Cas. That ever I should call thee, cast away!
Oct. You have not call'd me so, nor have you
Cas. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You
come not
Like Cæsar's sister: The wife of Antony
Should have an army for an usher, and
The neighs of horse to tell of her approach,
Long ere she did appear; the trees by the way,
Should have borne men; and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not: nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Rais'd by your populous troops: But you are come
A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented
The ostent' of our love, which, left unshown,
Is often left unlov'd: we should have met you
By sea, and land; supplying every stage
With an augmented greeting.
To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it
On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My griev'd ear withal; whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.
Cæs.
Which soon he granted,
Being an obstruct? 'tween his lust and him.
Oct. Do not say so, my lord.
Cæs.
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
I have eyes upon him, Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is le now?
Cas. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra
Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire
Up to a whore; who now are levying
The kings o'the earth for war; He hath assembled
Bocchus, the king of Libya; Archelaus,
Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king
Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas:
King Malchus of Arabia; king of Pont;
Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king
Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas,
The kings of Mede, and Lycaonia, with a
More larger list of sceptres.
Oct.
Ah me, most wretched,
That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do afflict each other!
Welcome hither:
Your letters did withhold our breaking forth;
Till we perceiv'd, both how you were wrong led,
And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart:
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these strong necessities;
But let determin'd things to destiny
Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome:
Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd
Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,
To do you justice, make them ministers
Of us, and those that love you. Best of comfort;
And ever welcome to us.
I will not stay behind.
Eno.
Here comes the emperor.
Enter Antony and Canidius.
Is't not strange, Canidius,
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 becom'd the best of men,
To taunt at slackness.-Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.
By sea! What else?
Can. Why will my lord do so?
Ant.
For 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 serves not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.
Eno.
Your ships are not well mann'd:
Your mariners are muleteers,1° reapers, people
Ingross'd by swift impress;" in Cæsar's fleet
Are those, that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
Their ships are yarc; 12 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 foot-men; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.
Ant.
I'll fight at sea.
Cleo. I have sixty sails, 14 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.-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;
Enter a Soldier.
Away, my Thetis !2-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 Egyp-
How appears the fight? Scar. On our side like the token'd" pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon' ribald-rid nag 12 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 brize' upon her, like a cow in June, Hoists sails, and flies.
That I beheld: mine eyes
Did sicken at the sight on't, and could not
Endure a further view.
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. Towards 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.
I'll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.
[Exeunt.
SCENE IX.-Alexandria. A room in the pal-
ace. 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.
Att.
Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed
Which has no need of you; be gone:
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 Eros, and Cleopatra, led by Charmian and
Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him:-Comfort him.
Iras. Do, most dear queen.
Char. Do? Why, what else?
Cleo. Let me sit down. O Juno!
Ant. No, no, no, no, no.
Eros. See you here, sir?
Ant. O fie, fie, fie.
Char. Madam,
Iras. Madam; O good empress !-
Eros. Sir, sir,-
Ant. Yes, my lord, yes;-He,' at Philippi, kept
His sword even like a dancer; while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I,
That the mad Brutus ended: he alone
Dealt on lieutenantry,2 and no practice had
In the brave squares of war: Yet now-No matter.
Cleo. Ah, stand by.
Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen.
Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him;
He is unqualitied3 with very shame.
Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me :-0!
Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen
Her head's declined, and death will seize her; Your comfort makes the rescue.
Ant. I have offended reputation;
A most unnoble swerving.
Eros.
Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See,
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes,
By looking back on what I have left behind,
'Stroy'd in dishonour.
Cleo.
O my lord, my lord!
Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought,
You would have follow'd.
Ant.
Egypt, thou knew'st too well,
My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings,
And thou should'st tow me after: O'er my spirit
Thy full supremacy thou knew'st; and that
Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.
O, my pardon.
Ant. Now I must To the young man send humble treaties, dodge And palter in the shifts of lowness; who With half the bulk o'the world play'd as I pleas'd, Making, and marring fortunes. You did know, How much you were my conqueror; and that My sword, made weak by my affection, would (1) Cæsar. (2) Fought by his officers. Divested of his faculties. (4) Unless. (5) Values.
Euphronius, schoolmaster to Antony's chil
Obey it on all cause.
Cleo.
