ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 3.13

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ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 3.13

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace.

[Enter CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS]

CLEOPATRA What shall we do, Enobarbus?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Think, and die.

CLEOPATRA Is Antony or we in fault for this?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Antony only, that would make his will

Lord of his reason. What though you fled 5

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 10

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 MARK ANTONY with EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador]

MARK ANTONY Is that his answer? 15

EUPHRONIUS Ay, my lord.

MARK ANTONY The queen shall then have courtesy, so she

Will yield us up.

EUPHRONIUS He says so.

MARK ANTONY Let her know't.

To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head, 20

And he will fill thy wishes to the brim

With principalities.

CLEOPATRA That head, my lord?

MARK ANTONY To him again: tell him he wears the rose

Of youth upon him; from which the world should note 25

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, 30

And answer me declined, sword against sword,

Ourselves alone. I'll write it: follow me.

[Exeunt MARK ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS]

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [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 35

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 40

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]

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside] Mine honesty and I begin to square. 45

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. 50

[Enter THYREUS]

CLEOPATRA Caesar's will?

THYREUS Hear it apart.

CLEOPATRA None but friends: say boldly.

THYREUS So, haply, are they friends to Antony.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has;

Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master 55

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, 60

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! 65

THYREUS The scars upon your honour, therefore, he

Does pity, as constrained blemishes,

Not as deserved.

CLEOPATRA He is a god, and knows

What is most right: mine honour was not yielded,

But conquer'd merely. 70

DOMITIUS 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 75

What you require of him? for he partly begs

To be desired 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, 80

And put yourself under his shrowd,

The universal landlord.

CLEOPATRA What's your name?

THYREUS My name is Thyreus.

CLEOPATRA Most kind messenger, 85

Say to great Caesar this: in deputation

I kiss his conquering 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. 90

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. 95

CLEOPATRA Your Caesar's father oft,

When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,

Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,

As it rain'd kisses.

[Re-enter MARK ANTONY and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS]

MARK ANTONY Favours, by Jove that thunders! 100

What art thou, fellow?

THYREUS One that but performs

The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest

To have command obey'd.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside] You will be whipp'd. 105

MARK 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 110

Antony yet.

[Enter Attendants]

Take hence this Jack, and whip him.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside] 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp

Than with an old one dying.

MARK ANTONY Moon and stars! 115

Whip him. Were't twenty of the greatest tributaries

That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them

So saucy with the hand of she here,--what's her name,

Since she was Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows,

Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face, 120

And whine aloud for mercy: take him hence.

THYREUS Mark Antony!

MARK ANTONY Tug him away: being whipp'd,

Bring him again: this Jack of Caesar's shall

Bear us an errand to him.

[Exeunt Attendants with THYREUS]

You were half blasted ere I knew you: ha! 125

Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,

Forborne the getting of a lawful race,

And by a gem of women, to be abused

By one that looks on feeders?

CLEOPATRA Good my lord,-- 130

MARK ANTONY You have been a boggler ever:

But when we in our viciousness grow hard--

O misery on't!--the wise gods seel our eyes;

In our own filth drop our clear judgments; make us

Adore our errors; laugh at's, while we strut 135

To our confusion.

CLEOPATRA O, is't come to this?

MARK ANTONY I found you as a morsel cold upon

Dead Caesar's trencher; nay, you were a fragment

Of Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,

Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have 140

Luxuriously pick'd out: for, I am sure,

Though you can guess what temperance should be,

You know not what it is.

CLEOPATRA Wherefore is this?

MARK ANTONY To let a fellow that will take rewards 145

And say 'God quit you!' be familiar with

My playfellow, your hand; this kingly seal

And plighter of high hearts! O, that I were

Upon the hill of Basan, to outroar

The horned herd! for I have savage cause; 150

And to proclaim it civilly, were like

A halter'd neck which does the hangman thank

For being yare about him.

[Re-enter Attendants with THYREUS]

Is he whipp'd?

First Attendant Soundly, my lord. 155

MARK ANTONY Cried he? and begg'd a' pardon?

First Attendant He did ask favour.

MARK ANTONY If that thy father live, let him repent

Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry

To follow Caesar in his triumph, since

Thou hast been whipp'd for following him: henceforth 160

The white hand of a lady fever thee,

Shake thou to look on 't. Get thee back to Caesar,

Tell him thy entertainment: look, thou say

He makes me angry with him; for he seems

Proud and disdainful, harping on what I am, 165

Not what he knew I was: he makes me angry;

And at this time most easy 'tis to do't,

When my good stars, that were my former guides,

Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires

Into the abysm of hell. If he mislike 170

My speech and what is done, tell him he has

Hipparchus, my enfranched bondman, whom

He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,

As he shall like, to quit me: urge it thou:

Hence with thy stripes, begone! 175

[Exit THYREUS]

CLEOPATRA Have you done yet?

MARK ANTONY Alack, our terrene moon

Is now eclipsed; and it portends alone

The fall of Antony!

CLEOPATRA I must stay his time.

MARK ANTONY To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes 180

With one that ties his points?

CLEOPATRA Not know me yet?

MARK ANTONY Cold-hearted toward me?

CLEOPATRA Ah, dear, if I be so,

From my cold heart let heaven engender hail, 185

And poison it in the source; and the first stone

Drop in my neck: as it determines, so

Dissolve my life! The next Caesarion smite!

Till by degrees the memory of my womb,

Together with my brave Egyptians all, 190

By the discandying of this pelleted storm,

Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile

Have buried them for prey!

MARK ANTONY I am satisfied.

