Shakespeare - First Folio facsimile (1910)/The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra/Act 2 Scene 2
Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus.
Lep.Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,And shall become you well, to intreat your CaptaineTo soft and gentle speech.
Enob.I shall intreat himTo answer like himselfe: if Cæsar moue him,Let Anthony looke ouer Cæsars head,And speake as lowd as Mars. By Iupiter,Were I the wearer of Anthonio's Beard,I would not shaue't to day.
Lep.'Tis not a time for priuate stomacking.
Eno.Euery time serues for the matter that is thenborne in't.
Lep.But small to greater matters must giue way.
Eno.Not if the small come first.
Lep.Your speech is passion: but pray you stirreNo Embers vp. Heere comes the Noble Anthony.
Enter Anthony and Ventidius.
Eno.And yonder Cæsar.
Enter Cæsar, Mecenas, and Agrippa.
Ant.If we compose well heere, to Parthia:Hearke Ventidius.
Cæsar.I do not know Mecenas, aske Agrippa.
Lep.Noble Friends:That which combin'd vs was most great, and let notA leaner action rend vs. What's amisse,May it be gently heard. When we debateOur triuiall difference loud, we do commitMurther in healing wounds. Then Noble Partners,The rather for I earnestly beseech,Touch you the sowrest points with sweetest tearmes,Nor curstnesse grow to'th'matter.
Ant.'Tis spoken well:Were we before our Armies, and to fight,Flourish.I should do thus.
Cæs.Welcome to Rome.
Ant.Thanke you.
Cæs.Sit.
Ant.Sit sir.
Cæs.Nay then.
Ant.I learne, you take things ill, which are not so:Or being, concerne you not.
Cæs.I must be laught at, if or for nothing, or a little, IShould say my selfe offended, and with youChiefely i'th'world. More laught at, that I shouldOnce name you derogately: when to sound your nameIt not concern'd me.
Ant.My being in Egypt Cæsar, what was't to you?
Cæs.No more then my reciding heere at RomeMight be to you in Egypt: yet if you thereDid practise on my State, your being in EgyptMight be my question.
Ant.How intend you, practis'd?
Cæs.You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent,By what did heere befall me. Your Wife and BrotherMade warres vpon me, and their contestationWas Theame for you, you were the word of warre.
Ant.You do mistake your busines, my Brother neuerDid vrge me in his Act: I did inquire it,And haue my Learning from some true reportsThat drew their swords with you, did he not ratherDiscredit my authority with yours,And make the warres alike against my stomacke,Hauing alike your cause. Of this, my LettersBefore did satisfie you. If you'l patch a quarrell,As matter whole you haue to make it with, It must not be with this.
Cæs.You praise your selfe, by laying defects of iudgement to me: but you patcht vp your excuses.
Anth.Not so, not so:I know you could not lacke, I am certaine on't,Very necessity of this thought, that IYour Partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,Could not with gracefull eyes attend those WarresWhich fronted mine owne peace. As for my wife,I would you had her spirit, in such another,The third oth'world is yours, which with a Snaffle,You may pace easie, but not such a wife.
Enobar.Would we had all such wiues, that the menmight go to Warres with the women.
Anth.So much vncurbable, her Garboiles (Cæsar)Made out of her impatience: which not wantedShrodenesse of policie to: I greeuing grant,Did you too much disquiet, for that you must,But say I could not helpe it?
Cæsar.I wrote to you, when rioting in Alexandria youDid pocket vp my Letters: and with tauntsDid gibe my Misiue out of audience.
Ant.Sir, he fell vpon me, ere admitted, then:Three Kings I had newly feasted, and did wantOf what I was i'th'morning: but next dayI told him of my selfe, which was as muchAs to haue askt him pardon. Let this FellowBe nothing of our strife: if we contendOut of our question wipe him.
Cæsar.You haue broken the Article of your oath,which you shall neuer haue tongue to charge me with.
Lep.Soft Cæsar.
Ant.No Lepidus, let him speake,The Honour is Sacred which he talks on now,Supposing that I lackt it: but on Cæsar,The Article of my oath.
Cæsar.To lend me Armes, and aide when I requir'dthem, the which you both denied.
Anth.Neglected rather:And then when poysoned houres had bound me vpFrom mine owne knowledge, as neerely as I may,Ile play the penitent to you. But mine honesty,Shall not make poore my greatnesse, nor my powerWorke without it. Truth is, that Fuluia,To haue me out of Egypt, made Warres heere,For which my selfe, the ignorant motiue, doSo farre aske pardon, as befits mine HonourTo stoope in such a case.
Lep.'Tis Noble spoken.
Mece.If it might please you, to enforce no furtherThe griefes betweene ye: to forget them quite,Were to remember: that the present neede,Speakes to attone you.
Lep.Worthily spoken Mecenas.
Enobar.Or if you borrow one anothers Loue for theinstant, you may when you heare no more words ofPompey' returne it againe: you shall haue time to wranglein, when you haue nothing else to do.
Anth.Thou art a Souldier, onely speake no more.
Enob.That trueth should be silent, I had almost forgot.
Anth.You wrong this presence, therefore speake no more.
Enob.Go too then: your Considerate stone.
Cæsar.I do not much dislike the matter, butThe manner of his speech: for't cannot be,We shall remaine in friendship, our conditionsSo diffring in their acts. Yet if I knew,What Hoope should hold vs staunch from edge to edgeAth'world: I would persue it.
Agri.Giue me leaue Cæsar.
Cæsar.Speake Agrippa.
Agri.Thou hast a Sister by the Mothers side, admir'dOctauia: Great Mark Anthony is now a widdower.
Cæsar.Say not, say Agrippa; if Cleopater heard you, yourproofe were well deserued of rashnesse.
