Which some did die to look on: And all this
(It wounds thine honour that I speak it now)
Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek
So much as lank'd not.

LEP. 'Tis pity of him.
CES.

Let his shames quickly

Drive him to Rome: "Tis time we twain

Did show ourselves i' the field; and, to that end,
Assemble me immediate council: Pompey
Thrives in our idleness.

LEP.

To-morrow, Cæsar,

I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly
Both what by sea and land I can be able,
To front this present time.

CES.

It is my business too.

Till which encounter,

Farewell.

LEP. Farewell, my lord: What you shall know meantime Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir,

SCENE V.-Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN.

CLEO. Charmian,—

CHAR. Madam.

CLEO. Ha, ha!—

Give me to drink mandragora.

CHAR.

Why, madam?

CLEO. That I might sleep out this great gap of time

What's your highness' pleasure?

CLEO. Thou, eunuch! Mardian!

MAR.

CLEO. Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure

In aught an eunuch has: 'Tis well for thee,

That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts

May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?

MAR. Yes, gracious madam.

CLEO. Indeed?

MAR. Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing

But what indeed is honest to be done:

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

Stands he, or sits he?

Where think'st thou he is now?

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 movʼst?
The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm

And burgonet of men.-He's speaking now,

Or murmuring, "Where's my serpent of old Nile?”
For so 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 Cæsar,
When thou wast here above the ground, I was
A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey
Would stand, and make his eyes grow in my brow;
There would he anchor his aspect, and die

With looking on his life.

ALEX.

Enter ALEXAS.

Sovereign of Egypt, hail!

281

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. Last thing he did, dear queen,

He kiss'd,—the last of many doubled kisses,—
This orient pearl:—His speech sticks in my heart.
CLEO. Mine ear must pluck it thence.

Good friend, quoth he,

ALEX.
Say, "The firm Roman to great Egypt sends
This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,
To mend the petty present, I will piece

Her opulent throne with kingdoms: All the east,"

Say thou, "shall call her mistress." So he nodded,
And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed,
Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke
Was beastly dumb'd by him.

CLEO.

What, was he sad, or merry? ALEX. Like to the time o' the year between the extremes Of hot and cold: he was nor sad nor merry.

CLEO. O well-divided disposition!-Note him,

Note him, good Charmian, 't is the man; but note him:
He was not sad; for he would shine on those
That make their looks by his: he was not merry;
Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy: but between both:

O heavenly mingle!-Beest thou sad, or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes;

So does it no man else.-Mett'st thou my posts?
ALEX. Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
Why do you send so thick?

CLEO.

Who's born that day
When I forget to send to Antony,

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

CLEO. Be chok'd with such another emphasis! Say, the brave Antony.

CHAR.

The valiant Cæsar!

CLEO. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cæsar paragon again

My man of men!

CHAR.

By your most gracious pardon,

I sing but after you.

My salad days;

CLEO.
When I was green in judgment:-Cold in blood,
To say as I said then!—But come, away:
Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day
A several greeting, or I'll unpeople Egypt.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-Messina. A Room in Pompey's House.

Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS.

POм. If the great gods be just, they shall assist The deeds of justest men.

MENE.

Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay they not deny.

POм. Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays The thing we sue 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 losing of our prayers.

POM.

I shall 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 sits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money where
He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

MEN.
Cæsar and Lepidus
Are in the field; a mighty strength they carry.
POм. Where have you this? 't is false.

MEN.

From Silvius, sir.

POм. He dreams; I know they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony: But all the charms of love

Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts;
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;
That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour
Even till a Lethe'd dulness.-How now, Varrius?

Enter VARRIUS.

VAR. This is most certain that I shall deliver⚫ Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected; since he went from Egypt, 't is

A space for farther travel.

Ром.

I could have given less matter

A better ear.-Menas, I did not think

This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm
For such a petty war: his soldiership

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 lust-wearied Antony.

ΜΕΝ.
I cannot hope
Cæsar and Antony shall well greet together:
His wife that's dead did trespasses to Cæsar;
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Ром.

I know not, Menas,

How lesser enmities may give way to greater.
Were 't not that we stand up against them all,
"T were pregnant they should square between themselves;
For they have entertained cause enough

To draw their swords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divisions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.

Be it as our gods will have it! It only stands
Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Rome. A Room in the House of Lepid is.

Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS.

LEP. Good Enobarbus, 't is a worthy deed,

And shall become you well, to entreat your captain

To soft and gentle speech.

ENO.

I shall entreat him

To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him,
Let Antony look over Cæsar's head,