Caesar sits down in Alexandria; where 195

I will oppose his fate. Our force by land

Hath nobly held; our sever'd navy too

Have knit again, and fleet, threatening most sea-like.

Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear, lady?

If from the field I shall return once more 200

To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;

I and my sword will earn our chronicle:

There's hope in't yet.

CLEOPATRA That's my brave lord!

MARK ANTONY I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breathed, 205

And fight maliciously: for when mine hours

Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives

Of me for jests; but now I'll set my teeth,

And send to darkness all that stop me. Come,

Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me 210

All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more;

Let's mock the midnight bell.

CLEOPATRA It is my birth-day:

I had thought to have held it poor: but, since my lord

Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra. 215

MARK ANTONY We will yet do well.

CLEOPATRA Call all his noble captains to my lord.

MARK ANTONY Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night I'll force

The wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen;

There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight, 220

I'll make death love me; for I will contend

Even with his pestilent scythe.

[Exeunt all but DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS]

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,

Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood

The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still, 225

A diminution in our captain's brain

Restores his heart: when valour preys on reason,

It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek

Some way to leave him.

[Exit]

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DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Antony only, that would make his will
	Lord of his reason. What though you fled	5
	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	10
	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 MARK ANTONY with EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador]

MARK ANTONY		The queen shall then have courtesy, so she
		Will yield us up.

MARK ANTONY	Let her know't.
	To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,	20
	And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
	With principalities.

MARK ANTONY	To him again: tell him he wears the rose
	Of youth upon him; from which the world should note	25
	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,	30
	And answer me declined, sword against sword,
	Ourselves alone. I'll write it: follow me.
	[Exeunt MARK ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS]

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	[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	35
	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	40
	His judgment too.
	[Enter an Attendant]

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]

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	[Aside] Mine honesty and I begin to square.	45
	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.	50
	[Enter THYREUS]

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has;
	Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master	55
	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,	60
	Further than he is Caesar.

THYREUS		He knows that you embrace not Antony
		As you did love, but as you fear'd him.

THYREUS		The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
		Does pity, as constrained blemishes,
		Not as deserved.

CLEOPATRA	He is a god, and knows
	What is most right: mine honour was not yielded,
	But conquer'd merely.	70

DOMITIUS 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	75
	What you require of him? for he partly begs
	To be desired 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,	80
	And put yourself under his shrowd,
	The universal landlord.

CLEOPATRA	Most kind messenger,	85
	Say to great Caesar this: in deputation
	I kiss his conquering 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.	90

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.	95

CLEOPATRA		Your Caesar's father oft,
		When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,
		Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,
		As it rain'd kisses.
		[Re-enter MARK ANTONY and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS]

MARK ANTONY		Favours, by Jove that thunders!	100
		What art thou, fellow?

THYREUS		One that but performs
		The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest
		To have command obey'd.

MARK 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	110
	Antony yet.
	[Enter Attendants]
	Take hence this Jack, and whip him.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS		[Aside] 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp
		Than with an old one dying.

MARK ANTONY	Moon and stars!	115
	Whip him. Were't twenty of the greatest tributaries
	That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them
	So saucy with the hand of she here,--what's her name,
	Since she was Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows,
	Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face,	120
	And whine aloud for mercy: take him hence.

MARK ANTONY	Tug him away: being whipp'd,
	Bring him again: this Jack of Caesar's shall
	Bear us an errand to him.
	[Exeunt Attendants with THYREUS]
	You were half blasted ere I knew you: ha!	125
	Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,
	Forborne the getting of a lawful race,
	And by a gem of women, to be abused
	By one that looks on feeders?

MARK ANTONY	You have been a boggler ever:
	But when we in our viciousness grow hard--
	O misery on't!--the wise gods seel our eyes;
	In our own filth drop our clear judgments; make us
	Adore our errors; laugh at's, while we strut	135
	To our confusion.

MARK ANTONY	I found you as a morsel cold upon
	Dead Caesar's trencher; nay, you were a fragment
	Of Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,
	Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have	140
	Luxuriously pick'd out: for, I am sure,
	Though you can guess what temperance should be,
	You know not what it is.

MARK ANTONY	To let a fellow that will take rewards	145
	And say 'God quit you!' be familiar with
	My playfellow, your hand; this kingly seal
	And plighter of high hearts! O, that I were
	Upon the hill of Basan, to outroar
	The horned herd! for I have savage cause;	150
	And to proclaim it civilly, were like
	A halter'd neck which does the hangman thank
	For being yare about him.
	[Re-enter Attendants with THYREUS]
	Is he whipp'd?

MARK ANTONY	If that thy father live, let him repent
	Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
	To follow Caesar in his triumph, since
	Thou hast been whipp'd for following him: henceforth	160
	The white hand of a lady fever thee,
	Shake thou to look on 't. Get thee back to Caesar,
	Tell him thy entertainment: look, thou say
	He makes me angry with him; for he seems
	Proud and disdainful, harping on what I am,	165
	Not what he knew I was: he makes me angry;
	And at this time most easy 'tis to do't,
	When my good stars, that were my former guides,
	Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
	Into the abysm of hell. If he mislike	170
	My speech and what is done, tell him he has
	Hipparchus, my enfranched bondman, whom
	He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
	As he shall like, to quit me: urge it thou:
	Hence with thy stripes, begone!	175
	[Exit THYREUS]

MARK ANTONY		Alack, our terrene moon
		Is now eclipsed; and it portends alone
		The fall of Antony!

MARK ANTONY		To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes	180
		With one that ties his points?