Cleo. O, treason! Char. Madam, I trust, not so. Cleo. Thou ennuch! Mardian ! Mar. What's your highness' pleasure? Cleo. Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure In aught a eunuch has: 'Tis well for thee, That, being unseminar'd, * thy freer thoughts Cleo. Indeed? Mar. Not in deed, Madam; for I can do nothing But what in deed is honest to be done : Yet have I fierce affections, and think, What Venus did with Mars. Cleo. O Charmian, Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? Or does he walk? or is he on his horse? O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st? The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm And burgonet † of men.-He's speaking now, Or murmuring, Where's my serpent of old Nile? With most delicious poison :-Think on me, And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Cæsar; Enter ALEXAS. Alex. Sovereign of Egypt, hail! Cleo. How much unlike art thou Mark Antony ? How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? He kiss'd, the last of many doubled kisses,- Alex. Good friend, quoth he, Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends To mend the petty present, I will piece Her opulent throne with kingdoms; All the east, Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke Cleo. What, was he sad, or merry? Alex. Like to the time o' the year between the extremes him, Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him; So does it no man else.-Met'st thou my posts? Cleo. Who's born that day When I forget to send to Antony, Shall die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian.- Char. O that brave Cæsar ! Cleo. Be choked with such another emphasis ! Say, the brave Antony. Char. The valiant Cæsar ! Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Caesar paragon again My man of men. Char. By your most gracious pardon, I sing but after you. Cleo. My sallad days; When I was green in judgment:-Cold in blood, Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I-Messina.-A Room in POMPEY's house. Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS. Pom. If the great gods be just, they shall assist The deeds of justest men. Mene. Know, worthy Pompey, That what they do delay, they not deny. Pom. Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays The thing we sue for. Mene. We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers, Deny us for our good; so find we profit, By losing of our prayers. Pom. I shall do well: The people love me, and the sea is mine; My power's a crescent, and my auguring hope No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money, where Of both is flatter'd ; but he neither loves, Nor either cares for him. Men. Cæsar and Lepidus Are in the field; a mighty strength they carry. Men. From Silvius, Sir. Pom. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony: But all charms of love Salt Clopatra, soften thy waned * lip! Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both! Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks, That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour, Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver: A space for further travel. Pom. I could have given less matter A better ear.-Menas, I did not think, This amorous surfeiter would have don'd his helm For such a petty war: his soldiership Is twice the other twain: But let us rear Men. I cannot hope, Cæsar and Antony shall well greet together: His wife, that's dead, did trespasses to Cæsar; Pom. I know not, Menas, How lesser enmities may give way to greater. Were 't not that we stand up against them all, "Twere pregnant they should square § between themselves; For they have entertain'd cause enough To draw their swords: but how the fear of us Be it as our gods will have it! It only stands [Exeunt. + Cleopatra was the widow of Ptolemy. § Settle matters. SCENE II.-Rome. A Room in the house of LEPIDUS. Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain Eno. I shall entreat him To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him, Let Antony look over Cæsar's head, Lep. 'Tis not a time For private stomaching. Eno. Every time Serves for the matter that is then born in it. Lep. Your speech is passion: But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony. Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS. Eno. And yonder Cæsar. Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA. Ant. If we compose* well here, to Parthia: Hark you, Ventidius. Cæs. I do not know, Mecænas; ask Agrippa. Lep. Noble friends, That which combined us was most great, and let not May it be gently heard: when we debate Our trivial difference loud, we do commit Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners, (The rather, for I earnestly beseech), Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, Ant. "Tis spoken well: Were we before our armies, and to fight, I should do thus. Cæs. Welcome to Rome. Ant. Thank you. Cæs. Sit. Ant. Sit, Sir! Cs. Nay, Then Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not so; Or, being, concern you not. Cas. I must be laugh'd at, If, or for nothing, or a little, I Should say myself offended; and with you Chiefly i' the world: more laugh'd at, that I should Once name you derogately, when to sound your name Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæsar, What was 't to you? Cas. No more than my residing here at Rome Ant. How intend you, practised? Cas. You may be pleased to catch at mine intent By what did here befal me. Your wife, and brother, Made wars upon me; and their contestation Was theme for you, you were the word of war. Ant. You do mistake your business; my brother never Did urge me in this act: I did inquire it; And have my learning from some true reports, + That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather And make the wars alike against my stomach, Cas. You praise yourself By laying defects of judgment to me; but Ant. Not so, not so; I know you could not lack, I am certain on't, Your partner, in the cause 'gainst which he fought, I would you had her spirit in such another: The third o' the world is yours; which with a snaffle Eno. Would we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women! Ant. So much incurable, her garboils, || Cæsar, Made out of her impatience (which not wanted Cas. I wrote to you, When rioting in Alexandria; you Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts Ant. Sir, He fell upon me, ere admitted; then Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want * Use evil arts. § Opposed. + Subject. ↑ Informants. Messenger. |