Invited her to supper; she replied,

It should be better, he became her guest;
Which she entreated: Our courteous Antony,
Whom ne'er the word of No woman heard speak,
Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast;
And for his ordinary, pays his heart,
For what his eyes eat only.

Mecanas. Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Enobarbus. Never; he will not;

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale

Her infinite variety:

Mecanas. If beauty, wisdom, modesty can settle The heart of Antony, Octavia is

A blessed lottery to him.-Sc. 2.

Antony.

Speak this no more.

Soothsayer. To none but thee; no more, but when to thee. If thou dost play with him at any game,

Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck,

He beats thee 'gainst the odds: thy lustre thickens,
When he shines by: I say again, thy spirit

Is all afraid to govern thee near him;

But, he away, 'tis noble.-Sc. 3.

Messenger. Madam, he's married to Octavia.

Cleopatra. The most infectious pestilence upon thee!

(Strikes him down.)

What say you?-Hence, (strikes him

Messenger. Good madam, patience.

Cleopatra.

again.)

Horrible villain! or I'll spurn thine eyes

Like balls before me; I'll unhair thy head; (she hales him up

and down.)

Thou shalt be whipp'd with wire, and stew'd in brine,

Smarting in ling'ring pickle.-Sc. 5.

Cleopatra.

Give to a gracious message An host of tongues; but let ill tidings tell Themselves, when they be felt.

But do not speak to me.-Id.

Cæsar.

Pity me, Charmian,

Since I saw you last,

Pompey.

Well, I know not

There is a change upon you.

What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face;

But in my bosom shall she never come,

To make my heart her vassal.-Sc. 6.

2nd Servant. I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service, as a partisan I could not heave.-Sc. 7.

Casar. Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well;

The elements be kind to thee, and make

Thy spirits all of comfort! fare thee well.
Octavia. My noble brother!—

Antony. The April's in her eyes: it is love's spring,
And these the showers to bring it on.-Be cheerful.
Octavia. Sir, look well to my husband's house; and—
Cæsar.

Octavia ?

Octavia. I'll tell you in your ear.

What,

Antony. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue: the swan's down feather, That stands upon the swell at full of tide,

And neither way inclines.-Act 3, Sc. 2.

Cleopatra. Bear'st thou her face in mind? is't long or round?

Messenger. Round even to faultiness.

Cleopatra. For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.- -Sc. 3.

Cæsar.

Cheer your heart:

Be you not troubled with the time, which drives

O'er your content these strong necessities;

But let determin'd things to destiny

Hold unbewail'd their way.-Sc. 6.

Antony. Is this his answer?

Euphronius.

Ay, my lord.

Antony. The queen shall then have courtesy, so she

Will yield us up.

Euhphronius. He says so.

Antony.

Let her know it—

To the boy Cæsar send this grizzled head,

And he will fill thy wishes to the brim

With principalities.

Cleopatra.

That head, my lord?

Antony. 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 ANTONI and EUPHRONIUS.)

Enobarbus. Yes, like enough, high-battled Cæsar will
Unstate his happiness, and be stag'd to the show,
Against a sworder. I see, men's judgments are
A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,

To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæsar will
Answer his emptiness! Cæsar, thou hast subdu'd
His judgment too

Mine honesty, and I, begin to square.
The loyalty, well held to fools, does make

Our faith mere folly :-Yet he, that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fallen lord,

Does conquer him that did his master conquer,
And earns a place i' the story.-Sc. 11.

Antony.
Get thee back to Cæsar,
Tell him thy entertainment: Look thou say,
He makes me angry with him: for he seems
Proud and disdainful; harping on what I am;
Not what he knew I was: He makes me angry;
And at this time most easy 'tis to do't;

When my good stars, that were my former guides,
Have empty left their obs, and shot their fires
Into the abism of hell

Dost thou bear, lady?

If from the field I shall return once more

To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;
I and my sword will earn our chronicle;
There is hope in it yet.

Cleopatra.

(Aside.)

(Exit THYREUS.)

That's my brave lord!

Antony. I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breath'd,
And fight maliciously: for when mine hours
Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
Of me for jests; but now, I'll set my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me.-Come,
Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me
All my sad captains, fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.

Cleopatra.

It is my birthday :
I had thought, to have held it poor; but, since my lord
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

Antony. We'll yet do well.

Cleopatra. Call all his noble captains to my lord.

:

Antony. Do so, we'll speak to them and to-night I'll force The wine peep through their scars.-Come on, my queen; There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight,

I'll make death love me; for I will contend

Even with his pestilent scythe.-(Exeunt ANTONY, Cleopatra, and Attendants).

Enobarbus. Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,

Is to be frighted out of fear: and in that mood,
The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still,
A diminution in our captain's brain

Restores his heart: When valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him.-(Exit).—Id.

Antony. O! sun, thy uprise shall I see no more:
Fortune and Antony part here; even here

Do we shake hands.-All come to this? The hearts
That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave
Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets
On blossoming Cæsar; and this pine is bark'd,
That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am :
O! this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm,
Whose eye beck'd forth my wars, and called them home;
Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end,
Like a right gipsy, hath, at fast and loose,
Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss.-

What, Eros, Eros!-(Enter CLEOPATRA). Ah! thou spell;

Avaunt.

Cleopatra. Why is my lord enrag'd against his love?
Antony. Vanish; or I shall give thee thy deserving,
And blemish Cæsar's triumph. Let him take thee,

And hoist thee up to the shouting plebians:
Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot
Of all thy sex; most monster-like, be shown
For poor'st diminutives, to dolts; and let
Patient Octavia plough thy visage up

With her prepared nails. (Exit CLEOPATRA).-Sc. 10.
Antony. Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us

Ourselves to end ourselves.- (Enter MARDIAN). O! thy vile

lady,

She has robb'd me of my sword.

Mardian.

No, Antony;

My mistress lov'd thee, and her fortunes mingled
With thine entirely.

Antony. Hence, saucy eunuch; peace;

She hath betray'd me, and shall die the death.

Mardian. Death of one person can be paid but once;
And that she has discharg'd: what thou would'st do,
Is done unto thy hand; the last she spake

Was Antony; most noble Antony!

Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
The name of Antony; it was divided

Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
Thy name so buried in her.

Antony. Dead then?

Mardian. Dead.

Antony. Unarm, Eros: the long day's task is done,
And we must sleep:-That thou depart'st hence safe,
Does pay thy labour richly; Go,-off, pluck off;-(Exit
MARDIAN.)

The sevenfold shield of Ajax cannot keep
The battery from my heart. O! cleave my
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace.—
No more a soldier :-Bruised pieces, go;

sides.

You have been nobly borne. From me awhile.-(Exit EROS.)
I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and

Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture:-Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no further: Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength: Seal then, and all is done.-
Eros! I come, my queen :-Eros !-Stay for me:
Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
And with our sprightly feet make the ghosts gaze :
Dido and her Æneas shall want troops,

And all the haunt be ours.-Come, Eros, Eros !-Sc. 12.
Antony. I am dying, Egypt, dying; only

I here importune death a while, until

Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.-

Cleopatra.

I dare not, dear,

(Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not,

Lest I be taken: not the imperious show

Of the full-fortun'd Cæsar ever shall

Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have