Antony and Cleopatra

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 him: O! Eros

Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches:
Her head’s declined, 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 follow’d.

Antony

Egypt, thou knew’st too well
My heart was to thy rudder tied by the 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’ the world play’d as I pleased,
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! 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 he 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.

Scene XII

Egypt. Caesar’s camp.

	Enter Caesar, 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 off 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.

Scene XIII

Alexandria. Cleopatra’s palace.

	Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbas, Charmian, and Iras.
Cleopatra	What shall we do, Enobarbus?
Enobarbas	Think, and die.
Cleopatra	Is Antony or we in fault for this?
Enobarbas	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 opposed, he being The meered question: ’twas a shame no less Than was his loss, to course your flying flags, And leave his navy gazing.
Cleopatra	Prithee, peace.
	Enter Antony with Euphronius, the Ambassador.
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’ the command of Caesar: I dare him therefore To lay his gay comparisons apart, And answer me declined, sword against sword, Ourselves alone. I’ll write it: follow me. Exeunt Antony and Euphronius.
Enobarbas	Aside. Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will Unstate his happiness, and be staged to the 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 subdued His judgment too.
	Enter an Attendant.
Attendant	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 Attendant.
Enobarbas	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’ the story.
	Enter Thyreus.
Cleopatra	Caesar’s will?
Thyreus	Hear it apart.
Cleopatra	None but friends: say boldly.
Thyreus	So, haply, are they friends to