Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, 81almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer 82that you praised so to th'queen? Oh, that I knew this 83husband which you say must change his horns with 84garlands!

Soothsayer!

[Coming towards them.] Your will?

Is this the man? [To the Soothsayer] Is't you, sir, that know things?

In Nature's infinite book of secrecy,

1.2.8A little I 89can read.

A little I can read. [To Charmian] Show him your hand.

1.2.991Enobarbus[Calling] Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough

1.2.1092Cleopatra's health to drink!

Good sir, give me good fortune.

I make not, but foresee.

Pray then, foresee me one.

You shall be yet far fairer than you are.

He means in flesh.

No, you shall paint when you are old.

Wrinkles forbid!

Vex not his prescience, be attentive.

Hush.

You shall be more beloving than beloved.

I had rather heat my liver with drinking.

Nay, hear him.

Good now, some excellent fortune. Let me 106be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow 107them all. Let me have a child at fifty to whom Herod 108of Jewry may do homage. Find me to marry me with 109Octavius Caesar, and companion me with my mistress.

You shall outlive the lady whom you serve.

Oh excellent! I love long life better than figs.

You have seen and proved a fairer former for113tune

1.2.28Than that which is to approach.

Then belike my children shall have no names. 115Prithee, how many boys and wenches must I have?

If every of your wishes had a womb,

1.2.31And fer117tile every wish, a million.

Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.

You think none but your sheets are privy to 120your wishes.

Nay, come, tell Iras hers.

We'll know all our fortunes.

Mine, and most of our fortunes tonight, shall 124be drunk to bed.

[Showing her hand to the Soothsayer] There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else.

E'en as the o'er-flowing Nilus presageth fa127mine.

Go, you wild bedfellow! You cannot soothsay.

Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prog130nostication, I cannot scratch mine ear. [To Soothsayer] Prithee, tell her 131but a workaday fortune.

Your fortunes are alike.

But how, but how? Give me particulars.

I have said.

Am I not an inch of fortune better than she?

Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better 137than I, where would you choose it?

Not in my husband's nose.

Our worser thoughts Heavens mend! 140Alexas--come, his fortune, his fortune! Oh let him 141marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee, 142and let her die too, and give him a worse, and let worse 143follow worse till the worst of all follow him laughing to 144his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold. Good Isis, hear me this 145prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight. 146Good Isis, I beseech thee.

Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the 148people. For, as it is a heart-breaking to see a handsome 149man loose-wived, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a 150foul knave uncuckolded. Therefore, dear Isis, keep de151corum, and fortune him accordingly.

Amen.

Lo now, if it lay in their hands to make me a 154cuckold, they would make themselves whores, but 155they'd do't.

Hush, here comes Antony.

Hush, here comes Antony. Not he--the Queen.

Saw you my lord?

Saw you my lord? No, lady.

Was he not here?

Was he not here? No, madam.

He was disposed to mirth, but on the sudden

1.2.56164A Roman thought hath struck him. 165Enobarbus?

Madam?

Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas?

Here at your service.--169My lord approaches.

We will not look upon him. 172Go with us.

Fulvia thy wife 174first came into the field.

Against my brother Lucius?

Against my brother Lucius? Ay.

1.2.65But soon that war had end, 177and the time's state

1.2.66178Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Caesar,

1.2.67179Whose better issue in the war from Italy

1.2.68180Upon the first encounter drave them.

Upon the first encounter drave them. Well, what worst?

The nature of bad news infects the teller.

When it concerns the fool or coward. On.

1.2.71184Things that are past are done. With me 'tis thus:

1.2.72185Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death,

1.2.73186I hear him as he flattered.

I hear him as he flattered. Labienus--this is stiff news--

1.2.74188Hath with his Parthian force 189extended Asia.

1.2.75From Euphrates his conquering 190banner shook,

1.2.76From Syria to Lydia, 191and to Ionia, whilst--

Antony, thou wouldst say.

Antony, thou wouldst say. Oh, my Lord.

