Cleo. I'll fet 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.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:

'Grates me:-The fum.

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæfar have not fent
His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform't, or else we damn thee.

Ant.

How, my love!

Cleo. Perchance,-nay, and most like,

You must not stay here longer, your difmiffion
Is come from.Cæfar therefore hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's procefs Cefar's, I would fay?-Both?—
Call in the meffengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blusheft; Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cæfar's homager: elfe.fo thy cheek pays fhame,
When shrill-tongud Fulvia fcolds.-The meffengers.
Ant. Let Rome in Tiber melt! and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beaft as man: the noblenefs of life
Is, to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair,
And fuch a twain can do't, in which, I bind
On pain of punishment, the world to weet,
We stand up peerless.

Cleo.

Excellent falfhood!

[Embracing.

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?

I'll feem the fool I am not; Antony

Will be himself.

Ant.

But ftirr'd by Cleopatra.

Now, for the love of Love, and her foft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh :
There's not a minute of our lives fhould ftretch
Without fome pleasure now: What sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.

Ant.

Fye, wrangling queen!
Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whofe every paffion fully strives

To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd!
No meffenger; but thine and all alone,

To-night, we'll wander through the ftreets, and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;
Last night you did defire it :-Speak not to us.

[Exeunt ANT. and CLEOP. with their train.
Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd so slight?
Phi. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too fhort of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

Dem.

I'm full forry,

That he approves the common liar, who

Thus fpeaks of him at Rome : But I will hope

Of better deeds to-morrow. Reft you happy! [Exeunt.

Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Lord Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almoft most abfolute Alexas, where's the footh

fayer that you praised so to the queen? O, that I knew this husband, which, you say, must change his horns with garlands !

Alex. Soothfayer.

Sooth. Your will?

Char. Is this the man?-Is't you, fir, that know things?
Sooth. In nature's infinite book of fecrecy,

A little I can read.

Alex.

Show him your hand.

Enter ENOBARBUS.

Eno. Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough, Cleopatra's health to drink.

Char. Good fir, give me good fortune.

Sooth. I make not, but foresee.

Char. Pray then, foresee me one.

South. You shall be yet far fairer than you are.
Char. He means, in flesh.

Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old.

Char. Wrinkles forbid !

Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive.
Char. Hush!

Sooth. You shall be more beloving, than belov'd.
Char. I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
Alex. Nay, hear him.

Char. Good now, fome excellent fortune! Let me be
married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them
all let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry
may do homage: find me to marry me with Octavius Cæ-
far, and companion me with my
mistress.

Sooth. You fhall outlive the lady whom you ferve.
Char. O excellent! I love long life better than figs.

Sooth.

Sooth. You have seen and prov'd a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach.

Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no names: Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches muft I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb,

And fertile every wish, a million.

Char. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.

Alex. You think, none but your fheets are privy to your wishes.

Char. Nay, come, tell Iras hers.

Alex. We'll know all our fortunes.

Eno. Mine, and most of our fortunes, to night, shall be-drunk to bed.

Iras. There's a palm prefages chastity, if nothing else. Char. Even as the o'erflowing Nilus prefageth famine. Iras. Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot foothfay.

Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear.—Pr'ythee, tell her but a worky-day fortune.

Sooth. Your fortunes are alike.

Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars.

Sooth. I have faid.

Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than she?

Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you choose it?

Iras. Not in my husband's nose.

Char. Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas,come, his fortune, his fortune.-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, fweet Ifis, I beseech thee! And let her die too, and give him a worfe! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Ifis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Ifis, I beseech thee!

Iras. Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handsome man loose-wiv'd, fo it is a deadly forrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded; Therefore, dear Ifis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly!

Char. Amen.

Alex. Lo, now! if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores, but they'd do't.

Eno. Huh! here comes Antony.
Char.

Not he, the queen.

Cleo. He was difpos'd to mirth: but on the fudden A Roman thought hath ftruck him.-Enobarbus,Eno. Madam.

Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas? Alex. Here, madam, at your fervice.-My lord approaches.

Enter ANTONY, with a Meffenger, and Attendants.

Cleo. We will not look upon him: Go with us.
[Exeunt CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, ALEXAS, IRAS,
CHARMIAN, Soothfayer, and Attendants.
Mef. Fulvia thy wife firft came into the field.
Ant. Against my brother Lucius ?

Mef. Ay:

But foon that war had end, and the time's ftate

Made