ENOBARBUS ’Twill be naught,
But let it be. Bring me to Antony.
EROS Come, sir. Exeunt.
3.6 Enter AGRIPPA, MAECENAS and CAESAR.
CAESAR
Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more
In Alexandria. Here’s the manner of ’t:
I’th’ market-place, on a tribunal silvered,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publicly enthroned. At the feet sat
5
Caesarion, whom they call my father’s son,
And all the unlawful issue that their lust
Since then hath made between them. Unto her
He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,
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Absolute Queen.
MAECENAS This in the public eye?
CAESAR I’th’ common showplace where they exercise.
His sons he there proclaimed the kings of kings:
Great Media, Parthia and Armenia
He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assigned
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Syria, Cilicia and Phoenicia. She
In th’habiliments of the goddess Isis
That day appeared, and oft before gave audience,
As ’tis reported, so.
MAECENAS Let Rome be thus informed.
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AGRIPPA Who, queasy with his insolence already,
Will their good thoughts call from him.
CAESAR The people knows it, and have now received
His accusations.
AGRIPPA Who does he accuse?
CAESAR Caesar; and that having in Sicily
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Sextus Pompeius spoiled, we had not rated him
His part o’th’ isle. Then does he say he lent me
Some shipping, unrestored. Lastly, he frets
That Lepidus of the triumvirate
Should be deposed and, being, that we detain
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All his revenue.
AGRIPPA Sir, this should be answered.
CAESAR
’Tis done already, and the messenger gone.
I have told him Lepidus was grown too cruel,
That he his high authority abused
And did deserve his change. For what I have
conquered,
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I grant him part; but then in his Armenia
And other of his conquered kingdoms, I
Demand the like.
MAECENAS He’ll never yield to that.
CAESAR Nor must not then be yielded to in this.
Enter OCTAVIA with her train.
OCTAVIA
Hail, Caesar, and my lord! Hail, most dear Caesar!
40
CAESAR That ever I should call thee castaway!
OCTAVIA
You have not called me so, nor have you cause.
CAESAR
Why have you stolen upon us thus? You come not
Like Caesar’s sister. The wife of Antony
Should have an army for an usher, and
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The neighs of horse to tell of her approach
Long ere she did appear. The trees by th’ 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,
50
Raised by your populous troops. But you are come
A market maid to Rome, and have prevented
The ostentation of our love which, left unshown,
Is often left unloved. We should have met you
By sea and land, supplying every stage
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With an augmented greeting.
OCTAVIA Good my lord,
To come thus was I not constrained, but did it
On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted
My grieved ear withal, whereon I begged
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His pardon for return.
CAESAR Which soon he granted,
Being an abstract ’tween his lust and him.
OCTAVIA Do not say so, my lord.
CAESAR I have eyes upon him,
And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now?
OCTAVIA My lord, in Athens.
CAESAR No,
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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’th’ earth for war. He hath assembled
Bocchus the King of Libya, Archelaus
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Of Cappadocia, Philadelphos King
Of Paphlagonia, the Thracian King Adallas,
King Manchus of Arabia, King of Pont,
Herod of Jewry, Mithridates King
Of Comagene, Polemon and Amyntas,
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The Kings of Mede and Lycaonia,
With a more larger list of sceptres.
OCTAVIA Ay me, most wretched,
That have my heart parted betwixt two friends
That does afflict each other!
CAESAR Welcome hither.
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Your letters did withhold our breaking forth
Till we perceived 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,
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But let determined things to destiny
Hold unbewailed their way. Welcome to Rome,
Nothing more dear to me! You are abused
Beyond the mark of thought, and the high gods,
To do you justice, makes his ministers
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Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort,
And ever welcome to us.
AGRIPPA Welcome, lady.
MAECENAS Welcome, dear madam.
Each heart in Rome does love and pity you.
Only th’adulterous Antony, most large
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In his abominations, turns you off
And gives his potent regiment to a trull
That noises it against us.
OCTAVIA Is it so, sir?
CAESAR Most certain. Sister, welcome. Pray you
Be ever known to patience. My dear’st sister! Exeunt.
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3.7 Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.
CLEOPATRA I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
ENOBARBUS But why, why, why?
CLEOPATRA
Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars
And say’st it is not fit.
ENOBARBUS Well, is it, is it?
CLEOPATRA
Is’t not denounced against us? Why should not we
5
Be there in person?
ENOBARBUS 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.
CLEOPATRA What is’t you say?
ENOBARBUS Your presence needs must puzzle Antony,
10
Take from his heart, take from his brain, from’s time
What should not then be spared. He is already
Traduced for levity, and ’tis said in Rome
That Photinus, an eunuch and your maids
Manage this war.
CLEOPATRA Sink Rome, and their tongues rot
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That speak against us! A charge we bear i’th’ war,
And, as the president of my kingdom, will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it!
I will not stay behind.
Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.
ENOBARBUS Nay, I have done.
Here comes the Emperor.
> ANTONY Is it not strange, Canidius,
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That from Tarentum and Brundusium
He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea
And take in Toryne? You have heard on’t, sweet?
CLEOPATRA Celerity is never more admired
Than by the negligent.
ANTONY A good rebuke,
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Which might have well becomed the best of men,
To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.
CLEOPATRA By sea – what else?
CANIDIUS Why will my lord do so?
ANTONY For that he dares us to’t.
ENOBARBUS So hath my lord dared him to single fight.
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CANIDIUS 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.
ENOBARBUS Your ships are not well manned,
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
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Engrossed 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 prepared for land.
ANTONY By sea, by sea.
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ENOBARBUS Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
The absolute soldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most consist
Of war-marked footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo
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The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard
From firm security.
ANTONY I’ll fight at sea.
CLEOPATRA I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.
ANTONY Our overplus of shipping will we burn,
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And with the rest full-manned, from th’head of
Actium
Beat th’approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
We then can do’t at land.
Enter a Messenger.
Thy business?
MESSENGER The news is true, my lord; he is descried.
Caesar has taken Toryne.
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ANTONY 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?
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SOLDIER O noble Emperor, do not fight by sea.
Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt
This sword and these my wounds? Let th’Egyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we
Have used to conquer standing on the earth
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And fighting foot to foot.
ANTONY Well, well, away!
Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus.
SOLDIER By Hercules, I think I am i’th’ right.
CANIDIUS
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.
SOLDIER You keep by land
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The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
CANIDIUS Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
Publicola and Caelius are for sea,
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar’s
Carries beyond belief.
SOLDIER While he was yet in Rome,
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His power went out in such distractions as
Beguiled all spies.
CANIDIUS Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?
SOLDIER They say one Taurus.
CANIDIUS Well I know the man.
Enter a Messenger.
MESSENGER The Emperor calls Canidius.
CANIDIUS
With news the time’s in labour, and throws forth
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Each minute some. Exeunt.
3.8 Enter CAESAR and TAURUS with his army, marching.
CAESAR Taurus!
TAURUS My lord?
CAESAR
Strike not by land; keep whole; provoke not battle
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 54