Speak to me home. 195Mince not the general tongue,

1.2.79Name 196Cleopatra as she is called in Rome,

1.2.80197Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase and taunt my faults

1.2.81198With such full licence as both truth and malice

1.2.82199Have power to utter. Oh, then we bring forth weeds

1.2.83200When our quick winds lie still and our ills told us

1.2.84201Is as our earing. Fare thee well awhile.

At your noble pleasure.

From Sicyon how the news? Speak there.

The man from Sicyon--

The man from Sicyon-- 206Is there such an one?

He stays upon your will.

He stays upon your will. Let him appear.

1.2.92209These strong Egyptian fetters I must break,

1.2.93210Or lose my self in dotage.

Or lose my self in dotage. 212What are you?

Fulvia thy wife is dead.

Fulvia thy wife is dead. Where died she?

In Sicyon.

1.2.96Her length of sickness, 216with what else more serious

1.2.97217Importeth thee to know, [Handing him a letter] this bears.

Importeth thee to know, [Handing him a letter] this bears. Forbear me.

1.2.99219There's a great spirit gone. Thus did I desire it.

1.2.100220What our contempts doth often hurl from us,

1.2.101221We wish it ours again. The present pleasure,

1.2.102222By revolution lowering, does become

1.2.103223The opposite of itself. She's good, being gone;

1.2.104224The hand could pluck her back that shoved her on.

1.2.105225I must from this enchanting queen break off.

1.2.106226Ten thousand harms more than the ills I know

1.2.107227My idleness doth hatch. 229[Calling] How now, Enobarbus!

What's your pleasure, sir?

What's your pleasure, sir? I must with haste from hence.

Why, then we kill all our women. We see how 233mortal an unkindness is to them; if they suffer our de234parture, death's the word.

I must be gone.

Under a compelling occasion, let women die. 237It were pity to cast them away for nothing, though be238tween them and a great cause they should be esteemed 239nothing. Cleopatra catching but the least noise of this, 240dies instantly. I have seen her die twenty times upon 241far poorer moment. I do think there is mettle in death, 242which commits some loving act upon her, she hath such 243a celerity in dying.

She is cunning past man's thought.

Alack, sir, no. Her passions are made of nothing 246but the finest part of pure love. We cannot call her winds 247and waters sighs and tears: they are greater storms 248and tempests than almanacs can report. This cannot 249be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a shower of rain 250as well as Jove.

Would I had never seen her.

Oh sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful 253piece of work, which not to have been blest withal 254would have discredited your travel.

Fulvia is dead.

Sir?

Fulvia is dead.

Fulvia?

Dead.

Why sir, give the gods a thankful sacrifice. 261When it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man 262from him, it shows to man the tailors of the earth--com263forting therein, that when old robes are worn out, 264there are members to make new. If there were no more 265women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the 266case to be lamented. This grief is crowned with conso267lation: your old smock brings forth a new petticoat, 268and indeed the tears live in an onion that should water (269" />this sorrow.

The business she hath broachèd in the state

1.2.124271Cannot endure my absence.

And the business you have broached here can273not be without you, especially that of Cleopatra's, which 274wholly depends on your abode.

No more light answers. 276Let our officers

1.2.127277Have notice what we purpose. I shall break

1.2.128278The cause of our expedience to the queen,

1.2.129279And get her leave to part. For not alone

1.2.130280The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,

1.2.131281Do strongly speak to us, but the letters too

1.2.132282Of many our contriving friends in Rome

1.2.133283Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius

1.2.134284Hath given the dare to Caesar, and commands

1.2.135285The empire of the sea. Our slippery people,

1.2.136286Whose love is never linked to the deserver

1.2.137287Till his deserts are past, begin to throw

1.2.138288Pompey the Great and all his dignities

1.2.139289Upon his son, who high in name and power--

1.2.140290Higher than both in blood and life--stands up

1.2.141291For the main soldier; whose quality going on

1.2.142292The sides o'th'world may danger. Much is breeding,

1.2.143293Which like the courser's hair hath yet but life

1.2.144294And not a serpent's poison. Say our pleasure,

1.2.145295To such whose place is under us, requires

1.2.146296Our quick remove from hence.

Our quick remove from hence. I shall do't.