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

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3.11 Enter Antony with Attendants

ANTONY

Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon’t,

It is ashamed to bear me. Friends, come hither.

I am so lated in the world that I

Have lost my way for ever. I have a ship

Laden with gold. Take that; divide it, fly,

And make your peace with Caesar.

ATTENDANTS

Fly? Not we.

ANTONY

I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards

To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone.

I have myself resolved upon a course

Which has no need of you. Be gone.

My treasure’s in the harbour. Take it. O,

I followed that I blush to look upon.

My very hairs do mutiny, for the white

Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them

For fear and doting. Friends, be gone. You shall

Have letters from me to some friends that will

Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,

Nor make replies of loathness. Take the hint

Which my despair proclaims. Let that be left

Which leaves itself. To the seaside straightway!

I will possess you of that ship and treasure.

Leave me, I pray, a little. Pray you now,

Nay, do so; for indeed I have lost command.

Therefore I pray you; I’ll see you by and by.

Exeunt attendants

He sits down.

Enter Cleopatra led by Charmian, Iras, and Eros

EROS

Nay, gentle madam, to him. Comfort him.

IRAS Do, most dear Queen.

CHARMIAN Do. Why, what else?

CLEOPATRA Let me sit down. O Juno!

She sits down

ANTONY No, no, no, no, no.

EROS (to Antony) See you here, sir?

ANTONY O fie, fie, fie!

CHARMIAN Madam.

IRAS Madam. O good Empress!

EROS Sir, sir.

ANTONY

Yes, my lord, yes. He at Philippi kept

His sword e’en like a dancer, while I struck

The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and ’twas I

That the mad Brutus ended. He alone

Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had

In the brave squares of war. Yet now—no matter.

CLEOPATRA (⌈rising,⌉ to Charmian and Iras) Ah, stand by.

EROS The Queen, my lord, the Queen.

IRAS Go to him, madam.

Speak to him. He’s unqualitied

With very shame.

CLEOPATRA Well then, sustain me. O!

EROS

Most noble sir, arise. The Queen approaches.

Her head’s declined, and death will seize her but

Your comfort makes the rescue.

ANTONY

I have offended reputation;

A most unnoble swerving.

EROS

Sir, the Queen.

ANTONY ⌈rising⌉

O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See

How I convey my shame out of thine eyes

By looking back what I have left behind

’Stroyed in dishonour.

CLEOPATRA

O, my lord, my lord, Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought

You would have followed.

ANTONY

Egypt, thou knew’st too well

My heart was to thy rudder tied by th’ strings,

And thou shouldst tow me after. O’er my spirit

Thy full supremacy thou knew’st, and that

Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods

Command me.

CLEOPATRA

O, my pardon!

ANTONY

Now I must

To the young man send humble treaties, dodge

And palter in the shifts of lowness, who

With half the bulk o’th’ world played as I pleased,

Making and marring fortunes. You did know

How much you were my conqueror, and that

My sword, made weak by my affection, would

Obey it on all cause.

CLEOPATRA

Pardon, pardon!

ANTONY

Fall not a tear, I say. One of them rates

All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss.

He kisses her

Even this repays me. (To an Attendant) We sent our

schoolmaster;

Is a come back? (To Cleopatra) Love, I am full of lead.

(Calling) Some wine

Within there, and our viands! Fortune knows

We scorn her most when most she offers blows.

Exeunt

3.12 Enter Caesar, ⌈Agrippa,⌉ Thidias, and Dolabella, with others

CAESAR

Let him appear that’s come from Antony.

Know you him?

DOLABELLA

Caesar, ’tis his schoolmaster; An argument that he is plucked, when hither

He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,

Which had superfluous kings for messengers

Not many moons gone by.

Enter Ambassador from Antony

CAESAR

Approach and speak.

AMBASSADOR

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

To his grand sea.

CAESAR

Be’t so. Declare thine office.

AMBASSADOR

Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and

Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted,

He lessens his requests, and to thee sues

To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,

A private man in Athens. This for him.

Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness,

Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves

The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,

Now hazarded to thy grace.

