William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

SOLDIER. Mock not, Enobarbus.

I tell you true. Best you saf'd the bringer

Out of the host. I must attend mine office,

Or would have done't myself. Your emperor

Continues still a Jove. Exit

ENOBARBUS. I am alone the villain of the earth,

And feel I am so most. O Antony,

Thou mine of bounty, how wouldst thou have paid

My better service, when my turpitude

Thou dost so crown with gold! This blows my heart.

If swift thought break it not, a swifter mean

Shall outstrike thought; but thought will do't, I feel.

I fight against thee? No! I will go seek

Some ditch wherein to die; the foul'st best fits

My latter part of life. Exit

ACT_4|SC_7

SCENE VII.

Field of battle between the camps

Alarum. Drums and trumpets. Enter AGRIPPA

and others

AGRIPPA. Retire. We have engag'd ourselves too far.

Caesar himself has work, and our oppression

Exceeds what we expected. Exeunt

Alarums. Enter ANTONY, and SCARUS wounded

SCARUS. O my brave Emperor, this is fought indeed!

Had we done so at first, we had droven them home

With clouts about their heads.

ANTONY. Thou bleed'st apace.

SCARUS. I had a wound here that was like a T,

But now 'tis made an H.

ANTONY. They do retire.

SCARUS. We'll beat'em into bench-holes. I have yet

Room for six scotches more.

Enter EROS

EROS. They are beaten, sir, and our advantage serves

For a fair victory.

SCARUS. Let us score their backs

And snatch 'em up, as we take hares, behind.

'Tis sport to maul a runner.

ANTONY. I will reward thee

Once for thy sprightly comfort, and tenfold

For thy good valour. Come thee on.

SCARUS. I'll halt after. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_8

SCENE VIII.

Under the walls of Alexandria

Alarum. Enter ANTONY, again in a march; SCARUS

with others

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 escap'd. I thank you all;

For doughty-handed are you, and have fought

Not as you serv'd 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

Wash the congealment from your wounds and kiss

The honour'd gashes whole.

Enter CLEOPATRA, attended

[To SCARUS] Give me thy hand-

To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts,

Make her thanks bless thee. O thou day o' th' 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!

O infinite virtue, com'st thou smiling from

The world's great snare uncaught?

ANTONY. Mine nightingale,

We have beat them to their beds. What, girl! though grey

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

As if a god in hate of mankind had

Destroyed in such a shape.

CLEOPATRA. I'll give thee, friend,

An armour all of gold; it was a king's.

ANTONY. He has deserv'd it, were it carbuncled

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,

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 our rattling tabourines,

That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together

Applauding our approach. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_9

SCENE IX.

CAESAR'S camp

Enter a CENTURION and his company; ENOBARBUS follows

CENTURION. If we be not reliev'd within this hour,

We must return to th' court of guard. The night

Is shiny, and they say we shall embattle

By th' second hour i' th' morn.

FIRST WATCH. This last day was

A shrewd one to's.

ENOBARBUS. O, bear me witness, night-

SECOND WATCH. What man is this?

FIRST WATCH. Stand close and list him.

ENOBARBUS. Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon,

When men revolted shall upon record

Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did

Before thy face repent!

CENTURION. Enobarbus?

SECOND WATCH. Peace!

Hark further.

ENOBARBUS. O sovereign mistress of true melancholy,

The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me,

That life, a very rebel to my will,

May hang no longer on me. Throw my heart

Against the flint and hardness of my fault,

Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder,

And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony,

Nobler than my revolt is infamous,

Forgive me in thine own particular,

But let the world rank me in register

A master-leaver and a fugitive!

O Antony! O Antony! [Dies]

FIRST WATCH. Let's speak to him.

CENTURION. Let's hear him, for the things he speaks

May concern Caesar.

SECOND WATCH. Let's do so. But he sleeps.

CENTURION. Swoons rather; for so bad a prayer as his

Was never yet for sleep.

FIRST WATCH. Go we to him.

SECOND WATCH. Awake, sir, awake; speak to us.

FIRST WATCH. Hear you, sir?

CENTURION. The hand of death hath raught him.

[Drums afar off ] Hark! the drums

Demurely wake the sleepers. Let us bear him

To th' court of guard; he is of note. Our hour

Is fully out.

SECOND WATCH. Come on, then;

He may recover yet. Exeunt with the body

ACT_4|SC_10

SCENE X.

Between the two camps

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS, with their army

ANTONY. Their preparation is to-day by sea;

We please them not by land.

SCARUS. For both, my lord.

ANTONY. I would they'd fight i' th' fire or i' th' air;

We'd fight there too. But this it is, our foot

Upon the hills adjoining to the city

Shall stay with us- Order for sea is given;

They have put forth the haven-

Where their appointment we may best discover

And look on their endeavour. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_11

SCENE XI.

Between the camps

Enter CAESAR and his army

CAESAR. But being charg'd, we will be still by land,

Which, as I take't, we shall; for his best force

Is forth to man his galleys. To the vales,

And hold our best advantage. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_12

SCENE XII.

A hill near Alexandria

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS

ANTONY. Yet they are not join'd. Where yond pine does stand

I shall discover all. I'll bring thee word

Straight how 'tis like to go. Exit

SCARUS. Swallows have built

In Cleopatra's sails their nests. The augurers

Say they know not, they cannot tell; look grimly,

And dare not speak their knowledge. Antony

Is valiant and dejected; and by starts

His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear

Of what he has and has not.

[Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight]

Re-enter ANTONY

ANTONY. All is lost!

This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me.

My fleet hath yielded to the foe, and yonder

They cast their caps up and carouse together

Like friends long lost. Triple-turn'd whore! 'tis thou

Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart

Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly;

For when I am reveng'd upon my charm,

I have done all. Bid them all fly; begone. Exit SCARUS

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more!