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Antony and Cleopatra

Act II, Scene 5

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace.
 
[Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS]
 
CLEOPATRA
Give me some music: music, moody food of us that trade in love.
 
ATTENDANTS
The music, ho.
 
[Enter MARDIAN]
 
CLEOPATRA
Let it alone, let's to billiards: come Charmian.
 
CHARMIAN
My arm is sore, best play with Mardian.
 
CLEOPATRA
As well a woman with a eunuch played, as with a woman. Come you'll play with me sir?
 
MARDIAN
As well as I can madam.
 
CLEOPATRA
       .    T    T    T          ,
      And when good will | is showed,
                                            2     ,          ,
                                      Though it come | too short
           ,    2      ,      ,         T    T   T
      The ac|tor may plead | pardon.| I'll none now,
        ,             ,        ,       2     ,       ,
      Give me | mine ang|le, we'll | to the riv|er there
          ,        x           ,    ,            ,
      My mus|ic playing | far^off.| I will | betray
       ,   2        ,          ,        ,            ,
      Tawny-fin*| fishes,| my bend|ed hook | shall pierce
             ,       ,         ,       ,          ,
      Their sli|my jaws:| and as | I draw | them up,
             ,           ,      ,        ,    ,
      I'll think | them eve|ry one | an Ant|ony,
           ,        ,             ,
      And say,| ah ha;| you're caught. \\
 
CHARMIAN
'Twas merry when you wagered on your angling, when your diver did hang a salt-fish on his hook which he with fervency drew up.
 
CLEOPATRA
             ,          ,
      That^time?| Oh* times:   \\
           ,           ,        ,                 ,    ,
      I laughed | him out | of pa|tience: and / that night
           ,           ,     ,                 ,    ,
      I laughed | him in|to pa|tience, and / next morn,
                   ,     ,        ,          ,        ,
      Ere* the / ninth hour,| I drunk | him to | his bed:
            ,         ,          ,        ,           ,
      Then put | my tires | and mant|les on | him, whilst
          ,          ,         ,        ,         ,   2 ->
      I wore | his sword | Philip|pan. Oh | from It||aly,
       ,        2      ,        ,        ,          ,
      Ram | thou thy fruit|ful tid|ings in | mine^ears,
             ,      ,      2        ,
      That long | time have been | barren.
 
[Enter a Messenger]
 
MESSENGER
                                            ,       ,
                                           Madam,| madam.
 
CLEOPATRA
         ,   2    ,
      Anto|nio's dead.  \\
       ,         ,           x              ,           ,
      If thou | say so | villain, thou | killst thy | mistress:
            ,          ,     T   T   T     ,
      But well | and free,| if thou so | yield him.
           2     ,          ,
      There is gold,| and here  \\
          ,        ,          ,        ,           ,
      My blu|est veins | to kiss:| a hand | that kings
              ,           ,         ,     2
      Have lipped,| and trem|bled kiss|ing.
 
MESSENGER
                                                       x       2     ,
                                               First^madam,| he is well.  ??
 
CLEOPATRA
                      ,    ,
      Why there's*/ more gold.
                                    ,        ,        ,
                               But sir|rah mark,| we use
          ,          ,          ,      ,             ,
      To say,| the dead | are well:| bring it | to that,
            ,        ,            ,        ,          ,
      The gold | I give | thee, will | I melt | and pour
        T   T   T    ,           ,     oo
      Down thy ill-|utter|ing throat.|
 
MESSENGER
             ,       ,
      Good* mad|am hear | me.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                ,        ,       ,
                              Well,| go to | I will:
         2         ,     ,         ,         ,        ,  2
      But there's no | goodness | in thy | face if | Antony
           ,           ,         ,     ,       ,
      Be free | and health|ful; so | tart a | favor
           ,              ,   ,              ,    ,
      To trump|et such^/good tid|ings. If / not well,
               ,             ,       ,       ,              ,
      Thou shouldst | come^like | a Fu|ry crowned | with snakes,
       ,      2     ,        ,
      Not like a | formal | man.
 
MESSENGER
                                           ,           ,
                                 Wilt | please you | hear me?
 
CLEOPATRA
      ,            ,          ,           ,            ,
      I have | a mind | to strike | thee ere | thou speakst:
           ,         ,     ,        ,           ,
      Yet if | thou say | Anto|ny lives,| tis well,
            ,            ,             ,   ,        ,       ->
      Or friends | with Cae|sar, or / not cap|tive to || him,
              ,    ,      2     x          ,          ,
      I'll / set thee | in a shower | of gold,| and hail
        T     T   . T
      Rich pearls upon | thee.
 
