Cæs. Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you Be ever known to patience: my dear'st sister!

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.-ANTONY'S Camp near the Promontory of Actium.

Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.

Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

Eno. But why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars, And say'st it is not fit.

Eno.

Well, is it, is it?

Cleo. If not denounc'd against us, why should not we Be there in person?

Eno. [aside.] Well, I could reply:

If we should serve with horse and mares together,
The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear

A soldier and his horse.

Cleo.

What is't you say!

Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from 's time, What should not then be spar'd. He is already Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis said in Rome

That Photinus an eunuch and your maids

Manage this war.

Cleo.

Sink Rome, and their tongues rot That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war, And, as the president of my kingdom, will

Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;

That from Tarentum and Brundusium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,

And take in Toryne?—You have heard on't, sweet?
Cleo. Celerity is never more admir'd

Than by the negligent.

Ant.

A good rebuke,

Which might have well become the best of men

To taunt at slackness.-Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo.

By sea! what else?

Can. Why will my lord do so?
Ant.

For that he dares us to't.

Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight.
Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,
Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: but these offers,
Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.

Eno.
Your ships are not well mann'd:
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Ingross'd by swift impress; in Cæsar's fleet
Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
Their ships are yare; yours heavy: no disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

Ant.

By sea, by sea.

Eno. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
The absolute soldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most consist
Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself mercly to chance and hazard
From firm security.

Ant.

I'll fight at sea.

Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better.
Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn;

And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium
Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail
We then can do't at land.

Enter a Messenger.

Thy business?

Mess. The news is true, my lord; he is descried;
Cæsar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;
Strange that his power should be.-Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse.—We'll to our ship:
Away, my Thetis !

Enter a Soldier.

How now, worthy soldier?

Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt

This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking: we

Have used to conquer standing on the earth
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant.

Well, well:-away.

[Exeunt ANT., CLEO., and ENO.

Sold. By Hercules, I think I am i' the right.

Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows Not in the power on't: so our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

Sold.

You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcius Justeius,

Publicola, and Cælius are for sea:

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæsar's
Carries beyond belief.

Sold.

His power went out in such distractions as

Beguil'd all spies.

Čan.

While he was yet in Rome

Who's his lieutenant, hear you?

Well I know the man.

Enter a Messenger.

Sold. They say one Taurus.

Can.

Mess. The emperor calls Canidius.

Can. With news the time 's with labour: and throes forth

Each minute some.

1

SCENE VIII.-A Plain near Actium.

Enter CESAR, TAURUS, Officers, and others.

[Exeunt.

Cas. Strike not by land; keep whole; provoke not battle

Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed

The prescript of this scroll: our fortune lies
Upon this jump.

SCENE IX.-Another part of the Plain.

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

[Exeunt.

Ant. Set we our squadrons on yon side o' the hill,
In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place
We may the number of the ships behold,
And so proceed accordingly.

[Exeunt.

SCENE X.-Another part of the Plain.

Enter CANIDIUS, marching with his land Army one way; and TAURUS, the Lieutenant of CESAR, with his Army, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight.

Alarum. Enter ENOBARBUS.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can
The Antoniad, the Egyptian Admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:
To see't mine eyes are blasted.

Scar.

behold no [longer:

Enter SCARUS.

Gods and goddesses,

What's thy passion?

All the whole synod of them!

Eno.
Scar. The greater cantle of the world is lost
With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away
Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno.

How appears the fight?

Scar. On our side like the token'd pestilence,
Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt,--
Whom leprosy o'ertake!-i' the midst o' the fight,
When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,
Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,-
The breese upon her, like a cow in June,-
Hoists sails and flies.

Eno.

That I beheld:

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not
Endure a further view.

Scar.

She once being loof'd,

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:

I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

Eno.

Alack, alack!

Enter CANIDIUS.

Can. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight
Most grossly by his own!

Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts?

Why, then, good-night indeed.

Can. Toward Peloponnesus are they fled. Scar. 'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend What further comes.

Can.

To Cæsar will I render

My legions and my horse; six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.

Eno.

I'll yet follow

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE XI.-ALEXANDRIA.

A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY and Attendants.

Ant. Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon't,— It is asham'd to bear me!-Friends, come hither:

I am so lated in the world that I

Have lost my way for ever:-I have a ship
Laden with gold, take that, divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Cæsar.

All.

Fly! not we.

Ant. I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards To run and show their shoulders.-Friends, be gone;

I have myself resolv'd upon a course

Which has no need of you; begone:

My treasure's in the harbour, take it.-0,
I follow'd that I blush to look upon:

My very hairs do mutiny; for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting.-Friends, be gone: you shall
Have letters from me to some friends that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of loathness: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
Which leaves itself: to the sea-side straightway:
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little: pray you now:-
Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command,

Therefore I pray you :-I'll see you by and by. [Sits down.

Enter CLEOPATRA led by CHARMIAN and IRAS,
EROS following.

Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him,—comfort him.