ANTONIUS

What Egypt holds If I be judge, not all the world beside Can equalise. Father Achoreus, fit you near to me. Your holy Order, and great age, which shows The Gods have loved you well, may justly challenge A reverence from us. How Like the spangled sky These tapers make the high-arched roof to show? While Cleopatra Like bright Cynthia In her full orb more guilds the cheerful night. She's still at full; yet still me thinks she vexes, And grows more fair and more majestical. 'Twas well observed noble Canidius. Drink it to me Canidius ; and I thank thee. Let it go round, my ftiends. How fit it is, no other Cyprian Queen, But Cleopatra shall the Poets know, Whose fancies now shall raise that Kingdom higher. More amorous now will Paphos mountains show, And all those flowery Meads the Fields of love, Over which no winds but Western ever blow. The air it self will yield a sweeter breath While Cleopatra reigns the Cyprian Queen. But long ago was I enforced to know That Cleopatra was the Queen of love, When first I met thee in Cilicia, Plut, And down the silver stream of Cydnus, thou In Venus shape camest sailing, while the air Was ravished with thy Music, and the winds In amorous gales did kiss thy silken sails. Thy maids in Graces habits did attend, And boys, Like Cupid's, painted quivers boar, While thousand Cupid's in those starry eyes Stood ready drawn to wound the stoutest hearts. That face of thine resisted me, and did So sweetly conquer, I was proud to yield; And more rejoiced in that captivity, Then any Roman in a triumph did. Enter Hipparchus. How now, what news with thee? From whom? To morrow wee'll peruse them. No affairs Of what import or height so ere, shall have Power to disturb the pleasures of this night. Our theam to night is love, which oft has made The Thunderer himself a while lay by The weary burden of his government. Come led away. 'Twere fit to read them now. None knows what gain a little time may be You may peruse them Titius ; led away. Exeunt. Can no affairs of what import so ere Break one nights pleasure? well Antonius, The tottering state thou holdest, must be supported By nobler virtues, or it cannot stand. 'Tis not the place, nor marble walls that make A Senate lawful, or decrees of power, But convocation of the men themselves The sacred order by true Magistrates. Then Room is here; here both her Consuls are, Here are her axes, and her falces born, And no small number of that sacred order Are here assisting, when the barbarous Gauls Had taken Room, when all the Senate fled, And with Cam llus their Dictator then At Veii lived, Room then at Veii was, As now in Egypt. Father's, know the face, Of your assembly, know your lawful power. Consult, decree, and act what ere may be Happy, and prosperous tor the Commonwealth. tay noble Roman; efore we publish a Decree, or show he reason our arms so justly taken; eigh but with me the means and strength we have. now worthy friends it is no desperate war our valours are engaged in; briefly thus: ur Roman strength is nineteen Legions. en Kings in person will attend our Camp, he Kings of Africa, Comagena, Thrace, Plutarch. pper Cilicia, Paphlagonia, f Cappadocia, Pontus, Palestine, f rich Arabia, and Galatia. ur strength at Sea five hundred fighting ships ell rigged and manned: our treasuries are full; and twenty thousand talents to the war oes Cleopatra freely contribute. high speak I more? the Crown of all my strength, ur loves and spirits are. The injuries which we ground our just and lawful war, briefly these. Caesar unjustly holds hose Provinces, and armies all, that late Dio. Plutarch. longed to Pompey and to Lepidus fusing to divide them, or deliver he moiety which appertains to me ough oft demanded by my friends at Room, And letters from my self beside he levies Both men and money over all Italy, Which country, as you know, by our agreement Belongs to both, and should be held in common. If Fortune aid us in a cause so just, And we return victorious, noble Roman, I make a vow, and let it be recorded, Within two months after the war is ended, Di I will lay down the government I hold, And freely then resign my power again Unto the Senate and the people of Room. Sweet Cleopatra, I should plead excuse For leaving thee awhile, but that the cause Is of a nature so immense and high, And brings effects of such advantage home, That thou I know art pleased it should be so; And with a patience canst resolve to bear So small and absence, that my wished return May call thee mistress of the subject world. Far are my thoughts from giving entertainment To such found dreams. I would not venture thee. Can Cleopatra think her heavenly presence, Can be distasteful, or not valued more Then all joys else; parted from thee I think, All places sad, all lands disconsolate, Before this life I prize thy company, But must not have it now, do not entreat; have denied it to my self already. and in the Camp should be ashamed to rise rome Cleopatra's arms, when wars ough noise Shakes all the world, when Kings and Senators Are venturing lives and Fortune's in my service. O stay behind! and let thy presence make Egypt a place, to which I would desire f Caesar's fortune conquer, to retire. Do not mistake me, noble Queen, I know Thy breast is full of high heroic worth. I should desire it rather then my life; But that my Roman friends are all against it. See here they come, if they agree 'tis done. Now noble friends on whose oraculous counsels And matchless valour my whole fate depends, Speak what you think, should Cleopatra go In person to the war, or stay behind? What thinks Canidius ? 