Look here, and, at thy sovereign leisure, read See, when, and where she died. O most false love! Cleo. Thy foldier, fervant; making peace. or war, As thou affect'st. Cleo. Cut my lace, Charmian, come; But let it be. I am quickly ill, and well: So Antony loves. Ant. My precious queen, forbear; And give true evidence to his love, which stands An honourable trial. Cleo. So Fulvia told me. I pr'ythee, turn aside, and weep for her; Of excellent dissembling; and let it look Like perfect honour. Ant. You'll heat my blood; no more. Cleo. You can do better yet; but this is meetly. Ant. Now, by my fword, Cleo. And target,-Still he mends; But this is not the best: Look, pr'ythee, Charmian, How this Herculean Roman does become The carriage of his chafe. Ant. Cleo. Courteous lord, one word. I'll leave you, lady. Sir, you and I must part, -but that's not it; O, my oblivion is a very Antony, And I am all forgotten. To bear fuch idleness so near the heart And all the gods go with you! upon your sword Be strew'd before your feet! Ant. Let us go. Come; Our separation so abides, and flies, That thou, residing here, go'st yet with me, Away. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Rome. An Apartment in Cæfar's house. Enter OCTAVIUS, CÆSAR, LEPIDUS, and Attendants. Caf. You may fee, Lepidus, and henceforth know, It is not Cæfar's natural vice to hate One great competitor: From Alexandria This is the news; He fishes, drinks, and wastes The lamps of night in revel: is not more manlike Than Cleopatra; nor the queen of Ptolemy A man, who is the abstract of all faults That all men follow. Lep. I must not think, there are Evils enough to darken all his goodness : His faults, in him, seem as the spots of heaven, Caf. You are too indulgent: Let us grant, it is not Whom these things cannot blemish,) yet must Antony Lep. Enter a Messenger. Here's more news. Mes. Thy biddings have been done; and every hour, Moft Most noble Cæfar, shalt thou have report That only have fear'd Cæfar: to the ports The discontents repair, and men's reports Give him much wrong'd. Caf. I should have known no less : It hath been taught us from the primal state, That he, which is, was wish'd, until he were; And the ebb'd man, ne'er lov'd, till ne'er worth love, Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream, Goes to, and back, lackeying the varying tide, To rot itself with motion. Mef. Cæfar, I bring thee word, Menecrates and Menas, famous pirates, Lack blood to think on't, and flush youth revolt: No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as foon Taken as seen; for Pompey's name strikes more, Leave thy lascivious wassels. When thou once Hirtius and Pansa, confuls, at thy heel Which beasts would cough at: thy palate then did deign The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets, The The barks of trees thou browsed'st; on the Alps, So much as lank'd not. Lep. It is pity of him. Caf. Let his shames quickly Drive him to Rome: 'Tis time we twain Did show ourselves i' the field; and, to that end, Assemble we immediate council: Pompey Thrives in our idleness. Lep. To-morrow, Cæfar, I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly To 'front this present time. Caf. Till which encounter, It is my business too. Farewell. Lep. Farewell, my lord: What you shall know mean time Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, fir, To let me be partaker. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN. |