CAESAR

For Antony, I have no ears to his request. The Queen

Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she

From Egypt drive her all-disgracèd friend,

Or take his life there. This if she perform

She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.

AMBASSADOR

Fortune pursue thee!

CAESAR

Bring him through the bands.

Exit Ambassador, attended

(To Thidias) To try thy eloquence now ‘tis time.

Dispatch.

From Antony win Cleopatra. Promise,

And in our name, what she requires. Add more

As thine invention offers. Women are not

In their best fortunes strong, but want will perjure

The ne’er-touched vestal. Try thy cunning, Thidias.

Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we

Will answer as a law.

THIDIAS

Caesar, I go.

CAESAR

Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,

And what thou think’st his very action speaks

In every power that moves.

THIDIAS Caesar, I shall.

Exeunt Caesar and his train at one door, and Thidias at another

3.13 Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and Iras

CLEOPATRA

What shall we do, Enobarbus?

ENOBARBUS

Think, and die.

CLEOPATRA

Is Antony or we in fault for this?

ENOBARBUS

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 mooted question. ’Twas a shame no less

Than was his loss, to course your flying flags

And leave his navy gazing.

CLEOPATRA

Prithee, peace.

Enter the Ambassador with Antony

ANTONY

Is that his answer?

AMBASSADOR

Ay, my lord.

ANTONY

The Queen shall then have courtesy, so she

Will yield us up.

AMBASSADOR

He says so.

ANTONY

Let her know’t.

(To Cleopatra) To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,

And he will fill thy wishes to the brim

With principalities.

CLEOPATRA

That head, my lord?

ANTONY (to the Ambassador)

To him again. Tell him he wears the rose

Of youth upon him, from which the world should note

Something particular. His coin, ships, legions,

May be a coward‘s, whose ministers would prevail

Under the service of a child as soon

As i’th’ command of Caesar. I dare him therefore

To lay his gay caparisons apart

And answer me declined, sword against sword,

Ourselves alone. I’ll write it. Follow me.

Exeunt Antony and Ambassador

ENOBARBUS (aside)

Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will

Unstate his happiness and be staged to th’ show

Against a sworder! I see men’s judgements are

A parcel of their fortunes, and things outward

Do draw the inward quality after them

To suffer all alike. That he should dream,

Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will

Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdued

His judgement, too.

Enter a Servant

SERVANT

A messenger from Caesar.

CLEOPATRA

What, no more ceremony? See, my women:

Against the blown rose may they stop their nose,

That kneeled unto the buds. Admit him, sir.

Exit Servant

ENOBARBUS (aside)

Mine honesty and I begin to square.

The loyalty well held to fools does make

Our faith mere folly; yet he that can endure

To follow with allegiance a fall’n lord

Does conquer him that did his master conquer,

And earns a place i’th’ story.

Enter Thidias

CLEOPATRA

Caesar’s will?

THIDIAS

Hear it apart.

CLEOPATRA

None but friends; say boldly.

THIDIAS

So haply are they friends to Antony.

ENOBARBUS

He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has,

Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master

Will leap to be his friend. For us, you know,

Whose he is, we are: and that is Caesar’s.

THIDIAS

So. (To Cleopatra) Thus, then, thou most renowned:

Caesar entreats

Not to consider in what case thou stand’st

Further than he is Caesar.

CLEOPATRA

Go on; right royal.

THIDIAS

He knows that you embraced not Antony

As you did love, but as you feared him.

CLEOPATRA 0.

THIDIAS

The scars upon your honour therefore he

Does pity as constrained blemishes,

Not as deserved.

CLEOPATRA

He is a god, and knows

What is most right. Mine honour was not yielded,

But conquered merely.

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, for

Thy dearest quit thee.

Exit

THIDIAS

Shall I say to Caesar

What you require of him?—For he partly begs

To be desired to give. It much would please him

That of his fortunes you should make a staff

To lean upon. But it would warm his spirits

To hear from me you had left Antony,

And put your self under his shroud,

The universal landlord.

CLEOPATRA

What’s your name?

THIDIAS

My name is Thidias.

