Part 3

Er. And should he then to warre haue ledd a Queene?

Cl. Alas! this was not his offence, but mine. Antony (ay me! who else so braue a chiefe!) Would not I should haue taken Seas with him: But would haue left me fearfull woman farre From common hazard of the doubtfull warre. O that I had beleu'd! now, now of Rome All the great Empire at our beck should bende. All should obey, the vagabonding Scythes, The feared Germains, back-shooting Parthians, Wandring Numidians, Brittons farre remoou'd, And tawny nations scorched with the Sunne. But I car'd not: so was my soule possest, (To my great harme) with burning iealousie: Fearing least in my absence Antony Should leauing me retake Octauia.

Char. Such was the rigour of your destinie.

Cl. Such was my errour and obstinacie.

Ch. But since Gods would not, could you doe withall?

Cl. Alwaies from Gods good happs, not harms, do fall.

Ch. And haue they not all power on mens affaires?

Cl. They neuer bow so lowe, as worldly cares. But leaue to mortall men to be dispos'd Freelie on earth what euer mortall is. If we therin sometimes some faultes commit, We may them not to their high maiesties, But to our selues impute; whose passions Plunge vs each day in all afflictions. Wherwith when we our soules do thorned feele, Flatt'ring our selues we say they dest'nies are: That Gods would haue it so, and that our care Could not empeach but that it must be so.

Char. Things here belowe are in the heau'ns begot, Before they be in this our worlde borne: And neuer can our weaknes turne awry The stailes course of powerfull destenie. Nought here force, reason, humaine prouidence, Holie deuotion, noble bloud preuailes: And Ioue himselfe whose hand doth heauens rule, Who both to Gods and men as King commaunds, Who earth (our firme support) with plenty stores, Moues aire and sea with twinckling of his eie, Who all can doe, yet neuer can vndoe What once hath been by their hard laws decreed. When Troian walles, great Neptunes workmanship, Enuiron'd were with Greekes, and Fortunes whele Doubtfull ten yeares now to the campe did turne, And now againe towards the towne return'd: How many times did force and fury swell In Hectors veines egging him to the spoile Of conquer'd foes, which at his blowes did flie, As fearfull shepe at feared wolues approche: To saue (in vaine: for why? it would not be) Pore walles of Troie from aduersaries rage, Who died them in bloud, and cast to ground Heap'd them with bloudie burning carcases. No, Madame, thinke, that if the ancient crowne Of your progenitors that Nilus rul'd, Force take from you; the Gods haue will'd it so, To whome oft times Princes are odiouse. They haue to euery thing an end ordain'd; All worldly greatnes by them bounded is; Some sooner, later some, as they think best: None their decree is able to infringe. But, which is more, to vs disastred men Which subiect are in all things to their will, Their will is hidd: nor while we liue, we know How, or how long we must in life remaine. Yet must we not for that feede on dispaire, And make vs wretched ere we wretched bee: But alwaies hope the best, euen to the last, That from our selues the mischief may not growe. Then, Madame, helpe your selfe, leaue of in time Antonies wracke, lest it your wracke procure: Retire you from him, saue frrom wrathfull rage Of angry Caesar both your Realme and you. You see him lost, so as your amitie Vnto his euills can yelde no more reliefe. You see him ruin'd, so as your support No more hencefourth can him with comfort raise. With-draw you from the storme: persist not still To loose your selfe: this royal diademe Regaine of Caesar.

Cl. Soner shining light Shall leaue the daie, and darknes leaue the night: Sooner moist currents of tempestuous seas Shall waue in heauen, and the nightlie troopes Of starres shall shine within the foming waues, Then I thee, Antonie, Leaue in depe distres. I am with thee, be it thy worthy soule Lodge in thy brest, or from that lodging parte Crossing the ioyles lake to take hir place In place prepared for men Demy-gods. Liue, if thee please, if life be lothsome die: Dead and aliue, Antonie, thou shalt see Thy princesse follow thee, folow, and lament, Thy wrack, no lesse her owne then was thy weale.

Char. What helps his wrack this euer-lasting loue?

Cl. Help, or help not, such must, such ought I proue.

Char. Ill done to loose your selfe, and to no ende.

Cl. How ill thinke you to follow such a frende?

Char. But this your loue nought mitigates his paine.

Cl. Without this loue I should be inhumaine.

Char. Inhumaine he, who his owne death pursues.

Cl. Not inhumaine who miseries eschues.

Ch. Liue for your sonnes.

Cl. Nay for their father die.

Cha. Hardhearted mother!

Cl. Wife kindhearted I.

Ch. Then will you them depriue of royall right?

Cl. Do I depriue them? no, it's dest'nies might.

Ch. Do you not them not depriue of heritage, That giue them vp to aduersaries handes, A man forsaken fearing to forsake, Whome such huge numbers hold enuironned? T' abandon one gainst whome the frowning world Banded with Caesar makes conspiring warre.

Cl. The lesse ought I to leaue him lest of all. A frend in most distresse should most assist. If that when Antonie great and glorious His legions led to drinke Euphrates streames, So many Kings in traine redoubting him; In triumph rais'd as high as highest heaun; Lord-like disposing as him pleased best, The wealth of Greece, the wealth ofAsia: In that faire fortune had I him exchaung'd For Caesar, then, men would haue counted me Faithles, vnconstant, light: but now the storme, And blustring tempest driuing on his face, Readie to drowne, Alas! what would they saie? What would himselfe in Plutos mansion saie? If I, whome alwaies more then life he lou'de, If I, who am his heart, who was his hope, Leaue him, forsake him (and perhaps in vaine) Weakly to please who him hath ouerthrowne? Not light, vnconstant, faithlesse should I be, But vile, forsworne, of treachrous crueltie.

Ch. Crueltie to shunne, you selfe-cruell are.

Cl. Selfe-cruell him from crueltie to spare.