Cæsar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;

Strange that his power should be. Canidius,

Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,

And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship: 60 Away, my Thetis !

Enter a Soldier.

How now, worthy soldier!

Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt

This sword and these my wounds? Let the
Egyptians

And the Phoenicians go a-ducking: we

Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant.

Well, well; away! [Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus. Sold. By Hercules, I think I am i' the right. Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows

Not in the power on 't: so our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

Sold.

You keep by land The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea:

But we keep whole by land.

Carries beyond belief.

Sold.

This speed of Cæsar's

While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in such distractions as

Beguiled all spies.

69. his whole action grows, strength.

etc.; his plans have been formed without regard to his military

77.

distractions, detach

ments.

Can.

Who's his lieutenant, hear you?

Sold. They say, one Taurus.

Can.

Well I know the man.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. The emperor calls Canidius.

Can. With news the time's with labour, and

throes forth,

Each minute, some.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VIII. A plain near Actium.

Enter CESAR, and TAURUS, with his army,

Cas. Taurus!

Taur. My lord?

marching.

Cas. Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke
not battle,

Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed

The prescript of this scroll: our fortune lies

Upon this jump.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX. Another part of the plain.

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

Ant. Set we our squadrons on yond side o' the hill,

In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place

We may the number of the ships behold,

And so proceed accordingly.

[Exeunt.

6. jump, hazard.

80

SCENE X. Another part of the plain.

CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant of CESAR, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer :

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder :
To see 't mine eyes are blasted.

Scar. The greater cantle of the world is lost With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno.

How appears the fight? Scar. On our side like the token'd pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of

Egypt,

Whom leprosy o'ertake !—i' the midst o' the fight,
When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,

6. cantle, piece, share.

9. token'd, spotted. A particular eruption which, in cases of plague, always indicated that the victim would die, was known as God's token.'

ΙΟ

be

satisfactory account can given of this word, which occurs nowhere else. 'Riband-red" and 'ribanded' (L.) (= decked with streamers) are excellent emendations as regards the sense, but give a very question'ribald,' 'wanton,' But no able metre,

་

IO. ribaudred,

probably

Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,
The breese upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails and flies.

Eno. That I beheld:

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not

Endure a further view.

Scar.

She once being loof'd,

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:

I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

Can. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath, And sinks most lamentably. Had our general Been what he knew himself, it had gone well: O, he has given example for our flight,

Most grossly, by his own!

Eno.

Ay, are you thereabouts? Why, then, good night indeed.

Can. Toward Peloponnesus are they fled. Scar. 'Tis easy to 't; and there I will attend What further comes.

Can.

To Cæsar will I render

My legions and my horse: six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.

Eno.

I'll yet follow

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.

[Exeunt.

20

30

18. loof'd, brought close to the wind.

20. mallard, a wild drake.

SCENE XI. Alexandria. Cleopatra's

palace.

Enter ANTONY with Attendants.

Ant. Hark! the land bids me tread no more

upon 't ;

It is ashamed to bear me!

Friends, come hither:

I am so lated in the world, that I

Have lost my way for ever: I have a ship
Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Cæsar.

All.

Fly! not we.

Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed
cowards

To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be

gone;

I have myself resolved upon a course

Which has no need of you; be gone:
My treasure's in the harbour, take it. O,

All follow'd that I blush to look upon :

My very hairs do mutiny; for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting. Friends, be gone: you shall
Have letters from me to some friends that will

Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of loathness: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
Which leaves itself: to the sea-side straightway:
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little pray you now:
Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command,
Therefore I pray you: I'll see you by and by.
[Sits down.

3. lated, belated.

ΤΟ

20