The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 466
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
Scold the brown for riskiness, and they them
For fear and doting. Friends, be gone: you shall
For fear and caring too much. Friends, be gone; you will
Have letters from me to some friends that will
Have letters from me to some friends that willSweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Make your pathway easier. Please, do not look sad,
Nor make replies of loathness: take the hint
Or refuse any further: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
Which my despair announces; let that be left
Which leaves itself: to the sea-side straightway:
Which leaves itself: go to the sea:
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
I will allow you to have that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little: pray you now:
Leave me, please, please now:
Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command,
No, do, because I have lost command,
Therefore I pray you: I'll see you by and by.
Therefore, please: I'll see you again.
Sits down
Enter CLEOPATRA led by CHARMIAN and IRAS; EROS following
EROS
Nay, gentle madam, to him, comfort him.
No, gentle madam, go to him, comfort him.
IRAS
Do, most dear queen.
Do, dearest queen.
CHARMIAN
Do! why: what else?
Do! What else could you do?
CLEOPATRA
Let me sit down. O Juno!
Let me sit down. O Juno!
MARK ANTONY
No, no, no, no, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
EROS
See you here, sir?
Do you see, sir?
MARK ANTONY
O fie, fie, fie!
Oh damn, damn, damn!
CHARMIAN
Madam!
Madam!
IRAS
Madam, O good empress!
Madam, oh good empress!
EROS
Sir, sir,--
Sir, sir,--
MARK ANTONY
Yes, my lord, yes; he at Philippi kept
Yes, my lord, yes: he kept at Philippi
His sword e'en like a dancer; while I struck
His sword even like a dancer; while I hit
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I
The lean and wrinkled Cassius, and it was me
That the mad Brutus ended: he alone
Who killed insane Brutus: only he
Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practise had
Fought based on advice, and had no practice
In the brave squares of war: yet now--No matter.
In the brave field of war: but now -- Never mind.
CLEOPATRA
Ah, stand by.
Ah, stay near.
EROS
The queen, my lord, the queen.
The queen, sir, the queen.
IRAS
Go to him, madam, speak to him:
Go to him, lady, speak to him:He is unqualitied with very shame.
He is overcome with shame.
CLEOPATRA
Well then, sustain him: O!
Well then, help him: Oh!
EROS
Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches:
Noble sir, stand; the queen is coming:
Her head's declined, and death will seize her, but
Her head is sinking, and death will take her, but
Your comfort makes the rescue.
Your comfort can save her.
MARK ANTONY
I have offended reputation,
I have destroyed my reputation,
A most unnoble swerving.
A very cowardly swerve.
EROS
Sir, the queen.
Sir, the queen.
MARK ANTONY
O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See,
Oh, where have you led me, Egypt? See,
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes
How I show my shame out of your eyes
By looking back what I have left behind
By looking back on what I have left behind
'Stroy'd in dishonour.
Destroyed in dishonor.
CLEOPATRA
O my lord, my lord,
Oh sir, sir,Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought
Forgive my running away! I did not think
You would have follow'd.
You were going to follow.
MARK ANTONY
Egypt, thou knew'st too well
Egypt, you knew too well
My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings,
That my heart was tied by strings to your rudder,
And thou shouldst tow me after: o'er my spirit
And you would tow me after: over my spirit
Thy full supremacy thou knew'st, and that
You know your absolute rule, and that
Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Your wants might from the orders of the gods
Command me.
Command me.
CLEOPATRA
O, my pardon!
Oh, forgive me!
MARK ANTONY
Now I must
Now I mustTo the young man send humble treaties, dodge
To the young man send humble messages, crawl
And palter in the shifts of lowness; who
And kneel in lowness; I who
With half the bulk o' the world play'd as I pleased,
Played with half the world as I pleased,
Making and marring fortunes. You did know
Making and breaking fortunes. You knew
How much you were my conqueror; and that
How much you had conquered me; and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
My sword, made weak by my love, wouldObey it on all cause.
Obey it no matter what.
CLEOPATRA
Pardon, pardon!
I'm sorry, sorry!
MARK ANTONY
Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates
Do not cry, I say; a single tear rates
All that is won and lost: give me a kiss;
All that is won and lost; give me a kiss;Even this repays me. We sent our schoolmaster;
Even that is repayment. We sent our teacher;
Is he come back? Love, I am full of lead.
Has he come back? Love, my body is heavy.
Some wine, within there, and our viands! Fortune knows
Some wine and food! Fortune knows
We scorn her most when most she offers blows.
We dislike her most when she most gives us blows.
Exeunt
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with others
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Let him appear that's come from Antony.
Let the messenger from Antony appear.
Know you him?
Do you know him?
DOLABELLA
Caesar, 'tis his schoolmaster:
Caesar, it is his teacher:
An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither
Which proves that he is desperate, when here
He sends so poor a pinion off his wing,
He sends such a common person,
Which had superfluous kings for messengers
When he had spare kings to use as messengers
Not many moons gone by.
Not many months ago.
Enter EUPHRONIUS, ambassador from MARK ANTONY
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Approach, and speak.
Come closer, and speak.
EUPHRONIUS
Such as I am, I come from Antony:
&nbs
p; Such as I am, I come from Mark Antony:I was of late as petty to his ends
I was recently as unimportant to his purposes
As is the morn-dew on the myrtle-leaf
As the morning dew on a leaf
To his grand sea.
Is to the grand sea.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Be't so: declare thine office.
All right: state your business.
