Laf. I saw the man to-day, if man he be. He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, King. She hath that ring of yours. Ber. I think, she has: certain it is, I lik'd her, Dia. I must be patient; You, that turn'd off a first so noble wife, (Since you lack virtue, I will lose a husband), Ber. I have it not. King. What ring was your's, I pray you? The same upon your finger. [of late. Dia. I have spoke the truth. [him Ber. My lord, I do confess the ring was hers. King. You boggle shrewdly, every feather starts Is this the man you speak of? [you. Dia. Ay, my lord. King. Tell me, sirrah, but, tell me true, I charge you, Not fearing the displeasure of your master, Par. So please your majesty, my master hath been an honourable gentleman! tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. King. Come, come, to the purpose: did he love this woman? Par. 'Faith, sir, he did love her; but how? King. How, I pray you? loved her,-for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talked of Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not what; yet I was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed: and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know. King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: but thou art too fine in thy evidence: therefore, stand aside.-This ring, you say, was your's? Dia. Ay, my good lord. [you? King. Where did you buy it? or who gave it Dia. It was not lent me neither. King. If it were your's by none of all these Dia. I never gave it him. [ways, Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure. [wife. King. This ring was mine, I gave it his first Dia. It might be your's, or her's, for aught I know. King. Take her away, I do not like her now; Dia. I'll put in bail, my liege. [tomer. King. I think thee now some common cus- Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty; King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, royal The jeweller, that owes the ring, is sent for, Par. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves He knows himself, my bed he hath defil'd: a woman. King. How is that? Par. He loved her sir, and loved her not. King. As thou art a knave, and no knave:What an equivocal companion is this? Par. I am a poor man, and at your majesty's command. Laf. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator. Dia. Do you know, he promised me marriage? Par. 'Faith, I know more than I'll speak. King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? Par. Yes, so please your majesty; I did go between them, as I said; but more than that, ho And at that time he got his wife with child: Re-enter Widow, and Helena. Hel. No, my good lord; Ber. Both, both; O, pardon! Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring, And, look you, here's your letter; this it says, 'When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child,' &c.-This is done: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly. Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you! O, my dear mother, do I see you living? If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower, [to Diana. Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower, For I can guess, that, by thy honest aid, Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.Of that, and all the progress, more and less, Resolvedly more leisure shall express: All yet seems well; and if it end so meet, The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.. [flourish. Advancing. The king's a beggar, now the play is done: All is well ended, if the suit be won, That you express content; which we will pay, With strife to please you, day exceeding day: Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts; Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts. [excunt. Proculcius, Menas, Friends of Pompey." Varrius, Taurus, Lieutenant-general to Cæsar. Canidius, Lieutenant-general to Antony. Silius, an officer in Ventidius' army. Euphronius, an Ambassador from Antony to Cæsar. Alexas, Mardian, Seleucus, and Diomedes, Attendants on Cleopatra. A Soothsayer. A Clown. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Octavia, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony. Charmian, Iras, Attendants on Cleopatra. Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE dispersed; in several Parts of the Roman Empire. Enter Demetrius and Philo. [turn, Phi. NAY, but this dotage of our general's Take but good note, and you shall see in him Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth. Enter an Attendant. Att. News, my good lord, from Rome Ant. Grates me:- -The sum. Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony: Fulvia, perchance, is angry; or, who knows If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this; Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that: Perform't, or else we damn thee. Ant. How, my love! Cleo. Perchance,-nay, and most like, You must not stay here longer, your dismission Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.Where's Fulvia's process? Caesar's, I would say? Both? Call in the messengers.-As I am Egypt's queen. Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame, When shrill-tongue'd Fulvia scolds.-The mes And such a twain can do't, in which, I bind Cleo. Excellent falsehood! Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?— Ant. But stirr'd by Cleopatra.- Ant. Fie, wrangling queen! Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, Sooth. You shall be yet far fairer than you are. Char. He means, in flesh. Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old. Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive. Sooth. You shall be more beloving, than beloved. Char. Good now, some 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 Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress. [serve. Sooth. You shall outlive the lady whom you Char. O excellent! I love long life better than figs. [fortune, Sooth. You have seen and proved a fairer former Than that which is to approach. names. Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no [have? Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches must I 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 hers. Alex. We'll know all our fortunes. Eno. Mine, and most of our fortunes, to-night, shall be drunk to bed. [else. Iras. There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing Char. Even as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth faminc. Iras. Go, you wild bed-fellow, you cannot soothsay. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars. Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you choose it? Iras. Not in my husband's nose. Char. Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas,-come, his fortune, his fortune.-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee! And let her die too, and give him worse! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Isis, I beseech thee! Iras. Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to see a handsome man loose-wived, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded; there fore, dear Isis, 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. Eno. Hush! here comes Antony. Cleo. Saw you my lord? Cleo. Was he not here? [sudden Cleo. He was dispos'd to mirth; but on the A Roman thought had struck him.--Enobarbus,Eno. Madam. Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas? [approaches. Alex. Here madam, at your service.-My lord Enter Antony, with a Messenger, and Attendants. Cleo. We will not look upon him: go with us. [exeunt Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Alexas, Iras, Charmian, Soothsayer, and Attendants. Mess. Fulvia thy wife first came into the field. Ant. Against my brother Lucius? Mess. Ay: But soon that war had end, and the time's state Whose better issue in the war, from Italy, Ant. Well, What worst? Mess. The nature of bad news infects the teller. Ant. When it concerns the fool, or coward.. On: [thus; Things that are past, are done, with me.' -'Tis Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death, I hear him, as he flatter'd. Mess. Labienus (This is stiff news) hath, with his Parthian force, Extended Asia from Euphrates; His conquering banner shook, from Syria Ant. Antony, thou wouldst say,— Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the general Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase; and taunt my faults These strong Egyptian fetters, I must break, Her length of sickness, with what else more serious Eno. What's your pleasure, sir? 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 esteemed 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 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 almanacks 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! Eno. O, sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful pieces of work; which not to have been blessed withal, would have discredited your travel. Ant. Fulvia is dead. this grief is crowned 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, Cannot endure my absence. Eno. And the business you have broached here cannot be without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode. Ant. No more light answers. Let our officer Have notice what we purpose. I shall break The cause of our expedience to the queen, And get her love 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 up For the main soldier: whose quality, going on, The sides o'the world may danger: Much is breeding Which, like the courser's hair, bath 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. SCENE III. Lexeunt. 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, Cleo. What should I do, I do not? [him. Cleo. Thou teachest like a fool the way to lose Char. Tempt him not so too far: I wish, forbear: In time we hate that which we often fear. Enter Antony. But here comes Antony. [pose, Cleo. I am sick, and sullen. Ant. I am sorry to give breathing to my purCleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature [fall; Will not sustain it. Ant. Now, my dearest queen,— Cleo. Pray you, stand further from me.and Ant. What's the matter? [good news. Cleo. I know, by that same eye, there's some 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; hers you are. Ant. The gods best know, Cleo. O, never was there queen |