IRA. Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handsom man loofe-wiv'd, fo it is a deadly forrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded; Therefore, dear Ifis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly! CHA. Amen. ALE. Lo, now! if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores, but they'd ENO. Hufh! here comes Antony. CHA. -Not he, the Queen. Enter CLEOPATRA, attended. CLE. Saw you my lord? ENO. No, lady. CLE. Was he not here ? CHA. -No, madam. [do't. CLE. He was difpos'd to mirth; but, on the sudden, A Roman thought hath ftrook him. Enobarbus,ENO. Madam. CIE. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas? CLE. We will not look upon him; Go with us. Mef. Ay: but foon That war had end; and the time's ftate made friends Upon the first encounter, drave them. ANT.-Well, What worst? Mef. The nature of bad news infects the teller. ANT. When it concerns the fool, or coward. On: Things, that are past, are done, with me: 'Tis thus ; Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death, I hear him as he flatter'd. Mef. -Labienus, Hath with his Parthian force, through extended Afia, Whilft ANT. -Antony, thou would'ft fay,- ANT. Speak to me home,mince not the general tongue; Name Cleopatra as she's call'd in Rome : Rail thou in Fulvia's phrafe; and taunt my faults With fuch full licence, as both truth and malice Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds, When our quick winds lie ftill; and our ills told us, Is as our earing. Fare thee well a while. Mef. At your noble pleasure. [Exit. ANT. From Sicyon how the news? Speak there. 1. A. The man from Sicyon, Is there fuch a one ? 2. A. He ftays upon your will. ANT. -Let him appear. These ftrong Egyptian fetters I must break, Enter another Meffenger. Or lofe myself in dotage. What are you? Mef. Fulvia thy wife is dead. ANT. -Where dy'd fhe? Mef. In Sicyon: bears. Her length of fickness, with what else more ferious [Exit Meffenger. The oppofite of itfelf: fhe's good, being gone; Enter ENOBARBUS. ENO. What's your pleasure, fir? ANT. I muft with hafte from hence. ENO. Why, then we kill all our women: We see 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 efteem'd nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the leaft noise of this, dies inftantly; I have feen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment. ANT. She is cunning paft man's thought. Fulvia is dead. ENO. Sir? ANT. Fulvia is dead. ENO. Fulvia? ANT. Dead. ENO. Why, fir, give the gods a thankful facrifice. If there were no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the cafe to be lamented: this grief is ANT. The business she hath broached in the state ENO. And the business you have broached here cannot be without you; efpecially that of Cleopatra's, which wholy depends on your abode. ANT. No more light answers. Let our officers Have notice what we purpose: I fhall break Hath giv❜n the dare to Cæfar, and commands ENO. I fhall do't. [Exeunt. L SCENE III. The fame. Another Room. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, Iras, and Alexas. CHA. I did not fee him fince. CLE. See where he is, who's with him,what he does, I did not fend you; [to Iras.] If you find him fad, Say, I am dancing; if in mirth, report That I am fudden fick: Quick, and return. [Exit Alexas. CHA. Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly, You do not hold the method to enforce The like from him. CLE. What fhould I do, I do not? CHA. In each thing give him way, cross him in nothing. Enter ANTONY. But here comes Antony. CLE. I am fick, and fullen. ANT. I am forry to give breathing to my purpose,CLE. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall; It cannot be thus long, the fides of nature Will not fuftain it. ANT. -Now, my dearest Queen,— CLE. Pray you, ftand farther from me. CLE. I know, by that fame eye, there's fome good news: I have no power upon you; hers you are. |