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Ant. When it concerns the Fool or Coward; on.
Things that are past, are done, with me. 'Tis thus,
Who tells me true, though in his Tale lye Death,
I hear him as he flatter'd.

Mes. Labienus, this is stiff News,
Hath, with his Parthian Force, extended Afia;
From Euphrates his conquering
Banner shook, from Syria to Lydia,
And to Ionia, whlst

Ant. Antony thou would'st say.

• Mef. Oh, my Lord.

Ant. Speak to me home, mince not the general Tongue,

Name Cleopatra as she is call'd in Rome :

Rail thou in Fulvia's Phrafe, and taunt my Faults
With such fall License, as both Truth and Malice
Have Power to utter. Oh then we bring forth Weeds,
When our quick Winds lye still, and our ills told us
Is as our Earing; fare thee well a while.
Mes. At your noble Pleasure.

Ant. From Scicion how the News? speak there.
Mes. The Man from Scicion, is there such an one?
Attend. He stays upon your will.

Ant. Let him appear;

These strong Ægyptian Fetters I must break,
Or lose my felf in Dotage. What are you ?
Enter another Messenger with a Letter.

2 Mes. Fulvia thy Wife is dead.
Ant. Where died she?

2 Mes. In Scision, her length of Sickness With what else more serious,

Importeth thee to know, this bears.

Ant. Forbear me.

There's a great Spirit gone, thus did I defire it,
What our Contempts do often hurl from us.
We with it Hours again, the present Pleasure,
By revolution lowring, does become
The oppofite of it self; she's good being gone,
The Hand could pluck her back, that shov'd her on.
I must from this Ægytian Queen break off.
Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know
My idleness doth hatch. How now Enobarbus?

Enter Enter Enobarbus.

Eno. What's your pleasure, Sir?

Ant. I must with haste from hence.

Eno. Why the we kill all our Women. We see how mortal an Uekinahefs is to them, if they soffer our depar ture, Death's the word.

Ant. I must be gone.

Eno. Under a compelling occafion, let women die. It were pity to cast them away for nothing, though between them and a great cause, they should be esteem'd nothing, Cleopatra catching but the least noise of this dies instantly; I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment: I do think there is Mettle in Death, which commits some loving at upon her, she hath such a Celerity in Dying. Ant. She is cunning past Man's Thought.

Eno. Alack, Sir, no, her Passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure Love. We cannot call her Winds and Waters, Sighs and Tears: And yet they are greater Storms and Tempests than Almanacks can report. This cannot be cunning in her: if it be, the makes a Show'r of Rain as well as Jove.

Ant. Would I had never seen her.

Eno. Oh Sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful Piece of Work, which not to have been blest withal, would have discredited your Travel.

Ant. Fulvia is dead

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Eno. Why Sir, give the Gods a thankful Sacrifice: when it pleafeth their Deities to take the Wife of a Man from him, it shews to Man the Tailors of the Earth: Comforting him therein, that when old Robes are worn out, there are Members to make new. If there were no more Women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the cafe were to be lamented: This Grief is crowned with Confolation, your old Smock brings forth a new Petticoat, and indeed the Tears live in an Onion, that should water this Sorrow.

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Ant. The Business she hath broach'd here in the State, Cannot endure my Abfence.

Eno. And the Business you have broach'd here cannot be without you, especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your Aboad.

Ant. No more like Answers: Let our Officers
Have notice what we purpose. I shall break
The cause of our Expedience to the Queen,
And get her Love to part. For not alone
The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches
Do strongly speak to us, but the Letters too
Of many our contriving Friends in Rome,
Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius
Hath given the Dare to Cafar, and commands.
The Empire of the Sea. Our flipp'ry People,
Whose Love is never link'd to the Deferver,
Till his Deferts are past, begin to throw
Pompey the Great, and all his Dignities
Upon his Son; who high in Name and Pow'r,
Higher than both in Blood and Life, stands up
For the main Soldier; Whose Quality going on,
The fides o' th' World may danger. Much is breeding,
Which like the Courser's Hair, hath yet but Life,
And not a Serpent's Poison. Say our Pleasure,
To fuch whose place is under us, requires
Our quick remove from hence.

Eno. I shall do't.

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[Exeunt.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Alexas, and Iras.

Cleo. Where is he?

Char. I did not fee him fince.

Cleo. See where he is, who's with him, what he do's:

I did not fend you. If you find him fad,

Say I am dancing: if in Mirth, report

That I am fudden fick. Quickly, and return.

Char. Madam, methinks if you did love him dearly.

You do not hold the method, to enforce

The like from him.

Cleo. What should I do, I do not?

:

:

Char. In each thing give him way, cross him in nothing.
Cleo. Thou teachest like a Fool: the way to lose him.

Char.

Char. Tempt him not, fo, too far. I wish, forbear,

Intime we hate that which we often fear.

Enter Antony.

But here comes Antony.

Cleo. I am Sick, and sullen.

Ant. I am forry to give Breathing to my purpose.
Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall,

It cannot be thus long, the fides of Nature [Seeming to faine.
Will not sustain it.

Ant. Now, my dearest Queen.

Cleo. Pray you stand farther from me.

Ant. What's the matter?

Cleo. I know by that same Eye there's some good News.

What says the marry'd Woman? you may go;
Would he had never given you leave to come,
Let her not say 'tis I that keep you here,
I have no Pow'r upon you: Hers you are.
Ant. The Gods bett know.

Cleo. Oh never was there Queen
So mightily betrayed; yet at the first
I faw the Treasons planted.

Ant. Cleopatra.

Cleo. Why should I think you can be mine, and true,
Though you with Swearing thake the throned Gods,
Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous Madness!
To be entangled with these Mouth-made Vows,
Which break themselves in Swearing.
Ant. Most sweet Queen,

Cleo. Nay pray you seek no colour for your going,
But bid farewel, and go: When you sued staying,
Then was the time for words: No going then,
Eternity was in our Lips, and Eyes,

Bliss in our Brows bent, none our Parts so poor,
But was a race of Heav'n. They are so still,

Or thou the greatest Soldier of the World,

Art turn'd the greater Liar.

Ant. How now, Lady?

Cleo. I would I had thy Inches, thou should'st know

There were a Heart in Egypt.

Ant. Hear me, Queen;

The strong necessity of time, commands

:

Our

Our fervices awhile; but my full Heart
Remains in ufe with you. Our Italy
Shines o'er with civil Swords; Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the Port of Rome.

Equality of two Domestick Pow'rs,

Breed scrupulous Faction; the hated, grown to Strength,
Are newly grown to Love; the condem'd Pompey,
Rich in his Father's Honour, creeps apace,
Into the Hearts of such, as have not thriv'n
Upon the present State, whose Numbers threaten,
And Quietness grown fick of reft, would purge
By any desperate change. My more particular,
And that which most with you should save my going,
Is Fulvia's Death.

Cleo. Though Age from Folly could not give me freedom, It does from Childishness. Can Fulvia die?

Ant. She's dead, my Queen,
Look here, and at thy Sovereign leifure read
The Garboyls she awak'd; at the last, best.
See when, and where she died.

Cleo. O most false Love!

Where be the sacred Viols thou should'st fill
With forrowful Water? Now I fee, I see,
In Fulvia's death, how mine shall be receiv'd.

Ant. Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know
The purposes I bear: which are, or ceafe,
As you shall give th' advice. By the Fire
That quickens Nilus Smile, I go from hence
Thy Soldier, Servant, making Peace or War,
As thou affe&'ft.

Cles. Cut my Lace, Charmian, come,
But let it be, I am quickly ill, and well,
So Authony loves.

Ant. My precious Queen forbear,
And give true evidence to his Love, which stands
An honourable Trial.

Cleo. So Fulvia told me.

I prethee turn aside, and weep for her,
Then bid adieu to me, and say the Tears
Belong to Agppt. Good now, play one Scene
Of excellent diffembling, and let it look

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