Complete Plays, The (167 page)

Cleopatra

[Aside to Domitius Enobarbus]
 
What means this?

Domitius Enobarbus

[Aside to Cleopatra]
 
’Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots Out of the mind.

Mark Antony

 
And thou art honest too.
I wish I could be made so many men,
And all of you clapp’d up together in
An Antony, that I might do you service
So good as you have done.

All

The gods forbid!

Mark Antony

Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night:
Scant not my cups; and make as much of me
As when mine empire was your fellow too,
And suffer’d my command.

Cleopatra

[Aside to Domitius Enobarbus]
 
What does he mean?

Domitius Enobarbus

[Aside to Cleopatra]
 
To make his followers weep.

Mark Antony

Tend me to-night;
May be it is the period of your duty:
Haply you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow: perchance to-morrow
You’ll serve another master. I look on you
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
I turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death:
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield you for’t!

Domitius Enobarbus

What mean you, sir,
To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;
And I, an ass, am onion-eyed: for shame,
Transform us not to women.

Mark Antony

Ho, ho, ho!
Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus!
Grace grow where those drops fall!
My hearty friends,
You take me in too dolorous a sense;
For I spake to you for your comfort; did desire you
To burn this night with torches: know, my hearts,
I hope well of to-morrow; and will lead you
Where rather I’ll expect victorious life
Than death and honour. Let’s to supper, come,
And drown consideration.

Exeunt

S
CENE
III. T
HE
SAME
. B
EFORE
THE
PALACE
.

Enter two Soldiers to their guard

First Soldier

Brother, good night: to-morrow is the day.

Second Soldier

It will determine one way: fare you well.
Heard you of nothing strange about the streets?

First Soldier

Nothing. What news?

Second Soldier

Belike ’tis but a rumour. Good night to you.

First Soldier

Well, sir, good night.

Enter two other Soldiers

Second Soldier

Soldiers, have careful watch.

Third Soldier

And you. Good night, good night.

They place themselves in every corner of the stage

Fourth Soldier

Here we: and if to-morrow
Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope
Our landmen will stand up.

Third Soldier

’Tis a brave army,
And full of purpose.

Music of the hautboys as under the stage

Fourth Soldier

Peace! what noise?

First Soldier

List, list!

Second Soldier

Hark!

First Soldier

 
Music i’ the air.

Third Soldier

Under the earth.

Fourth Soldier

It signs well, does it not?

Third Soldier

No.

First Soldier

Peace, I say!
What should this mean?

Second Soldier

’Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony loved,
Now leaves him.

First Soldier

Walk; let’s see if other watchmen
Do hear what we do?

They advance to another post

Second Soldier

How now, masters!

All

[Speaking together]
 
How now!
How now! do you hear this?

First Soldier

Ay; is’t not strange?

Third Soldier

Do you hear, masters? do you hear?

First Soldier

Follow the noise so far as we have quarter;
Let’s see how it will give off.

All

Content. ’Tis strange.

Exeunt

S
CENE
IV. T
HE
SAME
. A
ROOM
IN
THE
PALACE
.

Enter Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Charmian, and others attending

Mark Antony

Eros! mine armour, Eros!

Cleopatra

Sleep a little.

Mark Antony

No, my chuck. Eros, come; mine armour, Eros!

Enter Eros with armour

Come good fellow, put mine iron on:
If fortune be not ours to-day, it is
Because we brave her: come.

Cleopatra

Nay, I’ll help too.
What’s this for?

Mark Antony

 
Ah, let be, let be! thou art
The armourer of my heart: false, false; this, this.

Cleopatra

Sooth, la, I’ll help: thus it must be.

Mark Antony

Well, well;
We shall thrive now. Seest thou, my good fellow?
Go put on thy defences.

Eros

Briefly, sir.

Cleopatra

Is not this buckled well?

Mark Antony

Rarely, rarely:
He that unbuckles this, till we do please
To daff’t for our repose, shall hear a storm.
Thou fumblest, Eros; and my queen’s a squire
More tight at this than thou: dispatch. O love,
That thou couldst see my wars to-day, and knew’st
The royal occupation! thou shouldst see
A workman in’t.

Enter an armed Soldier

Good morrow to thee; welcome:
Thou look’st like him that knows a warlike charge:
To business that we love we rise betime,
And go to’t with delight.

Soldier

A thousand, sir,
Early though’t be, have on their riveted trim,
And at the port expect you.

