From out each monument, in order plac'd,
An armed ghoft ftarts up; the boy-king laft
Rear'd his inglorious head: a peal of groans
Then follow'd, and a lamentable voice
Cry'd Egypt is no more. My blood ran back,
My fhaking knees against each other knock'd,
On the cold pavement down I fell entranc'd,
And fo unfinish'd left the horrid fcene?

Alex. And dreamt you this, or did invent the ftory [Shewing himself.

To frighten our Egyptian boys withal,

And train 'em up betimes in fear of priesthood?

Ser. My lord, I faw you not,

Nor meant my words fhould reach your ears; but what I utter'd was most true.

Alex. A foolish dream,

Bred from the fumes of indigefted feafts

And holy luxury..

Ser. I know my duty:

This goes no farther.

Alex. 'Tis not fit it should,

Nor would the times now bear it were it true.
All fouthern from yon' hills the Roman camp
Hangs o'er us black and threat'ning, like a storm
Juft breaking on our heads.

Ser. "Our faint Egyptians pray for Antony, "But in their fervile hearts they own Octavius.

Myr. "Why then does Antony dream out his hours,

"And tempts not Fortune for a noble day,

"Which might redeem what Actium lost? Alex. "He thinks 't is past recovery,

Ser. "Yet the foe

"Seems not to prefs the fiege.

Alex. "Oh, there's the wonder.

"Mecenas and Agrippa, who can moft

With Cæfar, are his foes. His wife Octavia, "Driv'n from his houfe, folicits her revenge; "And Dolabella, who was once his friend,

Upon fome private grudge now feeks his ruin; "Yet ftill war feems on either fide to fleep."

Ser. 'Tis ftrange that Antony for fome days pat Has not beheld the face of Cleopatra,

But here in Ifis' temple lives retir'd,

And makes his heart a prey to black despair.

Alex. 'Tis true; and we much fear he hopes by abfence To cure his mind of love.

Ser. "If he be vanquish'd

"Or make his peace Egypt is doom'd to be
"A Roman province, and our plenteous harvests
“Must then redeem the scarceness of their foil..
"While Antony stood firm our Alexandria
Rivall'd proud Rome, (Dominion's other feat)
"And Fortune ftriding, like a vaft Coloffus,
"Could fix an equal foot of empire here.

Alex. " Had I my wish these tyrants of all nature,
"Who lord it o'er mankind, fhould perish, perish,
"Each by the other's fword; but fince our will
"Is lamely follow'd by our pow'r we must
"Depend on one, with him to rife or fall.
Ser. How ftands the Queen affected?
Alex. Oh, the dotes,

She dotes, Serapion, on this vanquish'd man,
And winds herself about his mighty ruins,
Whom would fhe yet forfake, yet yield him up,
This hunted prey, to his purfuer's hands,
She might preserve us all: but 'tis in vain-
This changes my defigns, this blafts my counfels,
And makes me use all means to keep him here
Whom I could with divided from her arms
Far as the earth's deep centre. Well, you know
The ftate of things: no more of your ill omens
And black prognofticks; labour to confirm
The people's hearts.

Enter VENTIDIUS, talking afide with a gentleman of Antony's.

Ser. These Romans will o’erhear us.

But who's that ftranger? by his warlike port,

His fierce demeanour, and erected look,

He's of no vulgar note.

Alex. Oh, 'tis Ventidius,

Our Emperour's great Lieutenant in the East,

Who firft fhew'd Rome that Parthia could be conquer'd.

When Antony return'd from Syria last

He left this man to guard the Roman frontiers.

Ser. You feem to know him well.

Alex. Too well. I faw him in Cilicia firft
When Cleopatra there met Antony;
A mortal foe he was to us and Egypt.
But let me witness to the worth I hate;
A braver Roman never drew a fword:
Firm to his prince, but as a friend, not slave:
He ne'er was of his pleafures, but prefides
O'er all his cooler hours and morning counfels:
In fhort, the plainnefs, fiercenefs, rugged virtue
Of an old true ftampt Roman lives in him.
His coming bodes I know not what of ill

To our affairs. Withdraw to mark him better,
And I'll acquaint you why I fought you here,
And what's our present work.

[They withdraw to a corner of the stage, and Ventidius with the other comes forward to the front.

Vent. Not fee him fay you?

I fay I must and will.

