Текст книги "William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition"

Автор книги: William Shakespeare

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3.1 Enter Ventidius, with Silius and other Roman soldiers, as it were in triumph; the dead body of Pacorus borne before him

VENTIDIUS

Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now

Pleased fortune does of Marcus Crassus’ death

Make me revenger. Bear the King’s son’s body

Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes,

Pays this for Marcus Crassus.

SILIUS

Noble Ventidius,

Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm,

The fugitive Parthians follow. Spur through Media,

Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither

The routed fly. So thy grand captain, Antony,

Shall set thee on triumphant chariots and

Put garlands on thy head.

VENTIDIUS

O Silius, Silius,

I have done enough. A lower place, note well,

May make too great an act. For learn this, Silius:

Better to leave undone than by our deed

Acquire too high a fame when him we serve’s away.

Caesar and Antony have ever won

More in their officer than person. Sossius,

One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,

For quick accumulation of renown,

Which he achieved by th’ minute, lost his favour.

Who does 4’th’ wars more than his captain can

Becomes his captain’s captain; and ambition,

The soldier’s virtue, rather makes choice of loss

Than gain which darkens him.

I could do more to do Antonius good,

But ’twould offend him, and in his offence

Should my performance perish.

SILIUS

Thou hast, Ventidius, that

Without the which a soldier and his sword

Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony?

VENTIDIUS

I’ll humbly signify what in his name,

That magical word of war, we have effected;

How, with his banners and his well-paid ranks,

The ne‘er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia

We have jaded out o’th’ field.

SILIUS Where is he now?

VENTIDIUS

He purposeth to Athens; whither, with what haste

The weight we must convey with’s will permit,

We shall appear before him.—On there; pass along.

Exeunt

3.2 Enter Agrippa at one door, Enobarbus at another AGRIPPA What, are the brothers parted?

ENOBARBUS

They have dispatched with Pompey; he is gone.

The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps

To part from Rome, Caesar is sad, and Lepidus

Since Pompey’s feast, as Menas says, is troubled

With the green-sickness.

AGRIPPA

’Tis a noble Lepidus.

ENOBARBUS

A very fine one. O, how he loves Caesar!

AGRIPPA

Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!

ENOBARBUS

Caesar? Why, he’s the Jupiter of men.

AGRIPPA

What’s Antony—the god of Jupiter?

ENOBARBUS

Spake you of Caesar? How, the nonpareil?

AGRIPPA

O Antony, O thou Arabian bird!

ENOBARBUS

Would you praise Caesar, say ‘Caesar’; go no further.

AGRIPPA

Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.

ENOBARBUS

But he loves Caesar best; yet he loves Antony—

Hoo! Hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets,

cannot

Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number—hoo!—

His love to Antony. But as for Caesar—

Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.

AGRIPPA

Both he loves.

ENOBARBUS

They are his shards, and he their beetle.

⌈Trumpet within⌉

So,

This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa.

AGRIPPA

Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell.

Enter Caesar, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavia

ANTONY (to Caesar) No further, sir.

CAESAR

You take from me a great part of myself.

Use me well in’t. Sister, prove such a wife

As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest bond

Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble Antony,

Let not the piece of virtue which is set

Betwixt us as the cement of our love

To keep it builded, be the ram to batter

The fortress of it; for better might we

Have loved without this mean if on both parts

This be not cherished.

ANTONY

Make me not offended

In your distrust.

CAESAR

I have said.

ANTONY

You shall not find,

Though you be therein curious, the least cause

For what you seem to fear. So, the gods keep you,

And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends.

We will here part.

CAESAR

Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well.

The elements be kind to thee, and make

Thy spirits all of comfort. Fare thee well.

OCTAVIA (weeping) My noble brother!

ANTONY

The April’s in her eyes; it is love’s spring,

And these the showers to bring it on. Be cheerful.

OCTAVIA

Sir, look well to my husband’s house, and—

CAESAR

What, Octavia?

OCTAVIA

I’ll tell you in your ear.

She whispers to Caesar

ANTONY

Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can

Her heart inform her tongue—the swan’-down

feather,

That stands upon the swell at full of tide,

And neither way inclines.

ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa) Will Caesar weep?

AGRIPPA (aside to Enobarbus) He has a cloud in’s face.

ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa)

He were the worse for that were he a horse;

So is he, being a man.

AGRIPPA (aside to Enobarbus) Why, Enobarbus,

When Antony found Julius Caesar dead

He cried almost to roaring, and he wept

When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.

ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa)

That year indeed he was troubled with a rheum.

What willingly he did confound he wailed,

Believe’, till I wept too.

CAESAR

No, sweet Octavia,

You shall hear from me still. The time shall not

Outgo my thinking on you.

ANTONY

Come, sir, come,

I’ll wrestle with you in my strength of love.

Look, here I have you (embracing Caesar); thus I let

you go,

And give you to the gods.

CAESAR

Adieu, be happy.

LEPIDUS

Let all the number of the stars give light

To thy fair way.

CAESAR

Farewell, farewell.

He kisses Octavia

ANTONY Farewell.

