The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (752 page)

At heel of that, defy him.

And then afterwards, go against him.

LEPIDUS

Time calls upon's:

Time calls upon us:

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,

We must go after Pompey soon,

Or else he seeks out us.

Or else he will come after us.

MARK ANTONY

Where lies he?

Where is he camping?

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

About the mount Misenum.

Around Misenum Mountain.

MARK ANTONY

What is his strength by land?

How are his armies?

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Great and increasing: but by sea

Large, powerful, and increasing: but by sea

He is an absolute master.

He rules absolutely.

MARK ANTONY

So is the fame.

That's what people say.

Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it:

If only we had spoken together before! We must hurry:

Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we

But, before we put our armor on, we should go

The business we have talk'd of.

And take care of the business we have been discussing.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

With most gladness:

Gladly,

And do invite you to my sister's view,

And I invite you to see my sister,

Whither straight I'll lead you.

Where I'll lead you right away.

MARK ANTONY

Let us, Lepidus,

Let us, Lepidus,
Not lack your company.

Not be without you.

LEPIDUS

Noble Antony,

Noble Mark Antony,
Not sickness should detain me.

Nothing should prevent me.

Flourish. Exeunt OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MARK ANTONY, and LEPIDUS

MECAENAS

Welcome from Egypt, sir.

Welcome from Egypt, sir.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Half the heart of Caesar, worthy Mecaenas! My

May you have half Caesar's heart, worthy Mecaenas! My

honourable friend, Agrippa!

honorable friend, Agrippa!

AGRIPPA

Good Enobarbus!

Good to see you, Enobarbus!

MECAENAS

We have cause to be glad that matters are so well

We have reason to be glad that everything has turned out

digested. You stayed well by 't in Egypt.

so well. You had a good time in Egypt.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and

Yes, sir; we slept the day away, and

made the night light with drinking.

drank the night away too.

MECAENAS

Eight wild-boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and

Eight wild boars were roasted whole for breakfast, and

but twelve persons there; is this true?

only to feed twelve people; is this true?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more

Oh, that was nothing at all compared to some of the

monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deserved noting.

feasting we did, it is very much worth remembering.

MECAENAS

She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.

She's an amazing lady, if reports are accurate about her.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up

When she first met Mark Antony, she captured

his heart, upon the river of Cydnus.

his heart, while sailing on the river Cydnus.

AGRIPPA

There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised

That is what I heard, or else my reporter lied

well for her.

cleverly.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

I will tell you.

I will tell you.
The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,

The barge she sat in, like a shining throne,

Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Burned on the water: the upper deck was made of beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The sails were purple, and with so much perfume that

The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,

The winds were dying of love; the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

Which were kept in time by the sound of flutes, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

The water which they beat splash faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,

As if passionate for the strokes. As for herself,

It beggar'd all description: she did lie

Any description would be inadequate: she lay

In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--

On her couch - with golden cloth -

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

Making someone think of Venus
The fancy outwork nature: on each side her

In her beauty: on each side of her

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

Stood pretty young boys with dimples, like smiling Cupids,
With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem

With fans of many colors, whose breezes seemed

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

To bring a glow to the delicate cheeks which they cooled,

And what they undid did.

And undid what they did.

AGRIPPA

O, rare for Antony!

Oh, lucky Antony!

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,

Her serving women, like the nymphs,

So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes,

Or a group of mermaids, cared for her,

A strange invisible perfume hits the sense

A strange invisible perfume drifts towards

Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast

Of the nearby piers. The city threw

Her people out upon her; and Antony,

Her people out to see her; and Antony,

Enthroned i' the market-place, did sit alone,

Sitting in the marketplace, sat alone,

Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy,

Whistling to the air; which, because of nothing else to do,

Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,

Had gone to look at Cleopatra too,

And made a gap in nature.

And made an empty space in nature.

AGRIPPA

Rare Egyptian!

Unique Egyptian!

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Upon her landing, Antony sent to her,

When she landed, Antony sent a message to her,

Invited her to supper: she replied,

Invited her to dinner: she replied,
It should be better he became her guest;

It would be better if he became her guest;

Which she entreated: our courteous Antony,

Which she pleaded: our courteous Antony,

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

Who never says 'No' to a woman,

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

Being caught ten times over, goes to the feast,

And for his ordinary pays his heart

And as a result pays his heart

For what his eyes eat only.

Only for what his eyes eat.

AGRIPPA

Royal wench!

Royal woman!

She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed:

She made great Caesar put his sword away:

He plough'd her, and she cropp'd.

For the sake of love.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

I saw her once

I saw her once
Hop forty paces through the public street;

Run forty paces through the public street;

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

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

That she did make defect perfection,

That she made flaws into perfection,

And, breathless, power breathe forth.

And, breathless, breathed power.

MECAENAS

Now Antony must leave her utterly.

Now Antony must leave her completely.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Never; he will not:

He never will:
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale

Age cannot wrinkle her, or habit make dull

Her infinite variety: other women cloy

Her infinite variety: other women fill up

The appetites they feed: but she makes hungry

They appetites they feed: but she causes hunger

Where most she satisfies.

Where she satisfies most.

MECAENAS

If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle

If beauty, wisdom, and quiet humility, can settle

The heart of Antony, Octavia is

Mark Antony's heart, Octavia is
A blessed lottery to him.

A lucky win for him.

AGRIPPA

Let us go.

Let's go.
Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest

Dear Enobarbus, make yourself my guest
Whilst you abide here.

While you are staying here.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Humbly, sir, I thank you.

Thank you very much, sir.

Exeunt

Enter MARK ANTONY, OCTAVIUS CAESAR, OCTAVIA between them, and Attendants

MARK ANTONY

The world and my great office will sometimes

The world and my high position will sometimes

Divide me from your bosom.

Separate me from you.

OCTAVIA

All which time

And that whole time

Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers

I shall bow to the gods and pray

To them for you.

MARK ANTONY

Good night, sir. My Octavia,

Good night, sir. Octavia dear,
Read not my blemishes in the world's report:

Do not pay attention to my reputation according to the world,

I have not kept my square; but that to come

I have not been always responsible; but from now on

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