Gent. He has commanded

On pain of death none should approach his prefence. Vent. I bring him news will raise his drooping fpirits, Give him new life.

Gent. He fees not Cleopatra.

Vent. Would he had never feen her.

Gent. He eats not, drinks not, fleeps not, has no use

Of any thing but thought; or if he talks
'Tis to himfelf, and then 'tis perfect raving;
Then he defies the world, and bids it pass.
Sometimes he gnaws his lip, and curfes loud
The boy Octavius; then he draws his mouth
Into a fcornful fmile, and cries, Take all,
The world's not worth my care.

Vent. Juft, juft his nature.

Virtue's his path, but fometimes 't is too narrow
For his vaft foul, and then he starts out wide,
And bounds into a vice that bears him far
From his first courfe, and plunges him in ills:
“But when his danger makes him find his fault,
66 Quick to obferve, and full of sharp remorse,
"He cenfures eagerly his own mifdeeds,

Judging himself with malice to himself,

"And not forgiving what as man he did,
"Because his other parts are more than man."
He must not thus be loft.

[Alexas and the priests come forward. Alex. You have your full inftructions; now advance ; Proclaim your orders loudly.

Ser. Romans! Egyptians! hear the Queen's command.. Thus Cleopatra bids: let labour ceafe;

To pomp and triumphs give this happy day
That gave the world a lord; 'tis Antony's.
Live Antony, and Cleopatra live!

Be this the gen'ral voice fent up to Heav'n,
And ev'ry publick place repeat this echo.
Vent. Fine pageantry!

Ser. Set out before your doors

The images of all your sleeping fathers

[Afide

With laurels crown'd, with laurels wreath your posts,
And ftrow with flow'rs the pavement; let the priest
Do prefent facrifice, pour out the wine,

And call the gods to join with you in gladness.

Vent. Curfe on the tongue that bids this gen'ral joy!
Can they be friends of Antony who revel
When Antony's in danger? Hide, for shame,
You Romans, your great grandfires' images,
For fear their fouls fhould animate their marbles
To blush at their degenerate progeny.

Alex. A love which knows no bounds to Antony
Would mark the day with honours; when all Heav'n
Labour'd for him, when each propitious ftar
Stood wakeful in his orb to watch that hour
And shed his better influence, her own birthday
Our Queen neglected, like a vulgar fate
That pafs'd obfcurely by.

Vent. Would it had slept

Divided far from his, till fome remote

And future age had call'd it out to ruin

Some other prince, not him.

Alex. Your Emperour,

Tho' grown unkind, would be more gentle than
T'upbraid my Queen for loving him too well.

Vent. "Does the mute facrifice upbraid the priest? "He knows him not his executioner.

"Oh! fhe has deck'd his ruin with her love,
"Led him in golden bands to gaudy flaughter,
"And made perdition pleafing: fhe has left him
"The blank of what he was.'
"9

I tell thee eunuch, fhe has quite unmann'd him :
Can any Roman fee and know him now,
Thus alter'd from the lord of half mankind,
Unbent, unfinew'd, made a woman's toy,
Shrunk from the vaft extent of all his honours,
And crampt within a corner of the world?
Oh Antony !

Thou braveft foldier and thou beft of friends!

Bounteous as Nature next to Nature's God!

Couldst thou but make new worlds fo wouldft thou give 'em,As bounty were thy being. Rough in battle

As the firft Romans when they went to war,

Yet after victory more pitiful

Than all their praying virgins left at home!

Alex. Would you could add to thofe more fhining virtues His truth to her who loves him.

Vent. Would I could not.

But wherefore wafte I precious hours with thee?
Thou art her darling mischief, her chief engine,
Antony's other Fate. Go tell thy Queen
Ventidius is arriv'd to end her charms.
Let your Egyptian timbrels play alone,

Nor mix effeminate founds with Roman trumpets.
You dare not fight for Antony; go pray,
And keep your coward's holyday in temples.

[Exeunt Alex. Serap

Reenter the Gentleman of Marc Antony.

Second Gent. The Emperour approaches, and commands On pain of death that none prefume to ftay.

First Gent.Idare not disobey him. [Going out with the other. Vent. Well; I dare;

But I'll observe him first unseen, and find

Which

way

his humour drives: the reft I'll venture.

[Withdraws. Enter ANTONY, walking with a difturbed motion before he

Speaks.

Ant. They tell me 't is my birthday, and I'll keep it With double pomp of fadnefs: