VARRIUS, TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar. CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony. SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's army. EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar. on Cleopatra. A Soothsayer. A Clown. CLEOPATRA, queen of Egypt. OCTAVIA, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony. CHARMIAN, attendants on Cleopatra. IRAS, } Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE, dispersed; in several parts of the Roman Empire. ACT I. SCENE I.-Alexandria. A Room in CLEOPATRA's Palace. Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO. Philo. NAY, but this dotage of our general's O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes, Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn, Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart, Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst To cool a gipsy's lust. Look, where they come ! Take but good note, and you shall see in him Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see. Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon❜d. 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; Reneges renounces. POPE. 2 Gipsy is here used both in the original meaning for an Egyptian, and in its accidental sense for a bad woman. JOHNSON. [3] Triple--is here used improperly for third, or one of three. One of the Triumvirs, one of the three masters of the world. WARBURTON. [5] Thou must set the boundary of my love at a greater distance than the present visible universe affords. JOHNSON. [6] Be brief, sum thy business in a few words. JOHNSON. Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that; Ant. How, my love! Cleo. Perchance,-nay, and most like, You must not stay here longer, your dismission Both? Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.— Cleo. Excellent falsehood! [Embracing. Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her ?- Will be himself. Ant. But stirr'd by Cleopatra. Now, for the love of Love, and her soft hours, Let's not confound the time with conference harsh : Ant. Fye, wrangling queen! Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, No messenger; but thine and all alone, To-night, we'll wander through the streets, and note Last night you did desire it :-Speak not to us. [Exeunt ANT. and CLEO. with their train. Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius priz'd so slight? M To weet---to know. POPE. 4 [8] But in this passage, seems to have the old Saxon signification of without, unLess, except. Antony,' says the queen, will recollect his thoughts.' Unless kept,' JOHNSON. 'he replies, in commotion, by Cleopatra.' By Antony will be himself, she means to say, that 'Antony will act like the joint sovereign of the world, and follow his own inclinations, without regard to the mandates of Cæsar, or the anger of Fulvia. To which he replies, If but stirr'd by Cleopatra," that is, if moved to it in the slightest degree by her, MASON. |