The Works of William Shakespeare

CLEO.
None but friends: say boldly.
THYR. So, haply, are they friends to Antony.
ENO. He needs as many, sir, as Cæsar has;
Or needs not us. If Cæsar please, our master
Will leap to be his friend: for us, you know
Whose he is we are, and that is, Cæsar's.
THYR.

So.

Thus then, thou most renown'd: Cæsar entreats,
Not to consider in what case thou stand'st,
Further than he is Cæsar.

CLEO.

Go on right royal.

THYR. He knows that you embrace not Antony
As you did love, but as you fear'd him.

CLEO.

THYR. The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
Does pity, as constrainèd blemishes,

Not as deserv'd.

What is most right: mine honour was not yielded,
But conquer'd merely.

ENO. [aside.]

To be sure of that,

I will ask Antony.-Sir, sir, thou art so leaky,
That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
Thy dearest quit thee.

THYR.

Shall I say to Cæsar

What you require of him? for he partly begs

To be desir'd to give. It much would please him,
That of his fortunes you should make a staff
To lean upon but it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,
And put yourself under his shrowd,

The universal landlord.

CLEO.

THYR. My name is Thyreus.

CLEO.

What's your name?

Most kind messenger,

Say to great Cæsar this :-in deputation

I kiss his conquering hand: tell him, I am prompt
To lay my crown at 's feet, and there to kneel:

Tell him, from his all-obeying breath I hear

The doom of Egypt.

THYR.
Wisdom and fortune combating together,
If that the former dare but what it can,

[Exit.

'Tis your noblest course.

Give me grace to lay

Your Cæsar's father oft,

No chance may shake it.

My duty on your hand.

CLEO.

When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in,

The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest

To have command obey'd.

ENO. [aside.]

You will be whipp'd.

ANT. Approach, there!-Ay, you kite!-Now, gods and devils! Authority melts from me: of late, when I cried, 'Ho!'

Like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth,

And cry, 'Your will?'-Have you no ears? I am
Antony yet.

Enter Attendants

Take hence this Jack, and whip him.

ENO. [aside.] 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp
Than with an old one dying.

ANT.

Moon and stars!—

Whip him,-Were 't twenty of the greatest tributaries
That do acknowledge Cæsar, should I find them

So saucy with the hand of she here,-what's her name,
Since she was Cleopatra ?-Whip him, fellows,

Till like a boy, you see him cringe his face,
And whine aloud for mercy: take him hence.
THYR. Mark Antony,-

ANT.

Tug him away: being whipp'd, Bring him again :-this Jack of Cæsar's shall

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Bear us an errand to him. [Exeunt Attendants with THYREUS.
You were half blasted ere I knew you :-ha!
Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,
Forborne the getting of a lawful race,
And by a gem of women, to be abus'd
By one that looks on feeders ?

Good my lord,

CLEO.
ANT. You have been a boggler ever :-
But when we in our viciousness grow hard

(O misery on 't!), the wise gods seel our eyes;
In our own filth drop our clear judgments; make us
Adore our errors; laugh at 's, while we strut

To our confusion.

ΓΙΟ

Dead Cæsar's trencher; nay, you were a fragment
Of Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have
Luxuriously pick'd out: for, I am sure,

Though you can guess what temperance should be,
You know not what it is.

Wherefore is this?

CLEO.
ANT. To let a fellow that will take rewards,
And say, 'God quit you!' be familiar with
My playfellow, your hand; this kingly seal
And plighter of high hearts!—O, that I were
Upon the hill of Basan, to outroar

The horned herd! for I have savage cause;
And to proclaim it civilly, were like

A halter'd neck which does the hangman thank
For being yare about him.

Re-enter Attendants with THYREUS

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FIRST ATT. He did ask favour.

Cried he? and begg'd he pardon?

ANT. If that thy father live, let him repent

Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
To follow Cæsar in his triumph, since

Thou hast been whipp'd for following him: henceforth
The white hand of a lady fever thee,

Shake thou to look on 't.—Get thee back to Cæsar,
Tell him thy entertainment: look, thou say
He makes me angry with him; for he seems
Proud and disdainful, harping on what I am,
Not what he knew I was: he makes me angry;
And at this time most easy 'tis to do't,

When my good stars, that were my former guides,
Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
Into the abysm of hell. If he mislike
My speech and what is done, tell him he has
Hipparchus, my enfranchèd bondman, whom
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
As he shall like, to quit me: urge it thou:
Hence with thy stripes, begone!
CLEO. Have you done yet?
ANT.

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[Exit THYREUS.

Alack, our terrene moon
Is now eclips'd; and it portends alone
The fall of Antony!

CLEO.

I must stay his time.

ANT. To flatter Cæsar, would you mingle eyes

With one that ties his points?

CLEO.

ANT. Cold-hearted toward me?
CLEO.

Not know me yet?

Ah, dear, if I be so,
From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
And poison it in the source; and the first stone
Drop in my neck: as it determines, so

Dissolve my
life! The next Cæsarion smite!
Till, by degrees, the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
By the discandying of this pelleted storm,
Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile
Have buried them for prey!

ANT.

I am satisfied.
Cæsar sits down in Alexandria; where

I will oppose his fate. Our force by land
Hath nobly held; our sever'd navy too

Have knit again, and fleet, threatening most sea-like.

Where hast thou been, my heart?-Dost thou hear, lady?
If from the field I shall return once more
To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;
I and my sword will earn our chronicle:
There's hope in 't yet.

CLEO. That's my brave lord!

ANT. I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breath'd,
And fight maliciously: for when mine hours
Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
Of me for jests; but now I'll set my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me.-Come,
Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me
All my sad captains, fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.

CLEO.

It is my birth-day:
I had thought to have held it poor; but, since my lord
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

ANT. We will yet do well.

CLEO. Call all his noble captains to my lord.

ANT. Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night I'll force

The wine peep through their scars.-Come on, my queen;
There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight,

I'll make death love me; for I will contend

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Even with his pestilent scythe. [Exeunt all except ENOBARBUS.

ENO. Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,

Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood
The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still,
A diminution in our captain's brain

Restores his heart: when valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him.

200

[Exit.

ACT IV

SCENE I.-CÆSAR's Camp at Alexandria

Enter CÆSAR, reading a letter; AGRIPPA, MECENAS, and others CES. He calls me boy; and chides, as he had

To beat me out of Egypt; my messenger

power

He hath whipp'd with rods; dares me to personal combat,
Cæsar to Antony :-let the old ruffian know

I have many other ways to die; meantime
Laugh at his challenge.

MEC.

Cæsar must think,

Give him no breath, but now

When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted

Even to falling.

Make boot of his distraction :-never anger

Made good guard for itself,

CÆS.

Let our best heads

Know, that to-morrow the last of many battles
We mean to fight:—within our files there are,
Of those that serv'd Mark Antony but late,
Enough to fetch him in. See it done :
And feast the army; we have store to do 't,
And they have earn'd the waste. Poor Antony!