Anth.I am not marryed Cæsar: let me heere Agrippafurther speake.
Agri.To hold you in perpetuall amitie,To make you Brothers, and to knit your heartsWith an vn-slipping knot, take Anthony,Octauia to his wife: whose beauty claimesNo worse a husband then the best of men: whoseVertue, and whose generall graces, speakeThat which none else can vtter. By this marriage,All little Ielousies which now seeme great,And all great feares, which now import their dangers,Would then be nothing. Truth's would be tales,Where now halfe tales be truth's: her loue to both,Would each to other, and all loues to bothDraw after her. Pardon what I haue spoke,For 'tis a studied not a present thought,By duty ruminated.
Anth.Will Cæsar speake?
Cæsar.Not till he heares how Anthony is toucht,With what is spoke already.
Anth.What power is in Agrippa,If I would say Agrippa, be it so,To make this good?
Cæsar.The power of Cæsar,And his power, vnto Octauia.
Anth.May I neuer(To this good purpose, that so fairely shewes)Dreame of impediment: let me haue thy handFurther this act of Grace: and from this houre,The heart of Brothers gouerne in our Loues,And sway our great Designes.
Cæsar.There's my hand:A Sister I bequeath you, whom no BrotherDid euer loue so deerely. Let her liueTo ioyne our kingdomes, and our hearts, and neuerFlie off our Loues againe.
Lepi.Happily, Amen.
Ant.I did not think to draw my Sword 'gainst Pompey,For he hath laid strange courtesies, and greatOf late vpon me. I must thanke him onely,Least my remembrance, suffer ill report:At heele of that, defie him.
Lepi.Time cals vpon's,Of vs must Pompey presently be sought,Or else he seekes out vs.
Anth.Where lies he?
Cæsar.About the Mount-Mesena.
Anth.What is his strength by land?
Cæsar.Great, and increasing:But by Sea he is an absolute Master.
Anth.So is the Fame,Would we had spoke together. Hast we for it,Yet ere we put our selues in Armes, dispatch weThe businesse we haue talkt of.
Cæsar.With most gladnesse,And do inuite you to my Sisters view, Whether straight Ile lead you.
Anth.Let vs Lepidus not lacke your companie.
Lep.Noble Anthony, not sickenesse should detaineFlourish. Exit omnes.me.
Manet Enobarbus, Agrippa, Mecenas.
Mec.Welcome from Ægypt Sir.
Eno.Halfe the heart of Cæsar, worthy Mecenas. Myhonourable Friend Agrippa.
Agri.Good Enobarbus.
Mece.We haue cause to be glad, that matters are sowell disgested: you staid well by't in Egypt.
Enob.I Sir, we did sleepe day out of countenaunce:and made the night light with drinking.
Mece.Eight Wilde-Boares rosted whole at a breakfast, and but twelue persons there. Is this true?
Eno.This was but as a Flye by an Eagle: we had muchmore monstrous matter of Feast, which worthily deserued noting.
Mecenas.She's a most triumphant Lady, if report besquare to her.
Enob.When she first met Marke Anthony, she purstvp his heart vpon the Riuer of Sidnis.
Agri.There she appear'd indeed: or my reporter deuis'd well for her.
Eno.I will tell you,The Barge she sat in, like a burnisht ThroneBurnt on the water: the Poope was beaten Gold,Purple the Sailes: and so perfumed thatThe Windes were Loue-sicke.With them the Owers were Siluer,Which to the tune of Flutes kept stroke, and madeThe water which they beate, to follow faster;As amorous of their strokes. For her owne person,It beggerd all discription, she did lyeIn her Pauillion, cloth of Gold, of Tissue,O're-picturing that Venus, where we seeThe fancie out-worke Nature. On each side her,Stood pretty Dimpled Boyes, like smiling Cupids,With diuers coulour'd Fannes whose winde did seeme,To gloue the delicate cheekes which they did coole,And what they vndid did.
Agrip.Oh rare for Anthony.
Eno.Her Gentlewoman, like the Nereides,So many Mer-maides tended her i'th'eyes,And made their bends adornings. At the Helme.A seeming Mer-maide steeres: The Silken Tackle,Swell with the touches of those Flower-soft hands,That yarely frame the office. From the BargeA strange inuisible perfume hits the senseOf the adiacent Wharfes. The Citty castHer people out vpon her: and AnthonyEnthron'd i'th'Market-place, did sit alone,Whisling to'th'ayre: which but for vacancie,Had gone to gaze on Cleopater too,And made a gap in Nature.
Agri.Rare Egiptian.
Eno.Vpon her landing, Anthony sent to her,Inuited her to Supper: she replyed,It should be better, he became her guest:Which she entreated, our Courteous Anthony,Whom nere the word of no woman hard speake,Being barber'd ten times o're, goes to the Feast;And for his ordinary, paies his heart,For what his eyes eate onely.
Agri.Royall Wench:She made great Cæsar lay his Sword to bed,He ploughed her, and she cropt.
Eno.I saw her onceHop forty Paces through the publicke streete,And hauing lost her breath, she spoke, and panted,That she did make defect, perfection,And breathlesse powre breath forth.
Mece.Now Anthony, must leaue her vtterly.
Eno.Neuer he will not:Age cannot wither her, nor custome staleHer infinite variety: other women cloyThe appetites they feede, but she makes hungry,Where most she satisfies. For vildest thingsBecome themselues in her, that the holy PriestsBlesse her, when she is Riggish.
Mece.If Beauty, Wisedome, Modesty, can settleThe heart of Anthony: Octauia isA blessed Lottery to him.
Agrip.Let vs go. Good Enobarbus, make your selfemy guest, whilst you abide here.
Eno.Exeunt.Humbly Sir I thanke you.