The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works
Page 325
SILIUS Where is he now?
VENTIDIUS
He purposeth to Athens; whither, with what haste
The weight we must convey with’s will permit,
We shall appear before him.—On there; pass along.
Exeunt
3.2 Enter Agrippa at one door, Enobarbus at another AGRIPPA What, are the brothers parted?
ENOBARBUS
They have dispatched with Pompey; he is gone.
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.
AGRIPPA
’Tis a noble Lepidus.
ENOBARBUS
A very fine one. O, how he loves Caesar!
AGRIPPA
Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!
ENOBARBUS
Caesar? Why, he’s the Jupiter of men.
AGRIPPA
What’s Antony—the god of Jupiter?
ENOBARBUS
Spake you of Caesar? How, the nonpareil?
AGRIPPA
O Antony, O thou Arabian bird!
ENOBARBUS
Would you praise Caesar, say ‘Caesar’; go no further.
AGRIPPA
Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.
ENOBARBUS
But he loves Caesar best; yet he loves Antony—
Hoo! Hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets,
cannot
Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number—hoo!—
His love to Antony. But as for Caesar—
Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.
AGRIPPA
Both he loves.
ENOBARBUS
They are his shards, and he their beetle.
⌈Trumpet within⌉
So,
This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa.
AGRIPPA
Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell.
Enter Caesar, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavia
ANTONY (to Caesar) No further, sir.
CAESAR
You take from me a great part of myself.
Use me well in’t. Sister, prove such a wife
As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest bond
Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble Antony,
Let not the piece of virtue which is set
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 cherished.
ANTONY
Make me not offended
In your distrust.
CAESAR
I have said.
ANTONY
You shall not find,
Though you be therein curious, the least cause
For what you seem to fear. So, the gods keep you,
And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends.
We will here part.
CAESAR
Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well.
The elements be kind to thee, and make
Thy spirits all of comfort. Fare thee well.
OCTAVIA (weeping) My noble brother!
ANTONY
The April’s in her eyes; it is love’s spring,
And these the showers to bring it on. Be cheerful.
OCTAVIA
Sir, look well to my husband’s house, and—
CAESAR
What, Octavia?
OCTAVIA
I’ll tell you in your ear.
She whispers to Caesar
ANTONY
Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can
Her heart inform her tongue—the swan’-down
feather,
That stands upon the swell at full of tide,
And neither way inclines.
ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa) Will Caesar weep?
AGRIPPA (aside to Enobarbus) He has a cloud in’s face.
ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa)
He were the worse for that were he a horse;
So is he, being a man.
AGRIPPA (aside to Enobarbus) Why, Enobarbus,
When Antony found Julius Caesar dead
He cried almost to roaring, and he wept
When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.
ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa)
That year indeed he was troubled with a rheum.
What willingly he did confound he wailed,
Believe’, till I wept too.
CAESAR
No, sweet Octavia,
You shall hear from me still. The time shall not
Outgo my thinking on you.
ANTONY
Come, sir, come,
I’ll wrestle with you in my strength of love.
Look, here I have you (embracing Caesar); thus I let
you go,
And give you to the gods.
CAESAR
Adieu, be happy.
LEPIDUS
Let all the number of the stars give light
To thy fair way.
CAESAR
Farewell, farewell.
He kisses Octavia
ANTONY Farewell.
Trumpets sound. Exeunt Antony, Octavia, and Enobarbus at one door, Caesar, Lepidus, and Agrippa at another
3.3 Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas
CLEOPATRA
Where is the fellow?
ALEXAS
Half afeard to come.
CLEOPATRA
Go to, go to.
Enter the Messenger as before
Come hither, sir.
ALEXAS
Good majesty,
Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you
But when you are well pleased.
CLEOPATRA
That Herod’s head
I’ll have; but how, when Antony is gone,
Through whom I might command it?
(To the Messenger)
Come thou near.
MESSENGER
Most gracious majesty!
CLEOPATRA
Didst thou behold
Octavia?
MESSENGER Ay, dread Queen.
