Of audience, nor desire, shall fail; so she
From Egypt drive her all disgraced friend,
Or take his life there: This if she perform,
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.

Sooth. Fortune pursue thee!
Oct. Bring him through the bands.-

(Exit Soothsayer, attended.
To try thy eloquence, now's the time: Despatch;
From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,
And in our name, what she requires ; add more,
From thine invention offers : Women are not,
In their best fortunes, strong; but want will perjure
The ne'er-touch'd vestal: Try thy cunning, Thyreus;
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.

Thyr. Cæsar, I go.

Oct. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw; And what thou think'st his

very

action speaks In every power that moves. Thyr. Cæsar, I shall.

[Exeunt.

Scene v.

Alexandria.

A Room in the Palace.

Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and

Iras.

Cleo. What shall we do, Enobarbus?
Enob. Drink, and die.
Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this?

Enob. Antony only, that would make his will
Lord of his reason. What though you fled
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
Frighted each other? why should he follow you?
The itch of his affection should not then
Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point,
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being
The meered question: 'Twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.
Cleo. Pr'ythee, peace.

Enter Antony and Soothsayer.
Ant. Is that his answer?
Sooth. Ay, my lord.

Ant. The queen
Shall then have courtesy, so she will yield

Us up:

Sooth. My lord, he says so.

Ant. Let her know't.-
To the boy Cæsar send this grizzled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
With principalities.

Cleo. That head, my lord ?

Ant. To him again; tell him, he wears the rose
Of youth upon him; from which, the world should

note
Something particular: his coin, ships, legions,
May be a coward's; whose ministries would prevail
Under the service of a child, as soon
As i'the command of Cæsar; I dare him therefore
To lay his gay comparisons apart,
And answer me declin'd, sword against sword,
Ourselves alone: I'll write it; follow me.

[Exeunt Antony and Soothsayer. Enob. Yes, like enough; high-battl d Cæsar will Unstate his happiness, and be staged to the show Against a sworder. I see, men's judgments are

2

A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,
To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæsar will
Answer his emptiness! Cæsar, thou hast subdu'd
His judgment too.

Enter an Attendant.
Atten. A messenger from Cæsar.

Cleo. What, no more ceremony ?—See, my women, Against the blown rose may they stop their nose, That kneel'd unto the buds.—Admit him, sir.

[Exit ATTENDANT Enter Thyrkus. Cleo. Cæsar's will? Thyr. Hear it apart. Cleo. None but friends ; say on boldly. Thyr. So, haply, are they friends to Antony.

Enob. He needs as many, sir, as Cæsar has;
Or needs not us. If Cæsar please, our master
Will leap to be his friend : Or, as you know,
Whose he is, we are; and that is, Cæsar's.

Thyr. So.-
Thus then, thou most renown'd; Cæsar entreats,
Not to consider in what case thou stand'st
Further than he is Cæsar.

Cleo. Go on: Right royal.

Thyr. He knows, that you embrace not Antony As you did love, but as you fear'd him.

Cleo. O!

Thyr. The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
Does pity, as constrained blemishes,
Not as deserv'd.

Cleo. He is a god, and knows
What is most right: Mine honour was not yielded
But conquered merely.

F

Enob. To be sure of that,
I will ask Antony.

[Exit Enobarbus.
Thyr. Shall I say to Cæsar
What you require of him for he partly begs
To be desir'd to give. It much would please him,
That of his fortunes you should inake a staff
To lean upon: but it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,
And put yourself under his shroud, the great,
The universal landlord.

Cleo. What's your name?
Thyr. My name is Thyreus.

Cleo. Most kind messenger,
Say to great Cæsar this, in deputation
I kiss his conquering hand : tell him, I am prompt
To lay my crown at his feet, and there to kneel :
Tell him, from his all-obeying breath I hear
The doom of Egypt.

Thyr. 'Tis your noblest course.
Wisdom and fortune combatting together,
If that the former dare but what it can,
No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay
My duty on your hand.

Cleo. Your Cæsar's father oft, [Giving her Hand.
When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in,
Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,
As it rain'd kisses.

Enter Enobarbus, with Antony.
Ant. Favours, by Jove that thunders!
What art thou, fellow?

Thyr. One, that but performs
The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest
To have command obey'd.

Enob. You will be whipp'd.
Ant. Approach, there! Ah, you kite!—Now gods

and devils !
Authority melts from me of late : when I cry'd, ho!

Like boys unto a muss, kings would stand forth,
And
cry,
Your will ?--Have you no ears? I am

Enter Attendants.
Antony yet. Take hence this Jack, and whip him.
Moon and stars !
Whip him ;—Wer't twenty of the greatest tributaries
That do acknowledge Cæsar, should I find them
So saucy with the hand of she here, (What's her name,
Since she was Cleopatra ?)—Whip him, fellows,
Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face,
And whine aloud for mercy: Take him hence.

Thyr. Mark Antony

Ant. Tug him away: being whipp'd,
Bring him again.--This Jack of Cæsar's, shall
Bear us an errand to him.

[Exeunt Attendants, with Thyreus.
You were half blasted ere I knew you :—Ha!
Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,
To be abus'd
By one that looks on feeders ?
Cleo. Good

my

lordAnt. You have been a bogler ever : But when we in our viciousness grow hard, (O, misery on't !) the wise gods seel our eyes In our own filth ; drop our clear judgments; make

Adore our errors; laugh at us, while we strut
To our confusion.

Cleo. Oh! is't come to this?
Ant. I found you as a morsel, cold

upon
Dead Cæsar's trencher; nay, you were a fragment
Of Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have
Luxuriously pick'd out: For, I am sure,
Though you can guess what temperance should be,
You know not what it is.
Cleo. Wherefore is this?