The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare (book suggestions TXT) 📖

courageous, high, unmatchable, Where Caesar’s is not; but near him thy angel Becomes a fear, as being o’erpow’r’d. Therefore Make space enough between you.

ANTONY. Speak this no more.

SOOTHSAYER. To none but thee; no more but when to thee.

If thou dost play with him at any game, Thou art sure to lose; and of that natural luck He beats thee ‘gainst the odds. Thy lustre thickens When he shines by. I say again, thy spirit Is all afraid to govern thee near him; But, he away, ‘tis noble.

ANTONY. Get thee gone.

Say to Ventidius I would speak with him.

Exit SOOTHSAYER

He shall to Parthia.- Be it art or hap, He hath spoken true. The very dice obey him; And in our sports my better cunning faints Under his chance. If we draw lots, he speeds; His cocks do win the battle still of mine, When it is all to nought, and his quails ever Beat mine, inhoop’d, at odds. I will to Egypt; And though I make this marriage for my peace, I’ th’ East my pleasure lies.

 

Enter VENTIDIUS

 

O, come, Ventidius,

You must to Parthia. Your commission’s ready; Follow me and receive’t. Exeunt

SCENE IV.

Rome. A street

 

Enter LEPIDUS, MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA

 

LEPIDUS. Trouble yourselves no further. Pray you hasten Your generals after.

AGRIPPA. Sir, Mark Antony

Will e’en but kiss Octavia, and we’ll follow.

LEPIDUS. Till I shall see you in your soldier’s dress, Which will become you both, farewell.

MAECENAS. We shall,

As I conceive the journey, be at th’ Mount Before you, Lepidus.

LEPIDUS. Your way is shorter;

My purposes do draw me much about.

You’ll win two days upon me.

BOTH. Sir, good success!

LEPIDUS. Farewell. Exeunt

SCENE V.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA’S palace

 

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS

 

CLEOPATRA. Give me some music-music, moody food Of us that trade in love.

ALL. The music, ho!

 

Enter MARDIAN the eunuch CLEOPATRA. Let it alone! Let’s to billiards. Come, Charmian.

CHARMIAN. My arm is sore; best play with Mardian.

CLEOPATRA. As well a woman with an eunuch play’d As with a woman. Come, you’ll play with me, sir?

MARDIAN. As well as I can, madam.

CLEOPATRA. And when good will is show’d, though’t come too short, The actor may plead pardon. I’ll none now.

Give me mine angle-we’ll to th’ river. There, My music playing far off, I will betray Tawny-finn’d fishes; my bended hook shall pierce Their slimy jaws; and as I draw them up I’ll think them every one an Antony,

And say ‘Ah ha! Y’are caught.’

CHARMIAN. ‘Twas merry when

You wager’d on your angling; when your diver Did hang a salt fish on his hook, which he With fervency drew up.

CLEOPATRA. That time? O times

I laughed him out of patience; and that night I laugh’d him into patience; and next morn, Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed, Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst I wore his sword Philippan.

 

Enter a MESSENGER

 

O! from Italy?

Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears, That long time have been barren.

MESSENGER. Madam, madam—

CLEOPATRA. Antony’s dead! If thou say so, villain, Thou kill’st thy mistress; but well and free, If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here My bluest veins to kiss-a hand that kings Have lipp’d, and trembled kissing.

MESSENGER. First, madam, he is well.

CLEOPATRA. Why, there’s more gold.

But, sirrah, mark, we use

To say the dead are well. Bring it to that, The gold I give thee will I melt and pour Down thy ill-uttering throat.

MESSENGER. Good madam, hear me.

CLEOPATRA. Well, go to, I will.

But there’s no goodness in thy face. If Antony Be free and healthful-why so tart a favour To trumpet such good tidings? If not well, Thou shouldst come like a Fury crown’d with snakes, Not like a formal man.

MESSENGER. Will’t please you hear me?

CLEOPATRA. I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak’st.

Yet, if thou say Antony lives, is well, Or friends with Caesar, or not captive to him, I’ll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail Rich pearls upon thee.

MESSENGER. Madam, he’s well.

CLEOPATRA. Well said.

MESSENGER. And friends with Caesar.

CLEOPATRA. Th’art an honest man.

MESSENGER. Caesar and he are greater friends than ever.

CLEOPATRA. Make thee a fortune from me.

MESSENGER. But yet, madam—

CLEOPATRA. I do not like ‘but yet.’ It does allay The good precedence; fie upon ‘but yet’!

‘But yet’ is as a gaoler to bring forth Some monstrous malefactor. Prithee, friend, Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear, The good and bad together. He’s friends with Caesar; In state of health, thou say’st; and, thou say’st, free.

MESSENGER. Free, madam! No; I made no such report.

He’s bound unto Octavia.

CLEOPATRA. For what good turn?

MESSENGER. For the best turn i’ th’ bed.

CLEOPATRA. I am pale, Charmian.

MESSENGER. Madam, he’s married to Octavia.

CLEOPATRA. The most infectious pestilence upon thee!

[Strikes him down]

MESSENGER. Good madam, patience.

CLEOPATRA. What say you? Hence, [Strikes him]

Horrible villain! or I’ll spurn thine eyes Like balls before me; I’ll unhair thy head; [She hales him up and down]

Thou shalt be whipp’d with wire and stew’d in brine, Smarting in ling’ring pickle.

MESSENGER. Gracious madam,

I that do bring the news made not the match.

CLEOPATRA. Say ‘tis not so, a province I will give thee, And make thy fortunes proud. The blow thou hadst Shall make thy peace for moving me to rage; And I will boot thee with what gift beside Thy modesty can beg.

