Kingdoms are clay our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life
Is, to do thus; when fuch a mutual pair,
And fuch a twain can do't; in which, h I bind,

[Embracing.

On pain of punishment, the world to weet,

We stand up peerless.

Cleo. Excellent falfhood!

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll feem the fool I am not.

Will be himself.

i

Antony

Ant. But stirr'd by Cleopatra.

[Afide.

Now, for the love of love, and his foft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh:
There's not a minute of our lives fhould ftretch
Without fome pleasure now: What sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the embaffadors.

Ant. Fye, wrangling queen!

Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
Το weep; whose every paffion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd!
No meffenger, but thine :-And all alone,
To-night, we'll wander through the streets, and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;
Laft night you did defire it :-Speak not to us.

[Exeunt Ant. and Cleop. with their train.
Dem. Is Cæfar with Antonius priz'd fo flight?
Phil. Sir, fometimes, when he is not Antony,
He comes too fhort of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

I bind, &c.]-I charge the world to take note.

Antony will be himself.—But ftirr'd by Cleopatra.]-Antony, I fee,

will fill be Antony.

-But what will he be-if infpir'd by Cleopatra ? 1 now at our time of life.

confound-confume, wafte.

"The qualities]-The difpofitions.

R 2

Dem.

Dem. I am full sorry,

n

That he approves the common liar, who

Thus speaks of him at Rome: But I will hope'
Of better deeds to-morrow. Reft you happy! [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Another Part of the Palace.

Enter Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Soothsayer.

Char. Lord Alexas, fweet Alexas, moft any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the foothfayer that you prais'd fo to the queen? O! that I knew this husband, which, you fay, must charge his horns with garlands.

Alex. Soothfayer.

Sooth. Your will?

Char. Is this the man?-Is't you, fir, that know things? Sooth. In nature's infinite book of fecrecy,

A little I can read.

Alex. Shew him your hand.

Enter Enobarbus.

Eno. Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough, Cleopatra's health to drink.

Char. Good fir, give me good fortune.

Sooth. I make not, but foresee.

Char. Pray then, foresee me one.

Sooth. You fhall be yet far fairer than you are.

Char. He means, in flesh.

approves the common liar,]-confirms the reports of fame.

muft charge his horns with garlands.]-dress, adorn,-must have his horns tipped with gold-change his horns.

Iras. No, you fhall paint when you are old.
Char. Wrinkles forbid!

Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive.
Char. Hufh!

Sooth. You fhall be more beloving, than belov'd.
Char, I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
Alex. Nay, hear him.

Char. Good now, fome excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all! let me have a child at fifty, to whom 9 Herod of Jewry may do homage! find me to marry with Octavius Cæfar, and companion me with my mistress!

Sooth. You fhall out-live the lady whom you serve. Char. O excellent! I love long life better than figs. Sooth. You have seen and prov'd a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach.

Char. Then, belike, my children 'shall have no names: Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches must I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb,

'And foretel every wish, a million.

Char. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.

Alex. You think, none but your sheets are privy to your wishes.

Char. Nay, come, tell Iras hers.

Alex. We'll know all our fortunes.

I had rather beat my liver with drinking.]-The liver was confidered as the feat of defire; if therefore, fays Charmian, that be the cafe, let my liver be heated with liquor, rather than love,

Herod of Jewry]-The haughtieft monarch.

'fhall have no names :]-will be bastards.

"nameless virtues," &c.

Two GENT. OF VER. A. III, S. 1. Speed, and Laun. "nameless baftardy." POEMS, P. 504.

And foretel every wish,]And I fhould foretel their completionAnd fertile every wish.

R 3

Eno.

Eno. Mine, and moft of our fortunes, to-night, fhall be-drunk to bed.

Iras. There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. Char. Even as the o'erflowing Nilus prefageth famine. Iras. Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot foothfay.

t

Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognoftication, I cannot fcratch mine ear.-Pr'ythee tell her but a worky-day fortune.

Sooth. Your fortunes are alike.

Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars.
Sooth: I have faid.

Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? Char. Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than 1, where would you choose it?

Iras. Not in my hufband's nose.

Char. Our worfer thoughts heavens mend! Alexas,come, his fortune, his fortune.-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, fweet "Ifis, I beseech thee! And let her die too, and give him a worfe! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Ifis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Ifis, I beseech thee!

Iras. Amen. Dear goddefs, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to fee a handfome man loose-wiv'd, fo it is a deadly forrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded: Therefore, dear Ifis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly!

t

an oily palm-" It's dry, Sir."

TWELFTH NIGHT, A. I. S. 3. Mar. "Hot, hot, and moift." OтH. A. III. S. 4. Oth Sweating palm." POEMS, p. 405.

Ifis,]-The moon, worshipped under that name,

loofe-wiv'd,]-unmarried.

Char

Char. Amen.

Alex. Lo, now! if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores, but they'd do't.

Eno. Hufh! here comes Antony.

Char. Not he, the queen.

Enter Cleopatra.

Cleo. Saw you my lord?

Eno. No, lady.

Cleo. Was he not here?

Char. No, madam.

Cleo. He was difpos'd to mirth; but on the fudden A Roman thought hath ftruck him.-EnobarbusEno. Madam.

Cleo. Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas?

Alex. Here, at your fervice.-My lord approaches.

Enter Antony, with a Messenger, and Attendants. Cleo. We will not look upon him: Go with us.

Mef. Fulvia thy wife first came into the field.
Ant. Against my brother Lucius ?

Mef. Ay:

But foon that war had end, and the time's state

[Exeunt.

Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Cæfar;

Whose better iffue in the war, from Italy,

Upon the first encounter, drave them.

Ant. Well, what y worse?

Mef. The nature of bad news infects the teller.
Ant. When it concerns the fool, or coward.-On: