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And talk fubftantial reafon. Fear not, eunuch,
The Emperour has giv'n thee leave to speak.
Alex. Elfe had I never dar'd t' offend his ears
With what the laft neceflity has urg'd
On my forfaken mistress; yet I must not
Prefume to fay her heart is wholly alter'd.

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Ant. No, dare not for thy life, I charge thee, dare not Pronounce that fatal word.

Oa. Muft I bear this? Good Heav'n! afford me patience!
[Afide.
Vent. On, fweet eunuch! my dear half man! proceed.
Alex. Yet Dolabella

Has lov'd her long; he next my godlike Lord
Deferves her beft; and fhould the meet his paffion,
Rejected as she is by him she lov'd-

Ant. Hence from my fight, for I can bear no more! Let Furies drag thee quick to hell! each torturing hand Do thou employ till Cleopatra comes,

Then join thou too and help to torture her.

Od. 'Tis not well!

[Exit Alexas thruft out by Antony.

Indeed my Lord 'tis much unkind to me

To fhew this paffion, this extreme concernment,
For an abandon'd faithlefs proftitute.

Ant. Octavia, leave me! I am much diforder'd!
Leave me I fay!

Oa. My Lord!

Ant. I bid you leave me.

Vent. "Obey him Madam; best withdraw a while,

"And fee how this will work.

Oa." Wherein have I offended

you my Lord

"That I am bid to leave you? am I falfe

"Or infamous? am I a Cleopatra?

• Were I fhe,

"Bafe as fhe is, you would not bid me leave you,
"But hang upon my neck, take flight excufes,
"And fawn upon my falfebood.

Ant. ""Tis too much,

"Too much, Octavia! I am preft with forrows

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Too heavy to be borne, and you add more!

"I would retire, and recollect what's left

"Of man within to aid me.

Oa. "You would mourn

"In private for your love who has betray'd you.
"You did but half return to me; your kindness
'Linger'd behind with her. I hear, my Lord,
"You make conditions for her,

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"And would include her treaty: wondrous proofs "Of love to me!

Ant. "Are you my friend Ventidius? "Or are you turn'd a Dolabella too, "And let this Fury loofe?

Vent. "Oh be advis'd

“Sweet Madam! and retire.”

Od. Yes, I will go, but never to return;
"You fhall no more be haunted with this Fury."
My Lord, my Lord! love will not always last
When urg'd with long unkindness and disdain.
Take her again whom you prefer to me;
She ftays but to be call'd. Poor cozen'd man!
Let a feign'd parting give her back your heart,
Which a feign'd love firft got; for injur'd me,
Tho' my juft fenfe of wrongs forbid my stay
My duty fhall be your's.

To the dear pledges of our former love
My tenderness and care fhall be transferr'd,

And they fhall cheer by turns my widow'd nights.
So take my laft farewell! for I defpair

To have you whole, and scorn to take you half.

[Exit. Vent. I combat Heav'n, which blafts my beft defigns! My laft attempt must be to win her back; But oh! I fear in vain.

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[Exit. Ant. Why was I fram'd with this plain honeft heart Which knows not to difguife its griefs and weakness, But bears its workings outward to the world? I fhould have kept the mighty anguish in, And forc'd a smile at Cleopatra's falfehood; Octavia had believ'd it and had staid. But I am made a fhallow-forded ftream, Seen to the bottom, all my clearness fcorn'd, And all my faults expos'd. See where he comes

Enter DOLABELLA.

Who has profan'd the facred name of friend,
And worn it into vileness!

With how fecure a brow and fpecious form
He gilds the secret villain! Sure that face

Was meant for honesty, but Heav'n mismatch'd it, And furnish'd treason out with nature's pomp

To make its work more easy.

Dol. "O my friend!”

Ant. Well, Dolabella, you perform'd my message? Dol. I did unwillingly.

Ant. Unwillingly!

Was it fo hard for you

to bear our parting?

You should have wifh'd it.

Dol. Why?

Ant. Becaufe you love me;

And she receiv'd my meffage with as true
With as unfeign'd a forrow as you brought it?
Dol. She loves you ev'n to madness.

Ant. Oh! I know it.

You Dolabella do not better know
How much she loves me. And should I
Forfake this beauty, this allperfect creature?
Dol. I could not were fhe mine.

