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

Автор книги: William Shakespeare

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5.1 Enter Caesar with his council of war: Agrippa, Dolabella, Maecenas, Gallus, Proculeius

CAESAR

Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield.

Being so frustrate, tell him, he but mocks

The pauses that he makes.

DOLABELLA

Caesar, I shall. Exit

Enter Decretas with the sword of Antony

CAESAR

Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar’st

Appear thus to us?

DECRETAS

I am called Decretas.

Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy

Best to be served. Whilst he stood up and spoke

He was my master, and I wore my life

To spend upon his haters. If thou please

To take me to thee, as I was to him

I’ll be to Caesar; if thou pleasest not,

I yield thee up my life.

CAESAR

What is’t thou sayst?

DECRETAS

I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.

CAESAR

The breaking of so great a thing should make

A greater crack. The rived world

Should have shook lions into civil streets,

And citizens to their dens. The death of Antony

Is not a single doom; in that name lay

A moiety of the world.

DECRETAS

He is dead, Caesar,

Not by a public minister of justice,

Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand

Which writ his honour in the acts it did

Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,

Splitted the heart. This is his sword;

I robbed his wound of it. Behold it stained

With his most noble blood.

CAESAR (weeping)

Look you, sad friends, The gods rebuke me; but it is a tidings

To wash the eyes of kings.

⌈AGRIPPA⌉

And strange it is

That nature must compel us to lament

Our most persisted deeds.

MAECENAS

His taints and honours

Waged equal with him.

⌈AGRIPPA⌉

A rarer spirit never

Did steer humanity; but you gods will give us

Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touched.

MAECENAS

When such a spacious mirror’s set before him

He needs must see himself.

CAESAR

O Antony, I have followed thee to this. But we do lance

Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce

Have shown to thee such a declining day,

Or look on thine. We could not stall together

In the whole world. But yet let me lament,

With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,

That thou, my brother, my competitor

In top of all design, my mate in empire,

Friend and companion in the front of war,

The arm of mine own body, and the heart

Where mine his thoughts did kindle—that our stars,

Unreconciliable, should divide

Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends—

Enter an Egyptian

But I will tell you at some meeter season.

The business of this man looks out of him;

We’ll hear him what he says.—Whence are you?

EGYPTIAN

A poor Egyptian, yet the Queen my mistress,

Confined in all she has, her monument,

Of thy intents desires instruction,

That she preparèdly may frame herself

To th’ way she’s forced to.

CAESAR

Bid her have good heart.

She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,

How honourable and how kindly we

Determine for her. For Caesar cannot live

To be ungentle.

EGYPTIAN

So; the gods preserve thee! Exit

CAESAR

Come hither, Proculeius. Go, and say

We purpose her no shame. Give her what comforts

The quality of her passion shall require,

Lest in her greatness, by some mortal stroke,

She do defeat us; for her life in Rome

Would be eternal in our triumph. Go,

And with your speediest bring us what she says

And how you find of her.

PROCULEIUS

Caesar, I shall. Exit

CAESAR

Gallus, go you along.

Exit Gallus

Where’s Dolabella,

To second Proculeius?

ALL BUT CAESAR

Dolabella!

CAESAR

Let him alone; for I remember now

How he’s employed. He shall in time be ready.

Go with me to my tent, where you shall see

How hardly I was drawn into this war,

How calm and gentle I proceeded still

In all my writings. Go with me, and see

What I can show in this.

Exeunt

5.2 Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian

CLEOPATRA

My desolation does begin to make

A better life. ’Tis paltry to be Caesar.

Not being Fortune, he’s but Fortune’s knave,

A minister of her will. And it is great

To do that thing that ends all other deeds,

Which shackles accidents and bolts up change,

Which sleeps and never palates more the dung,

The beggar’s nurse, and Caesar’s.

Enter Proculeius

PROCULEIUS

Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt,

And bids thee study on what fair demands

Thou mean’st to have him grant thee.

CLEOPATRA What’s thy name?

PROCULEIUS

My name is Proculeius.

CLEOPATRA

Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but

I do not greatly care to be deceived,

That have no use for trusting. If your master

Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him

That majesty, to keep decorum, must

No less beg than a kingdom. If he please

To give me conquered Egypt for my son,

He gives me so much of mine own as I

Will kneel to him with thanks.