MESSENGER
                               ,     2       ,
                              mad|am, he's well.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                                         ,
                                                 Well* said.
 
MESSENGER
             ,            ,
      And friends | with Cae|sar.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                     ,          ,       ,
                                  Thou'rt | an hon|est man.
 
MESSENGER
       ,     2       ,          ,          ,           ,
      Caesar, and | he, are | greater | friends than | ever.
 
CLEOPATRA
        ,      2     ,          ,
      Make thee a | fortune | from me.
 
MESSENGER
                                            ,     ,
                                       But yet | madam.
 
CLEOPATRA
         ,         ,         ,         ,       ,
      I do | not like | but yet,| it does | allay
            ,     ,            ,      ,         ,
      The good | prece|dence, fie | upon | but yet,
           ,        ,      ,             ,     ,
      But yet | is as | a jail|er to / bring forth
             ,         ,     ,        ,          ,
      Some monst|rous mal|efact|or. prith|ee friend,
            ,          ,        ,       ,         ,
      Pour^out | the pack | of mat|ter to | mine^ear,
            ,         ,         x             ,            ,      2->
      The good | and bad | together:| he's friends | with Cae||sar,    ??
           ,           ,            ,                  ,      ,
      In state | of health | thou sayst,| and thou / sayst, free.
 
MESSENGER
        T    Tx    T            ,   ,        ,
      Free madam, no:| I made^/no such | report,
             ,      ,  2    ,  3 3
      He's bound | unto Oc|tavia.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                         T    T    T
                                 For | what good turn?
 
MESSENGER
                  ,    ,      2     ,
      For the / best turn | in the bed.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                         2     ,      ,   2
                                        I am pale | Charmian.
 
MESSENGER
       ,            ,        ,      ,   ,
      Madam,| he's mar|ried to | Octav|ia.
 
CLEOPATRA
            ,       ,          ,     ,       ,          ->
      The most | infec|tious pest|ilence | upon || thee.
 
[Strikes him down]
 
MESSENGER
        ,     ,       ,
      Good | madam | patience.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                 T   T   T
                               What say you?
 
[Strikes him again]
        ,    ,              x                ,             ,
      Hence hor/rible | villain, or | I'll spurn | thine eyes
        T    T    .  T          ,        ,          ,
      Like balls before | me: I'll | unhair | thy head,
 
[She hales him up and down]
        ,                ,             ,           ,          ,
      Thou shalt | be whipped | with wire,| and stewed | in brine,
        ,     2      ,   2        ,
      Smarting in | lingering | pickle.
 
MESSENGER
                                         ,          ,
                                        Gracious | madam,
          ,         ,           ,          ,          ,
      I that | do bring | the news,| made^not | the match.
 
CLEOPATRA
             ,         ,       ,        2         ,    ,
      Say* 'tis | not so,| a prov|ince I will / give thee,
            ,         ,          ,           ,           ,
      And make | thy for|tunes proud:| the blow | thou hadst
              ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      Shall make | thy peace,| for mov|ing me | to rage.
          ,          ,                  ,    ,        ,
      And I | will boot | thee with / what gift | beside
           ,    ,         ,
      Thy mod|esty | can beg.
 
MESSENGER
                                   ,         x
                             He's mar|ried madam.
 
CLEOPATRA
        ,                  ,            ,
      Rogue, thou | hast lived | too* long.
 
[Draws a knife]
 
MESSENGER
                                           ,               ,
                                          Nay then | I'll run:
             ,         ,      ,          ,          ,
      What mean | you mad|am, I | have made | no* fault.
 
[Exit]
 
CHARMIAN
             ,       ,          ,        ,          ,
      Good* mad|am keep | yourself | within | yourself,
           ,        ,     ,
      The man | is in|nocent.  \\
 
CLEOPATRA
            ,   2         ,    ,          ,       ,
      Some^in|nocents e/scape not | the thund|erbolt:
            ,      ,      ,          ,       ,        2->
      Melt^Eg|ypt in|to Nile:| and kind|ly creat||ures
            ,        ,           ,          ,        ,
      Turn^all | to serp|ents. Call | the slave | again,
             ,       ,              ,    ,           ,
      Though^I | am mad,| I will / not bite | him: call?
 
