Scene I
Enter CLEOPATRA, IRAS, and ALEXAS
CLEOPATRA. What shall I do, or whither shall I turn?
Ventidius has o'ercome, and he will go.
ALEXAS. He goes to fight for you.
CLEOPATRA. Then he would see me, ere he went to fight:
Flatter me not: If once he goes, he's lost, And all my hopes destroyed.
ALEXAS. Does this weak passion Become a mighty queen?
CLEOPATRA. I am no queen:
Is this to be a queen, to be besieged By yon insulting Roman, and to wait Each hour the victor's chain? These ills are small:
For Antony is lost, and I can mourn For nothing else but him. Now come, Octavius, I have no more to lose! prepare thy bands;I'm fit to be a captive: Antony Has taught my mind the fortune of a slave.
IRAS. Call reason to assist you.
CLEOPATRA. I have none, And none would have: My love's a noble madness, Which shows the cause deserved it. Moderate sorrow Fits vulgar love, and for a vulgar man:
But I have loved with such transcendent passion, I soared, at first, quite out of reason's view, And now am lost above it. No, I'm proud 'Tis thus: Would Antony could see me now Think you he would not sigh, though he must leave me?
Sure he would sigh; for he is noble-natured, And bears a tender heart: I know him well.
Ah, no, I know him not; I knew him once, But now 'tis past.
IRAS. Let it be past with you:
Forget him, madam.
CLEOPATRA. Never, never, Iras.
He once was mine; and once, though now 'tis gone, Leaves a faint image of possession still.
ALEXAS. Think him inconstant, cruel, and ungrateful.
CLEOPATRA. I cannot: If I could, those thoughts were vain.
Faithless, ungrateful, cruel, though he be, I still must love him.
Enter CHARMION
Now, what news, my Charmion?
Will he be kind? and will he not forsake me?
Am I to live, or die?--nay, do I live?
Or am I dead? for when he gave his answer, Fate took the word, and then I lived or died.
CHARMION. I found him, madam--
CLEOPATRA. A long speech preparing?
If thou bring'st comfort, haste, and give it me, For never was more need.
IRAS. I know he loves you.
CLEOPATRA. Had he been kind, her eyes had told me so, Before her tongue could speak it: Now she studies, To soften what he said; but give me death, Just as he sent it, Charmion, undisguised, And in the words he spoke.
CHARMION. I found him, then, Encompassed round, I think, with iron statues;So mute, so motionless his soldiers stood, While awfully he cast his eyes about, And every leader's hopes or fears surveyed:
Methought he looked resolved, and yet not pleased.
When he beheld me struggling in the crowd, He blushed, and bade make way.
ALEXAS. There's comfort yet.
CHARMION. Ventidius fixed his eyes upon my passage Severely, as he meant to frown me back, And sullenly gave place: I told my message, Just as you gave it, broken and disordered;I numbered in it all your sighs and tears, And while I moved your pitiful request, That you but only begged a last farewell, He fetched an inward groan; and every time I named you, sighed, as if his heart were breaking, But, shunned my eyes, and guiltily looked down:
He seemed not now that awful Antony, Who shook and armed assembly with his nod;But, making show as he would rub his eyes, Disguised and blotted out a falling tear.
CLEOPATRA. Did he then weep? And was I worth a tear?
If what thou hast to say be not as pleasing, Tell me no more, but let me die contented.
CHARMION. He bid me say,--He knew himself so well, He could deny you nothing, if he saw you;And therefore--
CLEOPATRA. Thou wouldst say, he would not see me?
CHARMION. And therefore begged you not to use a power, Which he could ill resist; yet he should ever Respect you, as he ought.
CLEOPATRA. Is that a word For Antony to use to Cleopatra?
O that faint word, RESPECT! how I disdain it!
Disdain myself, for loving after it!
He should have kept that word for cold Octavia.
Respect is for a wife: Am I that thing, That dull, insipid lump, without desires, And without power to give them?
ALEXAS. You misjudge;
You see through love, and that deludes your sight;As, what is straight, seems crooked through the water:
But I, who bear my reason undisturbed, Can see this Antony, this dreaded man, A fearful slave, who fain would run away, And shuns his master's eyes: If you pursue him, My life on't, he still drags a chain along.
That needs must clog his flight.
CLEOPATRA. Could I believe thee!--
ALEXAS. By every circumstance I know he loves.
True, he's hard prest, by interest and by honour;Yet he but doubts, and parleys, and casts out Many a long look for succour.
CLEOPATRA. He sends word, He fears to see my face.
ALEXAS. And would you more?
He shows his weakness who declines the combat, And you must urge your fortune. Could he speak More plainly? To my ears, the message sounds--Come to my rescue, Cleopatra, come;
Come, free me from Ventidius; from my tyrant:
See me, and give me a pretence to leave him!--I hear his trumpets. This way he must pass.
Please you, retire a while; I'll work him first, That he may bend more easy.
CLEOPATRA. You shall rule me;
But all, I fear, in vain.
[Exit with CHARMION and IRAS.]
ALEXAS. I fear so too;
Though I concealed my thoughts, to make her bold;But 'tis our utmost means, and fate befriend it!
[Withdraws.]
Enter Lictors with Fasces; one bearing the Eagle; then enter ANTONY with VENTIDIUS, followed by other Commanders ANTONY. Octavius is the minion of blind chance, But holds from virtue nothing.
VENTIDIUS. Has he courage?
ANTONY. But just enough to season him from coward.
Oh, 'tis the coldest youth upon a charge, The most deliberate fighter! if he ventures (As in Illyria once, they say, he did, To storm a town), 'tis when he cannot choose;When all the world have fixt their eyes upon him;And then he lives on that for seven years after;But, at a close revenge he never fails.
VENTIDIUS. I heard you challenged him.
ANTONY. I did, Ventidius.
What think'st thou was his answer? 'Twas so tame!--He said, he had more ways than one to die;I had not.
VENTIDIUS. Poor!
ANTONY. He has more ways than one;
But he would choose them all before that one.
VENTIDIUS. He first would choose an ague, or a fever.
