As we greet modern friends withal; and say, Their mediation; must I be unfolded With one' that I have bred? The gods! It smites me Beneath the fall I have. Pr'ythee, go hence; [To SELEUCUS. Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits Through the ashes of my chance :2-Wert thou a man, Thou would'st have mercy on me. Cas. Forbear, Seleucus. [Exit SELEUCUS. Cleo. Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought For things that others do; and, when we fall, Are therefore to be pitied. Cæs. Cleopatra, Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledg'd, Cæsar's no merchant, to make prize with you Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep: 9 modern friends-] Modern means here, as it generally does in these plays, common or ordinary. With one] With, in the present instance, has the power of by. 2 Through the ashes of my chance:] Or fortune. The meaning is, Begone, or I shall exert that royal spirit which I had in my prosperity, in spite of the imbecility of my present weak condition. We answer others' merits-] As demerits was often used, in Shakspeare's time, as synonymous to merit, so merit might have been used in the sense which we now affix to demerit; or the meaning may be only, we are called to account, and to answer in our own names for acts, with which others, rather than we, deserve to be charged. Our care and pity is so much upon you, Cæs. Not so: Adieu. [Exeunt CESAR, and his Train. Cleo. He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian. [Whispers CHARMIAN. Iras. Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, And we are for the dark. Cleo. I have spoke already, and it is provided; Go, put it to the haste. Char. Hie thee again : Madam, I will. Dol. Madam, as thereto sworn by your command, Which my love makes religion to obey, I tell you this: Cæsar through Syria Cleo. I shall remain your debtor. Dol. Dolabella, I your servant. Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cæsar. Cleo. Farewell, and thanks. [Exit DoL.] Now, Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shown Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded, Iras. The gods forbid! Cleo. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: Saucy lictors Will catch at us, like strumpets; and scald rhymers* Ballad us out o'tune: the quick comedians Extemporally will stage us, and present Our Alexandrian revels; Antony Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see I' the posture of a whore. Iras. Cleo. Nay, that is certain. O the good gods! Iras. I'll never see it; for, I am sure, my nails Are stronger than mine eyes. Cleo. Why, that's the way To fool their preparation, and to conquer Their most absurd intents.-Now, Charmian? Enter CHARMIAN. Show me, my women, like a queen;-Go fetch leave To play till dooms-day.-Bring our crown and all. Wherefore's this noise? 4 [Exit IRAS. A Noise within. and scald rhymers] Scald was a word of contempt implying poverty, disease, and filth. the quick comedians-] The lively, inventive, quickwitted comedians. 6 boy my greatness-] The parts of women were acted on the stage by boys. Guard. Enter one of the Guard. Here is a rural fellow, That will not be denied your highness' presence; Cleo. Let him come in. How poor an instrument Re-enter Guard, with a Clown bringing a Basket. Guard. This is the man. Cleo. Avoid, and leave him. Clown. Truly I have him: but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those, that do die of it, do seldom or never recover. Cleo. Remember'st thou any that have died on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but something given to lie; as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty: how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt,Truly, she makes a very good report o' the worm: But he that will believe all that they say, shall never 8 7 now the fleeting moon-] Fleeting is inconstant. the pretty worm of Nilus-] Worm is the Teutonick word for serpent; we have the blind-worm and slow-worm still in our language, and the Norwegians call an enormous monster, seen sometimes in the Northern ocean, the sea-worm. be saved by half that they do: But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell. Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm. Cleo. Farewell. [Clown sets down the Basket. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind." Cleo. Ay, ay; farewell. Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted, but in the keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm. Cleo. Take thou no care; it shall be heeded. Clown. Very good: give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. Cleo. Will it eat me? Clown. You must not think I am so simple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress. her not. But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five. Cleo. Well, get thee gone; farewell. Clown. Yes, forsooth; I wish you joy of the worm. Re-enter IRAS, with a Robe, Crown, &c. [Exit. Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have To praise my noble act; I hear him mock 9 nature. will do his kind.] The serpent will act according to his Yare, yare,] i. e. make haste, be nimble, be ready. |