Trumpets sound. Exeunt Antony, Octavia, and Enobarbus at one door, Caesar, Lepidus, and Agrippa at another

3.3 Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas

CLEOPATRA

Where is the fellow?

ALEXAS

Half afeard to come.

CLEOPATRA

Go to, go to.

Enter the Messenger as before

Come hither, sir.

ALEXAS

Good majesty,

Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you

But when you are well pleased.

CLEOPATRA

That Herod’s head

I’ll have; but how, when Antony is gone,

Through whom I might command it?

(To the Messenger)

Come thou near.

MESSENGER

Most gracious majesty!

CLEOPATRA

Didst thou behold

Octavia?

MESSENGER Ay, dread Queen.

CLEOPATRA

Where?

MESSENGER

Madam, in Rome.

I looked her in the face, and saw her led

Between her brother and Mark Antony.

CLEOPATRA

Is she as tall as me?

MESSENGER

She is not, madam.

CLEOPATRA

Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongued or low?

MESSENGER

Madam, I heard her speak. She is low-voiced.

CLEOPATRA

That’s not so good. He cannot like her long.

CHARMIAN

Like her? O Isis, ’is impossible!

CLEOPATRA

I think so, Charmian. Dull of tongue, and dwarfish.

What majesty is in her gait? Remember

If e‘er thou looked’st on majesty.

MESSENGER

She creeps.

Her motion and her station are as one.

She shows a body rather than a life,

A statue than a breather.

CLEOPATRA

Is this certain?

MESSENGER

Or I have no observance.

CHARMIAN

Three in Egypt

Cannot make better note.

CLEOPATRA

He’s very knowing,

I do perceive’t. There’s nothing in her yet.

The fellow has good judgement.

CHARMIAN

Excellent.

CLEOPATRA (to the Messenger)

Guess at her years, I prithee.

MESSENGER

Madam,

She was a widow—

CLEOPATRA

Widow? Charmian, hark.

MESSENGER And I do think she’s thirty.

CLEOPATRA

Bear’st thou her face in mind? Is’t long or round?

MESSENGER Round, even to faultiness.

CLEOPATRA

For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.

Her hair—what colour?

MESSENGER

Brown, madam; and her forehead

As low as she would wish it.

CLEOPATRA (giving money)

There’s gold for thee.

Thou must not take my former sharpness ill.

I will employ thee back again. I find thee

Most fit for business. Go, make thee ready.

Our letters are prepared.

Exit Messenger

CHARMIAN

A proper man.

CLEOPATRA

Indeed he is so. I repent me much

That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him,

This creature’s no such thing.

CHARMIAN

Nothing, madam.

CLEOPATRA

The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.

CHARMIAN

Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend,

And serving you so long!

CLEOPATRA

I have one thing more to ask him yet, good

Charmian.

But ’tis no matter. Thou shalt bring him to me

Where I will write. All may be well enough.

CHARMIAN I warrant you, madam.

Exeunt

3.4 Enter Antony and Octavia

ANTONY

Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,

That were excusable, that and thousands more

Of semblable import; but he hath waged

New wars ‘gainst Pompey, made his will and read it

To public ear, spoke scantly of me;

When perforce he could not

But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly

He vented them, most narrow measure lent me.

When the best hint was given him, he not took’t,

Or did it from his teeth.

OCTAVIA

O my good lord,

Believe not all, or if you must believe,

Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,

If this division chance, ne’er stood between,

Praying for both parts.

The good gods will mock me presently,

When I shall pray ‘O, bless my lord and husband!’,

Undo that prayer by crying out as loud

‘O, bless my brother!’ Husband win, win brother

Prays and destroys the prayer; no midway

’Twixt these extremes at all.

ANTONY

Gentle Octavia,

Let your best love draw to that point which seeks

Best to preserve it. If I lose mine honour,

I lose myself. Better I were not yours

Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,

Yourself shall go between’s. The meantime, lady,

I’ll raise the preparation of a war

Shall stain your brother. Make your soonest haste;

So your desires are yours.

OCTAVIA

Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak,

Your reconciler! Wars ’twixt you twain would be

As if the world should cleave, and that slain men

Should solder up the rift.

ANTONY

When it appears to you where this begins,

Turn your displeasure that way, for our faults

Can never be so equal that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your going,

Choose your own company, and command what cost

Your heart has mind to.

Exeunt

3.5 Enter Enobarbus and Eros, meeting

ENOBARBUS How now, friend Eros?

EROS There’s strange news come, sir.

ENOBARBUS What, man?

EROS Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey. ENOBARBUS This is old. What is the success?

EROS Caesar, having made use of him in the wars ’gainst Pompey, presently denied him rivality, would not let him partake in the glory of the action, and, not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal seizes him; so the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.

ENOBARBUS

Then, world, thou hast a pair of chops, no more,

And throw between them all the food thou hast,

They’ll grind the one the other. Where’s Antony?

EROS

He’s walking in the garden, thus, and spurns

The rush that lies before him, cries ‘Fool Lepidus!’

And threats the throat of that his officer

That murdered Pompey.

ENOBARBUS

Our great navy’s rigged.

