The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 459
MARK ANTONY
What power is in Agrippa,
What power does Agrippa have,
If I would say, 'Agrippa, be it so,'
If I were to say, 'Agrippa, make it so,'
To make this good?
To make this happen?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
The power of Caesar, and
My own power, and
His power unto Octavia.
My power over Octavia.
MARK ANTONY
May I never
May I neverTo this good purpose, that so fairly shows,
To this good solution, that seems so reasonable,
Dream of impediment! Let me have thy hand:
Dream of preventing! Let me have your hand:
Further this act of grace: and from this hour
Continue this act of grace: and from now onThe heart of brothers govern in our loves
May the heart of brothers rule over our feelings
And sway our great designs!
And affect our big plans!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
There is my hand.
Here is my hand.
A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother
I give you my sister, whom no brother
Did ever love so dearly: let her live
Ever loved so dearly: may she live
To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and never
To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and neverFly off our loves again!
Fight between us again!
LEPIDUS
Happily, amen!
May it be so!
MARK ANTONY
I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Pompey;
I did not think to fight against Pompey;
For he hath laid strange courtesies and great
For he has been very polite and given many favors
Of late upon me: I must thank him only,
Recently: I must only thank him,
Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;
So that my gratefulness will not lose its reputation;
At heel of that, defy him.
And then afterwards, go against him.
LEPIDUS
Time calls upon's:
Time calls upon us:
Of us must Pompey presently be sought,
We must go after Pompey soon,
Or else he seeks out us.
Or else he will come after us.
MARK ANTONY
Where lies he?
Where is he camping?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
About the mount Misenum.
Around Misenum Mountain.
MARK ANTONY
What is his strength by land?
How are his armies?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Great and increasing: but by sea
Large, powerful, and increasing: but by sea
He is an absolute master.
He rules absolutely.
MARK ANTONY
So is the fame.
That's what people say.
Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it:
If only we had spoken together before! We must hurry:
Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we
But, before we put our armor on, we should go
The business we have talk'd of.
And take care of the business we have been discussing.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
With most gladness:
Gladly,
And do invite you to my sister's view,
And I invite you to see my sister,
Whither straight I'll lead you.
Where I'll lead you right away.
MARK ANTONY
Let us, Lepidus,
Let us, Lepidus,Not lack your company.
Not be without you.
LEPIDUS
Noble Antony,
Noble Mark Antony,Not sickness should detain me.
Nothing should prevent me.
Flourish. Exeunt OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MARK ANTONY, and LEPIDUS
MECAENAS
Welcome from Egypt, sir.
Welcome from Egypt, sir.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Half the heart of Caesar, worthy Mecaenas! My
May you have half Caesar's heart, worthy Mecaenas! My
honourable friend, Agrippa!
honorable friend, Agrippa!
AGRIPPA
Good Enobarbus!
Good to see you, Enobarbus!
MECAENAS
We have cause to be glad that matters are so well
We have reason to be glad that everything has turned out
digested. You stayed well by 't in Egypt.
so well. You had a good time in Egypt.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and
Yes, sir; we slept the day away, and
made the night light with drinking.
drank the night away too.
MECAENAS
Eight wild-boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and
Eight wild boars were roasted whole for breakfast, and
but twelve persons there; is this true?
only to feed twelve people; is this true?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more
Oh, that was nothing at all compared to some of the
monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deserved noting.
feasting we did, it is very much worth remembering.
MECAENAS
She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.
She's an amazing lady, if reports are accurate about her.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up
When she first met Mark Antony, she captured
his heart, upon the river of Cydnus.
his heart, while sailing on the river Cydnus.
AGRIPPA
There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised
That is what I heard, or else my reporter lied
well for her.
cleverly.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
I will tell you.
I will tell you.The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,
The barge she sat in, like a shining throne,
Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
Burned on the water: the upper deck was made of beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
The sails were purple, and with so much perfume that
The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,
The winds were dying of love; the oars were silver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
Which were kept in time by the sound of flutes, and made
The water which they beat to follow faster,
The water which they beat splash faster,
As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
As if passionate for the strokes. As for herself,
It beggar'd all description: she did lie
Any description would be inadequate: she lay
In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--
On her couch - with golden cloth -
O'er-picturing that Venus where we see
Making someone think of VenusThe fancy outwork nature: on each side her
In her beauty: on each side of her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
Stood pretty young boys with dimples, like smiling Cupids,With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem
With fans of many colors, whose breezes seemed
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
To bring a glow to the delicate cheeks which they cooled,
And what they undid did.
And undid what they did.
AGRIPPA
O, rare for Antony!
Oh,
lucky Antony!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,
Her serving women, like the nymphs,
So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes,
Or a group of mermaids, cared for her,
A strange invisible perfume hits the sense
A strange invisible perfume drifts towards
Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast
Of the nearby piers. The city threw
Her people out upon her; and Antony,
Her people out to see her; and Antony,
Enthroned i' the market-place, did sit alone,
Sitting in the marketplace, sat alone,
Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy,
Whistling to the air; which, because of nothing else to do,
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,
Had gone to look at Cleopatra too,
And made a gap in nature.
And made an empty space in nature.
AGRIPPA
Rare Egyptian!
Unique Egyptian!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Upon her landing, Antony sent to her,
When she landed, Antony sent a message to her,
Invited her to supper: she replied,
Invited her to dinner: she replied,It should be better he became her guest;
It would be better if he became her guest;
Which she entreated: our courteous Antony,
Which she pleaded: our courteous Antony,
Whom ne'er the word of 'No' woman heard speak,
Who never says 'No' to a woman,
Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast,
Being caught ten times over, goes to the feast,
And for his ordinary pays his heart
And as a result pays his heart
For what his eyes eat only.