Shout. Trumpets flourish

Enter Captains and Soldiers

Captain

The morn is fair. Good morrow, general.

All

Good morrow, general.

Mark Antony

’Tis well blown, lads:
This morning, like the spirit of a youth
That means to be of note, begins betimes.
So, so; come, give me that: this way; well said.
Fare thee well, dame, whate’er becomes of me:
This is a soldier’s kiss: rebukeable

Kisses her

And worthy shameful cheque it were, to stand
On more mechanic compliment; I’ll leave thee
Now, like a man of steel. You that will fight,
Follow me close; I’ll bring you to’t. Adieu.

Exeunt Mark Antony, Eros, Captains, and Soldiers

Charmian

Please you, retire to your chamber.

Cleopatra

Lead me.
He goes forth gallantly. That he and Caesar might
Determine this great war in single fight!
Then Antony,— but now — Well, on.

Exeunt

S
CENE
V. A
LEXANDRIA
. M
ARK
A
NTONY
’
S
CAMP
.

Trumpets sound. Enter Mark Antony and Eros; a Soldier meeting them

Soldier

The gods make this a happy day to Antony!

Mark Antony

Would thou and those thy scars had once prevail’d
To make me fight at land!

Soldier

Hadst thou done so,
The kings that have revolted, and the soldier
That has this morning left thee, would have still
Follow’d thy heels.

Mark Antony

Who’s gone this morning?

Soldier

Who!
One ever near thee: call for Enobarbus,
He shall not hear thee; or from Caesar’s camp
Say ‘I am none of thine.’

Mark Antony

What say’st thou?

Soldier

Sir,
He is with Caesar.

Eros

 
Sir, his chests and treasure
He has not with him.

Mark Antony

Is he gone?

Soldier

Most certain.

Mark Antony

Go, Eros, send his treasure after; do it;
Detain no jot, I charge thee: write to him —
I will subscribe — gentle adieus and greetings;
Say that I wish he never find more cause
To change a master. O, my fortunes have
Corrupted honest men! Dispatch.— Enobarbus!

Exeunt

S
CENE
VI. A
LEXANDRIA
. O
CTAVIUS
C
AESAR
’
S
CAMP
.

Flourish. Enter Octavius Caesar, Agrippa, with Domitius Enobarbus, and others

Octavius Caesar

Go forth, Agrippa, and begin the fight:
Our will is Antony be took alive;
Make it so known.

Agrippa

Caesar, I shall.

Exit

Octavius Caesar

The time of universal peace is near:
Prove this a prosperous day, the three-nook’d world
Shall bear the olive freely.

Enter a Messenger

Messenger

Antony
Is come into the field.

Octavius Caesar

Go charge Agrippa
Plant those that have revolted in the van,
That Antony may seem to spend his fury
Upon himself.

Exeunt all but Domitius Enobarbus

Domitius Enobarbus

Alexas did revolt; and went to Jewry on
Affairs of Antony; there did persuade
Great Herod to incline himself to Caesar,
And leave his master Antony: for this pains
Caesar hath hang’d him. Canidius and the rest
That fell away have entertainment, but
No honourable trust. I have done ill;
Of which I do accuse myself so sorely,
That I will joy no more.

Enter a Soldier of Caesar’s

Soldier

Enobarbus, Antony
Hath after thee sent all thy treasure, with
His bounty overplus: the messenger
Came on my guard; and at thy tent is now
Unloading of his mules.

Domitius Enobarbus

I give it you.

Soldier

Mock not, Enobarbus.
I tell you true: best you safed the bringer
Out of the host; I must attend mine office,
Or would have done’t myself. Your emperor
Continues still a Jove.

Exit

Domitius 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

S
CENE
VII. F
IELD
OF
BATTLE
BETWEEN
THE
CAMPS
.

Alarum. Drums and trumpets. Enter Agrippa and others

Agrippa

Retire, we have engaged ourselves too far:
Caesar himself has work, and our oppression
Exceeds what we expected.

Exeunt

Alarums. Enter Mark 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.

Mark Antony

Thou bleed’st apace.

Scarus

I had a wound here that was like a T,
But now ’tis made an H.

Mark 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.

Mark Antony

I will reward thee
Once for thy spritely comfort, and ten-fold
For thy good valour. Come thee on.

Scarus

I’ll halt after.

Exeunt

S
CENE
VIII. U
NDER
THE
WALLS
OF
A
LEXANDRIA
.

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;
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
Wash the congealment from your wounds, and kiss
The honour’d gashes whole.