PROCULEIUS

Be of good cheer.

You’re fall’n into a princely hand; fear nothing.

Make your full reference freely to my lord,

Who is so full of grace that it flows over

On all that need. Let me report to him

Your sweet dependency, and you shall find

A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness,

Where he for grace is kneeled to.

CLEOPATRA

Pray you, tell him

I am his fortune’s vassal, and I send him

The greatness he has got. I hourly learn

A doctrine of obedience, and would gladly

Look him i’th’ face.

PROCULEIUS

This I’ll report, dear lady;

Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied

Of him that caused it.

⌈Enter Roman soldiers from behind⌉

PROCULEIUS (to the soldiers)

You see how easily she may be surprised.

Guard her till Caesar come.

IRAS

Royal Queen-

CHARMIAN

O Cleopatra, thou art taken, Queen!

CLEOPATRA (drawing a dagger)

Quick, quick, good hands!

PROCULEIUS (disarming Cleopatra)

Hold, worthy lady, hold!

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this

Relieved but not betrayed.

CLEOPATRA

What, of death too,

That rids our dogs of languish?

PROCULEIUS

Cleopatra,

Do not abuse my master’s bounty by

Th’undoing of yourself. Let the world see

His nobleness well acted, which your death

Will never let come forth.

CLEOPATRA

Where art thou, death?

Come hither, come. Come, come, and take a queen

Worth many babes and beggars.

PROCULEIUS

O temperance, lady!

CLEOPATRA

Sir, I will eat no meat. I’ll not drink, sir.

If idle talk will once be necessary,

I’ll not sleep, neither. This mortal house I’ll ruin,

Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I

Will not wait pinioned at your master’s court,

Nor once be chastised with the sober eye

Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up

And show me to the shouting varletry

Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt

Be gentle grave unto me; rather on Nilus’ mud

Lay me stark naked, and let the waterflies

Blow me into abhorring; rather make

My country’s high pyramides my gibbet,

And hang me up in chains.

PROCULEIUS

You do extend

These thoughts of horror further than you shall

Find cause in Caesar.

Enter Dolabella

DOLABELLA

Proculeius,

What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows,

And he hath sent for thee. For the Queen,

I’ll take her to my guard.

PROCULEIUS

So, Dolabella,

It shall content me best. Be gentle to her.

(To Cleopatra) To Caesar I will speak what you shall

please,

If you’ll employ me to him.

CLEOPATRA

Say I would die.

Exit Proculeius

DOLABELLA

Most noble Empress, you have heard of me.

CLEOPATRA

I cannot tell.

DOLABELLA

Assuredly you know me.

CLEOPATRA

No matter, sir, what I have heard or known.

You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams;

Is’t not your trick?

DOLABELLA

I understand not, madam.

CLEOPATRA

I dreamt there was an Emperor Antony.

O, such another sleep, that I might see

But such another man!

DOLABELLA

If it might please ye—

CLEOPATRA

His face was as the heav‘ns, and therein stuck

A sun and moon, which kept their course and lighted

The little O o’th’ earth.

DOLABELLA

Most sovereign creature—

CLEOPATRA

His legs bestrid the ocean; his reared arm

Crested the world. His voice was propertied

As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends;

But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,

He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty,

There was no winter in’t; an autumn ’twas,

That grew the more by reaping. His delights

Were dolphin-like; they showed his back above

The element they lived in. In his livery

Walked crowns and crownets. Realms and islands were

As plates dropped from his pocket.

DOLABELLA

Cleopatra—

CLEOPATRA

Think you there was, or might be, such a man

As this I dreamt of?

DOLABELLA

Gentle madam, no.

CLEOPATRA

You lie, up to the hearing of the gods.

But if there be, or ever were one such,

It’s past the size of dreaming. Nature wants stuff

To vie strange forms with fancy; yet t‘imagine

An Antony were nature’s piece ’gainst fancy,

Condemning shadows quite.

DOLABELLA

Hear me, good madam: Your loss is as yourself, great, and you bear it

As answering to the weight. Would I might never

O’ertake pursued success but I do feel,

By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites

My very heart at root.