Only for what his eyes eat.
AGRIPPA
Royal wench!
Royal woman!
She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed:
She made great Caesar put his sword away:
He plough'd her, and she cropp'd.
For the sake of love.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
I saw her once
I saw her onceHop forty paces through the public street;
Run forty paces through the public street;
And having lost her breath, she spoke, and panted,
And once she lost her breath, she spoke, and panted,
That she did make defect perfection,
That she made flaws into perfection,
And, breathless, power breathe forth.
And, breathless, breathed power.
MECAENAS
Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Now Antony must leave her completely.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Never; he will not:
He never will:Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Age cannot wrinkle her, or habit make dull
Her infinite variety: other women cloy
Her infinite variety: other women fill up
The appetites they feed: but she makes hungry
They appetites they feed: but she causes hunger
Where most she satisfies.
Where she satisfies most.
MECAENAS
If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle
If beauty, wisdom, and quiet humility, can settle
The heart of Antony, Octavia is
Mark Antony's heart, Octavia isA blessed lottery to him.
A lucky win for him.
AGRIPPA
Let us go.
Let's go.Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest
Dear Enobarbus, make yourself my guestWhilst you abide here.
While you are staying here.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Humbly, sir, I thank you.
Thank you very much, sir.
Exeunt
Enter MARK ANTONY, OCTAVIUS CAESAR, OCTAVIA between them, and Attendants
MARK ANTONY
The world and my great office will sometimes
The world and my high position will sometimes
Divide me from your bosom.
Separate me from you.
OCTAVIA
All which time
And that whole time
Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers
I shall bow to the gods and pray
To them for you.
MARK ANTONY
Good night, sir. My Octavia,
Good night, sir. Octavia dear,Read not my blemishes in the world's report:
Do not pay attention to my reputation according to the world,
I have not kept my square; but that to come
I have not been always responsible; but from now on
Shall all be done by the rule. Good night, dear lady.
Everything will be done according to the rules. Goodnight, dear lady.
Good night, sir.
Goodnight, sir.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Good night.
Goodnight.
Exeunt OCTAVIUS CAESAR and OCTAVIA
Enter Soothsayer
MARK ANTONY
Now, sirrah; you do wish yourself in Egypt?
Now, man; you wish you were in Egypt?
Soothsayer
Would I had never come from thence, nor you Thither!
If only I had never come here from there, nor you from there!
MARK ANTONY
If you can, your reason?
If you can tell me, what is your reason?
Soothsayer
I see it inMy motion, have it not in my tongue: but yet
My mind, not yet able to say it: but still
Hie you to Egypt again.
Hurry back to Egypt again.
MARK ANTONY
Say to me,
Tell me,
Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Caesar's or mine?
Whose station in life will rise higher, Caesar's or mine?
Soothsayer
Caesar's.
Caesar's.Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side:
Therefore, Antony, do not stay by his side:
Thy demon, that's thy spirit which keeps thee, is
Your demon, that's your spirit which keeps you, is
Noble, courageous high, unmatchable,
Noble, brave, without match,
Where Caesar's is not; but, near him, thy angel
Where Caesar's is not; but, near him, your angel
Becomes a fear, as being o'erpower'd: therefore
Becomes a fear of being overpowered: therefore
Make space enough between you.
Keep a good distance between you.
MARK ANTONY
Speak this no more.
Say no more about this.
Soothsayer
To none but thee; no more, but when to thee.
No one but you; no more, except when to you.
If thou dost play with him at any game,
If you play with him at any game,
Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck,
You are sure to lose; and, when it comes to natural luck,
He beats thee 'gainst the odds: thy lustre thickens,
He beats you against the odds: your luster thickens,
When he shines by: I say again, thy spirit
When he shines by: I say again, you spirit
Is all afraid to govern thee near him;
Is all afraid to rule you near him;But, he away, 'tis noble.
But, when he is away, it is noble.
MARK ANTONY
Get thee gone:
Go now:
Say to Ventidius I would speak with him:
Tell Ventidius I want to talk to him.
Exit Soothsayer
He shall to Parthia. Be it art or hap,
He will go to Parthia. Whether it is on purpose or by chance,
> He hath spoken true: the very dice obey him;
He has spoken the truth: the dice themselves obey him;
And in our sports my better cunning faints
And in our sports my cleverness fails
Under his chance: if we draw lots, he speeds;
Under his luck: if we draw lots, he gets the better one;
His cocks do win the battle still of mine,
His fighting roosters win against mine,
When it is all to nought; and his quails ever
Even when it is not important; and his quails always
Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt:
Beat mine. I will go to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,
And though I make this marriage for the sake of peace,
I' the east my pleasure lies.
My pleasure lies in the east.
Enter VENTIDIUS
O, come, Ventidius,
Come with me, Ventidius,
You must to Parthia: your commission's ready;
You must go to Parthia: your assignment's ready:
Follow me, and receive't.
Follow me, and receive it.
Exeunt
Enter LEPIDUS, MECAENAS, and AGRIPPA
LEPIDUS
Trouble yourselves no further: pray you, hasten
Do not trouble yourselves any further: please, hurry
Your generals after.
Your generals off to fight.
AGRIPPA
Sir, Mark Antony
Sir, Mark AntonyWill e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow.
Could even just kiss Octavia, and we'll follow.
LEPIDUS
Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress,
Till I see you in your soldier's clothes,
Which will become you both, farewell.
Which will suit you both well, farewell.
MECAENAS
We shall,
We will,As I conceive the journey, be at the Mount
As I plan the journey, I will be at the mountain
Before you, Lepidus.
LEPIDUS
Your way is shorter;
Your way is quicker;My purposes do draw me much about: