vndergo vnder foraine yoke to go Still it proues a bondage worse and doubled subiection see we shall and feele and know subiect to a stranger growne From hence forward for a King whose first being from this place should his brest by nature bring care of country to imbrace We at surly face must quake of some Romaine madly bent who our terrour to augment his Proconsuls axe will shake driuing with our Kings from hence our establish'd gouernment iustice sword and lawes defence Nothing worldly of such might but more mighty Destiny by swift Times vnbridled flight makes in end his end to see euery thing Time ouerthrowes nought to end doth steadfast staie his great sithe mowes all away as the stalke of tender rose onely immortalitie of the heauens doth it oppose gainst his powrefull Deitie One day there will come a day which shall quaile they fortunes flower and thee ruinde low shall laie in some barbarous Princes power when the pittie-wanting fire shall O Rome thy beauties burne and to humble ashes turne thy proud wealth and rich attire those guilt roofes which turretwise iustly making enuy mourne threaten now to pearce Skies As thy forces fill each land haruests making here and there reaping all with rauening hand they find growing any where from each land so to thy fall multitudes repaire shall make from the common spoile to take what to each mans shaire may fall fingred all thou shalt behold no iote left for tokens sake that thou wert so great of olde Like vnto the ancient Troie whence deriu'd thy founders be conqu'ring foe shall thee enioie and a burning praie in thee for within this turning ball this we see and see each daie all things fixed ends do staie ends to first beginnings fall that nought how strong or strāge chaungeles doth endure alwaie But endureth fatall change M. Antonius Lucilius M. Ant. Lucil sole comfort of my bitter case The only trust the only hope I haue In last despaire Ah is not this the daie That death should me of life and loue bereaue What waite I for that haue no refuge left But am sole remnant of my fortune left All leaue me flie me none noe not of them Which of my greatnes greatest good receiu'd Stands with my fall they seeme as now asham'd That heretofore they did me ought regard They draw them backe shewing they folow'd me Not to partake my harm's but coozen me Lu. In this our world nothing is stedfast found In vaine he hopes who here his hopes doth ground An. Yet nought afflicts me nothing killes me so As that I so my Cleopatra see Practise with Caesar and to him transport My flame her loue more deare then life to me Lu. Beleeue it not Too high a heart she beares Too princely thoughts An. Too wise a head she weare Too much enflam'd with greatnes euermore Gaping for our great Empires gouerment Lu. So long time you her constant loue haue tri'de An. But still with me good fortune did abide Lu. Her changed loue what token makes you know An. Pelusium lost and Actian ouerthrow Both by her fraud my well appointed fleet And trusty Souldiors in my quarrell arm'd Whome she false she in stede of my defence Came to perswade to yelde them to my foe Such honor Thyre done such welcome giuen Their long close talkes I neither knew nor would And trecherous wrong Alexas hath me donne Witnes too well her periur'd loue to me But you O Gods if any faith regarde With sharpe reuenge her faithlesse change reward Lu. The dole she made vpon our ouerthrow Her realme giuen vp for refuge to our men Her poore attire when she deuoutly kept The solemne day of her natiuitie Againe the cost and prodigall expence Shew'd when she did your birth day celebrate Do plaine enough her heart vnfained proue Equally toucht you louing as you loue Ant. Well be her loue to me or false or true Once in my soule a cureles wound I feele I Ioue nay burne in fire of her loue Each day each night hir Image haunts my minde Her selfe my dreames and still I tired am And still I am with burning pincers nipt Extreame my harme yet sweeter to my sence Then boiling Torch of iealous torments fire This griefe nay rage in me such sturre doth keepe And thornes me still both when I wake and sleepe Take Caesar conquest take my goods take he Th' onor to be Lord of the earth alone My sonnes my life bent headlong to mishapps No force so not my Cleopatra take So foolish I I cannot her forget Though better were I banisht her my thought Like to the sicke whose throte the feauers fire Hath vehemently with thirstie drought enflam'd Drinkes still albee the drinke he still desires Be nothing else but fewell to his flame He cannot rule himself his health's respect Yealdeth to his distempered stomacks heate Lu. Leaue of this loue that thus renewes your woe An. I do my best but ah can not do so Lu. Thinke how you haue so braue a captaine bene And now are by this vaine affection falne An. The ceasles thought of my felicitie Plunges me more in this aduersitie For nothing so a man in ill torments As who to him his good state represents This makes my rack my anguish and my woe Equall vnto the hellish passions growe When I to mind my happie puisance call Which erst I had by warlike conquest wonne And that good fortune which me neuer left Which hard disastre now hath me bereft With terror tremble all the world I made At my sole word as Rushes in the streames At waters will I conquer'd Italie I conquer'd Rome that nations so redoubt I Bare meane while besieging Mutina Two consuls armies for my ruine brought Bath'd in their bloud by their deaths witnessing My force and skill in matters Martiall To wreake thy vnkle vnkind Caesar I With bloud of enemies the bankes embru'd Of stain'd Enipeus hindring his course Stopped with heapes of piled carcases When Cassius and Brutus ill betide Marcht against vs by vs twise put to flight But by my sole conduct for all the time Caesar hart-sicke with feare and feauer lay Who knowes it not and how by euery one Fame of the fact was giu'n to me alone There sprang the loue the neuer changing loue Wherin my heart hath since to yours bene bound There was it my Lucill you Brntus sau'de And for your Brutus Antony you found Better my hap in gaining such a frend Then in subduing such an enimie Now former vertue dead doth me forsake Fortune engulfes me in extreame distresse She turnes from me her smiling countenance Casting on me mishapp vpon mishapp Left and betraide of thousand thousand frends Once of my sute but you Lucill are left Remaining to me stedfast as a tower In holy loue in spite of fortunes blastes But if of any God my voice be heard And be not vainely scatt'red in the heau'ns Such goodnes shall not glorilesse be loste But comming ages
Reframes reformes it selfe and stealingly Retakes his force and rebecomes more great For of thy Queene the lookes the grace the words Sweetnes alurements amorous delights Entred againe thy soule and day and night In watch in sleepe her Image follow'd thee Not dreaming but of her repenting still That thou for warre hadst such a goddes left Thou car'st no more for Parth nor Parthian bow Sallies assaults encounters shocks alarmes For ditches rampiers wards entrenched grounds Thy only care is sight of Nilus streames Sight of that face whose gilefull semblant doth Wandring in thee infect thy tainted hart Her absence thee besottes each hower each hower Of staie to thee impatient seemes an age Enough of conquest praise thou deem'st enough If soone enough the bristled fields thou see Of fruitfull Aegipt and the stranger floud Thy Queenes faire eyes another Pharos lights Returned loe dishonoured despisde In wanton loue a woman thee misleades Sunke in foule sinke meane while respecting nought Thy wife Octauia and her tender babes Of whome the long contempt against thee whets The sword of Caesar now thy Lord become Lost thy great Empire all those goodly townes Reuerenc'd thy name as rebells now thee leaue Rise against thee and to the ensignes flocke Of conqu'ring Caesar who enwalles thee round Cag'd in thy hold scarse maister of thy selfe Late maister of so many Nations Yet yet which is of griefe extreamest griefe Which is yet of mischiefe highest mischiefe It 's Cleopatra alas alas it 's she It 's she augments the torment of thy paine Betraies thy loue thy life alas betraies Caesar to please whose grace she seekes to gaine With thought her crowne to saue and fortune make Onely thy foe which common ought haue beene If her I alwaies lou'd and the first flame Of her heart-killing loue shall burne me last Iustly complaine I she disloyall is Nor constant is euen as I constant am To comfort my mishap despising me No more then when the heauens fauour'd me But ah by nature women wau'ring are Each moment changing and rechanging mindes Vnwise who blinde in them thinkes loyaltie Euer to finde in beauties companie Chorus The boyling tempest still makes not Sea waters fome nor still the Northern blast disquiets quiet streames Nor who his chest to fill sayles to the morning beames on waues winde tosseth fast still kepes his ship from home Nor Ioue still downe doth cast inflam'd with bloudie ire on man on tree on hill his darts of thundring fire nor still the heat doth last on face of parched plaine nor wrinkled colde doth still on frozen furrowes raigne But still as long as we in this low world remaine mishapps our daily mates our liues doe intertaine and woes which beare no dates still pearch vpon our heads none go but straight will