Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

ACT III SCENE XIII	Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace.
	Enter CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS
CLEOPATRA	What shall we do, Enobarbus?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Think, and die.
CLEOPATRA	Is Antony or we in fault for this?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Antony only, that would make his will	5
	Lord of his reason. What though you fled
	From that great face of war, whose several ranges
	Frighted each other? why should he follow?
	The itch of his affection should not then
	Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point,	10
	When half to half the world opposed, he being
	The meered question: 'twas a shame no less
	Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
	And leave his navy gazing.
CLEOPATRA	Prithee, peace.	15
	Enter MARK ANTONY with EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador
MARK ANTONY	Is that his answer?
EUPHRONIUS	Ay, my lord.
MARK ANTONY	The queen shall then have courtesy, so she
	Will yield us up.
EUPHRONIUS	He says so.	20
MARK ANTONY	Let her know't.
	To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,
	And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
	With principalities.
CLEOPATRA	That head, my lord?	25
MARK ANTONY	To him again: tell him he wears the rose
	Of youth upon him; from which the world should note
	Something particular: his coin, ships, legions,
	May be a coward's; whose ministers would prevail
	Under the service of a child as soon	30
	As i' the command of Caesar: I dare him therefore
	To lay his gay comparisons apart,
	And answer me declined, sword against sword,
	Ourselves alone. I'll write it: follow me.
	Exeunt MARK ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Aside
	Unstate his happiness, and be staged to the show,	35
	Against a sworder! I see men's judgments are
	A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
	Do draw the inward quality after them,
	To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
	Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will	40
	Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdued
	His judgment too.
	Enter an Attendant
Attendant	A messenger from CAESAR.
CLEOPATRA	What, no more ceremony? See, my women!
	Against the blown rose may they stop their nose	45
	That kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, sir.
	Exit Attendant
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Aside
	The loyalty well held to fools does make
	Our faith mere folly: yet he that can endure
	To follow with allegiance a fall'n lord
	Does conquer him that did his master conquer	50
	And earns a place i' the story.
	Enter THYREUS
CLEOPATRA	Caesar's will?
THYREUS	Hear it apart.
CLEOPATRA	None but friends: say boldly.
THYREUS	So, haply, are they friends to Antony.	55
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has;
	Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master
	Will leap to be his friend: for us, you know,
	Whose he is we are, and that is, Caesar's.
THYREUS	So.	60
	Thus then, thou most renown'd: Caesar entreats,
	Not to consider in what case thou stand'st,
	Further than he is Caesar.
CLEOPATRA	Go on: right royal.
THYREUS	He knows that you embrace not Antony	65
	As you did love, but as you fear'd him.
CLEOPATRA	O!
THYREUS	The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
	Does pity, as constrained blemishes,
	Not as deserved.	70
CLEOPATRA	He is a god, and knows
	What is most right: mine honour was not yielded,
	But conquer'd merely.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Aside
	I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky,
	That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for	75
	Thy dearest quit thee.
	Exit
THYREUS	Shall I say to Caesar
	What you require of him? for he partly begs
	To be desired to give. It much would please him,
	That of his fortunes you should make a staff	80
	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.
CLEOPATRA	What's your name?	85
THYREUS	My name is Thyreus.
CLEOPATRA	Most kind messenger,
	Say to great Caesar this: in deputation
	I kiss his conquering hand: tell him, I am prompt
	To lay my crown at 's feet, and there to kneel:	90
	Tell him from his all-obeying breath I hear
	The doom of Egypt.
THYREUS	'Tis your noblest course.
	Wisdom and fortune combating together,
	If that the former dare but what it can,	95
	No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay
	My duty on your hand.
CLEOPATRA	Your Caesar's father oft,
	When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,
	Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,	100
	As it rain'd kisses.
	Re-enter MARK ANTONY and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
MARK ANTONY	Favours, by Jove that thunders!
	What art thou, fellow?
THYREUS	One that but performs
	The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest	105
	To have command obey'd.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Aside
MARK ANTONY	Approach, there! Ah, 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,	110
	And cry 'Your will?' Have you no ears? I am
	Antony yet.
	Enter Attendants
	Take hence this Jack, and whip him.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Aside
	Than with an old one dying.
MARK ANTONY	Moon and stars!	115
	Whip him. Were't twenty of the greatest tributaries
	That do acknowledge Caesar, 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,	120
	And whine aloud for mercy: take him hence.
THYREUS	Mark Antony!
MARK ANTONY	Tug him away: being whipp'd,
	Bring him again: this Jack of Caesar's shall
	Bear us an errand to him.	125
	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 abused
	By one that looks on feeders?	130
CLEOPATRA	Good my lord,--
MARK ANTONY	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	135
	Adore our errors; laugh at's, while we strut
	To our confusion.
CLEOPATRA	O, is't come to this?
MARK ANTONY	I found you as a morsel cold upon
	Dead Caesar's trencher; nay, you were a fragment	140
	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.	145
CLEOPATRA	Wherefore is this?
MARK ANTONY	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	150
	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.	155
	Re-enter Attendants with THYREUS
	Is he whipp'd?
First Attendant	Soundly, my lord.
MARK ANTONY	Cried he? and begg'd a' pardon?
First Attendant	He did ask favour.
MARK ANTONY	If that thy father live, let him repent	160
	Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
	To follow Caesar 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 Caesar,	165
	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,	170
	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 enfranched bondman, whom	175
	He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
	As he shall like, to quit me: urge it thou:
	Hence with thy stripes, begone!
	Exit THYREUS
CLEOPATRA	Have you done yet?
MARK ANTONY	Alack, our terrene moon	180
	Is now eclipsed; and it portends alone
	The fall of Antony!
CLEOPATRA	I must stay his time.
MARK ANTONY	To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes
	With one that ties his points?	185
CLEOPATRA	Not know me yet?
MARK ANTONY	Cold-hearted toward me?
CLEOPATRA	Ah, dear, if I be so,
	From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
	And poison it in the source; and the first stone	190
	Drop in my neck: as it determines, so
	Dissolve my life! The next Caesarion smite!
	Till by degrees the memory of my womb,
	Together with my brave Egyptians all,
	By the discandying of this pelleted storm,	195
	Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile
	Have buried them for prey!
MARK ANTONY	I am satisfied.
	Caesar sits down in Alexandria; where
	I will oppose his fate. Our force by land	200
	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;	205
	I and my sword will earn our chronicle:
	There's hope in't yet.
CLEOPATRA	That's my brave lord!
MARK ANTONY	I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breathed,
	And fight maliciously: for when mine hours	210
	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;	215
	Let's mock the midnight bell.
CLEOPATRA	It is my birth-day:
	I had thought to have held it poor: but, since my lord
	Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.
MARK ANTONY	We will yet do well.	220
CLEOPATRA	Call all his noble captains to my lord.
MARK ANTONY	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	225
	Even with his pestilent scythe.
	Exeunt all but DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	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	230
	Restores his heart: when valour preys on reason,
	It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
	Some way to leave him.
	Exit