The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 465
That pushes it against us.
OCTAVIA
Is it so, sir?
Is that true, sir?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you,
It is certain. Sister, welcome, please,
Be ever known to patience: my dear'st sister!
Be patient and happy, my dearest sister!
Exeunt
Enter CLEOPATRA and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
CLEOPATRA
I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
I will stay with you, do not doubt it.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
But why, why, why?
But why, why, why?
CLEOPATRA
Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,You have spoken against my being in these wars,
And say'st it is not fit.
And say it's not appropriate.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Well, is it, is it?
Well, is it, is it?
CLEOPATRA
If not denounced against us, why should not we
If you are not against us, why should we not
Be there in person?
Be there in person?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;
Your presence distracts Antony;
Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his time,
Takes from his heart, takes from his brain, from his time,What should not then be spared. He is already
Which he doesn't have to spare. He is alreadyTraduced for levity; and 'tis said in Rome
Thought to be silly and foolish; and it is said in Rome
That Photinus an eunuch and your maids
That Photinus, a eunuch, and your maids
Manage this war.
Manage this war.
CLEOPATRA
Sink Rome, and their tongues rot
Sink Rome, and may their tongues rot
That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war,
That speak against us! We have a purpose in the war,
And, as the president of my kingdom, will
And, as the ruler of my kingdom, I will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it:
Appear there instead of a man. Do not speak against it:
I will not stay behind.
I will not stay behind.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Nay, I have done.
No, I'm done.
Here comes the emperor.
Enter MARK ANTONY and CANIDIUS
MARK ANTONY
Is it not strange, Canidius,
Isn't it strange, Canidius,That from Tarentum and Brundusium
That from Tarentum and BrundusiumHe could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,
He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,And take in Toryne? You have heard on't, sweet?
And take in Toryne? Have you heard about it, sweet?
CLEOPATRA
Celerity is never more admired
Cleverness is never more admired
Than by the negligent.
Than by the irresponsible.
MARK ANTONY
A good rebuke,
A good criticism,
Which might have well becomed the best of men,
Which might have been good for even the best of men,
To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we
To correct laziness. Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.
Will fight with him by sea.
CLEOPATRA
By sea! what else?
By sea! What else?
CANIDIUS
Why will my lord do so?
Why do that?
MARK ANTONY
For that he dares us to't.
Because he dares us to it.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
So hath my lord dared him to single fight.
In the same way my lord has dared him to single combat.
CANIDIUS
Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia.
Yes, and to fight this battle at Pharsalia,
Where Caesar fought with Pompey: but these offers,
Where Caesar fought with Pompey: but these offers,Which serve not for his vantage, be shakes off;
Which do not serve his advantage, get shaken off;
And so should you.
And you should do the same.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Your ships are not well mann'd;
Your ships are not well manned;
Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people
Your sailors are amateurs,
Ingross'd by swift impress; in Caesar's fleet
Not good fighters; in Caesar's fleet
Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
Are those that have often fought against Pompey:
Their ships are yare; yours, heavy: no disgrace
Their ships are light and fast; yours, heavy: no disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,
Will come to you for refusing at sea,
Being prepared for land.
Being prepared for land.
MARK ANTONY
By sea, by sea.
By sea, by sea.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
Good sir, by doing that you throw away
The absolute soldiership you have by land;
The absolute rule you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most consist
Distract your army, which mostly consists
Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Of experienced infantry; leave unused
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
Your own famous and admired knowledge; give up
The way which promises assurance; and
The way that promises success; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
Give yourself up completely to blind luck,
From firm security.
Instead of security.
MARK ANTONY
I'll fight at sea.
I'll fight at sea.
CLEOPATRA
I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.
I have sixty ships, Caesar does not have any better.
MARK ANTONY
Our overplus of shipping will we burn;
We will burn our extra cargo;
And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium
And, with the rest fully manned, from the head of Actium
Beat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
We will defeat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
We then can do't at land.
We can then do it on land.
Enter a Messenger
Thy business?
Your business?
Messenger
The news is true, my lord; he is descried;
The news is true, my lord; he is victorious;
Caesar has taken Toryne.
Caesar has taken Toryne.
MARK ANTONY
Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;
Can he be there in person? It's impossible;
Strange that power should be. Canidius,
How strange that power is. Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
Our nineteen legions you will hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship:
And our twelve thousand horses. We'll go to our ship:
Away, my Thetis!
Now let's go, my Thetis!
Enter a Soldier
How now, worthy soldier?
What's going on, worthy soldier?
Soldier
O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
Oh noble emperor, do not fight by sea;Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt
Do not trust
rotten planks: do you doubt
This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians
My sword and my wounds' experience? Let the Egyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we
And the Phoenicians go swimming; we
Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,
Are used to conquering while standing on the ground,
And fighting foot to foot.
And fighting foot to foot.
MARK ANTONY
Well, well: away!
Well, well; away!
Exeunt MARK ANTONY, QUEEN CLEOPATRA, and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Soldier
By Hercules, I think I am i' the right.
By Hercules, I think I am right.
CANIDIUS
Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows
Soldier, you are: but he is no longer
Not in the power on't: so our leader's led,
Motivated by logic: our leader is led,
And we are women's men.
