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Antony and Cleopatra

Act I, Scene 3

The same. Another room.
 
[Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS]
 
CLEOPATRA
        T    T  T
      Where is he?
 
CHARMIAN
                      ,         ,          ,
                   I did | not see | him since.
 
CLEOPATRA
       T    T    .  T
      See where he is,|
                                 ,           ,         ,
                         Who's^with | him, what | he does:
         ,          ,          ,         ,         ,
      I did | not^send | you. If | you find | him sad,
       ,          ,         ,        ,         ,
      Say I | am dan|cing: if | in mirth,| report
           ,       ,        ,      ,              ,
      That I | am sud|den sick.| Quick, and | return.
 
[Exit ALEXAS]
 
CHARMIAN
       ,           ,         ,          ,          ,      ->
      Madam,| methinks | if you | did love | him dear||ly,
       ,      2      ,          ,       ,       ,
      You | do not hold | the meth|od, to | enforce
            ,          ,
      The like | from him.
 
CLEOPATRA
                             ,        2     ,           ,
                           What should I | do, I | do* not?
 
CHARMIAN
           ,      T      Tx     T      ,          ,
      In each | thing give him way,| cross him | nothing.
 
CLEOPATRA
              ,        ,        ,          ,         ,
      Thou teachst | like a | fool: the | way to | lose him.
 
CHARMIAN
        ,              ,         ,        ,         ,
      Tempt him | not^so | too* far.| I wish | forbear,
           ,         ,      ,             ,       ,
      In time | we hate | that which^|we of|ten fear.
            ,           ,   2
      But here | comes^Ant|ony.
 
[Enter MARK ANTONY]
 
CLEOPATRA
                                ,        ,           x
                                I | am sick | and sullen.
 
MARK ANTONY
       2    ,    2     ,      ,          ,       ,
      I am sor|ry to give | breathing | to my | purpose.
 
CLEOPATRA
        ,         ,            ,    2   ,           ,
      Help me | away | dear* Char|mian, I | shall fall,
          ,       ,          ,          ,         ,      2->
      It can|not be | thus^long,| the sides | of na||ture
            ,        ,
      Will not | sustain | it.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                 ,        ,         ,
                                Now | my dear|est queen.
 
CLEOPATRA
        ,                ,     2      ,
      Pray you | stand^farth|er from me.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                            ,          ,
                                         What's the | matter?
 
CLEOPATRA
          ,                ,   ,                     ,    ,
      I know | by that / same eye | there's some / good news.
             ,         ,        ,      ,         ,
      What says | the mar|ried wom|an you | may go?
        ,              ,       x           ,          ,
      Would she | had nev|er given | you leave | to come.
       ,             ,        ,          ,          ,
      Let her | not^say |'tis I | that keep | you here,
      ,             x       ,           ,         ,
      I have | no power | upon | you: hers | you are.
 
MARK ANTONY
       .    T    T    T
      The gods best know.
 
CLEOPATRA
                             ,      ,            ,
                         Oh nev|er was | there queen
           ,     ,        ,          ,         ,
      So might|ily | betrayed:| yet^at | the first
         ,          ,         ,
      I saw | the treas|ons plant|ed.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                       ,    ,     ->
                                      Cle|opat||ra.
 
CLEOPATRA
       ,          2    ,          ,         ,          ,
      Why | should I think | you can | be mine,| and true,
               ,         ,         ,           ,        ,
      (Though you | in swear|ing shake | the thron|ed gods)
       ,      2         ,         ,  2
      Who have been | false to | Fulvia?
                                          , 2       ,
                                         Riotous | madness,
       ,   2    ,          ,            T     T    T
      To be en|tangled | with those | mouth-made vows,
              ,            ,          ,
      Which break | themselves | in swear|ing.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                                       ,     ,
                                               Most^/sweet queen.
 
