The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 461
One man to just be a man? And that is what
Hath made me rig my navy; at whose burthen
Has made me arm my navy; at whose command
The anger'd ocean foams; with which I meant
The angered ocean foams; which is what I mean
To scourge the ingratitude that despiteful Rome
To burn away the ingratitude that spiteful Rome
Cast on my noble father.
Threw at my noble father.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Take your time.
Take you time.
MARK ANTONY
Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails;
You cannot fear us, Pompey, with your sails;
We'll speak with thee at sea: at land, thou know'st
We'll speak with you at see; on land, you know
How much we do o'er-count thee.
How much we outnumber you.
POMPEY
At land, indeed,
On land, I agree,Thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house:
You outnumber me of my father's house;
But, since the cuckoo builds not for himself,
But, since the cuckoo does not build for himself,
Remain in't as thou mayst.
Remain in it as you like.
LEPIDUS
Be pleased to tell us--
Please, tell us --For this is from the present--how you take
For this is about here and now -- how you feel
The offers we have sent you.
About the offers we have sent you.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
There's the point.
That's the point.
MARK ANTONY
Which do not be entreated to, but weigh
Which you should not be convinced about, but decide on your own
What it is worth embraced.
What is worth accepting.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
And what may follow,
And what might happen after,
To try a larger fortune.
If you try for a bigger prize.
POMPEY
You have made me offer
You have made me an offer
Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must
Of Sicily and Sardinia; and I must
Rid all the sea of pirates; then, to send
Get rid of all the pirates; then, send
Measures of wheat to Rome; this 'greed upon
A certain amount of wheat to Rome: this agreed upon
To part with unhack'd edges, and bear back
We do not fight, and take back
Our targes undinted.
Our armies with no lives lost.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR MARK ANTONY LEPIDUS
That's our offer.
That is our offer.
POMPEY
Know, then,You should know, then,
I came before you here a man prepared
That I came to you here a man prepared
To take this offer: but Mark Antony
To make the deal: but Mark Antony
Put me to some impatience: though I lose
Upset me: though I lose
The praise of it by telling, you must know,
Some of the goodness by bragging about it, you must know,
When Caesar and your brother were at blows,
When Caesar and your brother were fighting,
Your mother came to Sicily and did find
Your mother came to Sicily and found
Her welcome friendly.
A friendly welcome.
MARK ANTONY
I have heard it, Pompey;
I've heard it, Pompey;And am well studied for a liberal thanks
And I have thought about the generous thanks
Which I do owe you.
That I owe you.
POMPEY
Let me have your hand:
Give me your hand:
I did not think, sir, to have met you here.
I did not think, sir, that I would meet you here.
MARK ANTONY
The beds i' the east are soft; and thanks to you,
The beds in the east are soft; and thanks to you,
That call'd me timelier than my purpose hither;
That called me faster than my purpose here;
For I have gain'd by 't.
For I have gained by it.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Since I saw you last,
Since I last saw you,
There is a change upon you.
You have changed.
POMPEY
Well, I know not
Well, I do not know
What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face;
What bad luck does to my face;
But in my bosom shall she never come,
But in my chest she will never come,
To make my heart her vassal.
To make my heart her slave.
LEPIDUS
Well met here.
You are doing well here.
POMPEY
I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed:
I hope so, Lepidus. So we have agreed:
I crave our composition may be written,
I would like our treaty to be written,
And seal'd between us.
And sealed between us.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
That's the next to do.
That's the next thing to do.
POMPEY
We'll feast each other ere we part; and let's
We'll treat each other to a feast before before we separate; and let's
Draw lots who shall begin.
Draw straws who shall begin.
MARK ANTONY
That will I, Pompey.
I will, Pompey.
POMPEY
No, Antony, take the lot: but, first
No, Antony, take your straw: but, first
Or last, your fine Egyptian cookery
Or last, your fine Egyptian cooking
Shall have the fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar
Will be the most popular. I have heard that Julius Caesar
Grew fat with feasting there.
Became fat with feasting there.
MARK ANTONY
You have heard much.
You have heard a lot.
POMPEY
I have fair meanings, sir.
I have honest reasons, sir.
MARK ANTONY
And fair words to them.
And pretty words about them.
POMPEY
Then so much have I heard:
I have heard so much:
And I have heard, Apollodorus carried--
And I have heard that Apollodorus carried --
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
No more of that: he did so.
Don't finish your sentence: he did.
POMPEY
What, I pray you?
What, please tell me?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.
A certain queen to Caesar on a mattress.
POMPEY
I know thee now: how farest thou, soldier?
I recognize you now: how are you doing, soldier?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Well;
Well;And well am like to do; for, I perceive,
And I am likely to continue doing well; for, I see
Four feasts are toward.
Four feasts are coming.
POMPEY
Let me shake thy hand;
Let me shake your hand;
I never hated thee: I have seen thee fight,
I never hated you: I have seen you fight,
When I have envied thy behavior.
When I have jealously admired your behavior.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Sir,
Sir,I never loved you much; but I ha' praised ye,
I never thought much of you
; but I have praised you,
When you have well deserved ten times as much
When you have deserved ten times more praise
As I have said you did.
As I said you did.
POMPEY
Enjoy thy plainness,
Enjoy your simplicity,
If nothing ill becomes thee.
If nothing bad happens to you.
Aboard my galley I invite you all:
I invite all of you onto my ship;
Will you lead, lords?
Will you lead, gentlemen?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR MARK ANTONY LEPIDUS
Show us the way, sir.
Sir, show us the way.
POMPEY
Come.
