ANTON Y,

AND

CLEOPATRA.

Dramatis Perfonæ.

M. ANTONY.

Octavius Cæfar.

Emilius Lepidus.

Sex. Pompeius.

Domitius Enobarbus,.

Silius, an Officer in Ventidius's Army.

Taurus, Lieutenant-General to Cæfar.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.

Octavia, Sifter to Cæfar, and Wife to Antony.

Charmian,

Iras,

Ladies attending on Cleopatra.

Ambafadors from Antony to Cæfar, Captains, Soldiers, Meffengers, and other Attendants.

The SCENE is difpers'd in feveral Parts of the Roman Empire.

ANTONY and CLEOPATRA.

АСТ І

SCENE, the Palace at Alexandria in Ægypt.

N

*

Enter Demetrius and Philo.

PHILO.

AY, but this dotage of our General

O'er-flows the measure; thofe his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and mufters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend,

now turn,

The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front. His Captain's heart,
Which in the fcuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breaft, reneges all temper;
And is become the bellows, and the fan,

To cool a Gypfy's luft. Look, where they come!

Flourish. Enter Antony, and Cleopatra, ber Ladies in the train, Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you fhall fee in him

The

The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a Strumpet's fool. Behold, and fee.

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 fet a bourn how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heav'n, new earth.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. News, my good Lord, from Rome.

Ant. It grates me.

Tell the fum.

Cleo. Nay, hear it, Antony.

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; or who knows,
If the scarce-bearded Cæfar have not fent
His powerful Mandate to you, "Do this, or this ;
"Take in that Kingdom, and infranchise that;
"Perform't, or elfe we damn thee.-

Ant. How, my love?

Cleo. Perchance, (nay, and most like,)

You must not stay here longer, your difiniffion
Is come from Cæfar; therefore hear it, Antony.
Where's Fulvia's Process? Cæfar's? I'd fay, both?
Call in the Messengers; as I'm Ægypt's Queen,
Thou blusheft, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cafar's homager: elfe, fo thy cheeks pay fhame,
When thrill-tongu'd Fulvia fcolds. The Meffengers
Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt, and the wide arch
Of the rais'd Empire fall! here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike
Feeds beaft as man; the noblenefs of life
Is to do thus; when fuch a mutual Pair,
And fuch a twain can do't; in which, I bind
(On pain of punishment) the world to weet,
We ftand up peerlefs.

Cleo. Excellent falfhood!

[Embracing.

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

Will be himself.

Ant. But ftirr'd by Cleopatra.

Now

Now for the love of love, and his foft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh;
There's not a minute of our lives fhould stretch
Without fome pleasure now: what sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the Ambaffadors.

Ant. Fy, wrangling Queen!

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep: whofe every paffion fully strives
To make itself in thee fair and admir'd.
No Meffenger, but thine ;—and all alone,
To-night we'll wander through the ftreets, and note
The qualities of People. Come, my Queen,
Laft night you
did defire it. Speak not to us.

[Exeunt, with their Train. Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd fo flight? Phil. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony, He comes too fhort of that great property Which ftill fhould go with Antony.

Dem. I'm forry,

That he approves the common liar, Fame,
Who fpeaks him thus at Rome; but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Reft you happy!

[Exe

Enter Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a

Sooth-fayer.

Char. Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almost most abfolute Alexas, where's the Sooth-fayer that you prais'd fo to th' Queen? (1) Oh! that I knew this husband, which you fay, must charge his horns with garlands.

(1) Oh, that I knew this Husband, which, you say, must change bis Horns with Garlands.] Changing Horns with Garlands, is, surely, a fenseless, unintelligible, Phrafe. We must restore, in Oppofition, to all the printed Copies,

which you fay, muft charge bis Horns with Garlands. i. e. must be an honourable Cuckold, must have his Horns hung with Garlands. Charge and change frequently ufurp each other's Place in our Author's old Editions, as I have occafionally obferv'd in my Notes on other Paffages. I ought to take Notice, that Mr. Warburton likewife ftarted this Emendation.