The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I, Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had Cleo. Ah, stand by. Yet now-no matter. Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen. Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him; He is unqualitied with very shame. Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me;-Oh! Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches; Her head's declined, and death will seize her; but Your comfort makes the rescue. Ant. I have offended reputation; A most unnoble swerving. Eros. Sir, the queen. Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See, How I convey my shame out of thine eyes, By looking back on what I have left behind Cleo. O my lord, my lord! Egypt, thou knew'st too well, Ant. Cleo. Ant. O, my pardon. Now I must To the young man send humble treaties, dodge With half the bulk o' the world played as I pleased, Cleo. O pardon, pardon. Ant. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates Even this repays me.-We sent our schoolmaster; Some wine, within there, and our viands.- Fortune knows [Exeunt. SCENE X. Cæsar's Camp in Egypt. Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, and others. Cæs. Let him appear that's come from Antony. Know you him? Dol. Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster; Cæs. Enter EUPHRONIUS. Approach, and speak. Eup. Such as I am, I come from Antony. I was of late as petty to his ends, As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf Cæs. Be it so; declare thine office. To let him breathe between the heavens and earth, Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness; Now hazarded to thy grace. Cæs. For Antony, Bring him through the bands. [Exit EUPHRONIUS. To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time; despatch. From Antony win Cleopatra; promise, [To THYREUS. In their best fortunes, strong; but want will perjure Will answer as a law. Cæs. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw; And what thou think'st his very action speaks In every power that moves. Thyr. Cæsar, I shall. [Exeunt. SCENE XI. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS. Cleo. What shall we do, Enobarbus? Eno. Think, and die. Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this? Eno. Antony only, that would make his will Lord of his reason. What though you fled From that great face of war, whose several ranges Frighted each other? Why should he follow? The itch of his affection should not then Have nicked his captainship. At such a point, When half to half the world opposed, he being The mered question; 'twas a shame no less Than was his loss, to course your flying flags, And leave his navy gazing. Cleo. Pr'ythee, peace. Enter ANTONY, with EUPHRONIUS. Ant. Is this his answer? Eup. Ay, my lord. Ant. The queen shall then have courtesy, so she Will yield us up. Eup. He says so. Ant. Let her know it. To the boy Cæsar send this grizzled head, With principalities. Cleo. That head, my lord? Ant. To him again. Tell him, he wears the rose May be a coward's; whose ministers would prevail As i'the command of Cæsar. I dare him therefore And answer me declined, sword against sword, Ourselves alone. I'll write it; follow me. [Exeunt ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS. Eno. Yes, like enough, high-battled Cæsar will Unstate his happiness, and be staged to the show, To suffer all alike. That he should dream, Att. Enter an Attendant. A messenger from Cæsar. Cleo. What, no more ceremony?-See, my women!Against the blown rose may they stop their nose, That kneeled unto the buds.-Admit him, sir. Eno. Mine honesty, and I, begin to square. [Aside. The loyalty, well held to fools, does make Our faith mere folly;-yet he that can endure Does conquer him that did his master conquer, Enter THYREUS. Cleo. Cæsar's will? Thyr. Hear it apart. Cleo. None but friends; say boldly. Thyr. So, haply, are they friends to Antony. Eno. He needs as many, sir, as Cæsar has; Or needs not us. If Cæsar please, our master Will leap to be his friend. For us, you know, Whose he is, we are; and that's Cæsar's. Thyr. Thus, then, thou most renowned; Cæsar entreats, Not to consider in what case thou stand'st, Further than he is Cæsar. Cleo. So. Go on; right royal. Thyr. He knows that you embrace not Antony As you did love, but as you feared him. Cleo. O! Thyr. The scars upon your honor, therefore, he Does pity, as constrained blemishes, Not as deserved. Cleo. He is a god, and knows What is most right. Mine honor was not yielded, But conquered merely. Eno. To be sure of that, I will ask Antony.-Sir, sir, thou'rt so leaky, [Aside. That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for [Exit ENOBARBus. The universal landlord. Cleo. What's your name? Most kind messenger, Thyr. My name is Thyreus. Say to great Cæsar this in disputation, I kiss his conquering hand. Tell him, I am prompt The doom of Egypt. Thyr. No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay Cleo. Your Cæsar's father Oft, when he hath mused of taking kingdoms in, As it rained kisses. You will be whipped. The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest To have command obeyed. Eno. Ant. Approach there;-Ay, you kite!-Now, god and devils! Authority melts from me. Of late, when I cried, Ho! Enter Attendants. Antony yet. Take hence this Jack, and whip him Ant. Moon and stars! |