ACT I. SCENE V.
Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN
| CLEOPATRA. | Charmian!
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| CHARMIAN. | Madam?
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| CLEOPATRA. | Ha, ha!
Give me to drink mandragora.
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| CHARMIAN. | Why, madam?
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| CLEOPATRA. | That I might sleep out this great gap of time
My Antony is away.
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| CHARMIAN. | You think of him too much.
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| CLEOPATRA. | O, 'tis treason!
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| CHARMIAN. | Madam, I trust, not so.
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| CLEOPATRA. | Thou, eunuch Mardian!
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| MARDIAN. | What's your Highness' pleasure?
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| CLEOPATRA. | Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure
In aught an eunuch has. 'Tis well for thee
That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts
May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?
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| MARDIAN. | Yes, gracious madam.
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| CLEOPATRA. | Indeed?
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| MARDIAN. | Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing
But what indeed is honest to be done.
Yet have I fierce affections, and think
What Venus did with Mars.
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| CLEOPATRA. | O Charmian,
Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he or sits he?
Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?
O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
Do bravely, horse; for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st?
The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm
And burgonet of men. He's speaking now,
Or murmuring 'Where's my serpent of old Nile?'
For so he calls me. Now I feed myself
With most delicious poison. Think on me,
That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black,
And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar,
When thou wast here above the ground, I was
A morsel for a monarch; and great Pompey
Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow;
There would he anchor his aspect and die
With looking on his life.
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Enter ALEXAS
| ALEXAS. | Sovereign of Egypt, hail!
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| CLEOPATRA. | How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
Yet, coming from him, that great med'cine hath
With his tinct gilded thee.
How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
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| ALEXAS. | Last thing he did, dear Queen,
He kiss'd- the last of many doubled kisses-
This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.
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| CLEOPATRA. | Mine ear must pluck it thence.
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| ALEXAS. | 'Good friend,' quoth he
'Say the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,
To mend the petty present, I will piece
Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the East,
Say thou, shall call her mistress.' So he nodded,
And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed,
Who neigh'd so high that what I would have spoke
Was beastly dumb'd by him.
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| CLEOPATRA. | What, was he sad or merry?
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| ALEXAS. | Like to the time o' th' year between the extremes
Of hot and cold; he was nor sad nor merry.
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| CLEOPATRA. | O well-divided disposition! Note him,
Note him, good Charmian; 'tis the man; but note him!
He was not sad, for he would shine on those
That make their looks by his; he was not merry,
Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy; but between both.
O heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes,
So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts?
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| ALEXAS. | Ay, madam, twenty several messengers.
Why do you send so thick?
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| CLEOPATRA. | Who's born that day
When I forget to send to Antony
Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Caesar so?
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| CHARMIAN. | O that brave Caesar!
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| CLEOPATRA. | Be chok'd with such another emphasis!
Say 'the brave Antony.'
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| CHARMIAN. | The valiant Caesar!
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| CLEOPATRA. | By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth
If thou with Caesar paragon again
My man of men.
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| CHARMIAN. | By your most gracious pardon,
I sing but after you.
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| CLEOPATRA. | My salad days,
When I was green in judgment, cold in blood,
To say as I said then. But come, away!
Get me ink and paper.
He shall have every day a several greeting,
Or I'll unpeople Egypt
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Exeunt
Next
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ACT I. SCENE V.