Ant. Oh Dolabella! which way fhall I turn?
I find a fecret yielding in my foul;
But Cleopatra, who would die with me,
Muft fhe be left? Pity pleads for Octavia,
But does it not plead more for Cleopatra ?

Vent. Juftice and pity both plead for Octavia,
For Cleopatra neither.

One would be ruin'd with you, but she first
Had ruin'd you; the other you have ruin'd,
And yet fhe would preferve you.

In ev'ry thing their merits are unequal...
Ant. Oh my distracted foul!

Od. Sweet Heav'n! compofe it.

Come, come, my Lord, if I can pardon you
Methinks you fhould accept it. Look on these ;
Are they not your's? or ftand they thus neglected
As they are mine? Go to him children, go,
Kneel to him, take him by the hand, speak to him,
"For you may speak, and he may own you too
"Without a blush; and fo he cannot all

His children. Go I fay, and pull him to me,

"And pull him to yourselves, from that bad woman :" You, Agrippina, hang upon his arms,

And you, Antonia, clafp about his waift:
If he will shake you off, if he will dash you

Against the pavement, you must bear it children,
For you are mine, and I was born to fuffer.

[Here the Children go to him, &c.

Vent. Was ever fight fo moving! Emperour!

Dol. Friend!

08. Hufband!

Both Child. Father!

Ant. I am vanquifh'd: take me

Octavia, take me children; fhare me all.

[Embracing them.

I'ave been a thriftlefs debtor to your loves,
And run out much in riot from your ftock;
But all fhall be amended.

Oa. Oh, bleft hour!

Dol. Oh, happy change!

Vent. My joy ftops at my tongue!

"But it has found two channels here for one, "And bubbles out above."

Ant. to O&.] This is thy triumph: lead me where thou Ev'n to thy brother's camp.

Oa. All there are your's.

Enter ALEXAS haftily.

Alex. The Queen, my miftrefs, Sir, and your's Ant. 'Tis paft. Octavia, you fhall ftay this night; To-morrow Cæfar and we are one.

[wilt,

[Ex. leading Oa. Dol. and the Children follow.

Vent. There's news for you! Run my officious eunuch; Be fure to be the firft; hafte forward;

[Exit.

[hero,

Alex. "This downright fighting fool, this thickscull'a

Hafte my dear eunuch, hafte!

"This blunt unthinking inftrument of death,

"With plain dull virtue has outgone my wit.

"Pleasure forfook my earlieft infancy;

The luxury of others robb'd my cradle,

"And ravish'd thence the promise of a man,

"Caft out from Nature, difinherited

"Of what her meaneft children claim by kind,

"Yet greatness kept me from contempt: that's gone.

"Had Cleopatra follow'd my advice

"Then he had been betray'd who now forfakes.

"She dies for love; but she has known its joys.
"Gods! is this juft, that I who know no joys
"Muft die becaufe fhe loves?

"Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMION, IRAS, and train.
"Oh Madam! I have feen what blafts my eyes;
"Octavia's here!

Cleo. "Peace with that raven's note!

"I know it too, and now am in

"The pangs of death.

Alex. "You are no more a queen;

"Egypt is loft.

Cleo. "What tell'st thou me of Egypt! My life, my foul, is loft! Octavia has him! "Oh, fatal name to Cleopatra's love!

My kiffes, my embraces, now are her's,

"While I-But thou haft feen my rival; speak, "Does the deferve this bleffing? is she fair?

"Bright as a goddefs? and is all perfection "Confin'd to her? It is. Poor I was made

"Of that coarse matter which when she was finish'd "The gods threw by for rubbish.

Alex. " She is indeed a very miracle.

Cleo." Death to my hopes, a miracle!
Alex. "A miracle-

"I mean of goodnefs; for in beauty, Madam,

"You make all wonder ceafe.

Cleo. "I was too rash:

"Take this in part of recompenfe. But oh!

"I fear thou flattereft me.

Char." She comes! fhe's here!

Iras. "Fly, Madam, Cæfar's fifter! ›

[Bowing.

[Giving a ring

Cleo. "Were the the fifter of the Thund'rer Jove, "And bore her brother's lightning in her eyes,

"Thus would I face my

rival."

Enter OCTAVIA with VENTIDIUS. Oct. bears up to Cleo. Oa. I need not afk if you are Cleopatra,

Your haughty carriage

Cleo." Shows I am a queen.

