Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

ACT II SCENE VII	On board POMPEY's galley, off Misenum.
	Music plays. Enter two or three Servants witha banquet
First Servant	Here they'll be, man. Some o' their plants are
	ill-rooted already: the least wind i' the world
	will blow them down.
Second Servant	Lepidus is high-coloured.	5
First Servant	They have made him drink alms-drink.
Second Servant	As they pinch one another by the disposition, he
	cries out 'No more;' reconciles them to his
	entreaty, and himself to the drink.
First Servant	But it raises the greater war between him and	10
	his discretion.
Second Servant	Why, this is to have a name in great men's
	fellowship: I had as lief have a reed that will do
	me no service as a partisan I could not heave.
First Servant	To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen	15
	to move in't, are the holes where eyes should be,
	which pitifully disaster the cheeks.
	A sennet sounded. Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MARKANTONY, LEPIDUS, POMPEY, AGRIPPA, MECAENAS,DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, MENAS, with other captains
MARK ANTONY	To OCTAVIUS CAESAR
	the flow o' the Nile
	By certain scales i' the pyramid; they know,
	By the height, the lowness, or the mean, if dearth	20
	Or foison follow: the higher Nilus swells,
	The more it promises: as it ebbs, the seedsman
	Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain,
	And shortly comes to harvest.
LEPIDUS	You've strange serpents there.	25
MARK ANTONY	Ay, Lepidus.
LEPIDUS	Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the
	operation of your sun: so is your crocodile.
MARK ANTONY	They are so.
POMPEY	Sit,--and some wine! A health to Lepidus!	30
LEPIDUS	I am not so well as I should be, but I'll ne'er out.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Not till you have slept; I fear me you'll be in till then.
LEPIDUS	Nay, certainly, I have heard the Ptolemies'
	pyramises are very goodly things; without
	contradiction, I have heard that.	35
MENAS	Aside to POMPEY
POMPEY	Aside to MENAS
	what is't?
MENAS	Aside to POMPEY
	thee, captain,
	And hear me speak a word.
POMPEY	Aside to MENAS
	This wine for Lepidus!
LEPIDUS	What manner o' thing is your crocodile?	40
MARK ANTONY	It is shaped, sir, like itself; and it is as broad
	as it hath breadth: it is just so high as it is,
	and moves with its own organs: it lives by that
	which nourisheth it; and the elements once out of
	it, it transmigrates.	45
LEPIDUS	What colour is it of?
MARK ANTONY	Of it own colour too.
LEPIDUS	'Tis a strange serpent.
MARK ANTONY	'Tis so. And the tears of it are wet.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Will this description satisfy him?	50
MARK ANTONY	With the health that Pompey gives him, else he is a
	very epicure.
POMPEY	Aside to MENAS
	that? away!
	Do as I bid you. Where's this cup I call'd for?
MENAS	Aside to POMPEY
	wilt hear me,	55
	Rise from thy stool.
POMPEY	Aside to MENAS
	The matter?
	Rises, and walks aside
MENAS	I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes.
POMPEY	Thou hast served me with much faith. What's else to say?
	Be jolly, lords.	60
MARK ANTONY	These quick-sands, Lepidus,
	Keep off them, for you sink.
MENAS	Wilt thou be lord of all the world?
POMPEY	What say'st thou?
MENAS	Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That's twice.	65
POMPEY	How should that be?
MENAS	But entertain it,
	And, though thou think me poor, I am the man
	Will give thee all the world.
POMPEY	Hast thou drunk well?	70
MENAS	Now, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup.
	Thou art, if thou darest be, the earthly Jove:
	Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips,
	Is thine, if thou wilt ha't.
POMPEY	Show me which way.	75
MENAS	These three world-sharers, these competitors,
	Are in thy vessel: let me cut the cable;
	And, when we are put off, fall to their throats:
	All there is thine.
POMPEY	Ah, this thou shouldst have done,	80
	And not have spoke on't! In me 'tis villany;
	In thee't had been good service. Thou must know,
	'Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour;
	Mine honour, it. Repent that e'er thy tongue
	Hath so betray'd thine act: being done unknown,	85
	I should have found it afterwards well done;
	But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink.
MENAS	Aside
	I'll never follow thy pall'd fortunes more.
	Who seeks, and will not take when once 'tis offer'd,
	Shall never find it more.	90
POMPEY	This health to Lepidus!
MARK ANTONY	Bear him ashore. I'll pledge it for him, Pompey.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Here's to thee, Menas!
MENAS	Enobarbus, welcome!
POMPEY	Fill till the cup be hid.	95
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	There's a strong fellow, Menas.
	Pointing to the Attendant who carries off LEPIDUS
MENAS	Why?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	A' bears the third part of the world, man; see'st
	not?
MENAS	The third part, then, is drunk: would it were all,	100
	That it might go on wheels!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Drink thou; increase the reels.
MENAS	Come.
POMPEY	This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.
MARK ANTONY	It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho?	105
	Here is to Caesar!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	I could well forbear't.
	It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain,
	And it grows fouler.
MARK ANTONY	Be a child o' the time.	110
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Possess it, I'll make answer:
	But I had rather fast from all four days
	Than drink so much in one.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Ha, my brave emperor!
	To MARK ANTONY
	Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals,	115
	And celebrate our drink?
POMPEY	Let's ha't, good soldier.
MARK ANTONY	Come, let's all take hands,
	Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense
	In soft and delicate Lethe.	120
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	All take hands.
	Make battery to our ears with the loud music:
	The while I'll place you: then the boy shall sing;
	The holding every man shall bear as loud
	As his strong sides can volley.	125
	Music plays. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS places themhand in hand
	THE SONG.
	Come, thou monarch of the vine,
	Plumpy Bacchus with pink eyne!
	In thy fats our cares be drown'd,
	With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd:	130
	Cup us, till the world go round,
	Cup us, till the world go round!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	What would you more? Pompey, good night. Good brother,
	Let me request you off: our graver business
	Frowns at this levity. Gentle lords, let's part;	135
	You see we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarb
	Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue
	Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost
	Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good night.
	Good Antony, your hand.	140
POMPEY	I'll try you on the shore.
MARK ANTONY	And shall, sir; give's your hand.
POMPEY	O Antony,
	You have my father's house,--But, what? we are friends.
	Come, down into the boat.	145
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Take heed you fall not.
	Exeunt all but DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS and MENAS
	Menas, I'll not on shore.
MENAS	No, to my cabin.
	These drums! these trumpets, flutes! what!
	Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell	150
	To these great fellows: sound and be hang'd, sound out!
	Sound a flourish, with drums
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Ho! says a' There's my cap.
MENAS	Ho! Noble captain, come.
	Exeunt