The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Chapter 35

ACT_3|SC_3

SCENE III.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS

CLEOPATRA. Where is the fellow?

ALEXAS. Half afeard to come.

CLEOPATRA. Go to, go to.

Enter the MESSENGER as before

Come hither, sir.

ALEXAS. Good Majesty,

Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you

But when you are well pleas'd.

CLEOPATRA. That Herod's head

I'll have. But how, when Antony is gone,

Through whom I might command it? Come thou near.

MESSENGER. Most gracious Majesty!

CLEOPATRA. Didst thou behold Octavia?

MESSENGER. Ay, dread Queen.

CLEOPATRA. Where?

MESSENGER. Madam, in Rome

I look'd her in the face, and saw her led

Between her brother and Mark Antony.

CLEOPATRA. Is she as tall as me?

MESSENGER. She is not, madam.

CLEOPATRA. Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongu'd or low?

MESSENGER. Madam, I heard her speak: she is low-voic'd.

CLEOPATRA. That's not so good. He cannot like her long.

CHARMIAN. Like her? O Isis! 'tis impossible.

CLEOPATRA. I think so, Charmian. Dull of tongue and dwarfish!

What majesty is in her gait? Remember,

If e'er thou look'dst on majesty.

MESSENGER. She creeps.

Her motion and her station are as one;

She shows a body rather than a life,

A statue than a breather.

CLEOPATRA. Is this certain?

MESSENGER. Or I have no observance.

CHARMIAN. Three in Egypt

Cannot make better note.

CLEOPATRA. He's very knowing;

I do perceive't. There's nothing in her yet.

The fellow has good judgment.

CHARMIAN. Excellent.

CLEOPATRA. Guess at her years, I prithee.

MESSENGER. Madam,

She was a widow.

CLEOPATRA. Widow? Charmian, hark!

MESSENGER. And I do think she's thirty.

CLEOPATRA. Bear'st thou her face in mind? Is't long or round?

MESSENGER. Round even to faultiness.

CLEOPATRA. For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.

Her hair, what colour?

MESSENGER. Brown, madam; and her forehead

As low as she would wish it.

CLEOPATRA. There's gold for thee.

Thou must not take my former sharpness ill.

I will employ thee back again; I find thee

Most fit for business. Go make thee ready;

Our letters are prepar'd. Exeunt MESSENGER

CHARMIAN. A proper man.

CLEOPATRA. Indeed, he is so. I repent me much

That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him,

This creature's no such thing.

CHARMIAN. Nothing, madam.

CLEOPATRA. The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.

CHARMIAN. Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend,

And serving you so long!

CLEOPATRA. I have one thing more to ask him yet, good Charmian.

But 'tis no matter; thou shalt bring him to me

Where I will write. All may be well enough.

CHARMIAN. I warrant you, madam. Exeunt

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SCENE IV.

Athens. ANTONY'S house

Enter ANTONY and OCTAVIA

ANTONY. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that-

That were excusable, that and thousands more

Of semblable import- but he hath wag'd

New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it

To public ear;

Spoke scandy of me; when perforce he could not

But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly

He vented them, most narrow measure lent me;

When the best hint was given him, he not took't,

Or did it from his teeth.

OCTAVIA. O my good lord,

Believe not all; or if you must believe,

Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,

If this division chance, ne'er stood between,

Praying for both parts.

The good gods will mock me presently

When I shall pray 'O, bless my lord and husband!'

Undo that prayer by crying out as loud

'O, bless my brother!' Husband win, win brother,

Prays, and destroys the prayer; no mid-way

'Twixt these extremes at all.

ANTONY. Gentle Octavia,

Let your best love draw to that point which seeks

Best to preserve it. If I lose mine honour,

I lose myself; better I were not yours

Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,

Yourself shall go between's. The meantime, lady,

I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shall stain your brother. Make your soonest haste;

So your desires are yours.

OCTAVIA. Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of power make me, most weak, most weak,

Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be

As if the world should cleave, and that slain men

Should solder up the rift.

ANTONY. When it appears to you where this begins,

Turn your displeasure that way, for our faults

Can never be so equal that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your going;

Choose your own company, and command what cost

Your heart has mind to. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_5

SCENE V.

Athens. ANTONY'S house

Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting

ENOBARBUS. How now, friend Eros!

EROS. There's strange news come, sir.

ENOBARBUS. What, man?

EROS. Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.

ENOBARBUS. This is old. What is the success?

EROS. Caesar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey,

presently denied him rivality, would not let him partake in the

glory of the action; and not resting here, accuses him of letters

he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal, seizes him.

So the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.

ENOBARBUS. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps- no more;

And throw between them all the food thou hast,

They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony?

EROS. He's walking in the garden- thus, and spurns

The rush that lies before him; cries 'Fool Lepidus!'

And threats the throat of that his officer

That murd'red Pompey.

ENOBARBUS. Our great navy's rigg'd.

EROS. For Italy and Caesar. More, Domitius:

My lord desires you presently; my news

I might have told hereafter.

ENOBARBUS. 'Twill be naught;

But let it be. Bring me to Antony.

EROS. Come, sir. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_6

SCENE VI.

