Antony and Cleopatra, William Shakespeare [books to read as a couple TXT] 📗

others attending. Antony Eros! mine armour, Eros! Cleopatra Sleep a little. 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?

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. 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? 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:
To business that we love we rise betime,
And go to’t with delight.

Soldier

A thousand, sir,
Early though’t be, have on their riveted trim,
And at the port expect you. Shout. Trumpets flourish.

Enter Captains and Soldiers. Captain The morn is fair. Good morrow, general. All Good morrow, general. Antony

’Tis well blown, lads:
This morning, like the spirit of a youth
That means to be of note, begins betimes.
So, so; come, give me that: this way; well said.
Fare thee well, dame, whate’er becomes of me:
This is a soldier’s kiss: rebukeable Kisses her.
And worthy shameful check it were, to stand
On more mechanic compliment; I’ll leave thee
Now, like a man of steel. You that will fight,
Follow me close; I’ll bring you to’t. Adieu. Exeunt Antony, Eros, Captains, and Soldiers.

Charmian Please you, retire to your chamber. Cleopatra

Lead me.
He goes forth gallantly. That he and Caesar might
Determine this great war in single fight!
Then Antony⁠—but now⁠—Well, on. Exeunt.

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
Follow’d 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.

Scene VI

Alexandria. Caesar’s camp.

Flourish. Enter Caesar, Agrippa, with Enobarbas, and others. 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 prosperous 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 van,
That Antony may seem to spend his fury
Upon himself. Exeunt all but Enobarbas.

Enobarbas

Alexas did revolt; and went to Jewry on
Affairs of Antony; there did persuade
Great Herod to incline himself to Caesar,
And leave his master Antony: for this pains
Caesar 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.

Enobarbas I give it you. Soldier

Mock not, Enobarbus.
I tell you true: best you safed the bringer
Out of the host; I must attend mine office,
Or would have done’t myself. Your emperor
Continues still a Jove. Exit.

Enobarbas

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.

Scene VII

Field of battle between the camps.

Alarum. Drums and trumpets. Enter Agrippa and others. Agrippa

Retire, we have engaged 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 spritely comfort, and ten-fold
For thy good valour. Come thee on.

Scarus I’ll halt after. Exeunt. Scene VIII

Under the walls of Alexandria.

Alarum. Enter Antony, 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 escaped. I thank you all;
For doughty-handed are you, and have fought
Not as you served the cause, but