EROS

For Italy and Caesar. More, Domitius:

My lord desires you presently. My news

I might have told hereafter.

ENOBARBUS

’Twill be naught.

But let it be; bring me to Antony.

EROS

Come, sir. Exeunt

3.6 Enter Agrippa, Maecenas, and Caesar

CAESAR

Contemning Rome, he has done all this and more

In Alexandria. Here’s the manner of’t:

I’th’ market place on a tribunal silvered,

Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold

Were publicly enthroned. At the feet sat

Caesarion, whom they call my father’s son,

And all the unlawful issue that their lust

Since then hath made between them. Unto her

He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her

Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Absolute queen.

MAECENAS

This in the public eye?

CAESAR

I‘th’ common showplace, where they exercise.

His sons he there proclaimed the kings of kings;

Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia

He gave to Alexander. To Ptolemy he assigned

Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia. She

In th’habiliments of the goddess Isis

That day appeared, and oft before gave audience,

As ’tis reported, so.

MAECENAS

Let Rome be thus informed.

AGRIPPA

Who, queasy with his insolence already,

Will their good thoughts call from him.

CAESAR

The people knows it,

And have now received his accusations.

AGRIPPA Who does he accuse?

CAESAR

Caesar, and that having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius spoiled, we had not rated him

His part o’th’ isle. Then does he say he lent me

Some shipping, unrestored. Lastly, he frets

That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be deposed; and being, that we detain

All his revenue.

AGRIPPA

Sir, this should be answered.

CAESAR

’Tis done already, and the messenger gone.

I have told him Lepidus was grown too cruel,

That he his high authority abused

And did deserve his change. For what I have

conquered,

I grant him part; but then in his Armenia,

And other of his conquered kingdoms,

I demand the like.

MAECENAS

He’ll never yield to that.

CAESAR

Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter Octavia with her train

OCTAVIA

Hail, Caesar, and my lord; hail, most dear Caesar!

CAESAR

That ever I should call thee castaway!

OCTAVIA

You have not called me so, nor have you cause.

CAESAR

Why have you stol’n upon us thus? You come not

Like Caesar’s sister. The wife of Antony

Should have an army for an usher, and

The neighs of 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,

Raised 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 unloved. 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 constrained, but did it

On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,

Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted

My grieved ear withal, whereon I begged

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 Malchus of Arabia; King of Pont;

Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, King

Of Comagene; Polemon and Amyntas,

The Kings of Mede and Lycaonia;

With a 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 perceived 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 determined things to destiny

Hold unbewailed their way. Welcome to Rome;

Nothing more dear to me. You are abused

Beyond the mark of thought, and the high gods,

To do you justice, makes 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

3.7 Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus

CLEOPATRA

I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

ENOBARBUS But why, why, why?

CLEOPATRA

Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,

And sayst it is not fit.

ENOBARBUS

Well, is it, is it?

CLEOPATRA

Is’t not denounced 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 spared. He is already

Traduced 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 Camidius

ENOBARBUS

Nay, I have done.

Here comes the Emperor.

ANTONY

Is it not strange, Camidius,

That from Tarentum and Brundisium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian Sea

And take in Toryne?—You have heard on’t, sweet?

CLEOPATRA

Celerity is never more admired

Than by the negligent.

ANTONY

A good rebuke,

Which might have well becomed the best of men

To taunt at slackness. Camidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

CLEOPATRA

By sea—what else?

CAMIDIUS

Why will my lord do so?

ANTONY

For that he dares us to’t.

ENOBARBUS

So hath my lord dared him to single fight.

CAMIDIUS

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 manned, Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people 35

Engrossed 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 prepared 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-marked 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-manned, 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. Camidius,

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 used 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.

CAMIDIUS

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?

CAMIDIUS

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 beguiled all spies.

CAMIDIUS

Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?

SOLDIER

They say, one Taurus.

CAMIDIUS

Well I know the man.

Enter a Messenger

MESSENGER

The Emperor calls Camidius.

CAMIDIUS

With news the time’s in labour, and throws forth

Each minute some.

Exeunt

3.8 Enter Caesar with his army, marching, and Taurus CAESAR Taurus!

TAURUS My lord?

CAESAR

Strike not by land. Keep whole. Provoke not battle

Till we have done at sea. (Giving a scroll) Do not

exceed

The prescript of this scroll. Our fortune lies

Upon this jump.

Exit Caesar and his army at one door, Taurus at another

3.9 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

3.10 Camidius marcheth with his land army over the stage, and taurus, the lieutenant of caesar, with his

NOBARBUS

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 kissed away

Kingdoms and provinces.

ENOBARBUS

How appears the fight?

SCARUS

On our side like the tokened pestilence,

Where death is sure. Yon riband-red nag of Egypt—

Whom leprosy o‘ertake!-i’th’ midst o’th’ fight—

When vantage like a pair of twins appeared,

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 luffed,

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 Camidius

CAMIDIUS

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!

CAMIDIUS

Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.

SCARUS

’Tis easy to’t, and there I will attend

What further comes.

CAMIDIUS

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 severally⌉