Ant. These quick-sands, Lepidus,
Keep off them, for you sink.
Men. Wilt thou be lord of all the world?
Pom. What say'st thou?
Men. Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That's twice.
Pom. How should that be?
Men. But entertain it, and,
Although thou think me poor, I am the man
Will give thee all the world.
Pom. Hast thou drunk well?
Men. No, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup. Thou art, if thou dar'st be, the earthly Jove; Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips, Is thine, if thou wilt have't.
Pom. Show me which way.
Caes. Possess it, I'll make answer: but I had rather
fast
From all, four days, than drink so much in one.
Eno. Ha, my brave emperor!
Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals,
And celebrate our drink?
Pom. Let's ha't, good soldier!
Ant. Come, let us all take hands;
Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense
In soft and delicate Lethe.
Eno. All take hands!
Men. These three world-sharers, these competitors, Are in thy vessel: let me cut the cable; And, when we are put off, fall to their throats: All there is thine.
Make battery to our ears with the lond music:-
The while, I'll place you: then the boy shall sing;
The holding every man shall bear, as loud,
As his strong sides can volley.
[Music plays. Enobarbus places them
hand in hand.
SONG.
Come, thou monarch of the vine,
Plumpy Bacchus, with pink eyne:
In thy vats our cares be drown'd;
With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd;
Cup us, till the world go round;
Cup us, till the world go round!
Caes. What would you more? Pompey, good
night! Good brother,
Let me request you off: our graver business Frowns at this levity.-Gentle lords, let's part! You see, we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarbe Is weaker, than the wine; and mine own tongue Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good night!
Good Antony, your hand!
Pom. I'll try you o'the shore.
Ant. And shall, sir: give's your
Pom. O, Antony,
You have my father's house, but what? we are
Come, down into the boat!
Eno. Take heed you fall not!
[Exeunt Pompey, Caesar, Antony, and
Attendants. Menas, I'll not on shore.
Men. No, to my cabin.
These drums! these trumpets, flutes! what!-
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell
To these great fellows! Sound, and be hang'd, sound
out! [4 flourish of trumpets, with drums.
I'll pledge it for him, Eno. Ho, says 'a!- There's my cap.
Men. Ho!-noble captain!
Come!
Ant. It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho! Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm,
Caes. I could well forbear it.
It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain,
And it grows fouler.
Ant. Be a child o'the time.
The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media,
Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither
The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony
Shall set thee on triumphant chariots, and
Put garlands on thy head.
I have done enough! A lower place, note well,
May make too great an act; for learn this, Silius:
Better leave undone, than by our deed acquire
Too high a fame, when him we serve's away.
Caesar, and Antony, have ever won
More in their officer, than person. Sossius,
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
For quick accumulation of renown,
Which he achiev'd by the minute, lost his favour.
Who does i'the wars more, than his captain can,
Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition,
The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
Than gain, which darkens him.
I could do more to do Antonius good,
But 'twould offend him; and in his offence
Should my performance perish.
Sil. Thou hast, Ventidius,
That without which a soldier, and his sword,
Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to An-
tony?
Ven. I'll humbly signify what in his name,
That magical word of war, we have effected;
How with his banners, and his well-paid ranks,
The ne'er-yet beaten horse of Parthia
We have jaded out o'the field.
The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps
To part from Rome: Caesar is sad; and Lepidus,
Since Pompey's feast, as Menas says, is troubled
With the green sickness.
Agr. 'Tis a noble Lepidus.
Eno. A very fine one: O, how he loves Caesar!
Agr. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!
Eno. Caesar? Why, he's the Jupiter of men.
Agr. What's Antony? The god of Jupiter.
Eno. Spake you of Caesar? How? the nonpareil!
Agr. O Antony! O thou Arabian bird!
Eno. Would, you praise Caesar, say, — Caesar; -
go no further.
Agr. Indeed, he ply'd them both with excellent
praises.
Eno. But he loves Caesar best;
Betwixt us, as the cement of our love,
To keep it builded, be the ram, to batter
The fortress of it: for better might we
Have loved without this mean, if on both parts
This be not cherish'd.
