William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

MESSENGER. The news is true, my lord: he is descried;

Caesar has taken Toryne.

ANTONY. Can he be there in person? 'Tis impossible-

Strange that his power should be. Canidius,

Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,

And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship.

Away, my Thetis!

Enter a SOLDIER

How now, worthy soldier?

SOLDIER. O noble Emperor, do not fight by sea;

Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt

This sword and these my wounds? Let th' Egyptians

And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we

Have us'd to conquer standing on the earth

And fighting foot to foot.

ANTONY. Well, well- away.

Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENOBARBUS

SOLDIER. By Hercules, I think I am i' th' right.

CANIDIUS. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows

Not in the power on't. So our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

SOLDIER. You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

CANIDIUS. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Publicola, and Caelius are for sea;

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's

Carries beyond belief.

SOLDIER. While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in such distractions as

Beguil'd all spies.

CANIDIUS. Who's his lieutenant, hear you?

SOLDIER. They say one Taurus.

CANIDIUS. Well I know the man.

Enter a MESSENGER

MESSENGER. The Emperor calls Canidius.

CANIDIUS. With news the time's with labour and throes forth

Each minute some. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_8

SCENE VIII.

A plain near Actium

Enter CAESAR, with his army, marching

CAESAR. Taurus!

TAURUS. My lord?

CAESAR. Strike not by land; keep whole; provoke not battle

Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed

The prescript of this scroll. Our fortune lies

Upon this jump. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_9

SCENE IX.

Another part of the plain

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS

ANTONY. Set we our squadrons on yon side o' th' hill,

In eye of Caesar's battle; from which place

We may the number of the ships behold,

And so proceed accordingly. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_10

SCENE X.

Another part of the plain

CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way

over the stage, and TAURUS, the Lieutenant of

CAESAR, the other way. After their going in is heard

the noise of a sea-fight

Alarum. Enter ENOBARBUS

ENOBARBUS. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer.

Th' Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder.

To see't mine eyes are blasted.

Enter SCARUS

SCARUS. Gods and goddesses,

All the whole synod of them!

ENOBARBUS. What's thy passion?

SCARUS. The greater cantle of the world is lost

With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away

Kingdoms and provinces.

ENOBARBUS. How appears the fight?

SCARUS. On our side like the token'd pestilence,

Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt-

Whom leprosy o'ertake!- i' th' midst o' th' fight,

When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,

Both as the same, or rather ours the elder-

The breese upon her, like a cow in June-

Hoists sails and flies.

ENOBARBUS. That I beheld;

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not

Endure a further view.

SCARUS. She once being loof'd,

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,

Leaving the fight in height, flies after her.

I never saw an action of such shame;

Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before

Did violate so itself.

ENOBARBUS. Alack, alack!

Enter CANIDIUS

CANIDIUS. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,

And sinks most lamentably. Had our general

Been what he knew himself, it had gone well.

O, he has given example for our flight

Most grossly by his own!

ENOBARBUS. Ay, are you thereabouts?

Why then, good night indeed.

CANIDIUS. Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.

SCARUS. 'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend

What further comes.

CANIDIUS. To Caesar will I render

My legions and my horse; six kings already

Show me the way of yielding.

ENOBARBUS. I'll yet follow

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason

Sits in the wind against me. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_11

SCENE XI.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace

Enter ANTONY With attendants

ANTONY. Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon't;

It is asham'd to bear me. Friends, come hither.

I am so lated in the world that I

Have lost my way for ever. I have a ship

Laden with gold; take that; divide it. Fly,

And make your peace with Caesar.

ALL. Fly? Not we!

ANTONY. I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards

To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone;

I have myself resolv'd upon a course

Which has no need of you; be gone.

My treasure's in the harbour, take it. O,

I follow'd that I blush to look upon.

My very hairs do mutiny; for the white

Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them

For fear and doting. Friends, be gone; you shall

Have letters from me to some friends that will

Sweep your way for you. Pray you look not sad,

Nor make replies of loathness; take the hint

Which my despair proclaims. Let that be left

Which leaves itself. To the sea-side straight way.

I will possess you of that ship and treasure.

Leave me, I pray, a little; pray you now;

Nay, do so, for indeed I have lost command;

Therefore I pray you. I'll see you by and by. [Sits down]

Enter CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and IRAS,

EROS following

EROS. Nay, gentle madam, to him! Comfort him.

IRAS. Do, most dear Queen.

CHARMIAN. Do? Why, what else?

CLEOPATRA. Let me sit down. O Juno!

ANTONY. No, no, no, no, no.

EROS. See you here, sir?

ANTONY. O, fie, fie, fie!

CHARMIAN. Madam!

IRAS. Madam, O good Empress!

EROS. Sir, sir!

ANTONY. Yes, my lord, yes. He at Philippi kept

His sword e'en like a dancer, while I struck

The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I

That the mad Brutus ended; he alone

Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had

In the brave squares of war. Yet now- no matter.

CLEOPATRA. Ah, stand by!

EROS. The Queen, my lord, the Queen!

IRAS. Go to him, madam, speak to him.

He is unqualitied with very shame.

CLEOPATRA. Well then, sustain me. O!

EROS. Most noble sir, arise; the Queen approaches.

Her head's declin'd, and death will seize her but

Your comfort makes the rescue.

ANTONY. I have offended reputation-

A most unnoble swerving.

EROS. Sir, the Queen.

ANTONY. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See

How I convey my shame out of thine eyes

By looking back what I have left behind

'Stroy'd in dishonour.

CLEOPATRA. O my lord, my lord,

Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought

You would have followed.

ANTONY. Egypt, thou knew'st too well

My heart was to thy rudder tied by th' strings,

And thou shouldst tow me after. O'er my spirit

Thy full supremacy thou knew'st, and that

Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods

Command me.

CLEOPATRA. O, my pardon!

ANTONY. Now I must

To the young man send humble treaties, dodge

And palter in the shifts of lowness, who

With half the bulk o' th' world play'd as I pleas'd,

Making and marring fortunes. You did know

How much you were my conqueror, and that

My sword, made weak by my affection, would

Obey it on all cause.

CLEOPATRA. Pardon, pardon!