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Cleo. Ah, dear, if I be fo,

From my cold heart let heaven ingender hail,
And poison't in the fource, and the first stone
Drop in my neck; as it determines, fo
Diffolve my life! the next Cæfario fmite!
'Till by degrees the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
By the difcandying of this pelletted storm,
Lie gravelefs; 'till the flies and gnats of Nile
Have buried them for prey!

Ant. I'm fatisfied:

Cæfar fets down in Alexandria, where

I will oppofe his fate.

Our force by land

Hath nobly held; our fever'd navy too

Have knit again, and float, threatning moft fea-like.
Where haft thou been, my heart? doft thou hear, lady?
If from the field I fhould return once more
To kifs thefe lips, I will appear in blood;

I and my fword will earn my

There's hope in't yet.

Cleo. That's my brave lord.

chronicle;

Ant. I will be treble-finew'd, hearted, breath'd, And fight maliciously for when my hours Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives Of me for jefts; but now I'll fet my teeth, And fend to darknefs all that ftop me. Come, Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me All my fad captains, fill our bowls; once more Let's mock the midnight bell.

Cleo. It is my birth-day;

I had thought, t'have held it poor: But fince my lord

Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

Ant. We will yet do well.

Cleo. Call all his noble captains to my lord.

Ant. Do fo, we'll fpeak to them, and to-night I'll

force

The wine peep through their scars. Come on, my

Queen;

There's

There's fap in't yet. The next time I do fight,
I'll make death love me: for I will contend
Even with his peftilent fcythe.

[Exeunt.

Eno. Now he'll out-ftare the lightning; to be

furious,

Is to be frighted out of fear; and, in that mood,
The dove will peck the eftridge; and, I fee ftill,
A diminution in our captain's brain

Reftores his heart; when valour preys on reafon,
It eats the fword it fights with: I will feek
Some way to leave him.

A CT IV. SCENE I.

CAESAR'S Camp.

[Exit.

Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecenas, with their Army. Cæfar reading a Letter.

H

CAESAR.

E calls me boy; and chides, as he had power To beat me out of Egypt. My messenger He hath whipt with rods, dares me to perfonal combat, Cafar to Antony. Let the old ruffian know, I have many other ways to die: : mean time, Laugh at his challenge.

Mec. Cæfar muft think,

When one fo great begins to rage, he's hunted
Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now
Make boot of his diftraction: never anger
Made good guard for itself.

Caf. Let our best heads

Know that to-morrow the last of many battles
We mean to fight. Within our files there are
Of those that ferv'd Mark Antony but late,
Enough to fetch him in. See, it be done;

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And feast the army; we have ftore to do't,

And they have earn'd the wafte. Poor Antony?

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[Exeunt.

Enter Antony and Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian Iras, Alexas, with others.

Ant.

HE will not fight with me, Domitius.

Eno. No.

Ant. Why fhould he not?

Eno. He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, He's twenty men to one.

Ant. To-morrow, foldier,

By fea and land I'll fight: or I will live,
Or bathe my dying honour in the blood

Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well?
Eno. I'll firike, and cry, take all.

Ant. Well faid, come on:

Call forth my houfhold fervants, let's to-night

Enter Servants.

Be bounteous at our meal.

Give me thy hand,

Thou haft been rightly honeft; fo haft thou,

And thou, and thou, and thou: you've ferv'd me well, And Kings have been your fellows.

Cleo. What means this?

[fhoots

Eno. 'Tis one of thofe odd Traits, which forrow Out of the mind.

Ant. And thou art honeft too:

I wish, I could be made so many men;
And all of you clapt up together in
An Antony; that I might do you fervice,
So good as you have done.

Omnes. The Gods forbid!

'Tis one of thofe odd Tricks,

-] The Uniformity of the Meta

hor leads us to fee that Shakespear wrote Traits, arrows, fhafts. War.

Ant.

Ant. Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night; Scant not my cups, and make as much of me,

As when mine Empire was your fellow too,

And fuffer'd my command.

Cleo. What does he mean?

Eno. To make his followers weep.
Ant. Tend me to-night;

May be, it is the period of your duty;
Haply, you fhall not fee me more! or if,

A mangled fhadow. It may chance to-morrow,
You'll ferve another mafter.

I look on you,

As one that takes his leave. Mine honeft friends,
I turn you not away; but like a master

Married to your good service, ftay till death:
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the Gods yield you for't!

Eno. What mean you, Sir,

To give them this discomfort? look, they weep.
And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd; for shame,
Transform us not to women.

Ant. Ho, ho, ho!

Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus !
Grace grow, where thofe drops fall! my hearty friends,
You take me in too dolorous a fense;

I fpake t' you for your comfort, did defire you
To burn this night with torches: know, my hearts,
I hope well of to-morrow, and will lead you,
Where rather I'll expect victorious life,

Than death and honour. Let's to fupper, come,
And drown confideration.

[Exeunt. SCENE. A Court of Guard before the Palace. Enter a company of Soldiers.

1 Sold.

BROTHER, good-night: to-morrow is

2 Sold. It will determine one way : Fare you well. Heard you of nothing ftrange about the ftreets?

M 6

1 Sold.

1 Sold. Nothing what news?

:

2 Sold. Belike, 'tis but a rumour; good-night to you. 1 Sold. Well, Sir, good-night.

[They meet with other Soldiers.

2 Sold. Soldiers, have careful watch.

1 Sold. And you, good-night, good-night.

[They place themfelves in every corner of the stage.

2 Sold. Here, we; and if to-morrow

Our navy thrive, I have an abfolute hope

Our landmen will stand up.

1 Sold. 'Tis a brave army, and full of purpose.

[Mufic of the hautboys is under the ftage.

2 Sold. Peace, what noife?

1 Sold. Lift, lift!

2 Sold. Hark!

1 Sold. Mufic i' th' air.. 3 Sold. Under the earth

It fignes well, does it not? 2 Sold. No.

1 Sold. Peace, I fay: what fhould this mean! 2 Sold. 'Tis the God Hercules, who loved Antony, Now leaves him.

1 Sold. Walk, let's fee if other watchmen

Do hear what we do.

2 Sold. How now, masters ?

[Speak together.

Omnes. How now? how now? do you hear this? 1 Sold. Is't not ftrange?

3

Sold. Do you hear, mafters ? do you hear?
Sold. Follow the noise so far as we have quarter,

Let's fee how 'twill give off.

Omnes. Content: 'tis flrange.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

III.

Changes to Cleopatra's Palace,

Enter Antony and Cleopatra, with others.

Ant.

ERO

ROS, mine armour, Eros.
Cleo. Sleep a little.

Ant.

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