Antony and Cleopatra — Act 3, Scene 13

CLEOPATRA

What shall we do, Enobarbus?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Think, and die.

CLEOPATRA

Is Antony or we in fault for this?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Antony only, that would make his willLord of his reason. What though you fledFrom that great face of war, whose several rangesFrighted each other? why should he follow?The itch of his affection should not thenHave nick'd his captainship; at such a point,When half to half the world opposed, he beingThe meered question: 'twas a shame no lessThan was his loss, to course your flying flags,And leave his navy gazing.

CLEOPATRA

Prithee, peace.

MARK ANTONY

Is that his answer?

EUPHRONIUS

Ay, my lord.

MARK ANTONY

The queen shall then have courtesy, so sheWill yield us up.

EUPHRONIUS

He says so.

MARK ANTONY

Let her know't.To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,And he will fill thy wishes to the brimWith principalities.

CLEOPATRA

That head, my lord?

MARK ANTONY

To him again: tell him he wears the roseOf youth upon him; from which the world should noteSomething particular: his coin, ships, legions,May be a coward's; whose ministers would prevailUnder the service of a child as soonAs i' the command of Caesar: I dare him thereforeTo lay his gay comparisons apart,And answer me declined, sword against sword,Ourselves alone. I'll write it: follow me.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

[Aside] Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar willUnstate his happiness, and be staged to the show,Against a sworder! I see men's judgments areA parcel of their fortunes; and things outwardDo draw the inward quality after them,To suffer all alike. That he should dream,Knowing all measures, the full Caesar willAnswer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subduedHis judgment too.

Attendant

A messenger from CAESAR.

CLEOPATRA

What, no more ceremony? See, my women!Against the blown rose may they stop their noseThat kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, sir.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

[Aside] Mine honesty and I begin to square.The loyalty well held to fools does makeOur faith mere folly: yet he that can endureTo follow with allegiance a fall'n lordDoes conquer him that did his master conquerAnd earns a place i' the story.

CLEOPATRA

Caesar's will?

THYREUS

Hear it apart.

CLEOPATRA

None but friends: say boldly.

THYREUS

So, haply, are they friends to Antony.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has;Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our masterWill leap to be his friend: for us, you know,Whose he is we are, and that is, Caesar's.

THYREUS

So.Thus then, thou most renown'd: Caesar entreats,Not to consider in what case thou stand'st,Further than he is Caesar.

CLEOPATRA

Go on: right royal.

THYREUS

He knows that you embrace not AntonyAs you did love, but as you fear'd him.

CLEOPATRA

O!

THYREUS

The scars upon your honour, therefore, heDoes pity, as constrained blemishes,Not as deserved.

CLEOPATRA

He is a god, and knowsWhat is most right: mine honour was not yielded,But conquer'd merely.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

[Aside] To be sure of that,I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky,That we must leave thee to thy sinking, forThy dearest quit thee.

THYREUS

Shall I say to CaesarWhat you require of him? for he partly begsTo be desired to give. It much would please him,That of his fortunes you should make a staffTo lean upon: but it would warm his spirits,To hear from me you had left Antony,And put yourself under his shrowd,The universal landlord.

CLEOPATRA

What's your name?

THYREUS

My name is Thyreus.

CLEOPATRA

Most kind messenger,Say to great Caesar this: in deputationI kiss his conquering hand: tell him, I am promptTo lay my crown at 's feet, and there to kneel:Tell him from his all-obeying breath I hearThe doom of Egypt.

THYREUS

'Tis your noblest course.Wisdom and fortune combating together,If that the former dare but what it can,No chance may shake it. Give me grace to layMy duty on your hand.

CLEOPATRA

Your Caesar's father oft,When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,As it rain'd kisses.

MARK ANTONY

Favours, by Jove that thunders!What art thou, fellow?

THYREUS

One that but performsThe bidding of the fullest man, and worthiestTo have command obey'd.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

[Aside] You will be whipp'd.

MARK ANTONY

Approach, there! Ah, you kite! Now, godsand devils!Authority melts from me: of late, when I cried 'Ho!'Like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth,And cry 'Your will?' Have you no ears? I amAntony yet.

MARK ANTONY

Take hence this Jack, and whip him.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

[Aside] 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelpThan with an old one dying.