CLEOPATRA
             ,          ,     ,  ,        2        ,
      Nay* pray | you seek | no col/or for your | going,
           ,          ,         ,       2      ,      ,
      But bid | farewell,| and go:| when you sued | staying,
        ,              ,          ,          ,       ,
      Then was | the time | for words:| no* go|ing then,
         ,    ,        ,         ,          ,
      Etern|ity | was in | our lips,| and eyes,
        ,     2        T      T     T          ,          ,
      Bliss in our | brows' bent: none | our parts | so poor,
       ,            ,          x           ,         ,
      But was | a race | of heaven.| They are | so still,
           ,          ,        ,        ,         ,
      Or thou | the great|est sol|dier of | the world,
             ,           ,         x
      Art turned | the great|est liar.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                             ,     ,
                                       How* now | lady?
 
CLEOPATRA
          ,        ,          ,        ,               ,
      I would | I had | thy inch|es, thou | shouldst^know
              ,        ,        ,
      There were | a heart | in Eg|ypt.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                          ,         ,
                                        Hear | me queen:
             ,        ,     ,        ,         ,
      The strong | neces|sity | of time,| commands
           ,     ,       ,                ,    ,
      Our serv|ices | awhile:| but my / full heart
          ,         ,          ,         ,   ,
      Remains | in use | with you.| Our^It|aly,
              ,          ,        ,      ,             x
      Shines^ore | with civ|il swords:| Sextus | Pompeius
        ,              ,       ,         ,         ,
      Makes his | approach|es to | the port | of Rome,
        ,     ,       ,        ,        x
      Equal|ity | of two | domest|ic powers,
        ,     ,         ,            ,      ,          ,
      Breed scrupulous faction: the hated grown to strength ????
           ,       ,          ,       2      ,      ,
      Are new|ly grown | to love:| the condemned | Pompey*,
        ,            ,         ,         ,        ,
      Rich in | his fath|er's hon|or, creeps | apace
       ,            ,          ,         ,           ,
      Into | the hearts | of such,| as have | not thrived
        ,         ,         ,            ,            x
      Upon | the pres|ent state,| whose num|bers threaten,
            x          ,       ,         ,             ,
      And quiet|ness grown | sick of | rest, would | purge
      <-      ,      ,   2         ,           ,       , 2   
        By || any | desperate | change: my | more part|icular*,
            ,            ,          ,             ,         x
      And that | which most | with you | should safe | my going,
          ,    2     ,
      Is Fulv|ia's death.  \\
 
CLEOPATRA
              ,          ,    2       ,      ,         ,
      Though age | from fol|ly could not | give me | freedom
           ,           ,        ,         ,   2   ,
      It does | from child|ishness.| Can Fulv|ia die?
 
MARK ANTONY
              ,         ,
      She's dead | my queen.  \\
             ,         ,         ,          ,        ,
      Look^here,| and at | thy sove|reign leis|ure read
           ,    ,            ,                ,     ,
      The gar|boils she | awaked:| at the / last, best,
            ,          ,           ,
      See when,| and where | she died. \\
 
CLEOPATRA
      _    __     ___     __    oo
      O | most | false | love!|
        ,             ,       ,       ,               ,
      Where be | the sac|red vi|als thou | shouldst fill
            ,     2    ,       ,       ,       ,
      With sor|rowful wat|er? Now | I see,| I see,
           ,    2    ,           ,         ,            ,
      In Fulv|ia's death,| how mine | received | shall be.
 
MARK ANTONY
        ,            ,         ,        ,          ,
      Quarrel | no more,| but be | prepared | to know
           ,     ,        ,           ,         ,
      The pur|poses | I bear:| which are,| or cease,
          ,            ,             ,    ,         ,
      As you | shall give | the ad/vice. By | the fire
             ,        ,        ,        ,          ,
      That quick|ens Nil|us' slime,| I go | from hence
           ,          ,        ,        ,         ,
      Thy sol|dier, serv|ant, mak|ing peace | or war,
             2     ,
      As thou af/fects.
 