be some greater in their steads Nature made vs not free When first she made vs liue When we began to be To be began our woe Which growing euermore As dying life doth growe Do more and more vs greeue And tire vs more and more No stay in fading states For more to height they retch Their fellow miseries The more to height do stretch They cling euen to the crowne And threatning furious wise From tirannizing pates Do often pull it downe In vaine on waues vntride To shun them go we should To Scythes and Massagetes Who neere the Pole reside In vaine to boiling sandes Which Phaebus battry beates For with vs still they would Cut seas and compasse landes The darknes no more sure To ioyne with heauy night The light which guildes the days To follow Titan pure No more the shadow light The body to ensue Then wretchednes alwaies Vs wretches to pursue O blest who neuer breath'd Or whome with pittie mou'de Death from his cradle reau'de And swadled in his graue And blessed also he As curse may blessing haue Who low and liuing free No princes charge hath prou'de By stealing sacred fire Prometheus then vnwise prouking Gods to ire the heape of ills did sturre and sicknes pale and colde our ende which onward spurre to plague our hands too bolde to filch the wealth of skies In heauens hate since then of ill with ill enchain'd we race of mortall men ful fraught our brests haue borne and thousand thousand woes our heau'nly soules now thorne which free before from those no! earthly passion pain'd Warre and warrs bitter cheare now long time with vs staie and feare of hated foe still still encreaseth sore our harmes worse dayly grow lesse yesterday they were then now and will be more to morrow then to day Act. 2. Philostratus What horrible furie what cruell rage O Aegipt so extremely thee torments Hast thou the Gods so angred by thy fault Hast thou against them some such crime conceiu'd That their engrained hand lift vp in threats They should desire in thy heart bloud to bathe And that their burning wrath which noght cā quēch Should pittiles on vs still lighten downe We are not hew'n out of the monst'rous masse Of Giantes those which heauens wrack conspir'd Ixions race false prater of his loues Nor yet of him who fained lightnings found Nor cruell Tantalus nor bloudy Atreus Whose cursed banquet for Thyestes plague Made the beholding Sunne for horrour turne His backe and backward from his course returne And hastning his wing-footed horses race Plunge him in sea for shame to hide his face While sulleine night vpon the wondring world For mid-daies light her starrie mantle cast But what we be what euer wickednesse By vs is done Alas with what more plagues More eager torments could the Gods declare To heauen and earth that vs they hatefull holde With souldiors strangers horrible in armes Our land is hidde our people drown'd in teares But terror here and horror nought is seene And present death prising our life each hower Hard at our ports and at our porches waites Our conquering foe harts faile vs hopes are dead Our Queene laments and this great Emperour Somtime would now they did whom worlds did fear Abandoned betraid now mindes no more But from his euils by hast'ned death to passe Come you poore people ti'rde with ceasles plaints With teares and sighes make mournful sacrifice On Isis altars not our selues to saue But soften Caesar and him piteous make To vs his praie that so his lenitie May change our death into captiuitie Strange are the euils the fates on vs haue brought O but alas how far more strange the cause Loue loue alas who euer would haue thought Hath lost this Realme inflamed with his fire Loue playing loue which men say kindles not But in soft hearts hath ashes made our townes And his sweet shafts with whose shot none are kill'd Which vlcer not with deaths our lands haue fill'd Such was the bloudie murdring hellish loue Possest thy hart faire false guest Priams sonne Firing a brand which after made to burne The Troian towers by Graecians ruinate By this loue Priam Hector Troilus Memnon Deiphaebus Glancus thousands mo Whome
