The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare [book recommendations based on other books txt] 📗

horse to tell of her approach Long ere she did appear. The trees by th’ way Should have borne men, and expectation fainted, Longing for what it had not. Nay, the dust Should have ascended to the roof of heaven, Rais’d by your populous troops. But you are come A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented The ostentation of our love, which left unshown Is often left unlov’d. We should have met you By sea and land, supplying every stage With an augmented greeting.

OCTAVIA. Good my lord,

To come thus was I not constrain’d, but did it On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony, Hearing that you prepar’d for war, acquainted My grieved ear withal; whereon I begg’d His pardon for return.

CAESAR. Which soon he granted,

Being an obstruct ‘tween his lust and him.

OCTAVIA. Do not say so, my lord.

CAESAR. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.

Where is he now?

OCTAVIA. My lord, in Athens.

CAESAR. No, my most wronged sister: Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore, who now are levying

The kings o’ th’ earth for war. He hath assembled Bocchus, the king of Libya; Archelaus Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas; King Manchus of Arabia; King of Pont; Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king

Of Comagene; Polemon and Amyntas,

The kings of Mede and Lycaonia, with

More larger list of sceptres.

OCTAVIA. Ay me most wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends, That does afflict each other!

CAESAR. Welcome hither.

Your letters did withhold our breaking forth, Till we perceiv’d both how you were wrong led And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart; Be you not troubled with the time, which drives O’er your content these strong necessities, But let determin’d things to destiny

Hold unbewail’d their way. Welcome to Rome; Nothing more dear to me. You are abus’d Beyond the mark of thought, and the high gods, To do you justice, make their ministers Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort, And ever welcome to us.

AGRIPPA. Welcome, lady.

MAECENAS. Welcome, dear madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you; Only th’ adulterous Antony, most large In his abominations, turns you off,

And gives his potent regiment to a trull That noises it against us.

OCTAVIA. Is it so, sir?

CAESAR. Most certain. Sister, welcome. Pray you Be ever known to patience. My dear’st sister! Exeunt ACT_3|SC_7

SCENE VII.

ANTONY’S camp near Actium Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS

 

CLEOPATRA. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

ENOBARBUS. But why, why,

CLEOPATRA. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars, And say’st it is not fit.

ENOBARBUS. Well, is it, is it?

CLEOPATRA. Is’t not denounc’d against us? Why should not we Be there in person?

ENOBARBUS. [Aside] Well, I could reply: If we should serve with horse and mares together The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear A soldier and his horse.

CLEOPATRA. What is’t you say?

ENOBARBUS. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from’s time, What should not then be spar’d. He is already Traduc’d for levity; and ‘tis said in Rome That Photinus an eunuch and your maids Manage this war.

CLEOPATRA. Sink Rome, and their tongues rot That speak against us! A charge we bear i’ th’ war, And, as the president of my kingdom, will Appear there for a man. Speak not against it; I will not stay behind.

 

Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS

 

ENOBARBUS. Nay, I have done.

Here comes the Emperor.

ANTONY. Is it not strange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum and Brundusium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea, And take in Toryne?- You have heard on’t, sweet?

CLEOPATRA. Celerity is never more admir’d Than by the negligent.

ANTONY. A good rebuke,

Which might have well becom’d the best of men To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

CLEOPATRA. By sea! What else?

CANIDIUS. Why will my lord do so?

ANTONY. For that he dares us to’t.

ENOBARBUS. So hath my lord dar’d him to single fight.

CANIDIUS. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia, Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers, Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off; And so should you.

ENOBARBUS. Your ships are not well mann’d; Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people Ingross’d by swift impress. In Caesar’s fleet Are those that often have ‘gainst Pompey fought; Their ships are yare; yours heavy. No disgrace Shall fall you for refusing him at sea, Being prepar’d for land.

ANTONY. By sea, by sea.

ENOBARBUS. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away The absolute soldiership you have by land; Distract your army, which doth most consist Of war-mark’d footmen; leave unexecuted Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo The way which promises assurance; and Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard From firm security.

ANTONY. I’ll fight at sea.

CLEOPATRA. I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.

ANTONY. Our overplus of shipping will we burn, And, with the rest full-mann’d, from th’ head of Actium Beat th’ approaching Caesar. But if we fail, We then can do’t at land.

 

Enter a MESSENGER

 

Thy business?

MESSENGER. The news is true, my lord: he is descried; Caesar has taken Toryne.

ANTONY. Can he be there in person? ‘Tis impossible-Strange that his power should be. Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land, And our twelve thousand horse. We’ll to our ship.

Away, my Thetis!

 

Enter a SOLDIER

 

How now, worthy soldier?

SOLDIER. O noble Emperor, do not fight by sea; Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt This sword and these my wounds? Let th’ Egyptians And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we

Have us’d to conquer standing on the earth And fighting foot to foot.

ANTONY. Well, well-away.

Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENOBARBUS

SOLDIER. By Hercules, I think I am i’ th’ right.

CANIDIUS. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows Not in the power on’t. So our leader’s led, And we are women’s men.