Ant. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates
All that is won and lost: Give me a kiss ;
Even this repays me.-We sent our schoolmaster,
Is he come back?-Love, I am full of lead :-
Some wine, within there, and our viands:-For-
tune knows,
We scorn her most, when most she offers blows.
[Exeunt.
SCENE X.-Cæsar's camp, in Egypt. Enter
Cæsar, Dolabella, Thyreus, and others.
Cas. Let him appear that's come from Antony.-
Know you him?
Dol.
Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster:
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,
An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither
Which had superfluous kings for messengers,
Not many moons gone by.
Approach, and speak. Eup. Such as I am, I come from Antony: I was of late as petty to his ends, As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf To his grand sea."
Cas.
Be it so; Declare thine office.
Eup. Lord of his fortune, he salutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted,
He lessens his requests; and to thee sues
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens: This for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;
Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
I have no ears to his request. The queen
Of audience, nor desire, shall fail; so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,"
Or take his life there: This if she perform,
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
Eup. Fortune pursue thee!
Cas.
Bring him through the bands.
[Exit Euphronius.
To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time: Despatch;
From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,
[To Thyreus.
And in our name, what she requires; add more,
From thine invention, offers: women are not,
In their best fortunes, strong: but want will perjure
The ne'er-touch'd vestal: Try thy cunning, Thy-
Lord of his reason. What although you fled
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
Frighted each other? why should he follow?
The itch of his affection should not then
Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point,
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being
The mered question: 'Twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.
Cleo.
Pr'ythee, peace.
Enter Antony, with Euphronius.
Ant. Is this his answer?
Shall then have courtesy, so she will yield Us up.
Ant. To the boy Cæsar send this grizzled head, And he will fill thy wishes to the brim With principalities.
Ant. To him again; Tell him, he wears the rose Of youth upon him; from which the world should
Something particular; his coin, ships, legions, May be a coward's; whose ministers would pre
Under the service of a child, as soon
As i'the command of Cæsar: I dare him therefore
To lay his gay comparisons2 apart,
And answer me declin'd,' sword against sword,
Ourselves alone: I'll write it; follow me.
[Exeunt Antony and Euphronius.
Eno. Yes, like enough, high-battled Cæsar will
Unstate his happiness, and be stag'd to the show,
Against a sworder.-I see, men's judgments are
A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,
To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæsar will
Answer his emptiness?-Cæsar, thou hast subdu'd
His judgment too.
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Thyr. Hear it apart. Cleo. None but friends; say boldly. Thyr. So, haply, are they friends to Antony. Eno. He needs as many, sir, as Cæsar has; Or needs not us. If Cæsar please, our master Will leap to be his friend: For us, you know, Whose he is, we are; and that's, Cæsar's.
(1) The only cause of the dispute. (2) Circumstances of splendor.
(S) In age and power.
Are of a piece with them. (5) Quarrel.
Perhaps.
What is most right: Mine honour was not yielded, But conquer'd merely.
To be sure of that, [Aside. I will ask Antony.-Sir, sir, thou'rt so leaky, That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for Thy dearest quit thee.
[Exit Enobarbus.
Thyr.
Shall I say to Cæsar
What you require of him? for he partly begs
To be desir'd to give. It much would please him,
That of his fortunes you should make a staff
To lean upon: but it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,
And put yourself under his shrowd,
The universal landlord.
Cleo.
What's your name?
Thyr. My name is Thyreus.
Cleo.
Most kind messenger,
Say to great Cæsar this, In disputation"
I kiss his conquering hand: tell him, I am prompt
To lay my crown at his feet, and there to kneel:
Tell him, from his all-obeying breath I hear
The doom of Egypt.
Thyr. 'Tis your noblest course. Wisdom and fortune combating together, If that the former dare but what it can, No chance may shake it. Give me grace' to lay My duty on your hand.
Cleo. Your Cæsar's father' Oft, when he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in,10 Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place, As it rain'd kisses.
Re-enter Antony and Enobarbus.
Favours, by Jove that thunders!—
The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest
To have command obey'd.
You will be whipp'd.
Ant. Approach, there:-Ay, you kite!-Now
Authority melts from me: Of late, when I cry'd, ho, Like boys unto a muss,12 kings would start forth, And cry, Your will? Have you no ears? I am
Antony yet. Take hence this Jack," and whip him. Eno. Tis better playing with a lion's whelp, Than with an old one dying.
