Flourish. Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, her Ladies, the Train,
with Eunuchs fanning her.

Look, where they come:

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.

Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon❜d.
Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be beloved.
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:

Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows

If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you, 'Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform 't, or else we damn thee.'

Cleo. Perchance! nay, and most like:

You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.
Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's I would say? both?
Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,

Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek
pays shame
When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers !
Ant. Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life
Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair
And such a twain can do 't, in which I bind,
On pain of punishment, the world to weet
We stand up peerless.

Cleo.

Excellent falsehood!

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony

30

35

[Embracing.

40

38 twain] constant twain or faithful twain Staunton conj. (Athen., 1873). 39 On] One F1.

weet] wit Wray conj.

40 Cleo.] Cleo. [aside. Johnson.

Excellent] O excelling Seymour conj. 42, 43 I'll...himself.] Divided as by Pope. One line in Ff.

42 I'] I Capell.

43, 44 himself......Now,] himself, but stirr'd by Cleopatra [Aside]. Ant. Now Upton conj.

43 Cleopatra.] Cleopatra, Rowe (ed. 2). Cleopatra, Capell.

Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,

Let's not confound the time with conference harsh :
There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
What sport to-night?

Without some pleasure now.
Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.
Ant.

Fie, wrangling queen

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!
No messenger but thine; and all alone

To-night we'll wander through the streets and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;

Last night you did desire it. Speak not to us.

45

50

55

[Exeunt Ant. and Cleo. with their train. Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius prized so slight? Phi. Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony, He comes too short of that great property Which still should go with Antony.

Dem.

I am full sorry

That he approves the common liar, who
Thus speaks of him at Rome: but I will hope

Of better deeds to-morrow.

Rest you happy!

60

[Exeunt.

Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you praised so to the queen? O, that I knew this husband, which, you say, must charge his horns with garlands!

5

Char. Is this the man? Is 't you, sir, that know

Eno. Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough

SCENE II.] Pope. Scene continued
in Rowe.

The same. Another room.] Capell.
Enter...Soothsayer.] Steevens. Enter
Enobarbus, Charmian,...... Rowe.
Enter Alexas, Iras, Charmian, Sooth-
sayer, and Others. Capell. Enter
Enobarbus, Lamprius, a Southsayer,
Rannius, Lucillius, Charmian, Iras,
Mardian the Eunuch, and Alexas.
Ff (a Soothsayer,....Mardian, the
Eunuch, F.).

1-5 Lord Alexas...garlands!] Prose
in Ff. Six lines of verse in Capell,
omitting Lord.

1 Lord] Johnson. L. Ff. om. Pope. sweet] most sweet Collier, ed. 2 (Collier MS.).

2 almost most] nay, almost Most Ca-
pell. almost-most Nicholson conj.
3 so] om. F3F4.

3-5 0......garlands!] As verse, S.
Walker conj.

4 charge] Theobald (Warburton and
Southern MS.). change Ff. chain
Jackson conj. hang Williams conj.
charge his horns with] change for
horns his Hanmer.

6 Soothsayer!] Hanmer. Soothsayer.
Ff. Soothsayer,- Theobald.
8 things] all things Watkiss Lloyd

conj. (N. & Q., 1891).

9, 10 In...read.] As verse first by Theobald. Prose in Ff.

11 Enter Enobarbus.] Capell. om. Qq

Ff.

Cleopatra's health to drink.

Char. Good sir, give me good fortune.

Sooth. I make not, but foresee.

Char. Pray then, foresee me one.

Sooth. 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.

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

15

20

24

Char. Good now, some 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 Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress.

Sooth. You shall outlive the lady whom you serve. 30 Char. O excellent! I love long life better than figs. Sooth. You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune

Than that which is to approach.

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

12 [to some within. Capell.

14 1] Madam, I Hanmer, reading
Cleopatra's...foresee as two lines,
the first ending me.
15-17 Pray...flesh.] Two lines, the
first ending yet, in Hanmer.
17 flesh] face Gould conj.

18 when you are old] when old Hanmer.
20 prescience] FF2. patience FF4.
21 [to Iras. Capell.

35

23 drinking] much drinking Hanmer. 28 me to...with] Ff. me, to...with Pope.

me, to...with, Hanmer.

32, 33 You...approach.] As verse first
by Capell. Prose in Ff.
34, 35 Then...have?] As prose first by
Capell. Two lines, the first ending
names, in Ff.

36, 37 If...million.] As verse first in
Rowe. Prose in Ff.