Rome. CAESAR'S house

Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MAECENAS

CAESAR. Contemning Rome, he has done all this and more

In Alexandria. Here's the manner of't:

I' th' market-place, on a tribunal silver'd,

Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold

Were publicly enthron'd; at the feet sat

Caesarion, whom they call my father's son,

And all the unlawful issue that their lust

Since then hath made between them. Unto her

He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her

Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Absolute queen.

MAECENAS. This in the public eye?

CAESAR. I' th' common show-place, where they exercise.

His sons he there proclaim'd the kings of kings:

Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia,

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd

Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia. She

In th' habiliments of the goddess Isis

That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience,

As 'tis reported, so.

MAECENAS. Let Rome be thus

Inform'd.

AGRIPPA. Who, queasy with his insolence

Already, will their good thoughts call from him.

CAESAR. The people knows it, and have now receiv'd

His accusations.

AGRIPPA. Who does he accuse?

CAESAR. Caesar; and that, having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him

His part o' th' isle. Then does he say he lent me

Some shipping, unrestor'd. Lastly, he frets

That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain

All his revenue.

AGRIPPA. Sir, this should be answer'd.

CAESAR. 'Tis done already, and messenger gone.

I have told him Lepidus was grown too cruel,

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deserve his change. For what I have conquer'd

I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms,

Demand the like.

MAECENAS. He'll never yield to that.

CAESAR. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter OCTAVIA, with her train

OCTAVIA. Hail, Caesar, and my lord! hail, most dear Caesar!

CAESAR. That ever I should call thee cast-away!

OCTAVIA. You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause.

CAESAR. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You come not

Like Caesar's sister. The wife of Antony

Should have an army for an usher, and

The neighs of horse to tell of her approach

Long ere she did appear. The trees by th' way

Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,

Longing for what it had not. Nay, the dust

Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,

Rais'd by your populous troops. But you are come

A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented

The ostentation of our love, which left unshown

Is often left unlov'd. We should have met you

By sea and land, supplying every stage

With an augmented greeting.

OCTAVIA. Good my lord,

To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it

On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,

Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted

My grieved ear withal; whereon I begg'd

His pardon for return.

CAESAR. Which soon he granted,

Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.

OCTAVIA. Do not say so, my lord.

CAESAR. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.

Where is he now?

OCTAVIA. My lord, in Athens.

CAESAR. No, my most wronged sister: Cleopatra

Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire

Up to a w***e, who now are levying

The kings o' th' earth for war. He hath assembled

Bocchus, the king of Libya; Archelaus

Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas;

King Manchus of Arabia; King of Pont;

Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king

Of Comagene; Polemon and Amyntas,

The kings of Mede and Lycaonia, with

More larger list of sceptres.

OCTAVIA. Ay me most wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,

That does afflict each other!

CAESAR. Welcome hither.

Your letters did withhold our breaking forth,

Till we perceiv'd both how you were wrong led

And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart;

Be you not troubled with the time, which drives

O'er your content these strong necessities,

But let determin'd things to destiny

Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome;

Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd

Beyond the mark of thought, and the high gods,

To do you justice, make their ministers

Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort,

And ever welcome to us.

AGRIPPA. Welcome, lady.

MAECENAS. Welcome, dear madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you;

Only th' adulterous Antony, most large

In his abominations, turns you off,

And gives his potent regiment to a trull

That noises it against us.

OCTAVIA. Is it so, sir?

CAESAR. Most certain. Sister, welcome. Pray you

Be ever known to patience. My dear'st sister! Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_7

SCENE VII.

ANTONY'S camp near Actium

Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS

CLEOPATRA. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

ENOBARBUS. But why, why,

CLEOPATRA. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,

And say'st it is not fit.

ENOBARBUS. Well, is it, is it?

CLEOPATRA. Is't not denounc'd against us? Why should not we

Be there in person?

ENOBARBUS. [Aside] Well, I could reply:

If we should serve with horse and mares together

The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear

A soldier and his horse.

CLEOPATRA. What is't you say?

ENOBARBUS. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;

Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time,

What should not then be spar'd. He is already

Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis said in Rome

That Photinus an eunuch and your maids

Manage this war.

CLEOPATRA. Sink Rome, and their tongues rot

That speak against us! A charge we bear i' th' war,

And, as the president of my kingdom, will

Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;

I will not stay behind.

Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS

ENOBARBUS. Nay, I have done.

Here comes the Emperor.

ANTONY. Is it not strange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum and Brundusium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,

And take in Toryne?- You have heard on't, sweet?

CLEOPATRA. Celerity is never more admir'd

Than by the negligent.

ANTONY. A good rebuke,

Which might have well becom'd the best of men

To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

CLEOPATRA. By sea! What else?

CANIDIUS. Why will my lord do so?

ANTONY. For that he dares us to't.

ENOBARBUS. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight.

CANIDIUS. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,

Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers,

Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;

And so should you.

ENOBARBUS. Your ships are not well mann'd;

Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people

Ingross'd by swift impress. In Caesar's fleet

Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought;

Their ships are yare; yours heavy. No disgrace

Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

ANTONY. By sea, by sea.

ENOBARBUS. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away

The absolute soldiership you have by land;

Distract your army, which doth most consist

Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted

Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo

The way which promises assurance; and

Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard

From firm security.

ANTONY. I'll fight at sea.

CLEOPATRA. I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.

ANTONY. Our overplus of shipping will we burn,

And, with the rest full-mann'd, from th' head of Actium

Beat th' approaching Caesar. But if we fail,

We then can do't at land.