Ant. Make me not offended
In your distrust.
Cues. I have said.
Ant. You shall not find,
Though you be therein curious, the least canse
For what you seem to fear. So, the gods keep yon,
And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends!
We will here part!
Caes. Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well!
The elements be kind to thee, and make
Thy spirits all of comfort! fare thee well!
Octa. My noble brother!-
Ant. The April's in her eyes. It is love's spring,
And these the showers to bring it on.- Be cheerful!
Octa. Sir, look well to my husband's house; and
Cues. What,
Octa. I'll tell you in your ear.
Ant. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue: the swan's down
That stands upon the swell at full of tide,
And neither way inclines.
Eno. Will Caesar weep?
Agr. He has a cloud in's face.
Eno. He were the worse for that, were he a horse;
So is he, being a man.
Agr. Why, Enobarbus?
When Antony found Julius Caesar dead,
He cried almost to roaring: and he wept,
When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.
Eno. That year, indeed, he was troubled with a
rheum;
What willingly he did confound, he wail'd:
Believe it, till I weep too.
Caes. No, sweet Octavia,
You shall hear from me still; the time shall not
Out-go my thinking on you.
Ant. Come, sir, come!
I'll wrestle with you in my strength of love:
Look, here I have you; thus I let you go,
And give you to the gods.
Caes. Adien; be happy!
Lep. Let all the number of the stars give light
To thy fair way!
Caes. Farewell, farewell!
Ant. Farewell!
[Kisses Octavia [Trumpets sound. Exeunt
Alexandria. A room in the palace.
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAs, and ALEXAS.
Cleo. Where is the fellow?
Alex. Half afeard to come.
Cleo. Go to, go to! - Come hither, sir!
Enter a Messenger.
Alex. Good majesty,
Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you,
But when you are well pleas'd.
Cleo. That Herod's head
I'll have: but how? when Antony is gone,
Through whom I might command it.
near!
Mess. Most gracious majesty, -
Cleo. Didst thou behold
Octavia?
Mess. Ay, dread queen!
Cleo. Where?
Mess. Madam, in Rome
I look'd her in the face; and saw her led
Char, Like her? O Isis! 'tis impossible.
Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks
Cleo. I think so, Charmian: Dull of tongue, and Best to preserve it: if I lose mine honour, dwarfish!
I lose myself: better I were not yours,
Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,
Yourself shall go between us: the mean time, lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war
They are foolish that are so. — Her hair, what colour?
Mess. Brown, madam! and her forehead is as low, As she would wish it.
Cleo. There is gold for thee.
Thou must not take my former sharpness ill:-
I will employ thee back again; I find thee
Most fit for business. Go, make thee ready!
Our letters are prepar'd.
Shall stain your brother; make your soonest haste;
So your desires are yours.
Char. A proper man.
Cleo. Indeed, he is so: I repent me much,
That so I harry'd him Why, methinks, by him,
This creature's no such thing.
Char. O, nothing, madam!
Octa. Thanks to my lord!
The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak,
Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be
As if the world should cleave, and that slain men
Should solder up the rift.
Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,
Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults
Can never be so equal, that your love
Can equally move with them. Provide your going;
Choose your own company, and command what cost
Cleo. The man hath seen some majesty, and should
SCENE V. The same. Another room in the same.
Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting.
Eno. How now, friend Eros?
Eros. There's strange news come, sir.
Eno. What, man?
Cleo. I have one thing more to ask him yet, good
But 'tis no matter; thou shalt bring him to me,
Where I will write: all may be well enough.
Char. I warrant you, madam!
SCENE IV. Athens. A room in ANTONY's house.
Enter ANTONY and OCTAVIA.
Eros. Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.
Eno. This is old; what is the success?
Eros. Caesar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him rivality; would not let him partake in the glory of the action: and not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal, seizes him so the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.
Ant. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,~
That were excusable, that, and thousands more
Of semblable import, but he hath wag'd
New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it
To public ear:
Spoke scantly of me: when perforce he could not
But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly
He vented them; most narrow measure lent me:
When the best hint was given him, he not took't,
Or did it from his teeth.
