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Cleo.

O my lord, my lord!

Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought,
You would have follow'd.

Ant. 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 Thy 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.

O pardon, pardon.
Ant. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates
All that is won and lost: Give me a kiss;

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.

Cæsar's Camp, in Egypt.

[Exeunt.

Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, and Others.

Cæs. Let him appear that's come from Antony.Know you him?

tied by the strings,] That is, by the heart-string.

Dol.

Cæsar, 'tis 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.

Cæs.

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.

8

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,

6

his schoolmaster:] The name of this person was Euphronius. He was schoolmaster to Antony's children by Cleopatra. 7 as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand sea.] His grand sea may mean his full tide of prosperity; or it may mean the sea from which the dew-drop is exhaled. Shakspeare might have considered the sea as the source of dews as well as rain. His is used instead of its.

8

royalty.

circle of the Ptolemies-] The diadem; the ensign of

9 - friend,] i. e. paramour.

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 'tis 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
Will answer as a law.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I go.

Cas. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw;'
And what thou think'st his very action speaks
In every power that moves.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exeunt.

SCENE XI.

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 although 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

'—how Antony becomes his flaw;] That is, how Antony conforms himself to this breach of his fortune.

Dol.

Cæsar, 'tis 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.

Cæs.

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.

8

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,

6

his schoolmaster:] The name of this person was Euphronius. He was schoolmaster to Antony's children by Cleopatra.

7

as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand sea.] His grand sea may mean his full tide of prosperity; or it may mean the sea from which the dew-drop is exhaled. Shakspeare might have considered the sea as the source of dews as well as rain. His is used instead of its.

"-circle of the Ptolemies-] The diadem; the ensign of royalty.

9

-friend,] i. e. paramour.

She shall not sue unheard. Su D
Eup. Fortune pursue thee.

Cæs.

Bring him thron

To try thy eloquence, now is time: Jesse
From Antony win Cleopatra: prome

And in our name, what she requires; add me
From thine invention, offers: WORCH ENG
In their best fortunes, strong; but want will genue
The ne'er-touch'd vestal: Try thy coming. Tryce:
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.

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