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

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Without the which a soldier and his sword Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony?

VENTIDIUS. I’ll humbly signify what in his name, That magical word of war, we have effected; How, with his banners, and his well-paid ranks, The ne’er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia We have jaded out o’ th’ field.

SILIUS. Where is he now?

VENTIDIUS. He purposeth to Athens; whither, with what haste The weight we must convey with’s will permit, We shall appear before him.- On, there; pass along.

Exeunt ACT_3|SC_2

SCENE II. Rome. CAESAR’S house Enter AGRIPPA at one door, ENOBARBUS at another AGRIPPA. What, are the brothers parted?

ENOBARBUS. They have dispatch’d with Pompey; he is gone; The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps To part from Rome; Caesar is sad; and Lepidus, Since Pompey’s feast, as Menas says, is troubled With the green sickness.

AGRIPPA. ‘Tis a noble Lepidus.

ENOBARBUS. A very fine one. O, how he loves Caesar!

AGRIPPA. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!

ENOBARBUS. Caesar? Why he’s the Jupiter of men.

AGRIPPA. What’s Antony? The god of Jupiter.

ENOBARBUS. Spake you of Caesar? How! the nonpareil!

AGRIPPA. O, Antony! O thou Arabian bird!

ENOBARBUS. Would you praise Caesar, say ‘Caesar’- go no further.

AGRIPPA. Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.

ENOBARBUS. But he loves Caesar best. Yet he loves Antony.

Hoo! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number-hoo!-

His love to Antony. But as for Caesar, Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.

AGRIPPA. Both he loves.

ENOBARBUS. They are his shards, and he their beetle. [Trumpets within] So-This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa.

AGRIPPA. Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell.

 

Enter CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, and OCTAVIA ANTONY. No further, sir.

CAESAR. You take from me a great part of myself; Use me well in’t. Sister, prove such a wife As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest band Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble Antony, Let not the piece of virtue which is set Betwixt us as the cement of our love

To keep it builded be the ram to batter The fortress of it; for better might we Have lov’d without this mean, if on both parts This be not cherish’d.

ANTONY. Make me not offended

In your distrust.

CAESAR. I have said.

ANTONY. You shall not find,

Though you be therein curious, the least cause For what you seem to fear. So the gods keep you, And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends!

We will here part.

CAESAR. Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well.

The elements be kind to thee and make Thy spirits all of comfort! Fare thee well.

OCTAVIA. My noble brother!

ANTONY. The April’s in her eyes. It is love’s spring, And these the showers to bring it on. Be cheerful.

OCTAVIA. Sir, look well to my husband’s house; and-CAESAR. What, Octavia?

OCTAVIA. I’ll tell you in your ear.

ANTONY. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue-the swan’s down feather, That stands upon the swell at the full of tide, And neither way inclines.

ENOBARBUS. [Aside to AGRIPPA] Will Caesar weep?

AGRIPPA. [Aside to ENOBARBUS] He has a cloud in’s face.

ENOBARBUS. [Aside to AGRIPPA] He were the worse for that, were he a horse;

So is he, being a man.

AGRIPPA. [Aside to ENOBARBUS] Why, Enobarbus, When Antony found Julius Caesar dead, He cried almost to roaring; and he wept When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.

ENOBARBUS. [Aside to AGRIPPA] That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum;

What willingly he did confound he wail’d, Believe’t-till I weep too.

CAESAR. No, sweet Octavia,

You shall hear from me still; the time shall not Out-go my thinking on you.

ANTONY. Come, sir, come;

I’ll wrestle with you in my strength of love.

Look, here I have you; thus I let you go, And give you to the gods.

CAESAR. Adieu; be happy!

LEPIDUS. Let all the number of the stars give light To thy fair way!

CAESAR. Farewell, farewell! [Kisses OCTAVIA]

ANTONY. Farewell! Trumpets sound. Exeunt 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 ACT_3|SC_4

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’ marketplace, 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 castaway!

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