Anthony and Cleopatra.
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Cleopatra's health to drinke.
Char.Good sir, giue me good Fortune.
Sooth.I make not, but foresee.
Char.Pray then, foresee me one.
Sooth.You shall be yet farre fairer then you are.
Char.He meanes in flesh.
Iras.No, you shall paint when you are old.
Char.Wrinkles forbid.
Alex.Vex not his prescience, be attentiue.
Char.Hush.
Sooth.You shall be more belouing, then beloued.
Char.I had rather heate my Liuer with drinking.
Alex.Nay, heare him.
Char.Good now some excellent Fortune: Let meebe married to three Kings in a forenoone, and Widdowthem all: Let me haue a Childe at fifty, to whom Herodeof Iewry may do Homage. Finde me to marrie me withOctauius Cæsar, and companion me with my Mistris.
Sooth.You shall out-liue the Lady whom you serue.
Char.Oh excellent, I loue long life better then Figs.
Sooth.You haue seene and proued a fairer former fortune, then that which is to approach.
Char.Then belike my Children shall haue no names:Prythee how many Boyes and Wenches must I haue.
Sooth.If euery of your wishes had a wombe, & foretell euery wish, a Million.
Char.Out Foole, I forgiue thee for a Witch.
Alex.You thinke none but your sheets are priuie toyour wishes.
Char.Nay come, tell Iras hers.
Alex.Wee'l know all our Fortunes.
Enob.Mine, and most of our Fortunes to night, shallbe drunke to bed.
Iras.There's a Palme presages Chastity, if nothing els.
Char.E'ne as the o're-flowing Nylus presageth Famine.
Iras.Go you wilde Bedfellow, you cannot Soothsay.
Char.Nay, if an oyly Palme bee not a fruitfull Prognostication, I cannot scratch mine eare. Prythee tel herbut a worky day Fortune.
Sooth.Your Fortunes are alike.
Iras.But how, but how, giue me particulars.
Sooth.I haue said.
Iras.Am I not an inch of Fortune better then she?
Char.Well, if you were but an inch of fortune betterthen I: where would you choose it.
Iras.Not in my Husbands nose.
Char.Our worser thoughts Heauens mend.
Alexas.Come, his Fortune, his Fortune. Oh let himmary a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee,and let her dye too, and giue him a worse, and let worsefollow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing tohis graue, fifty-fold a Cuckold. Good Isis heare me thisPrayer, though thou denie me a matter of more waight:good Isis I beseech thee.
Iras.Amen, deere Goddesse, heare that prayer of thepeople. For, as it is a heart-breaking to see a handsomeman loose-Wiu'd, so it is a deadly sorrow, to beholde afoule Knaue vncuckolded: Therefore deere Isis keep decorum, and Fortune him accordingly.
Char.Amen.
Alex.Lo now, if it lay in their hands to make mee aCuckold, they would make themselues Whores, butthey'ld doo't.
Enter Cleopatra.
Enob.Hush, heere comes Anthony.
Char.Not he, the Queene.
Cleo.Saue you, my Lord.
Enob.No Lady.
Cleo.Was he not heere?
Char.No Madam.
Cleo.He was dispos'd to mirth, but on the sodaineA Romane thought hath strooke him.Enobarbus?
Enob.Madam.
Cleo.Seeke him, and bring him hither: wher's Alexias?
Alex.Heere at your seruice.My Lord approaches.
Enter Anthony, with a Messenger.
Cleo.We will not looke vpon him:Exeunt.Go with vs.
Messen.Fuluia thy Wife,First came into the Field.
Ant.Against my Brother Lucius?
Messen.I: but soone that Warre had end,And the times stateMade friends of them, ioynting their force 'gainst Cæsar,Whose better issue in the warre from Italy,Vpon the first encounter draue them.
Ant.Well, what worst.
Mess.The Nature of bad newes infects the Teller.
Ant.When it concernes the Foole or Coward: On.Things that are past, are done, with me. 'Tis thus,Who tels me true, though in his Tale lye death,I heare him as he flatter'd.
Mes.Labienus (this is stiffe-newes)Hath with his Parthian ForceExtended Asia: from Euphrates his conqueringBanner shooke, from Syria to Lydia,And to Ionia, whil'st———
Ant.Anthony thou would'st say.
Mes.Oh my Lord.
Ant.Speake to me home,Mince not the generall tongue, nameCleopatra as she is call'd in Rome:Raile thou in Fuluia's phrase, and taunt my faultsWith such full License, as both Truth and MaliceHaue power to vtter. Oh then we bring forth weeds,When our quicke windes lye still, and our illes told vsIs as our earing: fare thee well awhile.
Mes.Exit Messenger.At your Noble pleasure.
Enter another Messenger.
Ant.From Scicion how the newes? Speake there.
1. Mes.The man from Scicion,Is there such an one?
2. Mes.He stayes vpon your will.
Ant.Let him appeare:These strong Egyptian Fetters I must breake,Or loose my selfe in dotage.Enter another Messenger with a Letter.What are you?
3. Mes.Fuluia thy wife is dead.
Ant.Where dyed she.
Mes.In Scicion, her length of sicknesse,With what else more serious,Importeth thee to know, this beares.
Antho.Forbeare meThere's a great Spirit gone, thus did I desire it:What our contempts doth often hurle from vs,
We
