The Tragedy Of Antony And Cleopatra

1 Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras and Mardian.
2 CLEOPATRA.
3 Charmian!
4 CHARMIAN.
5 Madam?
6 CLEOPATRA.
7 Ha, ha!
8 Give me to drink mandragora.
9 CHARMIAN.
10 Why, madam?
11 CLEOPATRA.
12 That I might sleep out this great gap of time
13 My Antony is away.
14 CHARMIAN.
15 You think of him too much.
16 CLEOPATRA.
17 O, ’tis treason!
18 CHARMIAN.
19 Madam, I trust not so.
20 CLEOPATRA.
21 Thou, eunuch Mardian!
22 MARDIAN.
23 What’s your highness’ pleasure?
24 CLEOPATRA.
25 Not now to hear thee sing. I take no pleasure
26 In aught an eunuch has. ’Tis well for thee
27 That, being unseminared, thy freer thoughts
28 May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?
29 MARDIAN.
30 Yes, gracious madam.
31 CLEOPATRA.
32 Indeed?
33 MARDIAN.
34 Not in deed, madam, for I can do nothing
35 But what indeed is honest to be done.
36 Yet have I fierce affections, and think
37 What Venus did with Mars.
38 CLEOPATRA.
39 O, Charmian,
40 Where think’st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he?
41 Or does he walk? Or is he on his horse?
42 O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
43 Do bravely, horse, for wot’st thou whom thou mov’st?
44 The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm
45 And burgonet of men. He’s speaking now,
46 Or murmuring “Where’s my serpent of old Nile?”
47 For so he calls me. Now I feed myself
48 With most delicious poison. Think on me
49 That am with Phœbus’ amorous pinches black,
50 And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar,
51 When thou wast here above the ground, I was
52 A morsel for a monarch. And great Pompey
53 Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow;
54 There would he anchor his aspect, and die
55 With looking on his life.
56 Enter Alexas.
57 ALEXAS.
58 Sovereign of Egypt, hail!
59 CLEOPATRA.
60 How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
61 Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath
62 With his tinct gilded thee.
63 How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
64 ALEXAS.
65 Last thing he did, dear queen,
66 He kissed—the last of many doubled kisses—
67 This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.
68 CLEOPATRA.
69 Mine ear must pluck it thence.
70 ALEXAS.
71 “Good friend,” quoth he,
72 “Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
73 This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,
74 To mend the petty present, I will piece
75 Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the east,
76 Say thou, shall call her mistress.” So he nodded
77 And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed,
78 Who neighed so high that what I would have spoke
79 Was beastly dumbed by him.
80 CLEOPATRA.
81 What, was he sad or merry?
82 ALEXAS.
83 Like to the time o’ th’ year between the extremes
84 Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry.
85 CLEOPATRA.
86 O well-divided disposition!—Note him,
87 Note him, good Charmian, ’tis the man; but note him:
88 He was not sad, for he would shine on those
89 That make their looks by his; he was not merry,
90 Which seemed to tell them his remembrance lay
91 In Egypt with his joy; but between both.
92 O heavenly mingle!—Be’st thou sad or merry,
93 The violence of either thee becomes,
94 So does it no man else.—Met’st thou my posts?
95 ALEXAS.
96 Ay, madam, twenty several messengers.
97 Why do you send so thick?
98 CLEOPATRA.
99 Who’s born that day
100 When I forget to send to Antony
101 Shall die a beggar.—Ink and paper, Charmian.—
102 Welcome, my good Alexas.—Did I, Charmian,
103 Ever love Caesar so?
104 CHARMIAN.
105 O that brave Caesar!
106 CLEOPATRA.
107 Be choked with such another emphasis!
108 Say “the brave Antony.”
109 CHARMIAN.
110 The valiant Caesar!
111 CLEOPATRA.
112 By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth
113 If thou with Caesar paragon again
114 My man of men.
115 CHARMIAN.
116 By your most gracious pardon,
117 I sing but after you.
118 CLEOPATRA.
119 My salad days,
120 When I was green in judgment, cold in blood,
121 To say as I said then. But come, away,
122 Get me ink and paper.
123 He shall have every day a several greeting,
124 Or I’ll unpeople Egypt.
125 [_Exeunt._]