CLEOPATRA
                         ,         ,      ,         ,
                        Cut | my lace,| Charmi|an come,
           ,        ,    2     ,       ,          ,
      But let | it be,| I am quick|ly ill,| and well,
          ,   2    ,
      So Ant|ony loves.
 
MARK ANTONY
                            ,          ,          ,
                        My pre|cious queen | forbear,
            ,      ,   ,            2      ,             ,
      And give | true ev/idence | to his love,| which stands
          ,    3 3    x
      An hon|orable trial.
 
CLEOPATRA
                            ,  ,          ,
                           So Fulv/ia | told me.
          ,        ,       ,          ,         ,
      I prith|ee turn | aside,| and weep | for her,
            ,       ,        ,        ,          ,
      Then bid | adieu | to me,| and say | the tears
          ,       ,               ,     ,           ,
      Belong | to Eg|ypt. Good*/ now, play | one* scene  ??
          ,      ,        ,          ,       2     ,
      Of ex|cellent | dissem|bling, and | let it look
            ,        ,     2
      Like^per|fect hon|or.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                      ,         ,           ,
                             You'll heat | my blood | no* more?
 
CLEOPATRA
       ,     2      ,        ,           ,         ,
      You can do | better | yet: but | this is | meetly.
 
MARK ANTONY
       ,         ,
      Now by | sword.
 
CLEOPATRA
                             ,         ,         ___
                      And | target.| Still he | mends.
            ,        ,          ,           ,         ,     2  ->
      But this | is not | the best.| Look* prith|ee Char||mian,
       ,        2    ,   2   ,       ,        ,
      How | this Hercul|ean Rom|an does | become
           ,         ,         ,
      The car|riage of | his chafe.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                          ,          ,     o ->
                                   I'll leave | you la||dy.
 
CLEOPATRA
        ,   2       T    T    T    oo
      Courteous | lord, one word:|
       ,             ,          ,          ,           ,
      Sir, you | and I | must part,| but that's | not it:
       ,             ,          ,            ,           ,
      Sir, you | and I | have loved,| but there's | not it:
        ,               ,      ,             ,       ,
      That you | know^well,| something | it is | I would:
       ,    2   ,   2     ,      ,      ,  2
      Oh, my o|blivion | is a | very | Antony,
          ,       ,        ,     2
      And I | am all | forgot|ten.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                        ,          ,    2   ->
                                  But that | your roy||alty
        ,     ,     2          ,    ,    2           ,
      Holds | idleness | your sub|ject, I should | take you
          ,      ,        ,
      For id|leness | itself.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                   ,        ,     2->
                            'Tis sweat|ing lab||or,
           ,         ,      ,         ,          ,
      To bear | such^id|leness | so near | the heart
          ,    ,       ,         ,         ,       ->
      As Cle|opat|ra this.| But sir,| forgive || me,
        ,       2   ,         ,          ,        2    ,
      Since | my becom|ings kill | me, when | they do not
       ,    ,                   ,       ,           ,
      Eye well / to you:| your hon|or calls | you hence,
        ,      2       ,        ,     ,        ,
      Therefore be | deaf to | my un|pitied | folly,
           ,          ,         ,          x            ,
      And all | the gods | go with | you. Upon | your sword
            ,       ,    ,          ,          ,
      Sit laur|el vict|ory,| and smooth | success
            ,          ,           ,
      Be strewed | before | your feet.
 
MARK ANTONY
                                        ,       __
                                       Let us | go.
        ,          ,    ,         2   ,           ,
      Come: Our | sepa|ration | so abides | and flies,
             ,       ,        ,          ,          ,
      That thou,| resid|ing here,| goes^yet | with me,
          ,     ,     ,                   ,           ,
      And I | hence fleet/ing, here | remain | with thee.
        ,
      Away.   \\
 
[Exeunt]

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