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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 Herod of Jewry may
do homage。 Find me to marry me with Octavius Caesar； and companion
me with my mistress。 SOOTHSAYER。 You shall outlive the lady whom
you serve。 CHARMIAN。 O； excellent！ I love long life better than figs。
SOOTHSAYER。 You have seen and prov'd a fairer former fortune Than
that which is to approach。 CHARMIAN。 Then belike my children shall
have no names。 Prithee； how many boys and wenches must I have？
SOOTHSAYER。 If every of your wishes had a womb； And fertile every
wish； a million。 CHARMIAN。 Out； fool！ I forgive thee for a witch。
ALEXAS。 You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes。
CHARMIAN。 Nay； come； tell Iras hers。 ALEXAS。 We'll know all our
fortunes。 ENOBARBUS。 Mine； and most of our fortunes； to…night； shall
be… drunk to bed。 IRAS。 There's a palm presages chastity； if nothing else。
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CHARMIAN。 E'en as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine。 IRAS。 Go；
you wild bedfellow； you cannot soothsay。 CHARMIAN。 Nay； if an oily
palm be not a fruitful prognostication； I cannot scratch mine ear。 Prithee；
tell her but worky…day fortune。 SOOTHSAYER。 Your fortunes are alike。
IRAS。 But how； but how？ Give me particulars。 SOOTHSAYER。 I have
said。 IRAS。 Am I not an inch of fortune better than she？ CHARMIAN。
Well； if you were but an inch of fortune better than I； where would you
choose it？ IRAS。 Not in my husband's nose。 CHARMIAN。 Our worser
thoughts heavens mend！ Alexas… come； his fortune； his fortune！ O； let him
marry a woman that cannot go； sweet Isis； I beseech thee！ And let her die
too； and give him a worse！ And let worse follow worse； till the worst of all
follow him laughing to his grave； fiftyfold a cuckold！ Good Isis； hear me
this prayer； though thou deny me a matter of more weight； good Isis； I
beseech thee！ IRAS。 Amen。 Dear goddess； hear that prayer of the people！
For； as it is a heartbreaking to see a handsome man loose…wiv'd； so it is a
deadly sorrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded。 Therefore； dear Isis；
keep decorum； and fortune him accordingly！ CHARMIAN。 Amen。
ALEXAS。 Lo now； if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold； they
would make themselves whores but they'd do't！
Enter CLEOPATRA
ENOBARBUS。 Hush！ Here comes Antony。 CHARMIAN。 Not he；
the Queen。 CLEOPATRA。 Saw you my lord？ ENOBARBUS。 No； lady。
CLEOPATRA。 Was he not here？ CHARMIAN。 No； madam。
CLEOPATRA。 He was dispos'd to mirth； but on the sudden A Roman
thought hath struck him。 Enobarbus！ ENOBARBUS。 Madam？
CLEOPATRA。 Seek him； and bring him hither。 Where's Alexas？ ALEXAS。
Here； at your service。 My lord approaches。
Enter ANTONY； with a MESSENGER and attendants
CLEOPATRA。 We will not look upon him。 Go with us。 Exeunt
CLEOPATRA； ENOBARBUS； and the rest MESSENGER。 Fulvia thy
wife first came into the field。 ANTONY。 Against my brother Lucius？
MESSENGER。 Ay。 But soon that war had end； and the time's state Made
friends of them； jointing their force 'gainst Caesar； Whose better issue in
the war from Italy Upon the first encounter drave them。 ANTONY。 Well；
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ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
what worst？ MESSENGER。 The nature of bad news infects the teller。
ANTONY。 When it concerns the fool or coward。 On！ Things that are past
are done with me。 'Tis thus： Who tells me true； though in his tale lie death；
I hear him as he flatter'd。 MESSENGER。 Labienus… This is stiff news…
hath with his Parthian force Extended Asia from Euphrates； His
conquering banner shook from Syria To Lydia and to Ionia； Whilst…
ANTONY。 Antony； thou wouldst say。 MESSENGER。 O； my lord！
ANTONY。 Speak to me home； mince not the general tongue； Name
Cleopatra as she is call'd in Rome。 Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase； and taunt
my faults With such full licence as both truth and malice Have power to
utter。 O； then we bring forth weeds When our quick minds lie still； and our
ills told us Is as our earing。 Fare thee well awhile。 MESSENGER。 At your
noble pleasure。 Exit ANTONY。 From Sicyon； ho； the news！ Speak there！
FIRST ATTENDANT。 The man from Sicyon… is there such an one？
SECOND ATTENDANT。 He stays upon your will。 ANTONY。 Let him
appear。 These strong Egyptian fetters I must break； Or lose myself in
dotage。
Enter another MESSENGER with a letter
What are you？ SECOND MESSENGER。 Fulvia thy wife is dead。
ANTONY。 Where died she？ SECOND MESSENGER。 In Sicyon。 Her
length of sickness； with what else more serious Importeth thee to know；
this bears。 ＇Gives the letter＇ ANTONY。 Forbear me。 Exit MESSENGER
There's a great spirit gone！ Thus did I desire it。 What our contempts doth
often hurl from us We wish it ours again； the present pleasure； By
revolution low'ring； does become The opposite of itself。 She's good； being
gone； The hand could pluck her back that shov'd her on。 I must from this
enchanting queen break off。 Ten thousand harms； more than the ills I know；
My idleness doth hatch。 How now； Enobarbus！
Re…enter ENOBARBUS
ENOBARBUS。 What's your pleasure； sir？ ANTONY。 I must with
haste from hence。 ENOBARBUS。 Why； then we kill all our women。 We
see how mortal an unkindness is to them； if they suffer our departure；
death's the word。 ANTONY。 I must be gone。 ENOBARBUS。 Under a
compelling occasion； let women die。 It were pity to cast them away for
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nothing； though between them and a great cause they should be esteemed
nothing。 Cleopatra； catching but the least noise of this； dies instantly； I
have seen her die
twenty times upon far poorer moment。 I do think there is mettle in
de