'Tis true Canidius. What think you friends? you hear Canidius. , and Plancus are both fled to Caesar. me, let's away. oak Like Bellona. idius, return you to your charge bring those sixteen Cohorts down to sea; Plutarch. me at Samos with them, both the Consuls go along with me. Great Father Mars, all you Gods, that from the skies behold Roman labours, whose propitious aid vanc'd my Fortune's to so great and height, ke perfect that, which you your selves begun. is the swords last work, the judging hour Nations fates, of mine and Caesar is power. which the stars and destinies attend, all the Fortune's of Mankind depend. Exeunt a! what art thou? be gone I say from me. et you to Caesar man: I hate you all. O welcome, what's thy name? i'st Alcibi des? Yes, they may be beloved; provided always That they be false. Thou art Like him still. That was a time indeed, then I could hear Of those good deeds, which must be still a comfort To your good consciences, though they be passed. When Room was filled with slaughter, flowed with blood. But they perchance were Knaves that were proscribed And might have done more mischief had they lived. No, they were honest men; I looked to that. Behold the list. But one among the rest most comforts me, That talking fellow Cicero, that used To tax the vicious times, and was forsooth A lover of his Country. 'Tis true, I'm sure Caesar was on that side, he favoured it. Would! more men upon us? Would! All you here yet! then I have friends I see. But tell me, can you be so merciful As to forgive that most unmanly fit I have been in? o, I am all in blushes. Dearest friends. I will be proof against any fortune now. Plutarch. Come let's together to the Court, and there Drown sadness in rich cups of Meroë wine, And laugh at Fortune's malice, for your sighed More cheers my spirits, then her frowns can dull them. Ah sweetest Cleopatra, In this embrace, and this Ambrosiake kiss I am again possessed of all my wealth, Of all my Fortune's. Had the angry Gods Purposed to wreak their fury fully on me They had not left my life so sweet a comfort. Thy true worth Deserves a happier friend, that could bestow Not take alone his happiness from thee. In thy sweet love, and these my faithful friends I still am happy, I have lost no friends. All that are gone from me to Caesar's side, Ingrateful Titius and Domitius. Plancus, Silanus, Dellius and Hipparchus, Were Fortune's friends not mine. Sweetly spoken. Let not a woman teach us soldier To be magnanimous. Hands on that Thyreus there, to prison with him. Thou Wertenberg no Messenger to me. O for your sake? I cry you mercy Lady, bear him hence. Exit Thyreu . I had forgotten that Thyreus was your servant. But what strange act should he perform for you? Is it to help you to a happier friend? DEfeated are my troops, my fleet revolted, The Seas and Lands are lost; and nothing now Is left Antonius but a Roman hand, A sword and heart to die. You truest servants, Whose faith and manly constancy upbraids This wicked age, and shall instruct the next, Take from a wretched hand this legacy. Fortune has made my will, and nought but this Can I bequeathe you. Carry it to Caesar ; If he be noble, it contains enough To make you happier then Antonius can. My glass of life and Empire now is run, And from this hand expects a perjod. Fie, fie, Lucilius ; Loose not thy former merits in persuading A man, whom once thou lov'dst to such a shame As to prefer a loathed captivity Before a noble death. Thy looks speak grief Dio. Speak Eros, where's the Queen? O Cleopatra, Why have I lingered thus, that thou a woman Shouldst teach so old a soldier how to die? Fortune, I blame not thee; I have enjoyed What thou couldst give, and on the envied top Of thy proud wheel have long unshaken stood. Whom Kings have served, and Room her self obeyed; Whom all the Zones of earth's diffused Globe, That know inhabitants, have known, and feared. Nor is my fallen so much degenerate. My strength no arms but Roman arms subdue, Plutarch. And none, but Monarch of the world succeeds. Glutted with life and Empire now I go Free and undaunted to the shades below. Here Eros, take this sword, perform the promise Which thou hast made, to kill me whensoere I should command: make no reply in words. What hast thou done unfaithful faithful Eros Dio. Plutarch. Too kindly cruel, falsely virtuous? I'll trust no more, to be no more directed By such examples: but we must be speedy. The gates ere this time are set open to Caesar. Fair Cleopatra, I am coming now To dwell with thee, and ever to behold Thy heavenly figure, where nor time nor death Shall make divorce of our eternal loves. Thus, thus I come to thee: unfaithful sword I never knew thee slow in giving death Till this sad hour, some friendly hand lend aid And with another wound release my soul. Where is my Lord Antonius? O sad sighed The Queen enclosed in her tomb desired To take her last leave of you. Is she living? 