MARK ANTONY

Moon and stars!Whip him. Were't twenty of the greatest tributariesThat do acknowledge Caesar, should I find themSo saucy with the hand of she here,--what's her name,Since she was Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows,Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face,And whine aloud for mercy: take him hence.

THYREUS

Mark Antony!

MARK ANTONY

Tug him away: being whipp'd,Bring him again: this Jack of Caesar's shallBear us an errand to him.

MARK ANTONY

You were half blasted ere I knew you: ha!Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,Forborne the getting of a lawful race,And by a gem of women, to be abusedBy one that looks on feeders?

CLEOPATRA

Good my lord,--

MARK ANTONY

You have been a boggler ever:But when we in our viciousness grow hard--O misery on't!--the wise gods seel our eyes;In our own filth drop our clear judgments; make usAdore our errors; laugh at's, while we strutTo our confusion.

CLEOPATRA

O, is't come to this?

MARK ANTONY

I found you as a morsel cold uponDead Caesar's trencher; nay, you were a fragmentOf Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you haveLuxuriously pick'd out: for, I am sure,Though you can guess what temperance should be,You know not what it is.

CLEOPATRA

Wherefore is this?

MARK ANTONY

To let a fellow that will take rewardsAnd say 'God quit you!' be familiar withMy playfellow, your hand; this kingly sealAnd plighter of high hearts! O, that I wereUpon the hill of Basan, to outroarThe horned herd! for I have savage cause;And to proclaim it civilly, were likeA halter'd neck which does the hangman thankFor being yare about him.

MARK ANTONY

Is he whipp'd?

First Attendant

Soundly, my lord.

MARK ANTONY

Cried he? and begg'd a' pardon?

First Attendant

He did ask favour.

MARK ANTONY

If that thy father live, let him repentThou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorryTo follow Caesar in his triumph, sinceThou hast been whipp'd for following him: henceforthThe white hand of a lady fever thee,Shake thou to look on 't. Get thee back to Caesar,Tell him thy entertainment: look, thou sayHe makes me angry with him; for he seemsProud and disdainful, harping on what I am,Not what he knew I was: he makes me angry;And at this time most easy 'tis to do't,When my good stars, that were my former guides,Have empty left their orbs, and shot their firesInto the abysm of hell. If he mislikeMy speech and what is done, tell him he hasHipparchus, my enfranched bondman, whomHe may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,As he shall like, to quit me: urge it thou:Hence with thy stripes, begone!

CLEOPATRA

Have you done yet?

MARK ANTONY

Alack, our terrene moonIs now eclipsed; and it portends aloneThe fall of Antony!

CLEOPATRA

I must stay his time.

MARK ANTONY

To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyesWith one that ties his points?

CLEOPATRA

Not know me yet?

MARK ANTONY

Cold-hearted toward me?

CLEOPATRA

Ah, dear, if I be so,From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,And poison it in the source; and the first stoneDrop in my neck: as it determines, soDissolve my life! The next Caesarion smite!Till by degrees the memory of my womb,Together with my brave Egyptians all,By the discandying of this pelleted storm,Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of NileHave buried them for prey!

MARK ANTONY

I am satisfied.Caesar sits down in Alexandria; whereI will oppose his fate. Our force by landHath nobly held; our sever'd navy tooHave knit again, and fleet, threatening most sea-like.Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear, lady?If from the field I shall return once moreTo kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;I and my sword will earn our chronicle:There's hope in't yet.

CLEOPATRA

That's my brave lord!

MARK ANTONY

I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breathed,And fight maliciously: for when mine hoursWere nice and lucky, men did ransom livesOf me for jests; but now I'll set my teeth,And send to darkness all that stop me. Come,Let's have one other gaudy night: call to meAll my sad captains; fill our bowls once more;Let's mock the midnight bell.

CLEOPATRA

It is my birth-day:I had thought to have held it poor: but, since my lordIs Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

MARK ANTONY

We will yet do well.

CLEOPATRA

Call all his noble captains to my lord.

MARK ANTONY

Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night I'll forceThe wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen;There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight,I'll make death love me; for I will contendEven with his pestilent scythe.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that moodThe dove will peck the estridge; and I see still,A diminution in our captain's brainRestores his heart: when valour preys on reason,It eats the sword it fights with. I will seekSome way to leave him.