Char.

Why, madam?

Cleo. That I might sleep out this great gap of time,

Cleo. Not now to hear thee fing; I take no pleasure
In aught an eunuch has: 'Tis well for thee,
That, being unfeminar'd, thy freer thoughts
May not fly forth of Egypt. Haft thou affections?
Mar. Yes, gracious madam.

Cleo. Indeed?

Mar. Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing
But what in deed is honeft to be done :

Yet have I fierce affections, and think,
What Venus did with Mars.

Cleo.

O Charmian,

Where think'ft thou he is now? Stands he, or fits he? Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?

O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!

Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st?
The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm

And burgonet of men.-He's speaking now,
Or murmuring, Where's my ferpent of old Nile?
For fo he calls me; Now I feed myself
With most delicious poison :-Think on me,
That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black,
And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Cæfar,
When thou waft here above the ground, I was
A morfel for a monarch: and great Pompey
Would stand, and make his eyes grow in my brow;

There

There would he anchor his aspéct, and die
With looking on his life.

Alex.

Enter ALEXAS.

Sovereign of Egypt, hail!

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

How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
Alex. Laft thing he did, dear queen,
He kiss'd,—the last of many doubled kisses,
This orient pearl ;-His fpeech sticks in my
Cleo. Mine ear muft pluck it thence.
Alex.

heart.

Good friend, quoth he,

Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt fends
This treasure of an oyster; at whofe foot,
To mend the petty prefent, I will piece

Her opulent throne with kingdoms; All the east,
Say thou, shall call her mistress. So he nodded,
And foberly did mount a termagant steed,

Who neigh'd fo high, that what I would have spoke
Was beastly dumb'd by him.

Cleo.

What, was he fad, or merry?

Alex. Like to the time o' the year between the extremes Of hot and cold; he was nor fad, nor merry.

Cleo. O well-divided difpofition!-Note him,

Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him:
He was not fad; for he would fhine on those
That make their looks by his: he was not merry;
Which feem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy: but between both:
O heavenly mingle!-Be'st thou fad, or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes;

So does it no man else.-Met'st thou my posts?

C 2

Alex.

Alex. Ay, madam, twenty several messengers: Why do you send so thick

Cleo.

Who's born that day

When I forget to fend to Antony,

Shall die a beggar.—Ink and paper, Charmian.-
Welcome, my good Alexas.—Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Cæfar fo?

Char.

O that brave Cæfar!

Cleo. Be chok'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

When I was green in judgement :-Cold in blood,
To fay, as I faid then!-But, come, away:
Get me ink and paper: he fhall have every day
A feveral greeting, or I'll unpeople Egypt.

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT II. SCENE I.

Meffina. A Room in Pompey's House.

Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS.

Pom. If the great gods be juft, they shall assist The deeds of justest men.

Mene.

Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

Pom. Whiles we are fuitors to their throne, decays The thing we fue for.

Mene.

We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers
Deny us for our good; so find we profit,

By lofing of our prayers.

Pom.

I fhall do well:

The people love me, and the sea is mine;
My power's a crescent, and my auguring hope
Says, it will come to the full. Mark Antony
In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors: Cæfar gets money, where
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; a mighty strength they carry.
Pom. Where have you this? 'tis falfe.

Men.

From Silvius, fir.

Pom. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together,

Looking for Antony: But all charms of love,

Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan'd lip!

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

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even till a Lethe'd dulness.-How now, Varrius ? ?

Enter VARRIUS.

Var. This is most certain that I fhall deliver:

Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected; fince he went from Egypt, 'tis

A space for further travel.

Pom.

I could have given less matter

A better ear.-Menas, I did not think,

This amorous furfeiter would have don'd his helm
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,
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.

Pom.

I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater.
Were't not that we stand up against them all,

'Twere pregnant they should square between themselves; For they have entertained cause 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