ticoat-and, indeed, the tears live in an onion, that should water this sorrow.

Ant. The business she hath broached in the state,

Cannot endure my absence.

Eno. And the business you have broached here cannot be without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on your abode.

Ant. No more light answers. Have notice what we purpose.

Let our officers

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
IIath given the dare to Cæsar, and commands
The empire of the sea: our slippery people
(Whose love is never link'd to the deserver,
Till his deserts are past,) begin to throw
Pompey the great, and all his dignities,
Upon his son; who, high in name and power,
Higher than both in blood and life, stands up
For the main soldier: whose quality, going on,
The sides o'the 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 such whose place is under us, requires
Our quick remove from hence.

Eno. I shall do't.

[Exeunt.

5 The cause of our expedience ] Expedience for expedition. And get her love to part.] i. e. and prevail on her love to consent to our separation.

7

more urgent touches,] Things that touch me more sensibly, more pressing motives.

8 the courser's hair, &c.] Alludes to an old idle notion that the hair of a horse dropped into corrupted water, will turn to an animal.

SCENE III.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS.

Cleo. Where is he?

Char.

I did not see him since.

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

I did not send you' ;-If you find him sad,
Say, I am dancing; if in mirth, report
That I am sudden sick: Quick, and return.

[Exit ALEX. 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 inno

thing.

Cleo. Thou teachest like a fool: the way to lose him. Char. Tempt him not so too far: I wish, forbear; In time we hate that which we often fear.

Enter ANTONY.

I am sick, and sullen.

But here comes Antony.

Cleo.

Ant. I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose,-
Cleo. Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall;

It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature

Will not sustain it.

Ant.

Now, my dearest queen,

What's the matter?

Cleo. Pray you, stand further from me.

Ant.

Cleo. I know, by that same eye, there's some good

news.

9 I did not send you;] You must go as if you came without my order or knowledge.

What says the married woman?-You may go;
'Would, she had never given you leave to come!
Let her not say, 'tis I that keep you here,
I have no power upon you; hers you are.
Ant. The gods best know,-
Cleo.

O never was there queen

So mightily betray'd! Yet, at the first,
I saw the treasons planted.

Ant.

Cleopatra,

Cleo. Why should I think, you can be mine, and true, Though you in swearing shake the throned gods, Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness, To be entangled with those mouth-made vows, Which break themselves in swearing!

Most sweet queen,

Ant.
Cleo. Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going,
But bid farewell, 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 heaven: They are so still,

Or thou, the greatest soldier in the world,

Art turn'd the greatest liar.

Ant.

How now, lady!

Cleo. I would, I had thy inches; thou should'st know, There were a heart in Egypt.

Hear me, queen:

Ant.
The strong necessity of time commands.

Our services a while: but my full heart
Remains in use with you. Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome:

Equality of two domestick powers

Breeds scrupulous faction: The hated, grown to strength,

1 in our brows' bent;] i. e. in the arch of our eyebrows.

2

a race of heaven :] i. e. had a smack or flavour of heaven.

Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey,
Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace

Into the hearts of such as have not thriv'd
Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten;
And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge
By any desperate change: My more particular,
And that which most with you should safe my going',
Is Fulvia's death.

Cleo. Though age from folly could not give me free

dom,

It does from childishness:-Can Fulvia die?

Ant. She's dead, my queen:

Look here, and, at thy sovereign leisure, read
The garboils she awak'd'; at the last, best:
See when, and where she died.

Cleo.
O most false love!
Where be the sacred vials thou should'st fill
With sorrowful water? Now I see, I see,
In Fulvia's death, how mine receiv'd shall be.

Ant. Quarrel no more, but be prepar'd to know
The purposes I bear; which are, or cease,
As you shall give the advice: Now, by the fire,
That quickens Nilus' slime, I go from hence,
Thy soldier, servant; making peace, or war,
As thou affect'st.

3 - should safe my going,] i. e. should render my going not dangerous, not likely to produce any mischief to you.

It does from childishness: Can Fulvia die?] i. e. Though age has not exempted me from folly, I am not so childish, as to have apprehensions from a rival that is no more. And is Fulvia

dead indeed?

The garboils she awak'd;] i. e. the commotion she occasioned. The word is derived from the old French garbouil, which Cotgreave explains by hurlyburly, great stir.

O most false love!

Where be the sacred vials thou should'st fill

With sorrowful water?] Alluding to the lachrymatory vials or bottles of tears, which the Romans sometimes put into the urn of a friend.

Cleo.
But let it be.-I am quickly ill, and well:

Cut my lace, Charmian, come ;—

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;
Then bid adieu to me, and say, the tears
Belong to Egypt: Good now, play one scene
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 sword,-

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.

9

I'll leave you, lady.
Cleo. Courteous lord, one word.

Sir, you and I must part,-but that's not it:
Sir, you and I have lov'd,-but there's not it;
That you know well: Something it is I would,—
O, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten'.

7 So Antony loves.] i. e. uncertain as the state of my health, is the

love of Antony.

8

9

to Egypt:] To me, the queen of Egypt.

Herculean Roman -] Antony traced his descent from Anton, a son of Hercules.

1 O, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten.] Cleopatra has something to say, which seems to be suppressed by sorrow; and after many attempts to produce her meaning, she cries out: O, this oblivious memory of mine is as false and treacherous to me as Antony is, and I forget every thing. Oblivion, is boldly used for a memory apt to be deceitful.