EUPHRONIUS
Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and
He calls you the master of his fate, and
Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted,
Asks to live in Egypt: which, if that is too much,
He lessens his requests; and to thee sues
He is willing to have less; and begs you
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
To let him stay alive,
A private man in Athens: this for him.
A private man in Athens. That settles him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;
Next, Cleopatra admits to your greatness;
Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves
Submits to your power; and asks from you
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Part of Egypt for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
Depending on your generosity.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
For Antony,
For Mark Antony,I have no ears to his request. The queen
I will not consider his request. The queen
Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she
Will not get to talk to me or get her request, unless
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,
She chases her disgraced friend from Egypt,
Or take his life there: this if she perform,
Or kill him there: if she does this,
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
She can have what she wants. Tell them both.
EUPHRONIUS
Fortune pursue thee!
Good luck to you!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Bring him through the bands.
Take him through the troops.
Exit EUPHRONIUS
To THYREUS
From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,
From Antony we will win Cleopatra: promise
And in our name, what she requires; add more,
And in our name, what she wants; add more,
From thine invention, offers: women are not
Whatever offers you can think of: women are not
In their best fortunes strong; but want will perjure
Strong even at the best of times; but need will ruin
The ne'er touch'd vestal: try thy cunning, Thyreus;
Even the purest woman: try your cleverness, Thyreus;
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Make your own message in your work, which we
Will answer as a law.
Will treat as law.
THYREUS
Caesar, I go.
Caesar, I will go.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,
Look how Antony becomes his flaws,
And what thou think'st his very action speaks
And what you think his actions speak
In every power that moves.
In his very motion.
THYREUS
Caesar, I shall.
Caesar, I will.
Exeunt
Enter CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS
CLEOPATRA
What shall we do, Enobarbus?
What will we do, Enobarbus?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Think, and die.
Think, and die.
CLEOPATRA
Is Antony or we in fault for this?
Whose fault is it, Antony's or mine?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Antony only, that would make his will
Only Antony's, who would make his emotions
Lord of his reason. What though you fled
Govern his reason. So what if you ran
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
From that battle, where several things
Frighted each other? why should he follow?
Made it frightening? Why should he follow?
The itch of his affection should not then
His feelings of affection should not then
Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point,
Damage his leadership; at such a point,
When half to half the world opposed, he being
When the halves of the world were fighting one another, he being
The meered question: 'twas a shame no less
The one in question: it was a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
Than it was his loss, to chase after your flags
And leave his navy gazing.
And leave his navy confused.
CLEOPATRA
Prithee, peace.
Please, that's enough.
Enter MARK ANTONY with EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador
MARK ANTONY
Is that his answer?
Is that his answer?
EUPHRONIUS
Ay, my lord.
Yes, my lord.
MARK ANTONY
The queen shall then have courtesy, so she
The queen will then have courtesy, if she
Will yield us up.
Gives me up.
EUPHRONIUS
He says so.
He says so.
MARK ANTONY
Let her know't.
Let her know it.
To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,
To the boy Caesar send this old man's head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
And he will fill your wishes to the brim
With principalities.
With lands to rule over.
CLEOPATRA
That head, my lord?
The head, sir?
MARK ANTONY
To him again: tell him he wears the rose
To him again: tell him we has the blush
Of youth upon him; from which the world should note
Of youth upon him; from which the world should notice
Something particular: his coin, ships, legions,
Something in particular: his money, ships, armies,
May be a coward's; whose ministers would prevail
May be a coward's; whose advisers would win
Under the service of a child as soon
While serving a child just as well
As i' the command of Caesar: I dare him therefore
As they would under Caesar's: I therefore dare him
To lay his gay comparisons apart,
To put aside his friends,
And answer me declined, sword against sword,
And answer my challenge, sword against sword,
Ourselves alone. I'll write it: follow me.
In single combat. I'll write it; follow me.
Exeunt MARK ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
[Aside] Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will
Yes, it is likely enough that victorious Caesar will
Unstate his happiness, and be staged to the show,
Put aside his happiness, and take part in the show,
Against a sworder! I see men's judgments are
Against a swordsman! I see men's judgments are
A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
Just a part of their fortunes; and things on the outside
Do draw the inward quality after them,
Affect things on the inside as well,
To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
For all of them to suffer together. That he drea
ms,
Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will
Knowing all the factors, the full Caesar will
Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdued
Respond to his emptiness! Caesar, you have conquered
His judgment too.
Enter an Attendant
Attendant
A messenger from CAESAR.
A messenger from Caesar.
CLEOPATRA
What, no more ceremony? See, my women!
What, no more fanfare? See, my women!
Against the blown rose may they stop their nose
Against the blooming rose they may stick in their nose
That kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, sir.
That kneeled to the buds. Let him in, sir.
Exit Attendant
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
[Aside] Mine honesty and I begin to square.
My honesty and myself begin to battle.
The loyalty well held to fools does make
Being loyal to fools still makes
Our faith mere folly: yet he that can endure
Our loyalty into foolishness: yet he that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fall'n lord
To follow faithfully a fallen lord
Does conquer him that did his master conquer
Conquers the people his master conquered
And earns a place i' the story.
And earns a place in the story.
Enter THYREUS
CLEOPATRA
Caesar's will?
What does Caesar want?
THYREUS
Hear it apart.
Listen in private.
CLEOPATRA
None but friends: say boldly.
Everyone here is a friend: speak openly.
THYREUS
So, haply, are they friends to Antony.
So, by chance, they are friends of Antony.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has;
He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has;Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master
Or does not need us. If Caesar wishes, our master