'Tis welcome news, convey me quickly, friends, Plutarc. Dio. Exeunt. O quickly thither, that I may expire That breath that's left in Cleopatrae's arms. It's and entertainment That might invite and please the Gods. Me thinks, Jove should descend, while Cle patra's here, Disguised for love, as once for fear he was, When bold Typh us scaled the starry sky, And all the Gods disguised in Egypt lurked. Love were a nobler cause then fear to bring him, And such a love as thine. This compliment so far transcends, it leaves No answer for a wit so dull as mine. NOt he, that knows how to acquire But to enjoy, is blessed. Nor does our happiness consist In motion, but in rest. The Gods pass man in bliss, because They toil not for more height; But can enjoy, and in their own Eternal rest delight. Then, Princes, do not toil, nor care; Enjoy what you possess. Which whilst you do, you equalise The Gods in happiness. Let this soft Music cease, and louder found. This second course is mine. Call in Lucilius. Fair Cleopatra, for addition Plutarch. To what thou holdest, the world-commanding Room Presents these Crowns, and by my hand invests Thee, Cleopatra Queen of wealthy Cyprus, Of Coelosyria, and Phoenicia. Blush no , my Love, nor let Rome's bounty force Thy modesty these Crowns from thy fair brow Receive more lustre then they can bestow. Admire not, friends; the Godlike power of Room Is more declared by what it gives away Plutarch. Then what it holds. But these are still our own And Cleopatra Rome's deserving friend. Let it be so, And all the Gods assist me as I mean A just and true performance. Good, good; o Timon, Athens never could boast A wise philosoher but thee. Thou knewest The nature of all men, that all were false; True Timon, true, they are all Knaves indeed. Thou wisely hatest that wicked thing called man, Whom other forced Philosophers admire, And call a noble creature, and partaker Of divine nature: they were fools, fools Timon, All other Sects were fools, and I will follow No sect but thine; I am a Timonist. That's not enough, Timon himself I am. Yonder he sits, see Aristocrats How much unlike that great Antonius, Whose person late so many legions guarded, So many Kings attended as their Lord. Dost thou hate all men? Right, right; and now I better think upon't I'll set no gallows or gibbets up As I intended once, for men to come And hang themselves, I'll keep a bawdy house. I'de try that course; but 'tis too slow a plot. O for a speedy way to kill the world I have done somewhat in my days; my wars And bloody battles were not made in vain. For I was once Antonius, and a Roman, As in the wars of Troy Pythagoras Before that transmigration of his soul, Had been Euphorbus. And when I was Triumvir first at Room, He will do reason man: he is of nature Cruel enough; in that proscription to did appear; but now he'll reign alone. O, let me hug thee Alcibiade . Well Alcibiades, I am resolved I'll to the wars again, and either conquer Mine enemies, or take a course to starve And kill up my own soldiers, and so be Revenged on some body: One of these two May easily be brought to pass. How thinkest thou? Would! what of her? will she revolt to Caesar? What i'st he says? What does she say? does she not hate me man? Yes; away with him I say. Plutarch. O Cleopatra, It is not Thyreus but this heart of mine That suffers now, deep wounded with the thought Of thy unconstancy: did Fortune leave One only comfort to my wretched state And that a false one? for what conference Couldst thou so oft, and in such privacy With Caesar's servant hold, if true to me? Which with the rack I could enforce from him. But that I scorn to do. Stay Cleopatra, dearest Love, forgive me Let not so small a wind have power to shake A love so grown as ours: I did not think That thou Wertenberg false: my heart gave no consent To what my tongue so rashly uttered. Nor could I have outlived so sad a thought. Let Thyreus be released, and sent to Caesar. Now is the time to sally forth, my Lord, The foe is tired with marching, and your horse Are ready all, and wait the signal only. The least delay loses the Actium. I come Canidius ; dearest Love farewell. Few hours will tell thee what Antonius is. Exeunt.