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 3
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 4
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:
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.
MARK 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 cheque 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 MARK 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 5
Alexandria. MARK ANTONY’s camp.
Trumpets sound. Enter MARK ANTONY and EROS; a Soldier meeting them
Soldier The gods make this a happy day to Antony!
MARK 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.
MARK 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.’
MARK ANTONY What say’st thou?
Soldier Sir,
He is with Caesar.
EROS Sir, his chests and treasure
He has not with him.
MARK ANTONY Is he gone?
Soldier Most certain.
MARK 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 6
Alexandria. OCTAVIUS CAESAR’s camp.
Flourish. Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, AGRIPPA, with DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, and others
OCTAVIUS CAESAR Go forth, Agrippa, and begin the fight:
Our will is Antony be took alive;
Make it so known.
AGRIPPA Caesar, I shall.
Exit
OCTAVIUS 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.
OCTAVIUS 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 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS 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.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS 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
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS 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 7
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 MARK 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.
MARK ANTONY Thou bleed’st apace.
SCARUS I had a wound here that was like a T,
But now ’tis made an H.
MARK 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: