The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Chapter 38

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SCENE V.

Alexandria. ANTONY'S camp

Trumpets sound. Enter ANTONY and EROS, a SOLDIER

meeting them

SOLDIER. The gods make this a happy day to Antony!

ANTONY. Would thou and those thy scars had once prevail'd

To make me fight at land!

SOLDIER. Hadst thou done so,

The kings that have revolted, and the soldier

That has this morning left thee, would have still

Followed thy heels.

ANTONY. Who's gone this morning?

SOLDIER. Who?

One ever near thee. Call for Enobarbus,

He shall not hear thee; or from Caesar's camp

Say 'I am none of thine.'

ANTONY. What say'st thou?

SOLDIER. Sir,

He is with Caesar.

EROS. Sir, his chests and treasure

He has not with him.

ANTONY. Is he gone?

SOLDIER. Most certain.

ANTONY. Go, Eros, send his treasure after; do it;

Detain no jot, I charge thee. Write to him-

I will subscribe- gentle adieus and greetings;

Say that I wish he never find more cause

To change a master. O, my fortunes have

Corrupted honest men! Dispatch. Enobarbus! Exeunt

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SCENE VI.

Alexandria. CAESAR'S camp

Flourish. Enter AGRIPPA, CAESAR, With DOLABELLA

and ENOBARBUS

CAESAR. Go forth, Agrippa, and begin the fight.

Our will is Antony be took alive;

Make it so known.

AGRIPPA. Caesar, I shall. Exit

CAESAR. The time of universal peace is near.

Prove this a prosp'rous day, the three-nook'd world

Shall bear the olive freely.

Enter A MESSENGER

MESSENGER. Antony

Is come into the field.

CAESAR. Go charge Agrippa

Plant those that have revolted in the vant,

That Antony may seem to spend his fury

Upon himself. Exeunt all but ENOBARBUS

ENOBARBUS. Alexas did revolt and went to Jewry on

Affairs of Antony; there did dissuade

Great Herod to incline himself to Caesar

And leave his master Antony. For this pains

Casaer hath hang'd him. Canidius and the rest

That fell away have entertainment, but

No honourable trust. I have done ill,

Of which I do accuse myself so sorely

That I will joy no more.

Enter a SOLDIER of CAESAR'S

SOLDIER. Enobarbus, Antony

Hath after thee sent all thy treasure, with

His bounty overplus. The messenger

Came on my guard, and at thy tent is now

Unloading of his mules.

ENOBARBUS. I give it you.

SOLDIER. Mock not, Enobarbus.

I tell you true. Best you saf'd the bringer

Out of the host. I must attend mine office,

Or would have done't myself. Your emperor

Continues still a Jove. Exit

ENOBARBUS. I am alone the villain of the earth,

And feel I am so most. O Antony,

Thou mine of bounty, how wouldst thou have paid

My better service, when my turpitude

Thou dost so crown with gold! This blows my heart.

If swift thought break it not, a swifter mean

Shall outstrike thought; but thought will do't, I feel.

I fight against thee? No! I will go seek

Some ditch wherein to die; the foul'st best fits

My latter part of life. Exit

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SCENE VII.

Field of battle between the camps

Alarum. Drums and trumpets. Enter AGRIPPA

and others

AGRIPPA. Retire. We have engag'd ourselves too far.

Caesar himself has work, and our oppression

Exceeds what we expected. Exeunt

Alarums. Enter ANTONY, and SCARUS wounded

SCARUS. O my brave Emperor, this is fought indeed!

Had we done so at first, we had droven them home

With clouts about their heads.

ANTONY. Thou bleed'st apace.

SCARUS. I had a wound here that was like a T,

But now 'tis made an H.

ANTONY. They do retire.

SCARUS. We'll beat'em into bench-holes. I have yet

Room for six scotches more.

Enter EROS

EROS. They are beaten, sir, and our advantage serves

For a fair victory.

SCARUS. Let us score their backs

And snatch 'em up, as we take hares, behind.

'Tis sport to maul a runner.

ANTONY. I will reward thee

Once for thy sprightly comfort, and tenfold

For thy good valour. Come thee on.

SCARUS. I'll halt after. Exeunt

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SCENE VIII.

Under the walls of Alexandria

Alarum. Enter ANTONY, again in a march; SCARUS

with others

ANTONY. We have beat him to his camp. Run one before

And let the Queen know of our gests. To-morrow,

Before the sun shall see's, we'll spill the blood

That has to-day escap'd. I thank you all;

For doughty-handed are you, and have fought

Not as you serv'd the cause, but as't had been

Each man's like mine; you have shown all Hectors.

Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends,

Tell them your feats; whilst they with joyful tears

Wash the congealment from your wounds and kiss

The honour'd gashes whole.

Enter CLEOPATRA, attended

[To SCARUS] Give me thy hand-

To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts,

Make her thanks bless thee. O thou day o' th' world,

Chain mine arm'd neck. Leap thou, attire and all,

Through proof of harness to my heart, and there

Ride on the pants triumphing.

CLEOPATRA. Lord of lords!

O infinite virtue, com'st thou smiling from

The world's great snare uncaught?

ANTONY. Mine nightingale,

We have beat them to their beds. What, girl! though grey

Do something mingle with our younger brown, yet ha' we

A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can

Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man;

Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand-

Kiss it, my warrior- he hath fought to-day

As if a god in hate of mankind had

Destroyed in such a shape.

CLEOPATRA. I'll give thee, friend,

An armour all of gold; it was a king's.

ANTONY. He has deserv'd it, were it carbuncled

Like holy Phoebus' car. Give me thy hand.

Through Alexandria make a jolly march;

Bear our hack'd targets like the men that owe them.

Had our great palace the capacity

To camp this host, we all would sup together,

And drink carouses to the next day's fate,

Which promises royal peril. Trumpeters,

With brazen din blast you the city's ear;

Make mingle with our rattling tabourines,

That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together

Applauding our approach. Exeunt

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SCENE IX.

CAESAR'S camp

Enter a CENTURION and his company; ENOBARBUS follows

CENTURION. If we be not reliev'd within this hour,

We must return to th' court of guard. The night

Is shiny, and they say we shall embattle

By th' second hour i' th' morn.

FIRST WATCH. This last day was

A shrewd one to's.

ENOBARBUS. O, bear me witness, night-

SECOND WATCH. What man is this?

FIRST WATCH. Stand close and list him.

ENOBARBUS. Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon,

When men revolted shall upon record

Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did

Before thy face repent!

CENTURION. Enobarbus?

SECOND WATCH. Peace!

Hark further.

ENOBARBUS. O sovereign mistress of true melancholy,

The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me,

That life, a very rebel to my will,

May hang no longer on me. Throw my heart

Against the flint and hardness of my fault,

Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder,

And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony,

Nobler than my revolt is infamous,

Forgive me in thine own particular,

But let the world rank me in register

A master-leaver and a fugitive!

O Antony! O Antony! [Dies]

FIRST WATCH. Let's speak to him.

CENTURION. Let's hear him, for the things he speaks

May concern Caesar.

SECOND WATCH. Let's do so. But he sleeps.

CENTURION. Swoons rather; for so bad a prayer as his

Was never yet for sleep.

FIRST WATCH. Go we to him.

SECOND WATCH. Awake, sir, awake; speak to us.

FIRST WATCH. Hear you, sir?

CENTURION. The hand of death hath raught him.

[Drums afar off ] Hark! the drums

Demurely wake the sleepers. Let us bear him

To th' court of guard; he is of note. Our hour

Is fully out.

SECOND WATCH. Come on, then;

He may recover yet. Exeunt with the body

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SCENE X.

