The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Chapter 37

Re-enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS

ANTONY. Favours, by Jove that thunders!

What art thou, fellow?

THYREUS. One that but performs

The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest

To have command obey'd.

ENOBARBUS. [Aside] You will be whipt.

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

Antony yet.

Enter servants

Take hence this Jack and whip him.

ENOBARBUS. 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp

Than with an old one dying.

ANTONY. Moon and stars!

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,

And whine aloud for mercy. Take him hence.

THYMUS. Mark Antony-

ANTONY. Tug him away. Being whipt,

Bring him again: the Jack of Caesar's shall

Bear us an errand to him. Exeunt servants with THYREUS

You were half blasted ere I knew you. Ha!

Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,

Forborne the getting of a lawful race,

And by a gem of women, to be abus'd

By one that looks on feeders?

CLEOPATRA. Good my lord-

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

To our confusion.

CLEOPATRA. O, is't come to this?

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,

Unregist'red in vulgar fame, you have

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?

ANTONY. To let a fellow that will take rewards,

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,

And to proclaim it civilly were like

A halter'd neck which does the hangman thank

For being yare about him.

Re-enter a SERVANT with THYREUS

Is he whipt?

SERVANT. Soundly, my lord.

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

SERVANT. He did ask favour.

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 whipt for following him. Henceforth

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,

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 th' abysm of hell. If he mislike

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, be gone. Exit THYREUS

CLEOPATRA. Have you done yet?

ANTONY. Alack, our terrene moon

Is now eclips'd, and it portends alone

The fall of Antony.

CLEOPATRA. I must stay his time.

ANTONY. To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes

With one that ties his points?

CLEOPATRA. Not know me yet?

ANTONY. Cold-hearted toward me?

CLEOPATRA. Ah, dear, if I be so,

From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,

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,

By the discandying of this pelleted storm,

Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile

Have buried them for prey.

ANTONY. I am satisfied.

Caesar sits down in Alexandria, where

I will oppose his fate. Our force by land

Hath nobly held; our sever'd navy to

Have knit again, and fleet, threat'ning most sea-like.

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

If from the field I shall return once more

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!

ANTONY. I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breath'd,

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

All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more;

Let's mock the midnight bell.

CLEOPATRA. It is my birthday.

I had thought t'have held it poor; but since my lord

Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

ANTONY. We will yet do well.

CLEOPATRA. Call all his noble captains to my lord.

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

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

Even with his pestilent scythe. Exeunt all but ENOBARBUS

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

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

ACT_4|SC_1

ACT IV. SCENE I.

CAESAR'S camp before Alexandria

Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MAECENAS, with his army;

CAESAR reading a letter

CAESAR. He calls me boy, and chides as he had power

To beat me out of Egypt. My messenger

He hath whipt with rods; dares me to personal combat,

Caesar to Antony. Let the old ruffian know

I have many other ways to die, meantime

Laugh at his challenge.

MAECENAS. Caesar must think

When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted

Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now

Make boot of his distraction. Never anger

Made good guard for itself.

CAESAR. Let our best heads

Know that to-morrow the last of many battles

We mean to fight. Within our files there are

Of those that serv'd Mark Antony but late

Enough to fetch him in. See it done;

And feast the army; we have store to do't,

And they have earn'd the waste. Poor Antony! Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_2

SCENE II.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace

Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS,

ALEXAS, with others

ANTONY. He will not fight with me, Domitius?

ENOBARBUS. No.

ANTONY. Why should he not?

ENOBARBUS. He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,

He is twenty men to one.

ANTONY. To-morrow, soldier,

By sea and land I'll fight. Or I will live,

Or bathe my dying honour in the blood

Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well?

ENOBARBUS. I'll strike, and cry 'Take all.'

ANTONY. Well said; come on.

Call forth my household servants; let's to-night

Be bounteous at our meal.

Enter three or four servitors

Give me thy hand,

Thou has been rightly honest. So hast thou;

Thou, and thou, and thou. You have serv'd me well,

And kings have been your fellows.

CLEOPATRA. [Aside to ENOBARBUS] What means this?

ENOBARBUS. [Aside to CLEOPATRA] 'Tis one of those odd tricks which

sorrow shoots

Out of the mind.

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.

SERVANT. The gods forbid!

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 ENOBARBUS] What does he mean?

ENOBARBUS. [Aside to CLEOPATRA] To make his followers weep.

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!

ENOBARBUS. What mean you, sir,

To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;

And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd. For shame!

Transform us not to women.

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

ACT_4|SC_3

SCENE III.

Alexandria. Before CLEOPATRA's palace

Enter a company of soldiers

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.

[They meet other soldiers]

SECOND SOLDIER. Soldiers, have careful watch.

FIRST SOLDIER. And you. Good night, good night.

[The two companies separate and place themselves

in every corner of the stage]

SECOND 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 is under the stage]

SECOND SOLDIER. Peace, what noise?

THIRD SOLDIER. List, list!

SECOND SOLDIER. Hark!

THIRD SOLDIER. Music i' th' air.

FOURTH SOLDIER. Under the earth.

THIRD SOLDIER. It signs well, does it not?

FOURTH SOLDIER. No.

THIRD SOLDIER. Peace, I say!

What should this mean?

SECOND SOLDIER. 'Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony lov'd,

Now leaves him.

THIRD SOLDIER. Walk; let's see if other watchmen

Do hear what we do.

SECOND SOLDIER. How now, masters!

SOLDIERS. [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.

SOLDIERS. Content. 'Tis strange. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_4

SCENE IV.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace

Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS,

with others

ANTONY. Eros! mine armour, Eros!

CLEOPATRA. Sleep a little.

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?

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.

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?

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. Flourish of trumpets within]

Enter CAPTAINS and soldiers

CAPTAIN. The morn is fair. Good morrow, General.

ALL. Good morrow, General.

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,

And worthy shameful check 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 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