SCENE I. Before Alexandria. OCTAVIUS CAESAR's camp. Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECAENAS, with his Army;OCTAVIUS CAESAR reading a letter OCTAVIUS CAESAR He calls me boy; and chides, as he had power To beat me out of Egypt; my messenger He hath whipp'd 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. MECAENAS 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. OCTAVIUS 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 served 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 SCENE II. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace. Enter MARK ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, with others MARK ANTONY He will not fight with me, Domitius. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS No. MARK ANTONY Why should he not? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, He is twenty men to one. MARK 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? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS I'll strike, and cry 'Take all.' MARK 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 hast been rightly honest;--so hast thou;--Thou,--and thou,--and thou:--you have served me well, And kings have been your fellows. CLEOPATRA [Aside to DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS] What means this? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside to CLEOPATRA] 'Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots Out of the mind. MARK 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. All The gods forbid! MARK 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 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS] What does he mean? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside to CLEOPATRA] To make his followers weep. MARK 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! DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS What mean you, sir, To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;And I, an ass, am onion-eyed: for shame, Transform us not to women. MARK 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 SCENE III. The same. Before the palace. Enter two Soldiers to their guard 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.
Enter two other Soldiers Second Soldier Soldiers, have careful watch. Third Soldier And you. Good night, good night.
They place themselves in every corner of the stage Fourth 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 as under the stage Fourth Soldier Peace! what noise? First Soldier List, list! Second Soldier Hark! First Soldier Music i' the air. Third Soldier Under the earth. Fourth Soldier It signs well, does it not? Third Soldier No. First Soldier Peace, I say!
What should this mean? Second Soldier 'Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony loved, Now leaves him. First Soldier Walk; let's see if other watchmen Do hear what we do?
They advance to another post Second Soldier How now, masters! All [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. All Content. 'Tis strange.
Exeunt SCENE IV. The same. A room in the palace. Enter MARK ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and others attending MARK ANTONY Eros! mine armour, Eros! CLEOPATRA Sleep a little. MARK 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? MARK 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. MARK 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? MARK 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:
