Antony and Cleopatra Act II scene II

Here is the passage from Antony and Cleopatra that we spoke about in class, and which Walter gave a lovely summary of:


MECAENAS

    She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to
    her.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

    When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up
    his heart, upon the river of Cydnus.

AGRIPPA

    There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised
    well for her.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

    I will tell you.
    The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,
    Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
    Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
    The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,
    Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
    The water which they beat to follow faster,
    As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
    It beggar'd all description: she did lie
    In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--
    O'er-picturing that Venus where we see
    The fancy outwork nature: on each side her
    Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
    With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem
    To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
    And what they undid did.