And we are women's men.
Soldier
You keep by land
You will keep on land
The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
The legions and the cavalry, yes?
CANIDIUS
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,Publicola, and Caelius, are for sea:
Publicola, and Caelius, are in favor of sea:But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's
But we will stay on land. This speed of Caesar's
Carries beyond belief.
Is unbelievable.
Soldier
While he was yet in Rome,
While he was still in Rome,
His power went out in such distractions as
His power distracted and tricked
Beguiled all spies.
All the spies.
CANIDIUS
Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
Who is his lieutenant, do you know?
Soldier
They say, one Taurus.
They say he's named Taurus.
CANIDIUS
Well I know the man.
I know the man well.
Enter a Messenger
Messenger
The emperor calls Canidius.
The emperor calls Canidius.
CANIDIUS
With news the time's with labour, and throes forth,
With news the time is about work,
Each minute, some.
Every minute, some more.
Exeunt
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, and TAURUS, with his army, marching
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Taurus!
Taurus!
TAURUS
My lord?
Sir?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke not battle,
Do not fight on land; stand your ground: do not start a battle
Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed
Until we have finished at sea. Do not go beyond
The prescript of this scroll: our fortune lies
This order: our whole fortune depends
Upon this jump.
Upon this move.
Exeunt
Enter MARK ANTONY and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
MARK ANTONY
Set we our squadrons on yond side o' the hill,
Let us set our squadrons on this side of the hill,
In eye of Caesar's battle; from which place
Within view of Caesar's battle; from which
We may the number of the ships behold,
We may see the number of the ships,
And so proceed accordingly.
Exeunt
CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant of OCTAVIUS CAESAR, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight
Alarum. Enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Naught, naught all, naught! I can behold no longer:
All for nothing, nothing, nothing! I can't watch anymore;
The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:
With all their sixty ships, turn around and escape:
To see't mine eyes are blasted.
To see it burns my eyes.
Enter SCARUS
SCARUS
Gods and goddesses,
Gods and goddesses,All the whole synod of them!
The entire navy of them!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
What's thy passion!
What's your opinion?
SCARUS
The greater cantle of the world is lost
The larger wealth is lost
With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away
With ignorance; we have kissed away
Kingdoms and provinces.
Kingdoms and provinces.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
How appears the fight?
How does the fight look?
SCARUS
On our side like the token'd pestilence,
On our side it is like a plague,
Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt,--
Where death is definite. Those weak soldiers of Egypt,--
Whom leprosy o'ertake!--i' the midst o' the fight,
May they have leprosy! -- In the middle of the fight,
The breese upon her, like a cow in June,
The breeze upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails and flies.
Pulls up the sails and runs away.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
That I beheld:
I saw that:
Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not
My eyes sickened at the sight, and could not
Endure a further view.
Stand to watch any longer.
SCARUS
She once being loof'd,
Once she had escaped,
The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,
The one who had ruined her, Antony,
Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,
Put up his sails, and, like a loving male duck,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:
Leaving the fight at its peak, sailed after her:
I never saw an action of such shame;
I never saw such a shameful action;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Experience, manhood, honor, never before
Did violate so itself.
Violated itself so much.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Alack, alack!
Oh no, oh no!
Enter CANIDIUS
CANIDIUS
Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
We are out of luck on the sea,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
And it sinks. If our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
Been himself and fought like he can, it would have gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight,
Oh, he has given an example for our running away,
Most grossly, by his own!
Terribly, by his own!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Ay, are you thereabouts?
Yes, are you around there?
Why, then, good night indeed.
Why, then, goodnight indeed.
CANIDIUS
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
They escaped towards Peloponnesus.
SCARUS
'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend
That is easily reached; and there I will deal with
What further comes.
What comes after.
CANIDIUS
To Caesar will I render
To Caesar I will give
My legions and my horse: six kings already
My armies and my horses: six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.
Have shown me how to surrender.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
I'll yet follow
I'll still follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
The unlikely way of Antony, even though it does notSits in the wind against me.
Seem reasonable to.
Exeunt
Enter MARK ANTONY with Attendants
MARK ANTONY
Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon't;
Listen! The land no longer wants me to walk upon it;
It is ashamed to bear me! Friends, come hither:
It is ashamed to carry me! Friends, come here:I am so lated in the world, that I
I ham so ruined in the world, that I
Have lost my way for ever: I have a ship
Have lost my way forever: I have a ship
Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,
Full of gold; take it, share it; escape
And make your peace with Caesar.
And make your peace with Caesar.
All
Fly! not we.
Run away! Not we.
MARK ANTONY
I have fled myself; and have instructed cowards
I have run myself; and have told cowards
To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone;
To run and show their backs. Friends, be gone;I have myself resolved upon a course
I have decided on a plan
Which has no need of you; be gone:
Which does not need you; go:
My treasure's in the harbour, take it. O,
My treasure's in the harbor, take it. Oh,I follow'd that I blush to look upon:
I followed what I blushed to look at:
My very hairs do mutiny; for the white
My very hairs rebel against me; for the white