Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know,
My idleness doth hatch.-How now! Enobarbus !

Enter ENOBARBUS.

Eno. What's your pleasure, fir?

Ant. I muft with hafte from hence.

Eno. Why, then we kill all our women: We fee how mortal an unkindness is to them; if they fuffer our de parture, death's the word.

Ant. I must be gone.

Eno. Under a compelling occafion, let women die: It were pity to caft them away for nothing; though, between them and a great cause, they should be esteem'd nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the leaft noife of this, dies inftantly; I have feen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment :(9) I do think, there is mettle in death, which commits fome loving act upon her, fhe hath fuch a celerity in dying.

Ant. She is cunning paft man's thought..

Eno. Alack, fir, no; her paffions are made of nothing but the fineft part of pure love: We cannot call her winds and waters, fighs and tears: they are greater storms and tempefts than almanacks can report: This cannot be cunning in her; if it be, fhe makes a fhower of rain as well as Jove.

Ant. 'Would I had never feen her!

Eno. Oh, fir, you had then left unfeen a wonderful piece of work; which, not to have been bleft withal, would have difcredited your travel.

Ant. Fulvia is dead.

Eno. Sir!

Ant. Fulvia is dead..
Eno. Fulvia !

Ant. Dead.

Eno. Why, fir, give the Gods a thankful facrifice. When it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man from him, it fhews to man the tailors of the earth ;(1) ́ comforting therein, that when old robes are worn out, there are members to make new. If there were no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the

(9) For lefs reafon; upon meaner motives. JOHNS.

(1) The meaning is this. As the Gods have been pleafed to take away your wife Fulvia, fo they have provided you with a new one in Cleopatra ; a like manner as the tailors of the earth, when your old garments are worn aut, accommodate you with new ones,' ANONYMOUS.

cafe were to be lamented: this grief is crowned with confolation; your old fmock brings forth a new petticoat : And, indeed, the tears live in an onion, that should water this forrow.

Ant. The business she hath broached in the state, Cannot endure my absence.

Eno. And the bufiness you have broached here, cannot be without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode.

Ant. No more light anfwers. Let our officers Have notice what we purpose: I fhall break The cause of our expedience to the queen,(1) And get her leave to part. For not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,(2) Do strongly speak to us; but the letters too Of many our contriving friends in Rome Petition us at home (3) Sextus Pompeius Hath given the dare to Cæfar, and commands The empire of the fea: Our flippery people (Whofe love is never link'd to the deferver, Till his deferts are paft) begin to throw Pompey the Great, and all his dignties, Upon his fon; who, high in name and power, Higher than both in blood and life, stands up For the main foldier; whofe quality, going on, The fides o'the world may danger: Much is breeding, Which, like the courfer's hair, hath yet but life, And not a ferpent's poison.(4) Say, our pleasure, To fuch whofe place is under us, requires Our quick remove from hence.(5)

Eno. I fhall do't.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS.

Cleo. Where is he?

Char. I did not fee him fince.

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

(1) Expedience-for expedition.

WARB.

(2) Things that touch me more fenfibly, more preffing motives. JOHN. (3) With us at home; call for us to refide at home.

ib.

(4) Alludes to an old idle notion that the hair of a horfe dropt into cor

rupted water, will turn to an animal. POPE.

(5) I believe we fhould read, "Their quick remove from hence.' Tell our defign of going away to thofe, who being by their places obliged to attend us, muft remove in hafte. JOHNS.

I did not fend you.(6)—If you find him fad,
Say, I am dancing; if in mirth, report
That I am fudden fick 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 do, I do not ?

Char. In each thing give him way, cross him in nothing. Cleo. Thou teacheft, like a fool, the way to lofe him. Char. Tempt him not fo too far: I wish, forbear ; In time we hate that which we often fear.

Enter ANTONY.

But here comes Antony.

Cleo. I am fick, and fullen.

Ant. I am forry to give breathing to my purpose. Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall; It cannot be thus long, the fides of nature

Will not fuftain it.

Ant. Now, my deareft queen,

Cleo. Pray you, ftand farther from me.

Ant. What's the matter?

Cleo. I know, by that same eye, there's some good news: What fays the marry'd woman?-You may go; 'Would she had never given you leave to come! Let her not fay 'tis I that keep you here; I have no power upon you :-Her's you are. Ant. The Gods beft know,—

Cleo. O, never was there queen

So mightily betray'd! Yet, at the first,
I saw the treasons planted.

Ant. Cleopatra,—

Cleo. Why fhould I think, you can be mine, and true; Though you with fwearing fhake the throned Gods, Who have been falfe to Fulvia? Riotous madness, To be entangled with those mouth-made vows, Which break themfelves in fwearing!"

Ant. Moft fweet queen,

Cleo. Nay, pray you, feek no colour for your going, But bid farewel, and go: when you fu'd staying, Then was the time for words: No going then ;Eternity was in our lips, and eyes;

Blifs in our brows' bent; none our parts fo poor,

(6) You must go as if you came without my order or knowledge. JOH

But was a race of heaven (5) They are fo ftill,
Or thou, the greatest foldier 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 ftrong neceffity of time commands

Our fervices a-while; but my full heart

Remains in ufe with you.(6)

Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil fwords: Sextus Pompeius,
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome :
Equality of two domeftic powers

Breeds fcrupulous 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 fuch as have not thriven
Upon the prefent ftate, whofe numbers threaten ;
And quietnefs, grown fick of reft, would purge
By any defperate change. My more particular,
And that which moft with you should fafe my going,
Is Fulvia's death.

Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me freedom, It does from childifhnefs :-Can Fulvia die?

Ant. She's dead, my queen :

Look here, and at thy fovereign leifure read
The garboils fhe awak'd; at the last, beft:
See, when, and where fhe died.

Cleo. O moft falfe love!

Where be the facred vials thou fhould't fill
With forrowful water (7) Now I fee, I fee,
In Fulvia's death, how mine fhall be receiv'd.
Ant. Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know
The purposes I bear; which are, or ceafe,
As you fhall give the advices: By the fire,
That quickens Nilus' flime, I go from hence,
Thy foldier, fervant; making peace, or war,
As thou affect'st.

Cleo. Cut my lace, Charmian, come ;

(5) i. e. Had a fmack or flavour of heaven. WARB.-This word is well explained by Dr. Warburton; the frace' of wine is the tafte of the foil. JOH. (6) The poet feems to allude to the legal diftinction between the use and abfolute poffeffion. JOHNS.

(7) Alluding to the lachrymatory vials, or bottles of tears, which the Romans fometimes put into the urn of a friend. JOHNS.

But let it be.I am quickly ill, and well:
-So, Antony loves.

Ant. My precious queen, forbear;

And give true evidence to his love, which stands
An honourable trial.

Cleo. So Fulvia told me.

I pr'ythee, turn afide, and weep for her;
Then bid adieu to me, and fay, the tears
Belong to Egypt :(8) Good now, play one fcene
Of excellent diffembling; and let it look
Like perfect honour.

Ant. You'll heat my blood:

no more.

Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly.
Ant. Now by my fword,-

Cleo. And target-Still he mends;

But this is not the beft. Look, pr'ythee, Charmian, How this Herculean Roman does become

The carriage of his chafe.

Ant. I'll leave you, lady.

Cleo. Courteous lord, one word.

Sir, you and I must part,-but that's not it;
Sir, you and I have lov'd,-but there's not it;
That you know well: fomething it is, I would :-
Oh, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten.(9)

Ant. But that your royalty

Holds idleness your fubject, I should take you

For idleness itself.(1)

Cleo. 'Tis fweating labour,

To bear fuch idlenefs fo near the heart

As Cleopatra, this. But, fir, forgive me ;

Since my becomings kill me, when they do not
Eye well to you: Your honour calls you hence;
Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly,

And all the Gods go with you! Upon your fword

(8) To me, the queen of Egypt. JOHNS.

(9) Cleopatra has fomething to fay, which feems to be fupprefs'd by forrow, and after many attempts to produce her meaning, the cries out, "This quality I have of forgetting what concerns me nearly, too much resembles Antony, or is an Antony, and my welfare is alike forgotten by him and by myfelf. STEEV.

(1) i. e. But that your charms hold me, who am the greateft fool on earth, in chains, I fhould have adjudged you to be the greateft.' That this is the fenfe is fhewn by her answer,

"Tis fweating labour,

To bear fuch idlenefs fo near the heart,
As Cleopatra, this.-

WARB.