Exeunt all but MENAS and ENOBARBUS
MENAS
[Aside] Thy father, Pompey, would ne'er have
Your father, Pompey, would never have
made this treaty.--You and I have known, sir.
made this treaty. -- I have met you, I think.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
At sea, I think.
At sea, I think.
MENAS
We have, sir.
We have, sir.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
You have done well by water.
You have done well on the water.
MENAS
And you by land.
And you on land.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
I will praise any man that will praise me; though it
I will praise any man who will praise me; though itcannot be denied what I have done by land.
cannot be denied how well I have done by land.
MENAS
Nor what I have done by water.
Or how well I have done on water.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Yes, something you can deny for your own
Yes, something you can deny for your ownsafety: you have been a great thief by sea.
safety: you have been a great thief on the sea.
MENAS
And you by land.
And you on land.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
There I deny my land service. But give me your
I deny my land's service. But give me your
hand, Menas: if our eyes had authority, here they
hand, Menas: if our eyes saw accurately, here they
might take two thieves kissing.
might see two thieves kissing.
MENAS
All men's faces are true, whatsome'er their hands are.
All men's faces are honest, whatever their hands are.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
But there is never a fair woman has a true face.
But no beautiful woman has an honest face.
MENAS
No slander; they steal hearts.
It's no lie; they steal hearts.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
We came hither to fight with you.
We came here to fight with you.
MENAS
For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking.
As for me, I am sorry it has turned into drinking.
Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune.
Today Pompey laughs away his fortune.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
If he do, sure, he cannot weep't back again.
If he does, surely, he cannot cry it back again.
MENAS
You've said, sir. We looked not for Mark Antony
You've said it, sir. We did not expect to see Mark Antony
here: pray you, is he married to Cleopatra?
here: please tell me, is he married to Cleopatra?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Caesar's sister is called Octavia.
Caesar's sister is named Octavia.
MENAS
True, sir; she was the wife of Caius Marcellus.
That's true, sir; she was the wife of Caius Marcellus.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius.
But she is now married to Mark Antony.
MENAS
Pray ye, sir?
Is that really true, sir?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
'Tis true.
It's true.
MENAS
Then is Caesar and he for ever knit together.
Then he and Caesar are connected forever.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would
If I had to predict what would happen from now, I would
not prophesy so.
not think it will be that way.
MENAS
I think the policy of that purpose made more in the
I think this was more a political thing
marriage than the love of the parties.
than about any affection between the parties.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
I think so too. But you shall find, the band that
I think so too. But, you will see, the knot that
seems to tie their friendship together will be the
seems to tie their friendship closer together will be thevery strangler of their amity: Octavia is of a
very strangler of their friendship: Octavia is of a
holy, cold, and still conversation.
religious, quiet, and still type.
MENAS
Who would not have his wife so?
Who wouldn't want a wife like that?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Not he that himself is not so; which is Mark Antony.
Not a man that is not like that himself; like Mark Antony.
He will to his Egyptian dish again: then shall the
He will go back to his Egyptian love again: and then the
sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Caesar; and, as
sadness of Octavia will create anger in Caesar; and, as
I said before, that which is the strength of their
I said before, the very thing that is the strength of theiramity shall prove the immediate author of their
friendship will turn out to be the immediate reason for their
variance. Antony will use his affection where it is:
disagreement. Antony will use his affection where it is:
he married but his occasion here.
he only married an opportunity here.
MENAS
And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard?
And that may very well happen. Sir, will you come aboard?
I have a health for you.
I have a drink for you.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
I shall take it, sir: we have used our throats in Egypt.
I will take it, sir: we have used our throats in Egypt.
MENAS
Come, let's away.
Let's go, then.
Exeunt
Music plays. Enter two or three Servants with a banquet
First Servant
Here they'll be, man. Some o' their plants are
Here they will be, man. Some of their plants are
ill-rooted already: the least wind i' the world
badly rooted already: the smallest wind in the world
will blow them down.
Second Servant
Lepidus is high-coloured.
Lepidus is all red in the face.
First Servant
They have made him drink alms-drink.
They have made him drink strong liquor.
Second Servant
As they pinch one another by the disposition, he
As they pinch each other as a joke, he cries out 'No more;' reconciles them to his
yells, 'No more;' brings them to agree with his
entreaty, and himself to the drink.
request, and himself to the drink.
First Servant
But it raises the greater war between him and
But it causes a bigger conflict b
etween him and
his discretion.
his good behavior.
Second Servant
Why, this is to have a name in great men's
Why, this is what it's like to be known among great men,
fellowship: I had as lief have a reed that will do
I would be as willing to have a reed that would
me no service as a partisan I could not heave.
not be of any help to me as an ally I could not get rid of.
First Servant
To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen
To be brought into a huge circle, and not to be seen
to move in't, are the holes where eyes should be,
to move in it, are the holes where eyes should be,
which pitifully disaster the cheeks.
which sadly ruin the cheeks.
A sennet sounded. Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MARK ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POMPEY, AGRIPPA, MECAENAS, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, MENAS, with other captains
MARK ANTONY
[To OCTAVIUS CAESAR] Thus do they, sir: they take
That is how they do it, sir: they take
the flow o' the Nile
the flow of the Nile
By certain scales i' the pyramid; they know,
By certain comparisons in to the pyramid; they know,
By the height, the lowness, or the mean, if dearth
By the height, the lowness, or the average, if drought
Or foison follow: the higher Nilus swells,
Or flood will follow: the higher the Nile swells,
The more it promises: as it ebbs, the seedsman
The more it promises: as it flows out, the farmer
Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain,
Scatters his seeds upon the slime,
And shortly comes to harvest.
And soon comes to a harvest.
LEPIDUS
You've strange serpents there.
There are strange snakes there.