University of Virginia Library

SCENE V.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Enter Cleopatra, supporting herself on Iras; Charmian, and Mardian, following.
Cle.
Charmian,—

Cha.
Madam.

Cle.
Ha, ha,—Give me to drink mandragora.

Cha.
—Why, madam?

Cle.
That I might sleep out this great gap of time,
My Antony is away.

Cha.
—You think of him
Too much.

Cle.
—O! Treason!

Char.
—Madam, I trust, not so.

Cle.
Thou, eunuch, Mardian,—

Mar.
—What's your highness' pleasure?

Cle.
Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure
In ought an eunuch has: 'Tis well for thee,
That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts
May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?

Mar.
Yes, gracious madam.

Cle.
—Indeed!—O Charmian,
Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he?
Or does he walk? Or is he on his horse?—
O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
Do bravely, horse; For wot'st thou whom thou mov'st?
The demy Atlas of this earth, the arm
And burgonet of man.—He's speaking now,
Or murmuring, Where's my serpent of old Nile?
For so he calls me;—Now I feed myself
With most delicious poison:—Think on me,
That am with Phœbus' amorous pinches black,
And wrinkl'd deep in time? Broad-fronted Cæsar,
When thou wast here above the ground, I was
A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey
Would stand, and make his eyes grow in my brow;
There would he anchor his aspect, and die
With looking on his life.

Enter Alexas.
Ale.
Sovereign of Egypt, hail!

Cle.
How much art thou unlike Mark Antony!
Yet, coming from him, that great med'cine hath
With his tinct gilded thee.—
How goes it with my brave Mark Anthony?

Ale.
Last thing he did, dear Queen,
He kiss'd, the last of many doubl'd kisses,
This orient pearl; His speech sticks in my heart.

Cle.
Mine ear must pluck it thence.

Ale.
—Good friend, quoth he,
Say, The firm Roman to great Egypt sends
This ‡ treasure of an oister: at whose foot,
To mend the petty present, I will piece
Her opulent throne with kingdoms; All the east,
Say thou, shall call her mistress. So he nodded,
And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed;
Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke
Was beastly dumb'd by him.

Cle.
—What, was he sad, or merry?

Ale.
Like to the time o' the year between the extreams
Of hot and cold; he was nor sad, nor merry.

Cle.
O well-divided diaposition!—Note him,
Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man, but note him:
He was not sad; for he would shine on those
That make their looks by his: he was not merry;
Which seem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy: but between both:
O heavenly mingle!—Be'st thou sad, or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes;
So does it no man else.—Met'st thou my posts?

Ale.
Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
Why do you send so thick?

Cle.
—Who's born that day
When I forget to send to Antony,
Shall die a beggar.—Ink and paper, Charmian.—
Welcome, my good Alexas.—Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Cæsar so?

Cha.
—O that brave Cæsar!

Cle.
Be choak'd with such another emphasis!
Say, the brave Antony.

Cha.
—The valiant Cæsar!

Cle.
By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth,
If thou with Cæsar paragon again
My man of men.

Cha.
—By your most gracious pardon,
I sing but after you.

Cle.
—My sallad days;
When I was green in judgment, cold in blood;
To say, as I said then! But, come, away;
Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day
A several greeting, or I'll unpeople Egypt.

[Exeunt.