Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

ACT III SCENE I	A plain in Syria.
	Enter VENTIDIUS as it were in triumph, with SILIUS,and other Romans, Officers, and Soldiers; the deadbody of PACORUS borne before him
VENTIDIUS	Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now
	Pleased fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death
	Make me revenger. Bear the king's son's body
	Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes,	5
	Pays this for Marcus Crassus.
SILIUS	Noble Ventidius,
	Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm,
	The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media,
	Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither	10
	The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony
	Shall set thee on triumphant chariots and
	Put garlands on thy head.
VENTIDIUS	O Silius, Silius,
	I have done enough; a lower place, note well,	15
	May make too great an act: for learn this, Silius;
	Better to leave undone, than by our deed
	Acquire too high a fame when him we serve's away.
	Caesar and Antony have ever won
	More in their officer than person: Sossius,	20
	One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
	For quick accumulation of renown,
	Which he achieved by the minute, lost his favour.
	Who does i' the wars more than his captain can
	Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition,	25
	The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
	Than gain which darkens him.
	I could do more to do Antonius good,
	But 'twould offend him; and in his offence
	Should my performance perish.	30
SILIUS	Thou hast, Ventidius,
	that
	Without the which a soldier, and his sword,
	Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony!
VENTIDIUS	I'll humbly signify what in his name,	35
	That magical word of war, we have effected;
	How, with his banners and his well-paid ranks,
	The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia
	We have jaded out o' the field.
SILIUS	Where is he now?	40
VENTIDIUS	He purposeth to Athens: whither, with what haste
	The weight we must convey with's will permit,
	We shall appear before him. On there; pass along!
	Exeunt