CLEOPATRA
Where?
MESSENGER
Madam, in Rome.
I looked her in the face, and saw her led
Between her brother and Mark Antony.
CLEOPATRA
Is she as tall as me?
MESSENGER
She is not, madam.
CLEOPATRA
Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongued or low?
MESSENGER
Madam, I heard her speak. She is low-voiced.
CLEOPATRA
That’s not so good. He cannot like her long.
CHARMIAN
Like her? O Isis, ’is impossible!
CLEOPATRA
I think so, Charmian. Dull of tongue, and dwarfish.
What majesty is in her gait? Remember
If e‘er thou looked’st on majesty.
MESSENGER
She creeps.
Her motion and her station are as one.
She shows a body rather than a life,
A statue than a breather.
CLEOPATRA
Is this certain?
MESSENGER
Or I have no observance.
CHARMIAN
Three in Egypt
Cannot make better note.
CLEOPATRA
He’s very knowing,
I do perceive’t. There’s nothing in her yet.
The fellow has good judgement.
CHARMIAN
Excellent.
CLEOPATRA (to the Messenger)
Guess at her years, I prithee.
MESSENGER
Madam,
She was a widow—
C
LEOPATRA
Widow? Charmian, hark.
MESSENGER And I do think she’s thirty.
CLEOPATRA
Bear’st thou her face in mind? Is’t long or round?
MESSENGER Round, even to faultiness.
CLEOPATRA
For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.
Her hair—what colour?
MESSENGER
Brown, madam; and her forehead
As low as she would wish it.
CLEOPATRA (giving money)
There’s 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 prepared.
Exit Messenger
CHARMIAN
A proper man.
CLEOPATRA
Indeed he is so. I repent me much
That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him,
This creature’s no such thing.
CHARMIAN
Nothing, madam.
CLEOPATRA
The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.
CHARMIAN
Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend,
And serving you so long!
CLEOPATRA
I have one thing more to ask him yet, good
Charmian.
But ’tis no matter. Thou shalt bring him to me
Where I will write. All may be well enough.
CHARMIAN I warrant you, madam.
Exeunt
3.4 Enter Antony and Octavia
ANTONY
Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,
That were excusable, that and thousands more
Of semblable import; but he hath waged
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.
OCTAVIA
O my good lord,
Believe not all, or if you must believe,
Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,
If this division chance, ne’er stood between,
Praying for both parts.
The good gods will mock me presently,
When I shall pray ‘O, bless my lord and husband!’,
Undo that prayer by crying out as loud
‘O, bless my brother!’ Husband win, win brother
Prays and destroys the prayer; no midway
’Twixt these extremes at all.
ANTONY
Gentle Octavia,
Let your best love draw to that point which seeks
Best to preserve it. If I lose mine honour,
I lose myself. Better I were not yours
Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,
Yourself shall go between’s. The meantime, lady,
I’ll raise the preparation of a war
Shall stain your brother. Make your soonest haste;
So your desires are yours.
OCTAVIA
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.
ANTONY
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
Your heart has mind to.
Exeunt
3.5 Enter Enobarbus and Eros, meeting
ENOBARBUS How now, friend Eros?
EROS There’s strange news come, sir.
ENOBARBUS What, man?
EROS Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey. ENOBARBUS 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.
ENOBARBUS
Then, world, thou hast a pair of chops, no more,
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 spurns
The rush that lies before him, cries ‘Fool Lepidus!’
And threats the throat of that his officer
That murdered Pompey.
ENOBARBUS
Our great navy’s rigged.
EROS
For Italy and Caesar. More, Domitius:
My lord desires you presently. My news
I might have told hereafter.
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
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,
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
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.
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
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
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,
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!
CAESAR
> That ever I should call thee castaway!
OCTAVIA
You have not called me so, nor have you cause.
CAESAR
Why have you stol’n upon us thus? You come not
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 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,
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
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
His pardon for return.
CAESAR Which soon he granted,
Being an obstruct ’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, 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
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 Amyntas,
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.
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;
But let determined things to destiny