Ant. And yet you

firft

Perfuaded me. How come you alter'd fince?
Dol. I faid at first I was not fit to go:

I could not hear her fighs and see her tears
But pity must prevail; and fo perhaps
It may again with you; for I have promis'd
That she should take her last farewell; and fee
She comes to claim my word.

Enter CLEOPATRA.

Ant. Falfe Dolabella!

Dol. What's falfe my Lord?

Ant. Why, Dolabella's falfe,

And Cleopatra's falfe; both falfe and faithlefs. Draw near you welljoin'd wickednefs, you ferpents, Whom I have in my kindly bofom warm'd

Till I am ftung to death.

Dol. My Lord, have I

Deferv'd to be thus us'd?

Cleo. Can Heav'n prepare

A newer torment? can it find a curfe
Beyond our feparation?

Ant. Yes, if Fate

Be juft much greater: "Heav'n fhould be ingenious
"In punishing fuch crimes. The rolling stone
"And gnawing vulture were flight pains, invented
"When Jove was young, and no examples known
"Of mighty ills; but you have ripen'd fin
"To fuch a monftrous growth 'twill pofe the gods
“To find an equal torture." Two, two fuch!
Oh, there's no farther name; two fuch-to me,
To me, who lock'd my foul within
Had no defires, no joys, no life, but
"When half the globe was mine I

your breafts,

you;
gave it you

"In dowry with my heart: I had no use,
"No fruit, of all but you :" a friend and mistress
Was what the world could give. O Cleopatra!
Oh Dolabella! how could you betray

This tender heart, which with an infant fondness
Lay lull'd betwixt your bosoms, and there slept
Secure of injur'd faith?

Dol. If fhe has wrong'd you

Heav'n, hell, and you, revenge it.

Ant. If fhe has wrong'd me!

"Thou wouldst evade thy part of guilt: but fwear" "Thou lov'ft not her.

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Dol." Not fo as I love you.

Ant. "Not fo! Swear, fwear, I say, thou doft not love Dol. "No more than friendship will allow.

Ant. "No more!

[her.

Friendship allows thee nothing: thou art perjur'd-“And yet thou didft not swear thou lov'ft her not; "But not fo much, no more. Oh, trifling hypocrite! "Who durft not own to her thou doft not love, "Nor own to me thou doft!" Ventidius heard it, Octavia faw it.

Cleo. They are enemies.

Ant. Alexas is not fo; he, he confest it ; He who next hell best knew it, he avow'd it. Why do I feek a proof beyond yourself? You whom I fent to bear my laft farewell Return'd to plead her stay.

Dol. What fhall I anfwer?

If to have lov'd be guilt then I have finn'd;

[To Dol.

But if to have repented of that love

Can wash away my crime, I have repented;
Yet if I have offended paft forgiveness

Let her not fuffer: fhe is innocent.

Cleo. "Ah, what will not a woman do who loves! "What means will she refufe to keep that heart "Where all her joys are plac'd! 'Twas I encourag'd, "'Twas I blew up, the fire that fcorch'd his foul, "To make you jealous, and by that regain you: "But all in vain; I could not counterfeit: "In spite of all the dams my love broke o'er, "And drown'd my heart again: Fate took th' occafion, "And thus one minute's feigning has destroy'd

66 My whole life's truth."

Ant. Thin cobweb arts of falsehood,

Seen and broke thro' at firft.

Dol. Forgive your mistress.

Cleo. Forgive your friend.

Ant. "You have convinc'd yourselves;

"You plead each other's caufe. What witnefs have you "That you but meant to raise my jealoufy?

Cleo. "Ourfelves and Heav'n.

[fhip!

Ant. Guilt witnesses for guilt! Hence love and friend"You have no longer place in human breasts; "These two have driv'n you out: avoid my fight; "I wou'd not kill the man whom I have lov'd, "And cannot hurt the woman; but avoid me; "I do not know how long I can be tame; "For if I ftay one minute more to think "How I am wrong'd my juftice and revenge "Will cry fo loud within me that my pity "Will not be heard for either.

Dol. "Heav'n has but

"Our forrow for our fins, and then delights
"To pardon erring man ; fweet mercy feems
"Its darling attribute, which limits justice,
"As if there were degrees in infinite,
"And infinite would rather want perfection
"Than punish to extent.”

Ant. I can forgive

A foe, but not a mistress and a friend:
Treafon is there in its moft horrid shape

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