Complete Plays, The
Page 128
Mecaenas
Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Domitius Enobarbus
Never; he will not:
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
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.
Mecaenas
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.
Domitius Enobarbus
Humbly, sir, I thank you.
Exeunt
SCENE III. THE SAME. OCTAVIUS CAESAR’S HOUSE.
Enter Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar, Octavia between them, and Attendants
Mark 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.
Mark Antony
Good night, sir. My Octavia,
Read not my blemishes in the world’s report:
I have not kept my square; but that to come
Shall all be done by the rule. Good night, dear lady.
Good night, sir.
Octavius Caesar
Good night.
Exeunt Octavius Caesar and Octavia
Enter Soothsayer
Mark Antony
Now, sirrah; you do wish yourself in Egypt?
Soothsayer
Would I had never come from thence, nor you Thither!
Mark 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.
Mark Antony
Say to me,
Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Caesar’s or mine?
Soothsayer
Caesar’s.
Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side:
Thy demon, that’s thy spirit which keeps thee, is
Noble, courageous high, unmatchable,
Where Caesar’s is not; but, near him, thy angel
Becomes a fear, as being o’erpower’d: therefore
Make space enough between you.
Mark 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,
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.
Mark Antony
Get thee gone:
Say to Ventidius I would speak with him:
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,
When it is all to nought; and his quails ever
Beat mine, inhoop’d, at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,
I’ the east my pleasure lies.
Enter Ventidius
O, come, Ventidius,
You must to Parthia: your commission’s ready;
Follow me, and receive’t.
Exeunt
SCENE IV. THE SAME. A STREET.
Enter Lepidus, Mecaenas, 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 soldier’s dress,
Which will become you both, farewell.
Mecaenas
We shall,
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.
Mecaenas
Agrippa
Sir, good success!
Lepidus
Farewell.
Exeunt
SCENE V. ALEXANDRIA. CLEOPATRA’S PALACE.
Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas
Cleopatra
Give me some music; music, moody food
Of us that trade in love.
Attendants
The music, ho!
Enter Mardian
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 play’d
As with a woman. Come, you’ll play with me, sir?
Mardian
As well as I can, madam.
Cleopatra
And when good will is show’d, though’t come too short,
The actor may plead pardon. I’ll none now:
Give me mine angle; we’ll to the river: there,
My music playing far off, I will betray
Tawny-finn’d 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
You wager’d 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 laugh’d him out of patience; and that night
I laugh’d him into patience; and next morn,
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
O, from Italy
Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears,
That long time have been barren.
Messenger
Madam, madam,—
Cleopatra
Antonius 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 lipp’d, and trembled kissing.
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.
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 crown’d with snakes,
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 fr
iends with Caesar, or not captive to him,
I’ll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail
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
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:
In state of health thou say’st; and thou say’st 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’ the bed.
Cleopatra
I am pale, Charmian.
Messenger
Madam, he’s married to Octavia.
Cleopatra
The most infectious pestilence upon thee!
Strikes him down
Messenger
Good madam, patience.
Cleopatra
What say you? Hence,
Strikes him again
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 whipp’d with wire, and stew’d in brine,
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
Shall make thy peace for moving me to rage;
And I will boot thee with what gift beside
Thy modesty can beg.
Messenger
He’s married, madam.
Cleopatra
Rogue, thou hast lived too long.
Draws a knife
Messenger
Nay, then I’ll run.
What mean you, madam? I have made no fault.
Exit
Charmian
Good madam, keep yourself within yourself:
The man is innocent.
Cleopatra
Some innocents ’scape not the thunderbolt.
Melt Egypt into Nile! and kindly creatures
Turn all to serpents! Call the slave again:
Though I am mad, I will not bite him: call.
Charmian
He is afeard to come.
Cleopatra
I will not hurt him.
Exit Charmian
These hands do lack nobility, that they strike
A meaner than myself; since I myself
Have given myself the cause.
Re-enter Charmian and Messenger
Come hither, sir.
Though it be honest, it is never good
To bring bad news: give to a gracious message.
An host of tongues; but let ill tidings tell
Themselves when they be felt.
Messenger
I have done my duty.
Cleopatra
Is he married?
I cannot hate thee worser than I do,
If thou again say ‘Yes.’
Messenger
He’s married, madam.
Cleopatra
The gods confound thee! dost thou hold there still?
Messenger
Should I lie, madam?
Cleopatra
O, I would thou didst,
So half my Egypt were submerged and made
A cistern for scaled snakes! Go, get thee hence:
Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me
Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married?
Messenger
I crave your highness’ pardon.
Cleopatra
He is married?
Messenger
Take no offence that I would not offend you:
To punish me for what you make me do.
Seems much unequal: he’s married to Octavia.
Cleopatra
O, that his fault should make a knave of thee,
That art not what thou’rt sure of! Get thee hence:
The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome
Are all too dear for me: lie they upon thy hand,
And be undone by ’em!
Exit Messenger
Charmian
Good your highness, patience.
Cleopatra
In praising Antony, I have dispraised Caesar.
Charmian
Many times, madam.
Cleopatra
I am paid for’t now.
Lead me from hence:
I faint: O Iras, Charmian! ’tis no matter.
Go to the fellow, good Alexas; bid him
Report the feature of Octavia, her years,
Her inclination, let him not leave out
The colour of her hair: bring me word quickly.
Exit Alexas
Let him for ever go:— let him not — Charmian,
Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon,
The other way’s a Mars. Bid you Alexas
To Mardian
Bring me word how tall she is. Pity me, Charmian,
But do not speak to me. Lead me to my chamber.
Exeunt
SCENE VI. NEAR MISENUM.
Flourish. Enter Pompey and Menas at one door, with drum and trumpet: at another, Octavius Caesar, Mark Antony, Lepidus, Domitius Enobarbus, Mecaenas, with Soldiers marching
Pompey
Your hostages I have, so have you mine;
And we shall talk before we fight.
Octavius Caesar
Most meet
That first we come to words; and therefore have we
Our written purposes before us sent;
Which, if thou hast consider’d, let us know
If ’twill tie up thy discontented sword,
And carry back to Sicily much tall youth
That else must perish here.
Pompey
To you all three,
The senators alone of this great world,
Chief factors for the gods, I do not know
Wherefore my father should revengers want,
Having a son and friends; since Julius Caesar,
Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted,
There saw you labouring for him. What was’t
That moved pale Cassius to conspire; and what
Made the all-honour’d, honest Roman, Brutus,
With the arm’d rest, courtiers and beauteous freedom,
To drench the Capitol; but that they would
Have one man but a man? And that is it
Hath made me rig my navy; at whose burthen
The anger’d ocean foams; with which I meant
To scourge the ingratitude that despiteful Rome
Cast on my noble father.
Octavius Caesar
Take your time.
Mark Antony
Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails;
We’ll speak with thee at sea: at land, thou know’st
How much we do o’er-count thee.
Pompey
At land, indeed,
Thou dost o’er-count me of my father’s house:
But, since the cuckoo builds not for himself,
Remain in’t as thou
mayst.
Lepidus
Be pleased to tell us —
For this is from the present — how you take
The offers we have sent you.
Octavius Caesar
There’s the point.
Mark Antony
Which do not be entreated to, but weigh
What it is worth embraced.
Octavius Caesar
And what may follow,
To try a larger fortune.
Pompey
You have made me offer
Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must
Rid all the sea of pirates; then, to send
Measures of wheat to Rome; this ’greed upon
To part with unhack’d edges, and bear back
Our targes undinted.
Octavius Caesar
Mark Antony
Lepidus
That’s our offer.
Pompey
Know, then,
I came before you here a man prepared
To take this offer: but Mark Antony
Put me to some impatience: though I lose
The praise of it by telling, you must know,
When Caesar and your brother were at blows,
Your mother came to Sicily and did find
Her welcome friendly.
Mark Antony
I have heard it, Pompey;
And am well studied for a liberal thanks
Which I do owe you.
Pompey
Let me have your hand:
I did not think, sir, to have met you here.
Mark Antony
The beds i’ the east are soft; and thanks to you,
That call’d me timelier than my purpose hither;
For I have gain’d by ’t.
Octavius Caesar
Since I saw you last,
There is a change upon you.
Pompey
Well, I know not
What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face;
But in my bosom shall she never come,
To make my heart her vassal.
Lepidus
Well met here.
Pompey
I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed:
I crave our composition may be written,
And seal’d between us.
Octavius Caesar
That’s the next to do.
Pompey
We’ll feast each other ere we part; and let’s
Draw lots who shall begin.
Mark Antony
That will I, Pompey.
Pompey
No, Antony, take the lot: but, first
Or last, your fine Egyptian cookery
Shall have the fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar
Grew fat with feasting there.
Mark Antony
You have heard much.
Pompey
I have fair meanings, sir.
Mark Antony
And fair words to them.
Pompey
Then so much have I heard:
And I have heard, Apollodorus carried —
Domitius Enobarbus
No more of that: he did so.
Pompey
What, I pray you?
Domitius Enobarbus
A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.