CLEOPATRA

I thank you, sir.

Know you what Caesar means to do with me?

DOLABELLA

I am loath to tell you what I would you knew.

CLEOPATRA

Nay, pray you, sir.

DOLABELLA

Though he be honourable—

CLEOPATRA

He’ll lead me then in triumph.

DOLABELLA

Madam, he will, I know’t.

Flourish. Enter Caesar, with Proculeius, Gallus, Maecenas, and others of his train

ALL

Make way, there! Caesar!

CAESAR

Which is the Queen of Egypt?

DOLABELLA (to Cleopatra)

It is the Emperor, madam.

Cleopatra kneels

CAESAR

Arise! You shall not kneel.

I pray you rise, rise, Egypt.

CLEOPATRA (rising)

Sir, the gods

Will have it thus. My master and my lord

I must obey.

CAESAR

Take to you no hard thoughts.

The record of what injuries you did us,

Though written in our flesh, we shall remember

As things but done by chance.

CLEOPATRA

Sole sir o’th’ world, I cannot project mine own cause so well

To make it clear, but do confess I have

Been laden with like frailties which before

Have often shamed our sex.

CAESAR

Cleopatra, know

We will extenuate rather than enforce.

If you apply yourself to our intents,

Which towards you are most gentle, you shall find

A benefit in this change; but if you seek

To lay on me a cruelty by taking

Antony’s course, you shall bereave yourself

Of my good purposes and put your children

To that destruction which I’ll guard them from,

If thereon you rely. I’ll take my leave.

CLEOPATRA

And may through all the world! ’Tis yours, and we,

Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall

Hang in what place you please. (Giving a paper) Here,

my good lord.

CAESAR

You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.

CLEOPATRA

This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels

I am possessed of. ’Tis exactly valued,

Not petty things admitted. Where’s Seleucus?

⌈Enter Seleucus⌉

SELEUCUS Here, madam.

CLEOPATRA (to Caesar)

This is my treasurer. Let him speak, my lord,

Upon his peril, that I have reserved

To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.

SELEUCUS

Madam, I had rather seal my lips

Than to my peril speak that which is not.

CLEOPATRA What have I kept back?

SELEUCUS

Enough to purchase what you have made known.

CAESAR

Nay, blush not, Cleopatra. I approve

Your wisdom in the deed.

CLEOPATRA

See, Caesar! O, behold

How pomp is followed! Mine will now be yours,

And should we shift estates, yours would be mine.

The ingratitude of this Seleucus does

Even make me wild.—O slave, of no more trust

Than love that’s hired! What, goest thou back? Thou

shalt

Go back, I warrant thee; but I’ll catch thine eyes

Though they had wings. Slave, soulless villain, dog!

O rarely base!

CAESAR

Good Queen, let us entreat you.

CLEOPATRA

O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this,

That thou vouchsafing here to visit me,

Doing the honour of thy lordliness

To one so meek—that mine own servant should

Parcel the sum of my disgraces by

Addition of his envy. Say, good Caesar,

That I some lady trifles have reserved,

Immoment toys, things of such dignity

As we greet modern friends withal; and say

Some nobler token I have kept apart

For Livia and Octavia, to induce

Their mediation—must I be unfolded

With one that I have bred? The gods! It smites me

Beneath the fall I have. (To Seleucus) Prithee, go hence,

Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits

Through th’ashes of my chance. Wert thou a man

Thou wouldst have mercy on me.

CAESAR

Forbear, Seleucus.

Exit Seleucus

CLEOPATRA

Be it known that we, the greatest, are misthought

For things that others do; and when we fall

We answer others’ merits in our name,

Are therefore to be pitied.

CAESAR

Cleopatra,

Not what you have reserved nor what acknowledged

Put we i’th’ roll of conquest. Still be’t yours.

Bestow it at your pleasure, and believe

Caesar’s no merchant, to make prize with you

Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheered.

Make not your thoughts your prisons. No, dear

Queen;

For we intend so to dispose you as

Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed and sleep.

Our care and pity is so much upon you

That we remain your friend; and so adieu.

CLEOPATRA

My master and my lord!

