William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

The fancy out-work nature. On each side her

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

And what they undid did.

AGRIPPA. O, rare for Antony!

ENOBARBUS. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,

So many mermaids, tended her i' th' eyes,

And made their bends adornings. At the helm

A seeming mermaid steers. The silken tackle

Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands

That yarely frame the office. From the barge

A strange invisible perfume hits the sense

Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast

Her people out upon her; and Antony,

Enthron'd i' th' market-place, did sit alone,

Whistling to th' air; which, but for vacancy,

Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,

And made a gap in nature.

AGRIPPA. Rare Egyptian!

ENOBARBUS. Upon her landing, Antony sent to her,

Invited her to supper. She replied

It should be better he became her guest;

Which she entreated. Our courteous Antony,

Whom ne'er the word of 'No' woman heard speak,

Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast,

And for his ordinary pays his heart

For what his eyes eat only.

AGRIPPA. Royal wench!

She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed.

He ploughed her, and she cropp'd.

ENOBARBUS. I saw her once

Hop forty paces through the public street;

And, having lost her breath, she spoke, and panted,

That she did make defect perfection,

And, breathless, pow'r breathe forth.

MAECENAS. Now Antony must leave her utterly.

ENOBARBUS. Never! He will not.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale

Her infinite variety. Other women cloy

The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry

Where most she satisfies; for vilest things

Become themselves in her, that the holy priests

Bless her when she is riggish.

MAECENAS. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle

The heart of Antony, Octavia is

A blessed lottery to him.

AGRIPPA. Let us go.

Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest

Whilst you abide here.

ENOBARBUS. Humbly, sir, I thank you. Exeunt

Enter ANTONY, CAESAR, OCTAVIA between them

ANTONY. The world and my great office will sometimes

Divide me from your bosom.

OCTAVIA. All which time

Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers

To them for you.

ANTONY. Good night, sir. My Octavia,

Read not my blemishes in the world's report.

I have not kept my square; but that to come

Shall all be done by th' rule. Good night, dear lady.

OCTAVIA. Good night, sir.

CAESAR. Good night. Exeunt CAESAR and OCTAVIA

Enter SOOTHSAYER

ANTONY. Now, sirrah, you do wish yourself in Egypt?

SOOTHSAYER. Would I had never come from thence, nor you thither!

ANTONY. If you can- your reason.

SOOTHSAYER. I see it in my motion, have it not in my tongue; but

yet hie you to Egypt again.

ANTONY. Say to me,

Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Caesar's or mine?

SOOTHSAYER. Caesar's.

Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side.

Thy daemon, that thy spirit which keeps thee, is

Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable,

Where Caesar's is not; but near him thy angel

Becomes a fear, as being o'erpow'r'd. Therefore

Make space enough between you.

ANTONY. Speak this no more.

SOOTHSAYER. To none but thee; no more but when to thee.

If thou dost play with him at any game,

Thou art sure to lose; and of that natural luck

He beats thee 'gainst the odds. Thy lustre thickens

When he shines by. I say again, thy spirit

Is all afraid to govern thee near him;

But, he away, 'tis noble.

ANTONY. Get thee gone.

Say to Ventidius I would speak with him.

Exit SOOTHSAYER

He shall to Parthia.- Be it art or hap,

He hath spoken true. The very dice obey him;

And in our sports my better cunning faints

Under his chance. If we draw lots, he speeds;

His cocks do win the battle still of mine,

When it is all to nought, and his quails ever

Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt;

And though I make this marriage for my peace,

I' th' East my pleasure lies.

Enter VENTIDIUS

O, come, Ventidius,

You must to Parthia. Your commission's ready;

Follow me and receive't. Exeunt

Enter LEPIDUS, MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA

LEPIDUS. Trouble yourselves no further. Pray you hasten

Your generals after.

AGRIPPA. Sir, Mark Antony

Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow.

LEPIDUS. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress,

Which will become you both, farewell.

MAECENAS. We shall,

As I conceive the journey, be at th' Mount

Before you, Lepidus.

LEPIDUS. Your way is shorter;

My purposes do draw me much about.

You'll win two days upon me.

BOTH. Sir, good success!

LEPIDUS. Farewell. Exeunt

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS

CLEOPATRA. Give me some music- music, moody food

Of us that trade in love.

ALL. The music, ho!

Enter MARDIAN the eunuch

CLEOPATRA. Let it alone! Let's to billiards. Come, Charmian.

CHARMIAN. My arm is sore; best play with Mardian.

CLEOPATRA. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd

As with a woman. Come, you'll play with me, sir?

MARDIAN. As well as I can, madam.

CLEOPATRA. And when good will is show'd, though't come too short,

The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now.

Give me mine angle- we'll to th' river. There,

My music playing far off, I will betray

Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce

Their slimy jaws; and as I draw them up

I'll think them every one an Antony,

And say 'Ah ha! Y'are caught.'

CHARMIAN. 'Twas merry when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver

Did hang a salt fish on his hook, which he

With fervency drew up.

CLEOPATRA. That time? O times

I laughed him out of patience; and that night

I laugh'd him into patience; and next morn,

Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed,

Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst

I wore his sword Philippan.

Enter a MESSENGER

O! from Italy?

Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears,

That long time have been barren.

MESSENGER. Madam, madam-

CLEOPATRA. Antony's dead! If thou say so, villain,

Thou kill'st thy mistress; but well and free,

If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here

My bluest veins to kiss- a hand that kings

Have lipp'd, and trembled kissing.

MESSENGER. First, madam, he is well.

CLEOPATRA. Why, there's more gold.

But, sirrah, mark, we use

To say the dead are well. Bring it to that,

The gold I give thee will I melt and pour

Down thy ill-uttering throat.

MESSENGER. Good madam, hear me.

CLEOPATRA. Well, go to, I will.

But there's no goodness in thy face. If Antony

Be free and healthful- why so tart a favour

To trumpet such good tidings? If not well,

Thou shouldst come like a Fury crown'd with snakes,

Not like a formal man.

MESSENGER. Will't please you hear me?

CLEOPATRA. I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak'st.

Yet, if thou say Antony lives, is well,

Or friends with Caesar, or not captive to him,

I'll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail

Rich pearls upon thee.

MESSENGER. Madam, he's well.

CLEOPATRA. Well said.