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Which leaves itself: to the sea side straightway.
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little: pray you now :-
Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command;
Therefore I pray you :- -I'll see you by and by.
[sits down.

Enter EROS, and CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and

IRAS.

Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him: comfort him. Iras. Do, most dear queen.

Char. Do! Why, what else?

Cle. Let me sit down. O Juno!

Ant. No, no, no, no, no.

Eros. See you here, sir?

Ant. O fie, fie, fie.

Cle. Madam,

Iras. Madam; O good empress

Eros. Sir, sir,

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes: he,1 at Philippi, kept
His sword ev'n like a dancer, while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I,
That the mad Brutus ended: he alone
Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had
In the brave squares of war: yet Low-

matter.

Cle. Ah, stand by.

Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen.

1 i. e. Cæsar.

2 Fought by his officers.

-No

:

Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him; He is unqualitied1 with very shame.

Cle. Well then, sustain me.-O!

Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches.

Her head's declined, and death will seise her; but Your comfort makes the rescue.

Ant. I have offended reputation;

A most unnoble swerving.

Eros.

Sir, the queen.

Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See, How I convey my shame out of thine eyes, By looking back on what I have left behind 'Stroy'd in dishonor.

Cle.

0, my lord, my lord! Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought, You would have follow'd.

Ant.

Egypt, thou knew'st too well,

My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings,
And thou shouldst tow me after. O'er my spirit
Thy full supremacy thou knew'st; and that

Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.

Cle.

Ant.

O, my pardon!

Now I must

To the young man send humble treaties, dodge

And palter in the shifts of lowness; who

With half the bulk o' the world play'd as I pleased,

1 Bewildered.

Making and marring fortunes. You did know,
How much you were my conqueror; and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all cause.

Cle.

O, pardon, pardon!

Ant. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss ;

Even this repays me. We sent our schoolmaster; Is he come back?-Love, I am full of lead.

Some wine, within there, and our viands: Fortune

knows,

We scorn her most, when most she offers blows.

[Exeunt.

SCENE X.

Casar's camp in Egypt.

Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, and others.

Ca. Let him appear that 's come from Antony.Know you him?

Do! .

Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster;

An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither

He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,

Which had superfluous kings for messengers,
Not many moons gone by.

Ca.

Enter EUPHRONIUS.

Approach, and speak.

Eu. Such as I am, I come from Antony:

I was of late as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand sea.

Ca.

Be it so declare thine office.

Eu. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted, He lessens his requests; and to thee sues

To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens: this for him.

Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;
Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves
The circle 1 of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.

Cœ.

For Antony,

I have no ears to his request: the queen
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.
Eu. Fortune pursue thee!
Ca.

Bring him through the bands.
[Exit Euphronius.

To try thy eloquence now 'tis time: despatch;
From Antony win Cleopatra: promise, [to Thyreus.
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, Thy-

reus;

Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we

1 Diadem.

[blocks in formation]

Ca. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw; 1 And what thou think'st his very action speaks In every power that moves.

Thy.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exeunt.

SCENE XI.

Alexandria. A room in the palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS.

Cle. What shall we do, Enobarbus ?

Eno.

Think, and die.

Cle. Is Antony or we in fault for this?

Eno. 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? The itch of his affection should not then Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point, When half to half the world opposed, he being The mered question: 3 'twas a shame no less Than was his loss, to course your flying flags, And leave his navy gazing.

Cle.

Pr❜ythee, peace.

1 Bears his misfortunes.

3 The sole occasion of the war.

2 Defeated.

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