fluttering Flocking of seelly flies a brownish cloud To vintag'd wine yet working in the tonne Not parting thence while they sweete liquor taste After as smoke all vanish in the aire And of the swarme not one so much appeare Eras. By this sharpe death what profit can you winne Cl. I neither gaine nor profit seeke therein Er. What praise shall you of after-ages get Cl. Nor praise nor Glory in my cares are set Eras. What other end ought you respect then this Cl. My only end my onele duty is Eras. Your dutie must vpon some good be founded Cl. On vertue it the onely good is grounded Er. What is that Vertue Cl. That which vs beseemes Er. Outrage our selues who that beseeming deemes Cl. Finish I will my sorrowes dieng thus Er. Minish you will your glories doing thus Cl. Good frends I pray you seeke not to reuoke My fix'd intent of folowing Antony I will die I will die must not his life His life and death by mine be followed Meane while deare sisters liue and while you liue Do often honor to our loued Tombes Straw them with flowers and sometimes happely The tender thought of Antony your Lord And me poore soule to teares shall you inuite And our true loues to dolefull voice commend Ch. And thinke you Madame we from you will part Thinke you alone to feele deaths ougly darte Thinke you to leaue vs and that the same sunne Shall see at once you dead and vs aliue Wee le die with you and Clotho pittilesse Shall vs with you in hellish boate imbarque Cl. Ah liue I praie you this disastred woe Which racks my heart alone to me belongs My lot longs not to you seruants to be No shame no harme to you as is to me Liue sisters liue and seing his suspect Hath causlesse me in sea of sorrowes drown'd And that I cannot liue if so I would Nor yet would leaue this life if so I could Without his loue procure me Diomed That gainst poore me he be no more incensd Wrest out of his conceit that harmefull doubt That since his wracke he hath of me conceiu'd Thogh wrong conceiu'd witnes you reuerent Gods Barking Anubis Apis bellowing Tell him my soule burning impatient Forlorne with loue of him for certaine seale Of her true loialtie my corpse hath left T encrease of dead the number numberlesse Go then and if as yet he me bewaile If yet for me his heart one sigh fourth breathe Blest shall I be and far with more content Depart this world where so I me torment Meane season vs let this sad tombe enclose Attending here till death conclude our woes Diom. I will obey your will Cl. So the desert The Gods repay of thy true faithfull heart Diomed. And is 't not pittie Gods ah Gods of heau'n To see from loue such hatefull frutes to spring And is 't not pittie that this firebrand so Laies waste the trophes of Phillippi fieldes Where are those sweet alluremēts those sweet lookes Which gods thē selues right hart sick wuld haue made What doth that beautie rarest guift of heau'n Wonder of earth Alas what do those eies And that sweete voice all Asia vnderstoode And sunburnt Africke wide in deserts spred Is their force dead haue they no further power Can not by them Octauius be suppriz'd Alas if Ioue in middst of all his ire With thunderbolt in hand some land to plague Had cast his eies on my Queene out of hand His Plaguing bolte had falne out of his hand Fire of his wrath into vaine smoke should turne And other fire within his brest should burne Nought liues so faire Nature by such a worke Her selfe should seeme in workmanship hath past She is all heau'nly neuer any man But seeing hir was rauish'd with her sight The Allablaster couering of her face The corall coullor hir two lips engraines Her beamy eies two Sunnes of this our world Of hir faire haire the fine and flaming golde Her braue streight stature and her winning partes Are nothing else but fiers fetters dartes Yet this is nothing th' enchaunting skilles Of her celestiall Sp'rite hir training speach Her grace hir maiesty and forcing voice Whither she it with fingers speach consorte Or hearing sceptred kings embassadors Answere to each in his owne language make Yet now at neede it aides her not at all With all these beauties so her sorrow stinges Darkned with woe her only study is To weepe to sigh to seeke for lonelines Careles of all hir haire disordred hangs Hir charming eies whence murthring looks did flie Now riuers grown whose wellspring anguish is Do trickling wash the marble of hir face Hir faire discouer'd brest with sobbing swolne Selfe cruell she still martirith with blowes Alas It 's our ill hap for if hir teares She would conuert into her louing charmes To make a conquest of the conqueror As well she might would she hir force imploie She should vs saftie from these ills procure Hir crowne to hir and to hir race assure Vnhappy he in whome selfe-succour lies Yet selfe-forsaken wanting succour dies Chorus O sweete fertile land wherein Phaebus did with breth inspire man who men did first begin formed first of Nilus mire whence of Artes the eldest kindes earths most heauenly ornament were as from their fountaine sent to enlight our misty mindes whose grose sprite frō endles time as in darkned prison pente neuer did to knowledge clime Wher the Nile our father good father-like doth neuer misse yearely vs to bring such food as to life required is visiting each yeare this plaine and with fat slime cou'ring it