William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

ANTONY. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates

All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss;

Even this repays me.

We sent our schoolmaster; is 'a come back?

Love, I am full of lead. Some wine,

Within there, and our viands! Fortune knows

We scorn her most when most she offers blows. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_12

SCENE XII.

CAESAR'S camp in Egypt

Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with others

CAESAR. Let him appear that's come from Antony.

Know you him?

DOLABELLA. Caesar, 'tis his schoolmaster:

An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither

He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,

Which had superfluous kings for messengers

Not many moons gone by.

Enter EUPHRONIUS, Ambassador from ANTONY

CAESAR. Approach, and speak.

EUPHRONIUS. Such as I am, I come from Antony.

I was of late as petty to his ends

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand sea.

CAESAR. Be't so. Declare thine office.

EUPHRONIUS. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and

Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted,

He lessens his requests and to thee sues

To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,

A private man in Athens. This for him.

Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness,

Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves

The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,

Now hazarded to thy grace.

CAESAR. For Antony,

I have no ears to his request. The Queen

Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she

From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,

Or take his life there. This if she perform,

She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.

EUPHRONIUS. Fortune pursue thee!

CAESAR. Bring him through the bands. Exit EUPHRONIUS

[To THYREUS] To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time. Dispatch;

From Antony win Cleopatra. Promise,

And in our name, what she requires; add more,

From thine invention, offers. Women are not

In their best fortunes strong; but want will perjure

The ne'er-touch'd vestal. Try thy cunning, Thyreus;

Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we

Will answer as a law.

THYREUS. Caesar, I go.

CAESAR. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,

And what thou think'st his very action speaks

In every power that moves.

THYREUS. Caesar, I shall. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_13

SCENE XIII.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace

Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS

CLEOPATRA. What shall we do, Enobarbus?

ENOBARBUS. Think, and die.

CLEOPATRA. Is Antony or we in fault for this?

ENOBARBUS. Antony only, that would make his will

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,

When half to half the world oppos'd, he being

The mered question. 'Twas a shame no less

Than was his loss, to course your flying flags

And leave his navy gazing.

CLEOPATRA. Prithee, peace.

Enter EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador; with ANTONY

ANTONY. Is that his answer?

EUPHRONIUS. Ay, my lord.

ANTONY. The Queen shall then have courtesy, so she

Will yield us up.

EUPHRONIUS. He says so.

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?

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

As i' th' command of Caesar. I dare him therefore

To lay his gay comparisons apart,

And answer me declin'd, sword against sword,

Ourselves alone. I'll write it. Follow me.

Exeunt ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS

EUPHRONIUS. [Aside] Yes, like enough high-battled Caesar will

Unstate his happiness, and be stag'd to th' show

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

Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdu'd

His judgment too.

Enter a SERVANT

SERVANT. A messenger from Caesar.

CLEOPATRA. What, no more ceremony? See, my women!

Against the blown rose may they stop their nose

That kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, sir. Exit SERVANT

ENOBARBUS. [Aside] Mine honesty and I begin to square.

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,

And earns a place i' th' 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.

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.

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

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 deserv'd.

CLEOPATRA. He is a god, and knows

What is most right. Mine honour was not yielded,

But conquer'd merely.

ENOBARBUS. [Aside] To be sure of that,

I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky

That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for

Thy dearest quit thee. Exit

THYREUS. Shall I say to Caesar

What you require of him? For he partly begs

To be desir'd to give. It much would please him

That of his fortunes you should make a staff

To lean upon. But it would warm his spirits

To hear from me you had left Antony,

And put yourself under his shroud,

The universal landlord.

CLEOPATRA. What's your name?

THYREUS. My name is Thyreus.

CLEOPATRA. Most kind messenger,

Say to great Caesar this: in deputation

I kiss his conquring hand. Tell him I am prompt

To lay my crown at 's feet, and there to kneel.

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,

No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay

My duty on your hand.

CLEOPATRA. Your Caesar's father oft,

When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in,

Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,

As it rain'd kisses.

Re-enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS

ANTONY. Favours, by Jove that thunders!

What art thou, fellow?

THYREUS. One that but performs

The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest

To have command obey'd.

ENOBARBUS. [Aside] You will be whipt.

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

And cry 'Your will?' Have you no ears? I am

Antony yet.

Enter servants

Take hence this Jack and whip him.

ENOBARBUS. 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp

Than with an old one dying.