Ant. Moon and stars! Whip him :-Were't twenty of the greatest tribu
Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face,
And whine aloud for mercy: Take him hence.
Thyr. Mark Antony,-
Ant.
Tug him away: being whipp'd,
Bring him again:-This Jack of Cæsar's shall
Bear us an errand to him.-
[Exeunt Attend. with Thyreus.
You were half blasted ere I knew you:-Ha!
Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,
Forborne the getting of a lawful race,
And by a gem of women, to be abus'd
By one that looks on feeders ?1
Ant. Cold-hearted toward me?
Cleo.
Ah, dear, if I be so,'
From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
And poison it in the source; and the first stone
Drop in my neck: as it determines,' so
Dissolve my life! The next Cæsarion® smite!
Till, by degrees, the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
By the discandying of this pelleted storm,
Lie graveless; till the flies and gnats of Nile
Have buried them for prey!
Ant.
I am satisfied.
lord,-Cæsar sits down in Alexandria; where
I will oppose his fate. Our force by land
Hath nobly held; our sever'd navy too
Have knit again, and fleet, 10 threat'ning most sea-
like,
Good my
Ant. You have been a boggler ever:-
But when we in our viciousness grow hard,
(O misery on't!) the wise gods seel2 our eyes;
In our own filth drop our clear judgments; make us
Adore our errors; laugh at us, while we strut
To our confusion.
Ant. I found you as a morsel, cold upon
Dead Cæsar's trencher: nay, you were a fragment
Of Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have
Luxuriously pick'd out :-For I am sure,
Where hast thou been, my heart?-Dost thou hear,
lady?
If from the field I shall return once more
To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;
I and my sword will earn our chronicle;
There is hope in it yet.
Cleo.
That's my brave lord!
Ant. I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breath'd,
Though you can guess what temperance should be, And fight maliciously: for when mine hours
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Ant. To let a fellow that will take rewards,
And say, God quit you! be familiar with
My playfellow, your hand; this kingly seal,
And plighter of high hearts!-0, that I were
Upon the hill of Basan, to outroar
The horned herd! for I have savage cause;
And to proclaim it civilly, were like
A halter'd neck, which does the hangman thank
For being yare about him.-Is he whipp'd?
Re-enter Attendants, with Thyreus.
1 Att. Soundly, my lord. Ant.
Cry'd he? and begg'd he pardon? 1 Att. He did ask favour.
Ant. If that thy father live, let him repent
Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
To follow Cæsar in his triumph, since
Thou hast been whipp'd for following him: hence-
forth,
The white hand of a lady fever thee,
Shake thou to look on't.-Get thee back to Cæsar,
Tell him thy entertainment: Look, thou say,
He makes me angry with him: for he seems
Proud and disdainful; harping on what I am;
Not what he knew I was: He makes me angry;
And at this time most easy 'tis to do't;
When my good stars, that were my former guides,
Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
Into the abysm of hell. If he mislike
My speech, and what is done; tell him, he has
Hipparchus, my enfranchis'd bondman, whom
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
As he shall like, to quit me: Urge it thou:
Hence, with thy stripes, begone. [Exit Thyreus.
Cleo. Have you done yet?
Ant.
Alack, our terrene moon
Is now eclips'd; and it portends alone
The fall of Antony!
Cleo.
Ant. To flatter Cæsar, would you mingle eyes
With one that ties his points?
(1) Servants. (2) Close up. (3) Wantonly.
(4) Ready, handy. (5) Requite. (6) Earthly.
(7) Dissolves. (8) Her son by Julius Cæsar.
Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
Of me for jests; but now, I'll set my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me.-Come,
Let's have one other gaudy12 night: call to me
All my sad captains, fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.
I had thought, to have held it poor; but, since my
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.
Ant. We'll yet do well.
Cleo. Call all his noble captains to my lord.
Ant. Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night
I'll force
The wine peep through their scars.-Come on, inv
There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight,
I'll make death love me; for I will contend
Even with his pestilent scythe.
[Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Attend. Eno. Now he'll out-stare the lightning. To be furious,
Is, to be frighted out of fear and in that mood,
The dove will peck the estridge ;" and I see still,
A diminution in our captain's brain
Restores his heart: When valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him.
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