CLEOPATRA

Most kind messenger,

Say to great Caesar this in deputation:

I kiss his conqu’ring hand. Tell him I am prompt

To lay my crown at’s feet, and there to kneel

Till from his all-obeying breath I hear

The doom of Egypt.

THIDIAS

’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 lay

My duty on your hand.

He kisses Cleopatra’s hand

CLEOPATRA

Your Caesar’s father oft,

When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,

Bestowed his lips on that unworthy place,

As it rained kisses.

Enter Antony and Enobarbus

ANTONY

Favours, by Jove that thunders!

What art thou, fellow?

THIDIAS

One that but performs

The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest

To have command obeyed.

ENOBARBUS

You will be whipped.

ANTONY (calling)

Approach, there!—Ah, you kite! Now, gods and

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 am

Antony yet.

Enter servants

Take hence this jack, and whip him.

ENOBARBUS ⌈aside to Thidias⌉

’Tis better playing with a lion’s whelp

Than with an old one dying.

ANTONY

Moon and stars!

Whip him! Were’t twenty of the greatest tributaries

That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them

So 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.

THIDIAS

Mark Antony—

ANTONY

Tug him away. Being whipped,

Bring him again. This jack of Caesar’s shall

Bear us an errand to him.

Exeunt servants with Thidias

You were half blasted ere I knew you. Ha,

Have I my pillow left unpressed in Rome,

Forborne the getting of a lawful race,

And by a gem of women, to be abused

By one that looks on feeders?

CLEOPATRA Good my lord—

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 judgements, make us

Adore our errors, laugh at’s while we strut

To our confusion.

CLEOPATRA

O, is’t come to this?

ANTONY

I found you as a morsel cold upon

Dead Caesar’s trencher; nay, you were a fragment

Of Gnaeus Pompey’s, besides what hotter hours

Unregistered in vulgar fame you have

Luxuriously picked out. For I am sure,

Though you can guess what temperance should be,

You know not what it is.

CLEOPATRA

Wherefore is this?

ANTONY

To let a fellow that will take rewards

And say ’God quit you’ be familiar with

My playfellow your hand, this kingly seal

And plighter of high hearts! O that I were

Upon the hill of Basan to outroar

The hornèd herd! For I have savage cause,

And to proclaim it civilly were like

A haltered neck which does the hangman thank

For being yare about him.

Enter a Servant with Thidias

Is he whipped?

SERVANT Soundly, my lord.

ANTONY Cried he, and begged a pardon?

SERVANT He did ask favour.

ANTONY (to Thidias)

If that thy father live, let him repent

Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry

To follow Caesar in his triumph, since

Thou hast been whipped for following him. Henceforth

The white hand of a lady fever thee,

Shake thou to look on’t. Get thee back to Caesar;

Tell him thy entertainment. Look thou say

He makes me angry with him, for he seems

Proud 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 fires

Into th’abyss of hell. If he mislike

My speech and what is done, tell him he has

Hipparchus, my enfranchèd bondman, whom

He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,

As he shall like, to quit me. Urge it thou.

Hence, with thy stripes, be gone!

Exit ⌈Servant with⌉ Thidias

CLEOPATRA Have you done yet?

ANTONY Alack, our terrene moon

Is now eclipsed, and it portends alone

The fall of Antony.

CLEOPATRA (aside)

I must stay his time.

ANTONY

To flatter Caesar would you mingle eyes

With one that ties his points?

CLEOPATRA

Not know me yet?

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 stone

Drop in my neck: as it determines, so

Dissolve 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 Nile

Have buried them for prey!

ANTONY

I am satisfied.

Caesar sits down in Alexandria, where

I will oppose his fate. Our force by land

Hath nobly held; our severed navy too

Have knit again, and fleet, threat’ning most sea-like.

Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear,

lady?

If from the field I shall return once more

To 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.

ANTONY

I will be treble-sinewed, hearted, breathed,

And fight maliciously; for when mine hours

Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives

Of 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 me

All my sad captains. Fill our bowls once more.

Let’s mock the midnight bell.

CLEOPATRA

It is my birthday.

I had thought to’ve held it poor, but since my lord

Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

ANTONY We will yet do well.

