; I shall fall:
It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature

Will not sustain it.

ANT.

Now, my dearest Queen

What's the matter?

CLEO. Pray you, stand farther from me.

ANT.
CLEO. I know, by that same eye, there's some good news.

What, says the married woman, you may go?
Would she had never given you leave to come!
Let her not say 'tis I that keep you here;

I have no power upon you;

ANT. The Gods best know

CLEO.

CLEO. Why should I think you can be mine and true,
Though you in swearing shake the throned Gods,
Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness,
To be entangled with those mouth-made vows
Which break themselves in swearing!

ANT.

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Most sweet Queen

CLEO. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going,

ACT I
Sc. III

But bid farewell, and go: when you sued staying,
Then was the time for words; no going then:
Eternity was in our lips and eyes,

Bliss in our brows' bent; none our parts so poor,
But was a race of Heaven:1 they are so still,
Or thou, the greatest soldier of the World,
Art turn'd the greatest liar.

ANT.

How now, Lady!

CLEO. I would I had thy inches; thou should'st know
There were a heart in Egypt.

ANT.

Hear me, Queen:

The strong necessity of time commands

Our services awhile; but my full heart
Remains in use with you. Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome.

Equality of two domestic powers

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Breed scrupulous faction: the hated, grown to strength,

Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey,
Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace

Into the hearts of such as have not thriv'd
Upon the present State, whose numbers threaten;
And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge

By any desperate change: my more particular,
And that which most with should safe my going,

Is Fulvia's death.

you

50

CLEO. Though age from folly could not give me freedom,

It does from childishness: can Fulvia die?

ANT. She's dead, my Queen :

Look here, and, at thy sovereign leisure, read
The garboils she awak'd; at the last, best:
See when and where she died.

CLEO.
O most false love!
Where be the sacred vials thou should'st fill
With sorrowful water? Now I see, I see,
In Fulvia's death, how mine receiv'd shall be.
ANT. Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know
The purposes I bear; which are, or cease,
As you shall give the advice. By the fire
That quickens Nilus' slime, I go from hence

1 i.e. of heavenly descent.

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