The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 50
MAECENAS She’s a most triumphant lady, if report be
square to her.
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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.
ENOBARBUS I will tell you.
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The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
Burned 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
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The water which they beat to follow faster,
As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggared all description: she did lie
In her pavilion, cloth-of-gold of tissue,
O’erpicturing that Venus where we see
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The fancy outwork nature. On each side her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling cupids,
With divers-coloured fans, whose wind did seem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid did.
AGRIPPA O, rare for Antony!
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ENOBARBUS Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,
So many mermaids, tended her i’th’ eyes,
And made their bends adornings. At the helm
A seeming mermaid steers. The silken tackle
Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands
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That yarely frame the office. From the barge
A strange invisible perfume hits the sense
Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast
Her people out upon her, and Antony,
Enthroned i’th’ market-place, did sit alone,
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Whistling to th’air, which, but for vacancy,
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra, too,
And made a gap in nature.
AGRIPPA Rare Egyptian!
ENOBARBUS Upon her landing, Antony sent to her;
Invited her to supper. She replied
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It should be better he became her guest,
Which she entreated. Our courteous Antony,
Whom ne’er the word of ‘No’ woman heard speak,
Being barbered ten times o’er, goes to the feast,
And, for his ordinary, pays his heart
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For what his eyes eat only.
AGRIPPA Royal wench!
She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed.
He ploughed her, and she cropped.
ENOBARBUS I saw her once
Hop forty paces through the public street
And, having lost her breath, she spoke and panted,
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That she did make defect perfection,
And, breathless, pour breath forth.
MAECENAS Now Antony must leave her utterly.
ENOBARBUS Never! He will not.
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
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Her infinite variety. Other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies; for vilest things
Become themselves in her, that the holy priests
Bless her when she is riggish.
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MAECENAS If beauty, wisdom, modesty can settle
The heart of Antony, Octavia is
A blessed lottery to him.
AGRIPPA Let us go.
Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest
Whilst you abide here.
ENOBARBUS Humbly, sir, I thank you.
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Exeunt.
2.3 Enter ANTONY, CAESAR; OCTAVIA between them.
ANTONY
The world and my great office will sometimes
Divide me from your bosom.
OCTAVIA All which time
Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers
To them for you.
ANTONY Good night, sir. My Octavia,
Read not my blemishes in the world’s report.
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I have not kept my square, but that to come
Shall all be done by th’ rule. Good night, dear lady.
OCTAVIA Good night, sir.
CAESAR Good night. Exeunt Caesar and Octavia.
Enter Soothsayer.
ANTONY Now, sirrah! You do wish yourself in Egypt?
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SOOTHSAYER
Would I had never come from thence, nor you
thither!
ANTONY If you can, your reason?
SOOTHSAYER
I see it in my motion; have it not in my tongue.
But yet hie you to Egypt again.
ANTONY Say to me,
Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Caesar’s or mine?
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SOOTHSAYER Caesar’s.
Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side.
Thy daemon – that thy spirit which keeps thee – is
Noble, courageous, high unmatchable,
Where Caesar’s is not. But near him, thy angel
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Becomes afeard, as being o’erpowered; therefore
Make space enough between you.
ANTONY Speak this no more.
SOOTHSAYER
To none but thee; no more but when to thee.
If thou dost play with him at any game,
Thou art sure to lose; and of that natural luck
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He beats thee ’gainst the odds. Thy lustre thickens
When he shines by. I say again, thy spirit
Is all afraid to govern thee near him;
But, he away, ’tis noble.
ANTONY Get thee gone.
Say to Ventidius I would speak with him.
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Exit Soothsayer.
He shall to Parthia. Be it art or hap,
He hath spoken true. The very dice obey him,
And in our sports my better cunning faints
Under his chance. If we draw lots, he speeds;
His cocks do win the battle still of mine
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When it is all to naught, and his quails ever
Beat mine, inhooped, at odds. I will to Egypt;
And though I make this marriage for my peace,
I’th’ East my pleasure lies.
Enter VENTIDIUS.
O come, Ventidius.
You must to Parthia. Your commission’s ready.
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Follow me and receive’t. Exeunt.
2.4 Enter LEPIDUS, MAECENAS and AGRIPPA.
LEPIDUS
Trouble yourselves no further. Pray you hasten
Your generals after.