"Nor need I ask who you are.

08. " A Roman;

"A name that makes and can unmake a queen.

Cleo. Your lord, the man who ferves me, is a Roman,

Oct." He was a Roman till he loft that name

"To be a flave in Egypt; but I come

"To free him hence.

Cleo. "Peace, peace, my lover's Juno.

"When he grew weary of that household clog "He chose my easier bonds..

OЯ. " I wonder not

Your bonds are easy; you have long been practis'd "In that lafcivious art. He's not the first

"For whom you spread your fnares, let Cæfar witness. Cleo. "I lov'd not Cæfar; 't was but gratitude

"I paid his love: the worft your malice can "Is but to fay the greatest of mankind

"Has been my flave. The next, but far above him

"In my eftcem, is he whom law calls your's,

But whom his love made mine.

Oa. "I would view nearer

[Coming up clofe to her.

"That face which has fo long ufurp'd my right,
"To find th' inevitable charms that catch
"Mankind fo fure, that ruin'd my dear lord.

known

Cleo." Oh, you do well to fearch; for had you "But half these charms you had not loft his heart. Oa. "Far be their knowledge from a Roman lady, "Far from a modeft wife. Shame of our fex!

"Doft thou not blush to own thofe black endearments. "That make fin pleafing?

Cleo. "You may blufh you want 'em.

"If bounteous Nature, if indulgent Heav'n,

"Have giv'n me charms to please the bravest man

Should I not thank 'em? should I be asham'd,

And not be proud? I am that he has lov'd me; "And when I love not him Heav'n change this face. "For one like that.

Oa." Thou lov'ft him not fo well.

Cleo. "I love him better, and deserve him more.

Oct." You do not, cannot: you have been his ruin. "Who made him cheap at Rome but Cleopatra? "Who made him fcorn'd abroad but Cleopatra? "At Actium who betray'd him? Cleopatra. "Who made his children orphans, and poor me "A wretched widow? only Cleopatra.

Cleo. "Yet the who loves him beft is Cleopatra...
"If you have fuffer'd I have fuffer'd more..
"You bear the fpecious title of a wife

"To gild your caufe, and draw the pitying world.
"To favour it: the world contemns poor me,
"For I have loft my honour, loft my fame,
"And ftain'd the glory of my royal house,
"And all to bear the branded name of Mistress..
"There wants but life, and that too I would lofe
"For him I love.

Oa." Be it fo then; take thy wifh.
Cleo. "And 't is my wish,

[Exit cum fuis.

"Now he is loft for whom alone I liv'd.
My fight grows dim, and ev'ry object dances
"And fwims before me in the maze of death.
My fpirits while they were oppos'd kept up;
They could not fink beneath a rival's fcorn:
But now fhe's gone they faint.

"Alex. Mine have had leisure

"To recollect their strength, and furnish counsel “To ruin her who else must ruin you.

Cleo. "Vain promifer!

"Lead me, my Charmion; nay, your hand too Iras; "My grief has weight enough to fink you both.

"Conduct me to fome folitary chamber,

"And draw the curtains round,

"Then leave me to myself to take alone

"My fill of grief;

“There I till death will his unkindness weep,

"As harmless infants moan themselves afleep." [Exeunt.

W

ACT IV.

SCENE, a faloon.

Enter ANTONY and DOLABELLA."

DOLABELLA.

HY would you fhift it from yourself on me? Can you not tell her you must part?

Ant. I cannot ;

go,

I could pull out an eye and bid it
And t'other fhould not weep. Oh Dolabella!
How many deaths are in this word Depart!
I dare not truft my tongue to tell her fo:
One look of her's would thaw me into tears,
And I should melt till I were loft again.
Dol. Then let Ventidius;

He's rough by nature.

Ant. Oh, he'll fpeak too harshly;

He'll kill her with the news: thou, only thou. Dol. Nature has caft me in fo foft a mould That" but to hear a ftory feign'd for pleasure, "Of fome fad lover's death, moiftens my eyes, "And robs me of my manhood.".

-I fhould fpeak

So faintly, with fuch fear to grieve her heart,
She'd not believe it earnest..

Ant. Therefore, therefore

Thou, only thou, art fit. Think thyself me,

And when thou fpeak'ft (but let it first be long)