SOLDIER. You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

CANIDIUS. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, Publicola, and Caelius are for sea;

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar’s Carries beyond belief.

SOLDIER. While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in such distractions as Beguil’d all spies.

CANIDIUS. Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?

SOLDIER. They say one Taurus.

CANIDIUS. Well I know the man.

 

Enter a MESSENGER

 

MESSENGER. The Emperor calls Canidius.

CANIDIUS. With news the time’s with labour and throes forth Each minute some. Exeunt ACT_3|SC_8

SCENE VIII.

A plain near Actium Enter CAESAR, with his army, marching CAESAR. Taurus!

TAURUS. My lord?

CAESAR. Strike not by land; keep whole; provoke not battle Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed The prescript of this scroll. Our fortune lies Upon this jump. Exeunt ACT_3|SC_9

SCENE IX.

Another part of the plain Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS

 

ANTONY. Set we our squadrons on yon side o’ th’ hill, In eye of Caesar’s battle; from which place We may the number of the ships behold, And so proceed accordingly. Exeunt ACT_3|SC_10

SCENE X.

Another part of the plain CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the stage, and TAURUS, the Lieutenant of CAESAR, the other way. After their going in is heard the noise of a sea-fight Alarum. Enter ENOBARBUS

 

ENOBARBUS. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer.

Th’ Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder.

To see’t mine eyes are blasted.

 

Enter SCARUS

 

SCARUS. Gods and goddesses,

All the whole synod of them!

ENOBARBUS. What’s thy passion?

SCARUS. The greater cantle of the world is lost With very ignorance; we have kiss’d away Kingdoms and provinces.

ENOBARBUS. How appears the fight?

SCARUS. On our side like the token’d pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt-Whom leprosy o’ertake!- i’ th’ midst o’ th’ fight, When vantage like a pair of twins appear’d, Both as the same, or rather ours the elder-The breese upon her, like a cow in June-Hoists sails and flies.

ENOBARBUS. That I beheld;

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not Endure a further view.

SCARUS. She once being loof’d,

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard, Leaving the fight in height, flies after her.

I never saw an action of such shame;

Experience, manhood, honour, ne’er before Did violate so itself.

ENOBARBUS. Alack, alack!

 

Enter CANIDIUS

 

CANIDIUS. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath, And sinks most lamentably. Had our general Been what he knew himself, it had gone well.

O, he has given example for our flight Most grossly by his own!

ENOBARBUS. Ay, are you thereabouts?

Why then, good night indeed.

CANIDIUS. Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.

SCARUS. ‘Tis easy to’t; and there I will attend What further comes.

CANIDIUS. To Caesar will I render

My legions and my horse; six kings already Show me the way of yielding.

ENOBARBUS. I’ll yet follow

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason Sits in the wind against me. Exeunt ACT_3|SC_11

SCENE XI.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA’S palace Enter ANTONY With attendants ANTONY. Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon’t; It is asham’d to bear me. Friends, come hither.

I am so lated in the world that I

Have lost my way for ever. I have a ship Laden with gold; take that; divide it. Fly, And make your peace with Caesar.

ALL. Fly? Not we!

ANTONY. I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone; I have myself resolv’d upon a course

Which has no need of you; be gone.

My treasure’s in the harbour, take it. O, I follow’d that I blush to look upon.

My very hairs do mutiny; for the white Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them For fear and doting. Friends, be gone; you shall Have letters from me to some friends that will Sweep your way for you. Pray you look not sad, Nor make replies of loathness; take the hint Which my despair proclaims. Let that be left Which leaves itself. To the seaside straight way.

I will possess you of that ship and treasure.

Leave me, I pray, a little; pray you now; Nay, do so, for indeed I have lost command; Therefore I pray you. I’ll see you by and by. [Sits down]

 

Enter CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and IRAS, EROS following

 

EROS. Nay, gentle madam, to him! Comfort him.

IRAS. Do, most dear Queen.

CHARMIAN. Do? Why, what else?

CLEOPATRA. Let me sit down. O Juno!

ANTONY. No, no, no, no, no.

EROS. See you here, sir?

ANTONY. O, fie, fie, fie!

CHARMIAN. Madam!

IRAS. Madam, O good Empress!

EROS. Sir, sir!

ANTONY. Yes, my lord, yes. He at Philippi kept His sword e’en like a dancer, while I struck The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and ‘twas I That the mad Brutus ended; he alone

Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had In the brave squares of war. Yet now-no matter.

CLEOPATRA. Ah, stand by!

EROS. The Queen, my lord, the Queen!

IRAS. Go to him, madam, speak to him.

He is unqualitied with very shame.

CLEOPATRA. Well then, sustain me. O!

EROS. Most noble sir, arise; the Queen approaches.

Her head’s declin’d, and death will seize her but Your comfort makes the rescue.

ANTONY. I have offended reputation—

A most unnoble swerving.

EROS. Sir, the Queen.

ANTONY. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See How I convey my shame out of thine eyes By looking back what I have left behind ‘Stroy’d in