Between the two camps

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS, with their army

ANTONY. Their preparation is to-day by sea;

We please them not by land.

SCARUS. For both, my lord.

ANTONY. I would they'd fight i' th' fire or i' th' air;

We'd fight there too. But this it is, our foot

Upon the hills adjoining to the city

Shall stay with us- Order for sea is given;

They have put forth the haven-

Where their appointment we may best discover

And look on their endeavour. Exeunt

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SCENE XI.

Between the camps

Enter CAESAR and his army

CAESAR. But being charg'd, we will be still by land,

Which, as I take't, we shall; for his best force

Is forth to man his galleys. To the vales,

And hold our best advantage. Exeunt

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SCENE XII.

A hill near Alexandria

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS

ANTONY. Yet they are not join'd. Where yond pine does stand

I shall discover all. I'll bring thee word

Straight how 'tis like to go. Exit

SCARUS. Swallows have built

In Cleopatra's sails their nests. The augurers

Say they know not, they cannot tell; look grimly,

And dare not speak their knowledge. Antony

Is valiant and dejected; and by starts

His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear

Of what he has and has not.

[Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight]

Re-enter ANTONY

ANTONY. All is lost!

This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me.

My fleet hath yielded to the foe, and yonder

They cast their caps up and carouse together

Like friends long lost. Triple-turn'd w***e! 'tis thou

Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart

Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly;

For when I am reveng'd upon my charm,

I have done all. Bid them all fly; begone. Exit SCARUS

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more!

Fortune and Antony part here; even here

Do we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts

That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave

Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets

On blossoming Caesar; and this pine is bark'd

That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am.

O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm-

Whose eye beck'd forth my wars and call'd them home,

Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end-

Like a right gypsy hath at fast and loose

Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss.

What, Eros, Eros!

Enter CLEOPATRA

Ah, thou spell! Avaunt!

CLEOPATRA. Why is my lord enrag'd against his love?

ANTONY. Vanish, or I shall give thee thy deserving

And blemish Caesar's triumph. Let him take thee

And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians;

Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot

Of all thy s*x; most monster-like, be shown

For poor'st diminutives, for doits, and let

Patient Octavia plough thy visage up

With her prepared nails. Exit CLEOPATRA

'Tis well th'art gone,

If it be well to live; but better 'twere

Thou fell'st into my fury, for one death

Might have prevented many. Eros, ho!

The shirt of Nessus is upon me; teach me,

Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage;

Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o' th' moon,

And with those hands that grasp'd the heaviest club

Subdue my worthiest self. The witch shall die.

To the young Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall

Under this plot. She dies for't. Eros, ho! Exit

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SCENE XIII.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN

CLEOPATRA. Help me, my women. O, he is more mad

Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly

Was never so emboss'd.

CHARMIAN. To th'monument!

There lock yourself, and send him word you are dead.

The soul and body rive not more in parting

Than greatness going off.

CLEOPATRA. To th' monument!

Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself;

Say that the last I spoke was 'Antony'

And word it, prithee, piteously. Hence, Mardian,

And bring me how he takes my death. To th' monument!

Exeunt

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SCENE XIV.

CLEOPATRA'S palace

Enter ANTONY and EROS

ANTONY. Eros, thou yet behold'st me?

EROS. Ay, noble lord.

ANTONY. Sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish;

A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,

A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,

A forked mountain, or blue promontory

With trees upon't that nod unto the world

And mock our eyes with air. Thou hast seen these signs;

They are black vesper's pageants.

EROS. Ay, my lord.

ANTONY. That which is now a horse, even with a thought

The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct,

As water is in water.

EROS. It does, my lord.

ANTONY. My good knave Eros, now thy captain is

Even such a body. Here I am Antony;

Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.

I made these wars for Egypt; and the Queen-

Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine,

Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't

A million moe, now lost- she, Eros, has

Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory

Unto an enemy's triumph.

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us

Ourselves to end ourselves.