Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

ACT IV SCENE VIII	Under the walls of Alexandria.
	Alarum. Enter MARK ANTONY, in a march; SCARUS,with others
MARK ANTONY	We have beat him to his camp: run one before,
	And let the queen know of our gests. To-morrow,
	Before the sun shall see 's, we'll spill the blood
	That has to-day escaped. I thank you all;	5
	For doughty-handed are you, and have fought
	Not as you served the cause, but as 't had been
	Each man's like mine; you have shown all Hectors.
	Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends,
	Tell them your feats; whilst they with joyful tears	10
	Wash the congealment from your wounds, and kiss
	The honour'd gashes whole.
	To SCARUS
	Give me thy hand
	Enter CLEOPATRA, attended
	To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts,
	Make her thanks bless thee.	15
	To CLEOPATRA
	O thou day o' the world,
	Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all,
	Through proof of harness to my heart, and there
	Ride on the pants triumphing!
CLEOPATRA	Lord of lords!	20
	O infinite virtue, comest thou smiling from
	The world's great snare uncaught?
MARK ANTONY	My nightingale,
	We have beat them to their beds. What, girl!
	though grey	25
	Do something mingle with our younger brown, yet ha' we
	A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can
	Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man;
	Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand:
	Kiss it, my warrior: he hath fought to-day	30
	As if a god, in hate of mankind, had
	Destroy'd in such a shape.
CLEOPATRA	I'll give thee, friend,
	An armour all of gold; it was a king's.
MARK ANTONY	He has deserved it, were it carbuncled	35
	Like holy Phoebus' car. Give me thy hand:
	Through Alexandria make a jolly march;
	Bear our hack'd targets like the men that owe them:
	Had our great palace the capacity
	To camp this host, we all would sup together,	40
	And drink carouses to the next day's fate,
	Which promises royal peril. Trumpeters,
	With brazen din blast you the city's ear;
	Make mingle with rattling tabourines;
	That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together,	45
	Applauding our approach.
	Exeunt