AGRIPPA Sir, Mark Antony
Will e’en but kiss Octavia, and we’ll follow.
LEPIDUS Till I shall see you in your soldiers’ dress,
Which will become you both, farewell.
MAECENAS We shall,
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As I conceive the journey, be at the Mount
Before you, Lepidus.
LEPIDUS Your way is shorter;
My purposes do draw me much about.
You’ll win two days upon me.
MAECENAS, AGRIPPA Sir, good success!
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LEPIDUS Farewell. Exeunt.
2.5 Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS and ALEXAS.
CLEOPATRA Give me some music – music, moody food
Of us that trade in love.
ALL The music, ho!
Enter MARDIAN the Eunuch.
CLEOPATRA
Let it alone. Let’s to billiards. Come, Charmian.
CHARMIAN My arm is sore. Best play with Mardian.
CLEOPATRA As well a woman with an eunuch played
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As w
ith a woman. Come, you’ll play with me, sir?
MARDIAN As well as I can, madam.
CLEOPATRA
And when good will is showed, though’t come too
short,
The actor may plead pardon. I’ll none now.
Give me mine angle; we’ll to th’ river. There,
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My music playing far off, I will betray
Tawny-finned fishes. My bended hook shall pierce
Their slimy jaws, and, as I draw them up,
I’ll think them every one an Antony,
And say ‘Ah, ha! You’re caught!’
CHARMIAN ’Twas merry when
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You wagered on your angling; when your diver
Did hang a salt fish on his hook, which he
With fervency drew up.
CLEOPATRA That time? O times!
I laughed him out of patience, and that night
I laughed him into patience, and next morn,
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Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed,
Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst
I wore his sword Philippan.
Enter a Messenger.
Oh, from Italy!
Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears,
That long time have been barren!
MESSENGER Madam, madam –
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CLEOPATRA Antonio’s dead! If thou say so, villain,
Thou kill’st thy mistress; but well and free,
If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here
My bluest veins to kiss, a hand that kings
Have lipped, and trembled, kissing.
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MESSENGER First, madam, he is well.
CLEOPATRA Why, there’s more gold.
But sirrah, mark, we use
To say the dead are well. Bring it to that,
The gold I give thee will I melt and pour
Down thy ill-uttering throat.
MESSENGER Good madam, hear me.
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CLEOPATRA Well, go to, I will.
But there’s no goodness in thy face if Antony
Be free and healthful. So tart a favour
To trumpet such good tidings! If not well,
Thou shouldst come like a Fury crowned with
snakes,
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Not like a formal man.
MESSENGER Will’t please you hear me?
CLEOPATRA
I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak’st.
Yet if thou say Antony lives, is well,
Or friends with Caesar, or not captive to him,
I’ll set thee in a shower of gold and hail
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Rich pearls upon thee.
MESSENGER Madam, he’s well.
CLEOPATRA Well said!
MESSENGER And friends with Caesar.
CLEOPATRA Thou’rt an honest man!
MESSENGER
Caesar and he are greater friends than ever.
CLEOPATRA Make thee a fortune from me!
MESSENGER But yet, madam –
CLEOPATRA I do not like ‘But yet’. It does allay
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The good precedence. Fie upon ‘But yet’!
‘But yet’ is as a gaoler to bring forth
Some monstrous malefactor. Prithee, friend,
Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear,
The good and bad together. He’s friends with Caesar,
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In state of health, thou sayst, and, thou sayst, free.
MESSENGER Free, madam? No. I made no such report.
He’s bound unto Octavia.
CLEOPATRA For what good turn?
MESSENGER For the best turn i’th’ bed.
CLEOPATRA I am pale, Charmian.
MESSENGER Madam, he’s married to Octavia.
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CLEOPATRA The most infectious pestilence upon thee!
[Strikes him down.]
MESSENGER Good madam, patience!
CLEOPATRA What say you?
[Strikes him.] Hence,
Horrible villain, or I’ll spurn thine eyes
Like balls before me! I’ll unhair thy head!
[She hales him up and down.]
Thou shalt be whipped with wire and stewed in brine,
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Smarting in lingering pickle!
MESSENGER Gracious madam,
I that do bring the news made not the match.
CLEOPATRA Say ’tis not so, a province I will give thee,
And make thy fortunes proud. The blow thou hadst