which his seauen mouthes do spit as the season comes againe making therby greatest growe busie reapers ioyfull paine when his flouds do highest flow Wandring Prince of riuers thou honor of the Aethiops lande of a Lord and maister now thou a slaue in awe must stand now of Tiber which is spred lesse in force and lesse in fame reuerence thou must the name whome all other riuers dread for his children swolne in pride who by conquest seeke to treade round this earth on euery side Now thou must begin to send tribute of thy watry store as sea pathes thy steps shall bend yearely presents more and more thy fat skumme our fruitfull corne pill'd from hence with theuish hāds all vncloth'd shal leaue our lands into forraine country borne which puft vp with such a pray shall thereby the praise adorne of that scepter Rome doth sway Nought thee helps thy hornes to hide far from hence in vnknown groūds that thy waters wander wide yerely breaking banks and bounds and that thy Skie-coullor'd brooks through a hundred peoples passe drawing plots for trees and grasse with a thousand turn's and crookes whome all weary of their way thy throats which in widenesse passe powre into their mother Sea Nought so happie haplesse life in this world as freedome findes nought wherin mor sparkes are rise to inflame couragious mindes but if force must vs inforce needes a yoke to
in such annoy Yet can my soule within this body dwell O Sisters you that spin the thredes of death O Styx ô Plegethon you brookes of hell O Impes of Night Euph. Liue for your childrens sake Let not your death of kingdome them depriue Alas what shall they do who will haue care Who will preserue this royall race of yours Who pittie take euen now me seemes I see These little soules to seruile bondage falne And borne in triumph Cl. Ah most miserable Euph. Their tender armes with cursed cord fast bound At their weake backs Cl. Ah Gods what pitty more Euph. Their seely necks to ground with weaknes bend Cl. Neuer on vs good Gods such mischiefe send Euph. And pointed at with fingers as they go Cl. Rather a thousand deaths Euph. Lastly his knife Some cruell catiue in their bloud embrue Cl. Ah my heart breaks By shady banks of hell By fields whereon the lonely Ghosts do treade By my foule and the soule of Antony I you besech Euphron of them haue care Be their good Father let your wisedome lett That they fall not into this Tyrants hands Rather conduct them where their freezed locks Black Aethiops to neighbour Sunne do shew On wauie Ocean at the waters will On barraine cliffes of snowie Caucasus To Tigers swift to Lions and to Beares And rather rather vnto euery coaste To eu'ry land and sea for nought I feare As rage of him whose thirst no bloud can quench Adieu deare children children deare adieu Good Isis you to place of safety guide Farre from our foes where you your liues may leade In free estate deuoid of seruile dread Remember not my children you were borne Of such a Princely race remember not So many braue Kings which haue Egipt rul'de In right descent your ancestors haue beene That this great Antony your father was Hercules bloud and more then he in praise For your high courage such remembrance will Seing your fall with burning rages fill Who knowes if that your hands false Destinie The Scepters promis'd of imperious Rome In stede of them shall crooked shepehookes beare Needles or forkes or guide the carte or plough Ah learne t' endure your birth and high estate Forget my babes and bend to force of fate Farwell my babes farwell my heart is clos'd With pittie and paine my selfe with death enclos'd My breath doth faile Farwell for euermore Your Sire and me you shall see neuer more Farwell sweet care farwell Chil. Madame Adieu Cl. Ah this voice killes me Ah good Gods I swound I can no more I die Eras. Madame alas And will you yeld to woe Ah speake to vs Eu, Come Children Chil. We come Eu. Follow we our chance The Gods shall guide vs Char. O too cruell lot O too hard chaunce Sister what shall we do What shall we do alas if murthring darte Of death arriue while that in slumbring swound Halfe dead she lie with anguish ouergone Er, Her face is frozen Ch. Madame for Gods loue Leaue vs not thus bid vs yet first farwell Alas wepe ouer Antony Let not His bodie be without due rites entomb'd Cl. Ah ah Char. Madame Cl. Ay me Ch. How fainte she is Cl. My Sisters holde me vp How wretched I How cursed am and was there euer one By Fortunes hate into more dolours throwne Ah weeping Niobe although thy heart Beholds it selfe enwrap'd in causefull woe For thy dead children that a sencelesse rocke With griefe become on Sipylus thou stand'st In endles teares yet didst thou neuer feele The weights of