_Ant._ Why, Dolabella's false, And Cleopatra's false; both false and faithless. Draw near, you well-joined wickedness, you serpents Whom I have in my kindly bosom warmed, Till I am stung to death. _Dola._ My lord, have I Deserved to be thus used? _Cleo._ Can heaven prepare A newer torment? Can it find a curse Beyond our separation? _Ant._ Yes, if fate Be just, much greater: Heaven should be ingenious In punishing such crimes. The rolling-stone, And gnawing vulture, were slight pains, invented When Jove was young, and no examples known Of mighty ills; but you have ripened sin, To such a monstrous growth, 'twill pose the gods, To find an equal torture. Two, two such!-- Oh there's no farther name,--two such! to me, To me, who locked my soul within your breasts, Had no desires, no joys, no life, but you; When half the globe was mine, I 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. Oh, Cleopatra! Oh Dolabella! how could you betray This tender heart, which with an infant fondness Lay lulled betwixt your bosoms, and there slept, Secure of injured faith? _Dola._ If she has wronged you, Heaven, hell, and you, revenge it. _Ant._ If she has wronged me! Thou would'st evade thy part of guilt; but swear Thou lov'st not her. _Dola._ Not so as I love you. _Ant._ Not so! Swear, swear, I say, thou dost not love her. _Dola._ No more than friendship will allow. _Ant._ No more? Friendship allows thee nothing: Thou art perjured-- And yet thou didst not swear thou lov'dst her not; But not so much, no more. Oh, trifling hypocrite, Who darest not own to her, thou dost not love, Nor own to me, thou dost! Ventidius heard it; Octavia saw it. _Cleo._ They are enemies. _Ant._ Alexas is not so: He, he confest it; He, who, next hell, best knew it, he avowed it Why do I seek a proof beyond yourself? [_To_ DOLA. You, whom I sent to bear my last farewell, Returned, to plead her stay. _Dola._ What shall I answer? If to have loved be guilt, then I have sinned; But if to have repented of that love, Can wash away my crime, I have repented. Yet, if I have offended past forgiveness, Let her not suffer: She is innocent. _Cleo._ Ah, what will not a woman do, who loves! What means will she refuse, to keep that heart, Where all her joys are placed! 'Twas I encouraged, 'Twas I blew up the fire that scorched his soul, 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 drowned my heart again; fate took the occasion; And thus one minute's feigning has destroyed My whole life's truth. _Ant._ Thin cobweb arts of falsehood; Seen, and broke through at first. _Dola._ Forgive your mistress. _Cleo._ Forgive your friend. _Ant._ You have convinced yourselves. You plead each other's cause: What witness have you, That you but meant to raise my jealousy? _Cleo._ Ourselves, and heaven.