CAESAR

Not so. Adieu.

Flourish. Exeunt Caesar and his train

CLEOPATRA

He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not

Be noble to myself. But hark thee, Charmian.

She whispers to Charmian

IRAS

Finish, good lady. The bright day is done,

And we are for the dark.

CLEOPATRA (to Charmian) Hie thee again.

I have spoke already, and it is provided.

Go put it to the haste.

CHARMIAN

Madam, I will.

Enter Dolabella

DOLABELLA

Where’s the Queen?

CHARMIAN

Behold, sir.

Exit

CLEOPATRA

Dolabella!

DOLABELLA

Madam, as thereto sworn by your command—

Which my love makes religion to obey—

I tell you this: Caesar through Syria

Intends his journey, and within three days

You with your children will he send before.

Make your best use of this. I have performed

Your pleasure, and my promise.

CLEOPATRA

Dolabella,

I shall remain your debtor.

DOLABELLA

I your servant.

Adieu, good Queen. I must attend on Caesar.

CLEOPATRA

Farewell, and thanks.

Exit Dolabella

Now, Iras, what think’st thou?

Thou, an Egyptian puppet shall be shown

In Rome, as well as I. Mechanic slaves

With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers shall

Uplift us to the view. In their thick breaths,

Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded,

And forced to drink their vapour.

IRAS

The gods forbid!

CLEOPATRA

Nay, ‘tis most certain, Iras. Saucy lictors

Will catch at us like strumpets, and scald rhymers

Ballad us out o’ tune. The quick comedians

Extemporally will stage us, and present

Our Alexandrian revels. Antony

Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see

Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness

I’th’ posture of a whore.

IRAS

O, the good gods!

CLEOPATRA Nay, that’s certain.

IRAS

I’ll never see’t! For I am sure my nails

Are stronger than mine eyes.

CLEOPATRA Why, that’s the way

To fool their preparation and to conquer

Their most absurd intents.

Enter Charmian

Now, Charmian!

Show me, my women, like a queen. Go fetch

My best attires. I am again for Cydnus

To meet Mark Antony. Sirrah Iras, go.

Now, noble Charmian, we’ll dispatch indeed,

And when thou hast done this chore I’ll give thee

leave

To play till doomsday.—Bring our crown and all.

⌈Exit Iras⌉

A noise within

Wherefore’s this noise?

Enter a Guardsman

GUARDSMAN

Here is a rural fellow

That will not be denied your highness’ presence.

He brings you figs.

CLEOPATRA

Let him come in.

Exit Guardsman

What poor an instrument

May do a noble deed! He brings me liberty.

My resolution’s placed, and I have nothing

Of woman in me. Now from head to foot

I am marble-constant. Now the fleeting moon

No planet is of mine.

Enter Guardsman, and Clown with a basket

GUARDSMAN

This is the man.

CLEOPATRA

Avoid, and leave him.

Exit Guardsman

Hast thou the pretty worm

Of Nilus there, that kills and pains not?

CLOWN Truly, I have him; but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those that do die of it do seldom or never recover.

CLEOPATRA Remember’st thou any that have died on’t?

CLOWN Very many, men, and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday, a very honest woman, but something given to lie, as a woman should not do but in the way of honesty, how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt. Truly, she makes a very good report o’th’ worm; but he that will believe all that they say shall never be saved by half that they do; but this is most falliable: the worm’s an odd worm.

CLEOPATRA Get thee hence, farewell.

CLOWN I wish you all joy of the worm. CLEOPATRA Farewell.

CLOWN You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind.

CLEOPATRA Ay, ay; farewell.

CLOWN Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the keeping of wise people; for indeed there is no goodness in the worm.

CLEOPATRA Take thou no care; it shall be heeded.

CLOWN Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding.

CLEOPATRA Will it eat me?

CLOWN You must not think I am so simple but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman; I know that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five.

CLEOPATRA Well, get thee gone, farewell.

CLOWN Yes, forsooth. I wish you joy o’th’ worm.

Exit, leaving the basket

Enter ⌈Iras⌉ with a robe, crown, and other jewels

CLEOPATRA

Give me my robe. Put on my crown. I have

Immortal longings in me. Now no more

The juice of Egypt’s grape shall moist this lip.