Octa. O my good lord,
Believe not all; or, if you must believe,
Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,
Eno. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, o
And throw between them all the food thou hast,
They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony?
Eros. He's walking in the garden-thus; and sparas
The rush that lies before him; cries, Fool, Lepidus!
And threats the throat of that his officer,
That murder'd Pompey.
Eno. Our great navy's rigg'd.
Eros. For Italy, and Caesar. More, Domitius;
My lord desires you presently: my news
I might have told hereafter.
Eno. 'Twill be naught:
But let it be. Bring me to Antony!
Eros. Come, sir!
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Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence
Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Caes. The people know it; and have now receiv'd His accusations.
Agr. Whom does he accuse?
Caes. Caesar: and that, having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him
His part o'the isle: then does he say, he lent me
Some shipping unrestor'd: lastly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the triumvirate
Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain
All his revenue.
Agr. Sir, this should be answer'd.
Caes. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone. I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; That he his high authority abus'd,
And did deserve his change; for what I have conquer'd,
I grant him part; put then, in his Armenia,
And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I
Demand the like.
Mec.He'll never yield to that.
Caes. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.
Enter OCTAVIA.
Octa. Hail, Caesar, and my lord! hail, most dear
Caesar!
Caes. That ever I should call thee, cast-away! Octa. You have not call'd me so,nor have you cause. Cues. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You
Like Caesar'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 grieved ear withal: whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.
Caes. Which soon he granted,
Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.
Octa. Do not say so, my lord!
Caes. I have eyes upon him,
And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now?
Octa. My lord, in Athens.!
Caes. 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 Lybia, 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.
Octa. Ah me, most wretched,
That have my heart parted betwixt two friends, That do afflict each other!
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!
Agr. Welcome, lady!
Mec. Welcome, dear madam!
Each heart in Rome does love and pity you:
Only the adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off;
And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
That noises it against us.
Octa. Is it so, sir?
Caes. Most certain. Sister, welcome! Pray you, Be ever known to patience! My dearest sister!
[Exeunt. 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. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;
Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his 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
Ap ear there for a man. Speak not against it;
I will not stay behind!
Eno. Nay, I have done!
Here comes the emperor.
Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.
Ant. Is't not strange, Canidius,
That from Tarentum, and Brundusium,
He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,
Will fight with him by sea.
Cleo. 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 Caesar 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 Caesar'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.
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 merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.
Cleo. have sixty sails, Caesar none better.
Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn;
And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head
Actium
Beat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
Caes. 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!
Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.
Ant. Set we our squadrons on yon side o'the hill,
In eye of Caesar's battle: from which place
We may the number of the ships behold,
And so proceed accordingly.
Enter CANIDIUS, marching with his Land Army one
way over the Stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant
of CAESAR, the other way. After their going in,
is heard the noise of a sea-fight.
Alarum. Re-enter ENOBARBUS.
Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no
longer;
The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To see't, mine eyes are blasted.
Enter SCARUS.
Scar. Gods, and goddesses!
All the whole synod of them!
Eno. What's thy passion?
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?
of Scar. On our side like the token'd pestilence,
Where death is sure. Yon' ribald-rid 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 brize upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists, sails and flies.
Enter a Messenger.
We then can do't at land. Thy business?
Mess. The news is true, my lord; he is descried;
Caesar 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,
we'll to our ship;
And our twelve thousand horse:-
Enter a Soldier.
Away, my Thetis! -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.
[Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus.
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, Marcus Justeius,
Publicola, and Caelius, are for sea:
Eno. That I beheld: mine eyes
Did sicken at the sight on't, 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
O, he has given example for our flight,
Most grossly, by his own.
Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why, then, good night
Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled.
Scar. 'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's What further comes.
Carries beyond belief.
Can. To Caesar will I render
My legions, and my horse; six kings already
Show me the
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.
SCENE IX. Alexandria. A room in the palace.
Enter ANTONY and Attendants.
Ant. Hark, the land bids me tread no more apon
It is asham'd to bear me! - Friends, come hither!
I am so lated in the world, that I
I have a ship
Have lost my way for ever:-
Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Caesar!
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