The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works
Page 326
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 their ministers
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
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
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 sayst it is not fit.
ENOBARBUS
Well, is it, is it?
CLEOPATRA
Is’t not denounced against us? Why should not we
Be there in person?
ENOBARBUS ⌈aside⌉ 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,
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
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 Camidius
ENOBARBUS
Nay, I have done.
Here comes the Emperor.
ANTONY
Is it not strange, Camidius,
That from Tarentum and Brundisium
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,
Which might have well becomed the best of men
To taunt at slackness. Camidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.
CLEOPATRA
By sea—what else?
CAMIDIUS
Why will my lord do so?
ANTONY
For that he dares us to’t.
ENOBARBUS
So hath my lord dared him to single fight.
CAMIDIUS
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 muleters, reapers, people 35
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.
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
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,
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.
ANTONY
Can he be there in person? ’Tis impossible;
Strange that his power should be. Camidius,
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?
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,
And fighting foot to foot.
ANTONY
Well, well; away!
Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus
SOLDIER
By Hercules, I think I am i’th’ right.
CAMIDIUS
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
The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
CAMIDIUS
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
His power went out in such distractions
As beguiled all spies.
CAMIDIUS
Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?
SOLDIER
They say, one Taurus.
CAMIDIUS
Well I know the man.
Enter a Messenger
MESSENGER
The Emperor calls Camidius.
CAMIDIUS
With news the time’s in labour, and throws forth
Each minute some.
Exeunt
3.8 Enter Caesar with his army, marching, and Taurus CAESAR Taurus!
TAURUS My lord?
CAESAR
Strike not by land. Keep whole. Provoke not battle
Till we have done at sea. (Giving a scroll) Do not
exceed
The prescript of this scroll. Our fortune lies
Upon this jump.
Exit Caesar and his army at one door, Taurus at another
3.9 Enter Antony and Enobarbus
ANTONY
Set we our squadrons on yon side o’th’ hill
In eye of Caesar’s battle, from which place
We may the number of the ships behold,
And so proceed accordingly.
Exeunt
3.10 Camidius marcheth with his land army over the stage, and taurus, the lieutenant of caesar, with his
NOBARBUS
Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer.
Th’Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder.
To see’t mine eyes are blasted.
Enter Scarus
SCARUS
Gods and goddesses—
All the whole synod of them!
ENOBARBUS
What’s thy passion?
SCARUS
The greater cantle of the world is lost
With very ignorance; we have kissed away
Kingdoms and provinces.
ENOBARBUS
How appears the fight?
SCARUS
On our side like the tokened pestilence,
Where death is sure. Yon riband-red nag of Egypt—
Whom leprosy o‘ertake!-i’th’ midst o’th’ fight—
When vantage like a pair of twins appeared,
Both as the same, or rather ours the elder—
The breese upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails and flies.
ENOBARBUS
That I beheld.
Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not
Endure a further view.
SCARUS
She once being luffed,
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.
ENOBARBUS
Alack, alack!
Enter Camidius
CAMIDIUS
Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well.
O, he has given example for our flight
Most grossly by his own.
ENOBARBUS
Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night indeed!
CAMIDIUS
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
SCARUS
’Tis easy to’t, and there I will attend
What further comes.
CAMIDIUS
To Caesar will I render
My legions and my horse. Six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.
ENOBARBUS
I’ll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.
⌈Exeunt severally⌉
3.11 Enter Antony with Attendants
ANTONY
Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon’t,
It is ashamed 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 Caesar.
ATTENDANTS
Fly? Not we.
ANTONY
I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards
To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone.
I have myself resolved upon a course
Which has no need of you. Be gone.
My treasure’s in the harbour. Take it. O,
I followed 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 seaside 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.
Exeunt attendants
He sits down.
Enter Cleopatra led by Charmian, Iras, and Eros
EROS
Nay, gentle madam, to him. Comfort him.
IRAS Do, most dear Queen.
CHARMIAN Do. Why, what else?
CLEOPATRA Let me sit down. O Juno!
She sits down
ANTONY No, no, no, no, no.
EROS (to Antony) See you here, sir?
ANTONY O fie, fie, fie!
CHARMIAN Madam.
IRAS Madam. O good Empress!
EROS Sir, sir.
ANTONY
Yes, my lord, yes. He at Philippi kept
His sword e’en like a dancer, while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and ’twas I
That the mad Brutus ended. He alone
Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had
In the brave squares of war. Yet now—no matter.
CLEOPATRA (⌈rising,⌉ to Charmian and Iras) Ah, stand by.
EROS The Queen, my lord, the Queen.
IRAS Go to him, madam.
Speak to him. He’s unqualitied
With very shame.
CLEOPATRA Well then, sustain me. O!
EROS
Most noble sir, arise. The Queen approaches.
Her head’s declined, and death will seize her but
Your comfort makes the rescue.
ANTONY
I have offended reputation;
A most unnoble swerving.
EROS
Sir, the Queen.
ANTONY ⌈rising⌉
O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes
By looking back what I have left behind
’Stroyed in dishonour.
CLEOPATRA
O, my lord, my lord, Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought
You would have followed.
ANTONY
Egypt, thou knew’st too well
My heart was to thy rudder tied by th’ strings,
And thou shouldst 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.
CLEOPATRA
O, my pardon!
ANTONY
Now I must
To the young man send humble treaties, dodge
And palter in the shifts of lowness, who
With half the bulk o’th’ world played as I pleased,
Making and marring fortunes. You did know
How much you were my conqueror, and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all cause.
CLEOPATRA
Pardon, pardon!
ANTONY
Fall not a tear, I say. One of them rates
All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss.
He kisses her
Even this repays me. (To an Attendant) We sent our
schoolmaster;
Is a come back? (To Cleopatra) Love, I am full of lead.
(Calling) Some wine
Within there, and our viands! Fortune knows
We scorn her most when most she offers blows.
Exeunt
3.12 Enter Caesar, ⌈Agrippa,⌉ Thidias, and Dolabella, with others
CAESAR
Let him appear that’s come from Antony.
Know you him?
DOLABELLA
Caesar, ’tis his schoolmaster; An argument that he is plucked, when hither
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,
Which had superfluous kings for messengers
Not many moons gone by.
Enter Ambassador from Antony
CAESAR
Approach and speak.
AMBASSADOR
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.
CAESAR
Be’t so. Declare thine office.
AMBASSADOR
Lord of his fortunes 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.
CAESAR
For Antony, I have no ears to his request. The Queen
Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgracèd friend,
Or take his life there. This if she perform
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
AMBASSADOR
Fortune pursue thee!
CAESAR
Bring him through the bands.
Exit Ambassador, attended
(To Thidias) To try thy eloquence now ‘tis time.
Dispatch.
From Antony win Cleopatra. Promise,
And in our name, what she requires. Add more
As thine invention offers. Women are not
In their best fortunes strong, but want will perjure
The ne’er-touched vestal. Try thy cunning, Thidias.
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.
THIDIAS
Caesar, I go.
CAESAR
Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,
And what thou think’st his very action speaks
In every power that moves.
THIDIAS Caesar, I shall.
Exeunt Caesar and his train at one door, and Thidias at another
3.13 Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and Iras
CLEOPATRA
What shall we do, Enobarbus?
ENOBARBUS
Think, and die.
CLEOPATRA
Is Antony or we in fault for this?
ENOBARBUS
Antony only, that would make his will
Lord of his reason. What though 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 nicked his captainship, at such a point,
When half to half the world opposed, he being
The mooted question. ’Twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags
And leave his navy gazing.