Charmian and Iras help her to dress

Yare, yare, good Iras, quick—methinks I hear

Antony call. I see him rouse himself

To praise my noble act. I hear him mock

The luck of Caesar, which the gods give men

To excuse their after wrath. Husband, I come.

Now to that name my courage prove my title.

I am fire and air; my other elements

I give to baser life. So, have you done?

Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips.

She kisses them

Farewell, kind Charmian. Iras, long farewell.

Iras falls and dies

Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall?

If thou and nature can so gently part,

The stroke of death is as a lover’s pinch,

Which hurts and is desired. Dost thou lie still?

If thus thou vanishest, thou tell’st the world

It is not worth leave-taking.

CHARMIAN

Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain, that I may say

The gods themselves do weep.

CLEOPATRA This proves me base.

If she first meet the curled Antony

He’ll make demand of her, and spend that kiss

Which is my heaven to have.

She takes an aspic from the basket and puts it to her breast

Come, thou mortal wretch,

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate

Of life at once untie. Poor venomous fool,

Be angry, and dispatch. O, couldst thou speak,

That I might hear thee call great Caesar ass

Unpolicied!

CHARMIAN O eastern star!

CLEOPATRA

Peace, peace.

Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,

That sucks the nurse asleep?

CHARMIAN

O, break! O, break!

CLEOPATRA

As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle.

O Antony!

She puts another aspic to her arm

Nay, I will take thee too.

What should I stay—

She dies

CHARMIAN

In this vile world? So, fare thee well.

Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies

A lass unparalleled. Downy windows, close,

And golden Phoebus never be beheld

Of eyes again so royal. Your crown’s awry.

I’ll mend it, and then play—

Enter the Guard, rustling in

FIRST GUARD Where’s the Queen?

CHARMIAN Speak softly. Wake her not.

FIRST GUARD

Caesar hath sent—

CHARMIAN

Too slow a messenger.

She applies an aspic

O come apace, dispatch! I partly feel thee.

FIRST GUARD

Approach, ho! All’s not well. Caesar’s beguiled.

SECOND GUARD

There’s Dolabella sent from Caesar. Call him.

⌈Exit a Guardsman⌉

FIRST GUARD

What work is here, Charmian? Is this well done?

CHARMIAN

It is well done, and fitting for a princess

Descended of so many royal kings.

Ah, soldier!

She dies

Enter Dolabella

DOLABELLA

How goes it here?

SECOND GUARD All dead.

DOLABELLA

Caesar, thy thoughts

Touch their effects in this. Thyself art coming

To see performed the dreaded act which thou

So sought’st to hinder.

ALL

A way there, a way for Caesar!

Enter Caesar and all his train, marching

DOLABELLA (to Caesar)

O sir, you are too sure an augurer.

That you did fear is done.

CAESAR

Bravest at the last,

She levelled at our purposes, and, being royal,

Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?

I do not see them bleed.

DOLABELLA (to a Guardsman) Who was last with them?

FIRST GUARD

A simple countryman that brought her figs.

This was his basket.

CAESAR

Poisoned, then.

FIRST GUARD

O Caesar,

This Charmian lived but now; she stood and spake.

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood,

And on the sudden dropped.

CAESAR

O, noble weakness!

If they had swallowed poison, ’twould appear

By external swelling; but she looks like sleep,

As she would catch another Antony

In her strong toil of grace.

DOLABELLA

Here on her breast

There is a vent of blood, and something blown.

The like is on her arm.

FIRST GUARD

This is an aspic’s trail,

And these fig-leaves have slime upon them such

As th’aspic leaves upon the caves of Nile.

CAESAR Most probable

That so she died; for her physician tells me

She hath pursued conclusions infinite

Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed,

And bear her women from the monument.

She shall be buried by her Antony.

No grave upon the earth shall clip in it

A pair so famous. High events as these

Strike those that make them, and their story is

No less in pity than his glory which

Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall

In solemn show attend this funeral,

And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see

High order in this great solemnity.

Exeunt all, soldiers bearing Cleopatra ⌈on her bed⌉, Charmian, and Iras