The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 32

Cup us till the world go round, Cup us till the world go round!

CAESAR. What would you more? Pompey, good night. Good brother, Let me request you off; our graver business Frowns at this levity. Gentle lords, let's part; You see we have burnt our cheeks. Strong En.o.barb Is weaker than the wine, and mine own tongue Splits what it speaks. The wild disguise hath almost Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good night.

Good Antony, your hand.

POMPEY. I'll try you on the sh.o.r.e.

ANTONY. And shall, sir. Give's your hand.

POMPEY. O Antony, You have my father's house- but what? We are friends.

Come, down into the boat.

En.o.bARBUS. Take heed you fall not.

Exeunt all but En.o.bARBUS and MENAS Menas, I'll not on sh.o.r.e.

MENAS. No, to my cabin.

These drums! these trumpets, flutes! what!

Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell To these great fellows. Sound and be hang'd, sound out!

[Sound a flourish, with drums]

En.o.bARBUS. Hoo! says 'a. There's my cap.

MENAS. Hoo! n.o.ble Captain, come. Exeunt ACT_3|SC_1 ACT III. SCENE I.

A plain in Syria

Enter VENTIDIUS, as it were in triumph, with SILIUS and other Romans, OFFICERS and soldiers; the dead body of PACORUS borne before him

VENTIDIUS. Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck, and now Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Cra.s.sus' death Make me revenger. Bear the King's son's body Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes, Pays this for Marcus Cra.s.sus.

SILIUS. n.o.ble 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 acc.u.mulation of renown, Which he achiev'd by th' minute, lost his favour.

Who does i' 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; pa.s.s along.

Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_2 SCENE II. Rome. CAESAR'S house

Enter AGRIPPA at one door, En.o.bARBUS at another

AGRIPPA. What, are the brothers parted?

En.o.bARBUS. They have dispatch'd 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 n.o.ble Lepidus.

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

AGRIPPA. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!

En.o.bARBUS. Caesar? Why he's the Jupiter of men.

AGRIPPA. What's Antony? The G.o.d of Jupiter.

En.o.bARBUS. Spake you of Caesar? How! the nonpareil!

AGRIPPA. O, Antony! O thou Arabian bird!

En.o.bARBUS. Would you praise Caesar, say 'Caesar'- go no further.

AGRIPPA. Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.

En.o.bARBUS. 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.

En.o.bARBUS. They are his shards, and he their beetle. [Trumpets within] So- This is to horse. Adieu, n.o.ble Agrippa.

AGRIPPA. Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell.

Enter CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, and OCTAVIA

ANTONY. 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 band Shall pa.s.s on thy approof. Most n.o.ble 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 lov'd without this mean, if on both parts This be not cherish'd.

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 G.o.ds 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. My n.o.ble 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.

ANTONY. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue- the swan's down feather, That stands upon the swell at the full of tide, And neither way inclines.

En.o.bARBUS. [Aside to AGRIPPA] Will Caesar weep?

AGRIPPA. [Aside to En.o.bARBUS] He has a cloud in's face.

En.o.bARBUS. [Aside to AGRIPPA] He were the worse for that, were he a horse; So is he, being a man.

AGRIPPA. [Aside to En.o.bARBUS] Why, En.o.barbus, When Antony found Julius Caesar dead, He cried almost to roaring; and he wept When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.

En.o.bARBUS. [Aside to AGRIPPA] That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum; What willingly he did confound he wail'd, Believe't- till I weep too.

CAESAR. No, sweet Octavia, You shall hear from me still; the time shall not Out-go my thinking on you.

ANTONY. Come, sir, come; I'll wrestle with you in my strength of love.

Look, here I have you; thus I let you go, And give you to the G.o.ds.

CAESAR. Adieu; be happy!

LEPIDUS. Let all the number of the stars give light To thy fair way!

CAESAR. Farewell, farewell! [Kisses OCTAVIA]

ANTONY. Farewell! Trumpets sound. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_3 SCENE III.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace

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 pleas'd.

CLEOPATRA. That Herod's head I'll have. But how, when Antony is gone, Through whom I might command it? Come thou near.

MESSENGER. Most gracious Majesty!

CLEOPATRA. Didst thou behold Octavia?

MESSENGER. Ay, dread Queen.

CLEOPATRA. Where?

MESSENGER. Madam, in Rome I look'd her in the face, and saw her led Between her brother and Mark Antony.