griefe that on my heart do lie Thy Children thou mine I poore soule haue lost And lost their Father more then them I waile Lost this faire realme yet me the heauens wrath Into a stone not yet transformed hath Phaetons sisters daughters of the Sunne Which waile your brother falne into the streames Of stately Po the Gods vpon the bankes Your bodies to banke-louing Alders turn'd For me I sigh I ceasles wepe and waile And heauen pittiles laughes at my woe Reuiues renewes it still and in the ende Oh cruelty doth death for comfort lend Die Cleopatra then no longer stay From Antony who thee at Styx attends Go ioyne thy Ghost with his and sob no more Without his loue within these tombes enclos'd Eras. Alas yet let vs wepe lest sodaine death From him our teares and those last duties take Vnto his tombe we owe Ch. Ah let vs wepe While moisture lasts then die before his feete Cl. Who furnish will mine eies with streaming teares My boiling anguish worthily to waile Waile thee Antony Antony my heart Alas how much I weeping liquor want Yet haue mine eies quite drawne their Condits drie By long beweeping my disastred harmes Now reason is that from my side they sucke First vitall moisture then the vitall bloud Then let the bloud from my sad eies outflowe And smoking yet with thine in mixture grow Moist it and heat it newe and neuer stop All watring thee while yet remaines one drop Ch. Antony take our teares this is the last Of all the duties we to thee can yelde Before we die Er. These sacred obseques Take Antony and take them in good parte Cl. O Goddesse thou whom Cyprus doth adore Venus of Phaphos bent to worke vs harme For olde Iulus broode if thou take care Of Caesar why of vs tak'st thou no care Antony did descend as well as he From thine owne Sonne by long enchained line And might haue rul'd by one and selfe same fate True Troian bloud the stately Romain state Antony poore Antony my deare soule Now but a blocke the bootie of a tombe Thy life thy heat is lost thy coullour gone And hideous palenes on thy face hath seaz'd Thy eies two Sunnes the lodging place of loue Which yet for tents to warlike Mars did serue Lock'd vp in lidds as faire daies cherefull light Which darkenese flies do winking hide in night Antony by our true loues I thee beseeche And by our hearts sweete sparks haue set on fire Our holy mariage and the tender ruthe Of our deare babes knot of our amitie My dolefull voice thy eare let entertaine And take me with thee to the hellish plaine Thy wife thy frend heare Antony ô heare My sobbing sighes if here thou be or there Liued thus long the winged race of yeares Ended I haue as Destinie decreed Flourish'd and raign'd and taken iust reuenge Of him who me both hated and despisde Happie alas too happie if of Rome Only the fleete had hither neuer come And now of me an Image great shall goe Vnder the earth to bury there my woe What say I where am I ô Cleopatra Poore Cleopatra griefe thy reason reaues No no most happie in this happles case To die with thee and dieng thee embrace My bodie ioynde with thine my mouth with thine my mouth whose moisture burning sighes haue dried To be in one selfe tomble and one selfe chest And wrapt with thee in one selfe sheete to rest The sharpest torment in my heart I feele Is that I stay from thee my heart this while Die will I straight now now streight will I die And streight with thee a wandring shade will be Vnder the Cypres trees thou haunt'st alone Where brookes of hell do falling seeme to mone But yet I stay and yet thee ouerliue That ere I die due rites I may thee giue A thousand sobbes I from my brest will teare With thousand plaints thy funeralls adorne My haire shall serue for thy oblations My boiling teares for thy effusions Mine eies thy fire for out of them the flame Which burnt thy heart on me enamour'd came Wepe my companions weepe and from your eies Raine downe on him of teares a brinish streame Mine can no more consumed by the coales Which from my brest as from a furnace rise Martir your breasts with multiplied blowes With violent hands teare of your hanging haire Outrage your face alas why should we seeke Since now we die our beauties more to keepe I spent in teares not able more to spende But kisse him now what rests me more to doe Then let me kisse you you faire eies my light Front seat of honor face most firce most faire O neck ô armes ô hands ô breast where death O mischiefe comes to choake vp vitall breath A thousand kisses thousand thousand more Let you my mouth for honors farewell giue That in this office weake my limmes may growe Fainting on you and fourth my soule may flow At Rams bury 26. of Nouember 1590 Printed at London by P. S. for William Ponsonby 1595