MESSENGER. He’s married, madam.

CLEOPATRA. Rogue, thou hast liv’d too long. [Draws a knife]

MESSENGER. Nay, then I’ll run.

What mean you, madam? I have made no fault. Exit CHARMIAN. Good madam, keep yourself within yourself: The man is innocent.

CLEOPATRA. Some innocents scape not the thunderbolt.

Melt Egypt into Nile! and kindly creatures Turn all to serpents! Call the slave again.

Though I am mad, I will not bite him. Call!

CHARMIAN. He is afear’d to come.

CLEOPATRA. I will not hurt him.

These hands do lack nobility, that they strike A meaner than myself; since I myself

Have given myself the cause.

 

Enter the MESSENGER again Come hither, sir.

Though it be honest, it is never good To bring bad news. Give to a gracious message An host of tongues; but let ill tidings tell Themselves when they be felt.

MESSENGER. I have done my duty.

CLEOPATRA. Is he married?

I cannot hate thee worser than I do

If thou again say ‘Yes.’

MESSENGER. He’s married, madam.

CLEOPATRA. The gods confound thee! Dost thou hold there still?

MESSENGER. Should I lie, madam?

CLEOPATRA. O, I would thou didst,

So half my Egypt were submerg’d and made A cistern for scal’d snakes! Go, get thee hence.

Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married?

MESSENGER. I crave your Highness’ pardon.

CLEOPATRA. He is married?

MESSENGER. Take no offence that I would not offend you; To punish me for what you make me do

Seems much unequal. He’s married to Octavia.

CLEOPATRA. O, that his fault should make a knave of thee That art not what th’art sure of! Get thee hence.

The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome Are all too dear for me. Lie they upon thy hand, And be undone by ‘em! Exit MESSENGER

CHARMIAN. Good your Highness, patience.

CLEOPATRA. In praising Antony I have disprais’d Caesar.

CHARMIAN. Many times, madam.

CLEOPATRA. I am paid for’t now. Lead me from hence, I faint. O Iras, Charmian! ‘Tis no matter.

Go to the fellow, good Alexas; bid him Report the feature of Octavia, her years, Her inclination; let him not leave out The colour of her hair. Bring me word quickly.

Exit ALEXAS

Let him for ever go-let him not, Charmian-Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon, The other way’s a Mars. [To MARDIAN]

Bid you Alexas

Bring me word how tall she is.- Pity me, Charmian, But do not speak to me. Lead me to my chamber. Exeunt

SCENE VI.

Near Misenum

 

Flourish. Enter POMPEY and MENAS at one door, with drum and trumpet; at another, CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, ENOBARBUS, MAECENAS, AGRIPPA, with soldiers marching

 

POMPEY. Your hostages I have, so have you mine; And we shall talk before we fight.

CAESAR. Most meet

That first we come to words; and therefore have we Our written purposes before us sent;

Which if thou hast considered, let us know If ‘twill tie up thy discontented sword And carry back to Sicily much tall youth That else must perish here.

POMPEY. To you all three,

The senators alone of this great world, Chief factors for the gods: I do not know Wherefore my father should revengers want, Having a son and friends, since Julius Caesar, Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted, There saw you labouring for him. What was’t That mov’d pale Cassius to conspire? and what Made the all-honour’d honest Roman, Brutus, With the arm’d rest, courtiers of beauteous freedom, To drench the Capitol, but that they would Have one man but a man? And that is it Hath made me rig my navy, at whose burden The anger’d ocean foams; with which I meant To scourge th’ ingratitude that despiteful Rome Cast on my noble father.

CAESAR. Take your time.

ANTONY. Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails; We’ll speak with thee at sea; at land thou know’st How much we do o’er-count thee.

POMPEY. At land, indeed,

Thou dost o’er-count me of my father’s house.

But since the cuckoo builds not for himself, Remain in’t as thou mayst.

LEPIDUS. Be pleas’d to tell us-For this is from the present-how you take The offers we have sent you.

CAESAR. There’s the point.

ANTONY. Which do not be entreated to, but weigh What it is worth embrac’d.

CAESAR. And what may follow,

To try a larger fortune.

POMPEY. You have made me offer

Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must

Rid all the sea of pirates; then to send Measures of wheat to Rome; this ‘greed upon, To part with unhack’d edges and bear back Our targes undinted.

ALL. That’s our offer.

POMPEY. Know, then,

I came before you here a man prepar’d To take this offer; but Mark Antony

Put me to some impatience. Though I lose The praise of it by telling, you must know, When Caesar and your brother were at blows, Your mother came to Sicily and did find Her welcome friendly.

ANTONY. I have heard it, Pompey,

And am well studied for a liberal thanks Which I do owe you.

POMPEY. Let me have your hand.

I did not think, sir, to have met you here.

ANTONY. The beds i’ th’ East are soft; and thanks to you, That call’d me timelier than my purpose hither; For I have gained by’t.

CAESAR. Since I saw you last

There is a change upon you.

POMPEY. Well, I know not

What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face; But in my bosom shall she never come

To make my heart her vassal.

LEPIDUS. Well met here.

POMPEY. I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed.

I crave our composition may be written, And seal’d between us.

CAESAR. That’s the next to do.

POMPEY. We’ll feast each other ere we part, and let’s Draw lots who shall begin.

ANTONY. That will I, Pompey.

POMPEY. No, Antony, take the lot;

But, first or last, your fine Egyptian cookery Shall have the fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar Grew fat with feasting there.

ANTONY. You have heard much.

POMPEY. I have fair meanings, sir.

ANTONY. And fair words to them.

POMPEY. Then so much have I heard;

And I have heard Apollodorus carried—

ENOBARBUS. No more of