CLEOPATRA

Call all his noble captains to my lord!

ANTONY

Do so. We’ll speak to them, and tonight I’ll force

The 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 contend

Even with his pestilent scythe.

Exeunt all but Enobarbus

ENOBARBUS

Now he’ll outstare the lightning. To be furious

Is to be frighted out of fear, and in that mood

The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still

A diminution in our captain’s brain

Restores his heart. When valour preys on reason,

It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek

Some way to leave him.

Exit

4.1 Enter Caesar, reading a letter, with Agrippa, Maecenas, and his army

CAESAR

He calls me boy, and chides as he had power

To beat me out of Egypt. My messenger

He hath whipped with rods, dares me to personal

combat,

Caesar to Antony. Let the old ruffian know

I have many other ways to die; meantime,

Laugh at his challenge.

MAECENAS

Caesar must think,

When one so great begins to rage, he’s hunted

Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now

Make boot of his distraction. Never anger

Made good guard for itself.

CAESAR

Let our best heads

Know that tomorrow the last of many battles

We mean to fight. Within our files there are,

Of those that served Mark Antony but late,

Enough to fetch him in. See it done,

And feast the army. We have store to do’t,

And they have earned the waste. Poor Antony!

Exeunt

4.2 Enter Antony, Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, with others

ANTONY

He will not fight with me, Domitius?

ENOBARBUS

No.

ANTONY Why should he not?

ENOBARBUS

He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,

He is twenty men to one.

ANTONY

Tomorrow, soldier,

By sea and land I’ll fight. Or I will live

Or bathe my dying honour in the blood

Shall make it live again. Woot thou fight well?

ENOBARBUS

I’ll strike, and cry ‘Take all!’

ANTONY

Well said. Come on!

Call forth my household servants. Let’s tonight

Be bounteous at our meal.

Enter Servitors

Give me thy hand.

Thou hast been rightly honest; so hast thou,

Thou, and thou, and thou; you have served me well,

And kings have been your fellows.

CLEOPATRA (to Enobarbus)

What means this?

ENOBARBUS (to Cleopatra)

’Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots

Out of the mind.

ANTONY (to a Servitor) And thou art honest too.

I wish I could be made so many men,

And all of you clapped up together in

An Antony, that I might do you service

So good as you have done.

SERVITORS

The gods forbid!

ANTONY

Well, my good fellows, wait on me tonight.

Scant not my cups, and make as much of me

As when mine empire was your fellow too,

And suffered my command.

CLEOPATRA (aside to Enobarbus) What does he mean?

ENOBARBUS (aside to Cleopatra)

To make his followers weep.

ANTONY

Tend me tonight.

Maybe it is the period of your duty.

Haply you shall not see me more; or if,

A mangled shadow. Perchance tomorrow

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 tonight two hours. I ask no more;

And the gods yield you for’t!

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.

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 tomorrow, and will lead you

Where rather I’ll expect victorious life

Than death and honour. Let’s to supper, come,

And drown consideration.

Exeunt

4.3 Enter a company of Soldiers

FIRST SOLDIER

Brother, good night. Tomorrow 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 other Soldiers, meeting them

SECOND SOLDIER

Soldiers, have careful watch.

THIRD SOLDIER

And you. Good night, good night.

They place themselves in every corner of the stage

SECOND SOLDIER

Here we; an if tomorrow

Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope

Our landmen will stand up.

FIRST SOLDIER

’Tis a brave army,

And full of purpose.

Music of the hautboys is under the stage

SECOND SOLDIER

Peace, what noise?

FIRST SOLDIER

List, list!

SECOND SOLDIER

Hark!

FIRST SOLDIER Music i’th’ 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.

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

4.4 Enter Antony and Cleopatra, with Charmian and others

ANTONY (calling)

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 thine iron on.

If fortune be not ours today, 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.

She helps Antony to arm

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 doff’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 today, 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 within. Trumpets flourish. Enter ⌈Captains⌉ and Soldiers

CAPTAIN

The morn is fair. Good morrow, General.

SOLDIERS

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.

He kisses Cleopatra

Rebukable

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 all but Cleopatra and Charmian

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