Alexandria. A'Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY, and Attendants.

Ant. Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon 't;
It is asham'd to bear me. - Friends, come hither,
I am so lated in the world, that I

Have lost my way for ever. I have a ship
Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Cæsar.

Att.

Fly! not we.

Ant. I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards
To run, and show their shoulders. - Friends, be gone;
I have myself resolv'd upon a course,
Which has no need of you; be gone:
My treasure's in the harbour, take it.
I follow'd that I blush to look upon:
My very hairs do mutiny; for the white

O!

Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting. - Friends, be gone: you shall
Have letters from me to some friends, that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of lothness: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
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?

Cleo. Let me sit down. O Juno!

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

Eros. See you here, Sir?

Iras. Madam: O good empress!

Eros. Sir, Sir, –

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes.

He, at Philippi, kept His sword e'en like a dancer, while I struck The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 't was I That the mad Brutus ended: he alone Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had In the brave squares of war; yet now Cleo. Ah! stand by.

No matter.

Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen. Iras. Go to him, Madam, speak to him: He is unqualitied with very shame.

Cleo. Well then, sustain me: -O!

Eros. Most noble Sir, arise; the queen approaches: Her head's declin'd, and death will seize 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 what I have left behind

'Stroy'd in dishonour.

Cleo.

Forgive my fearful sails: I little thought,

You would have follow'd.

Ant.

O my lord, my lord!

Egypt, thou knew'st too well,

My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings,
And thou should'st tow me after: o'er my spirit
The full supremacy thou knew'st, and that
Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.

Cleo.

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 pleas'd,
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.

Cleo.
Ant.

Pardon, pardon!

Fall not a tear, I say: one of them rates
Give me a kiss;

All that is won and lost.

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.

SCENE X.

CESAR'S Camp in Egypt.

[Exeunt.

Enter CASAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, and Others.

Cæs. Let him appear that's come from Antony.

Know you him?

Del.

Cæsar, 't is 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.

Cœs.

Enter EUPHRONIUS.

Approach, and speak.

Eup. 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.

Cæs.

Be it so. Declare thine office.

Eup. 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 of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.

Cæs.

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.
Eup. Fortune pursue thee!
Cæs.

Bring him through the bands.
[Exit EUPHRONIUS.

To try thy eloquence, now 't is 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, Thyreus ;
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we

Cæs. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw, And what thou think'st his very action speaks

In every power that moves.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I shall.

SCENE XI.

[Exeunt.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS. Cleo. What shall we do, Enobarbus?

Eno.

Think, and die.

Cleo. 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 oppos'd, he being
The mered question. 'T was a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.

Enter ANTONY, with EUPHRONIUS.

Ant. Is that his answer?

Eup. Ay, my lord.

Ant. The queen shall then have courtesy, so she

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 ministers 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 EUPHRONIUS.

Eno. Yes, like enough, high-battled Cæsar will

Unstate his happiness, and be stag'd t' the show

Against a sworder.

A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,

To suffer all alike. That he should dream,