CHARMIAN
       ,         ,          ,
      He is | afeard | to come.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                 2      ,      ,
                                I will not | hurt him,
 
[Exit CHARMIAN]
              ,          ,       ,   2     ,            ,
      These^hands | do lack | nobil|ity, that | they strike
          ,       ,        ,          ,       ,
      A mean|er than | myself:| since I | myself
             x         ,          ,           ,       ,
      Have given | myself | the cause.| Come^hith|er sir.
 
[Enter CHARMIAN and Messenger]
              ,       ,        ,       ,       ,
      Though^it | be hon|est, it | is nev|er good
       .   T    T    T      ,    2     ,          ,
      To bring bad news:| give to a | gracious | message
          ,          ,                ,   ,         ,
      A host | of tongues,| but let^/ill tid|ings tell
             ,       ,      2       ,
      Themselves,| when they be | felt.
 
MESSENGER
                                         2         ,        ,
                                        I have | done my | duty.
 
CLEOPATRA
       ,       ,
      Is he | married?  \\
         ,        ,           ,       ,       ,
      I can|not hate | thee wors|er than | I do,
       ,     2    ,        ,
      If thou a|gain say^|yes.
 
MESSENGER
                                       ,         ,
                               He's | married | madam.
 
CLEOPATRA
            ,         ,
      The gods | confound | thee,
                                    ,           ,            ,
                                  Dost | thou hold | there still?
 
MESSENGER
                  ,   ,
      Should I / lie mad|am?
 
CLEOPATRA
                              ,        ,            ,
                             Oh, | I would | thou didst:
           ,       ,        ,          ,           ,
      So half | my Eg|ypt were | submerged | and made
          ,               ,      ,          ,           ,
      A cist|ern for / scaled snakes.| Go* get | thee hence,
        ,              ,       ,         ,        ,
      Hadst thou | Narcis|sus in | thy face | to me,
        ,         2     ,         ,      ,       ,
      Thou wouldst ap|pear most^|ugly:| He is | married?
 
MESSENGER
          ,            ,         ,
      I crave | your high|ness' pard|on.
 
CLEOPATRA
                                            x      ,
                                          He is | married?
 
MESSENGER
        T   T  .  T       ,   2         ,       ,
      Take no offense,| that I would | not of|fend you,
          ,       ,         ,          ,        ,
      To pun|ish me | for what | you make | me do
              ,      ,         ,     ,          2   ,   2  ->
      Seems^much | une|qual, he's | married | to Octav||ia.
 
CLEOPATRA
       ,       2      ,              ,        ,          ,
      Oh | that his fault | should make | a knave | of thee,
            ,          ,              ,         ,           ,
      That art | not what | thou'rt sure | of. Get | thee hence,
            ,       ,            ,            ,             ,
      The merch|andise | which thou | hast brought | from Rome
           ,          ,         ,
      Are all | too dear | for me:  \\
       ,      2   ,          ,           2    ,     ,
      Lie they u|pon thy | hand, and | be undone | by 'em.
 
[Exit MESSENGER]
 
CHARMIAN
        ,           ,         ,
      Good your | highness | patience.  \\
 
CLEOPATRA
           ,        ,   2    2        ,    ,       ,
      In prais|ing Ant|ony, I have / dispraised | Caesar.
 
CHARMIAN
Many times madam.
 
CLEOPATRA
      ,        ,     2      ,     ,                ,
      I am | paid for it | now: lead / me from | hence,
      <-        ,        ,        ,   2      ,        ,
         I || faint, oh^|Iras,| Charmian:| 'tis no | matter.
       ,   2       ,         ,     ,       ,
      Go to the | fellow,| good A|lexas | bid him
          ,         ,      2    ,  , 2          ,
      Report | the fea|ture of Oc|tavia:| her years,
           ,     ,        ,         ,           ,
      Her in|clina|tion, let | him not | leave^out
           ,       2        ,     ,          ,      ,
      The col|or of her / hair. Bring | me word | quickly,
       ,     2     Tx   T   T         ,      ,
      Let him for|ever go, let | him not | Charmian,
         ,     2       ,        T   T    T  .    ,
      Though he be | painted | one way like a | Gorgon,
           ,       ,         ,     ,     2   ,
      The oth|er way's | a Mars.| Bid you A|lexas
        ,          ,           ,     2      ,  2       ,   2
      Bring me | word, how | tall she is:| pity me | Charmian,
           ,         ,       2      ,     ,   2       ,
      But do | not speak | to me. Lead | me to my | chamber.
 
[Exeunt]

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