The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 33

CLEOPATRA. Is she as tall as me?

MESSENGER. She is not, madam.

CLEOPATRA. Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongu'd or low?

MESSENGER. Madam, I heard her speak: she is low-voic'd.

CLEOPATRA. That's not so good. He cannot like her long.

CHARMIAN. Like her? O Isis! 'tis impossible.

CLEOPATRA. I think so, Charmian. Dull of tongue and dwarfis.h.!.+

What majesty is in her gait? Remember, If e'er thou look'dst 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 judgment.

CHARMIAN. Excellent.

CLEOPATRA. 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. 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 prepar'd. Exeunt 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

ACT_3|SC_4 SCENE IV.

Athens. ANTONY'S house

Enter ANTONY and OCTAVIA

ANTONY. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that- That were excusable, that and thousands more Of semblable import- but he hath wag'd New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it To public ear; Spoke scandy 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 G.o.ds 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 mid-way '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

ACT_3|SC_5 SCENE V.

Athens. ANTONY'S house

Enter En.o.bARBUS and EROS, meeting

En.o.bARBUS. How now, friend Eros!

EROS. There's strange news come, sir.

En.o.bARBUS. What, man?

EROS. Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.

En.o.bARBUS. 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.

En.o.bARBUS. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps- 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 murd'red Pompey.

En.o.bARBUS. Our great navy's rigg'd.

EROS. For Italy and Caesar. More, Domitius: My lord desires you presently; my news I might have told hereafter.

En.o.bARBUS. 'Twill be naught; But let it be. Bring me to Antony.

EROS. Come, sir. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_6 SCENE VI.

Rome. CAESAR'S house

Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MAECENAS

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 silver'd, Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold Were publicly enthron'd; at the feet sat Caesarion, whom they call my father's son, And all the unlawful issue that their l.u.s.t 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 show-place, where they exercise.

His sons he there proclaim'd the kings of kings: Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia, He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he a.s.sign'd Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia. She In th' habiliments of the G.o.ddess Isis That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience, As 'tis reported, so.

MAECENAS. Let Rome be thus Inform'd.

AGRIPPA. Who, queasy with his insolence Already, will their good thoughts call from him.

CAESAR. The people knows it, and have now receiv'd His accusations.

AGRIPPA. Who does he accuse?

CAESAR. Caesar; and that, having in Sicily s.e.xtus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him His part o' th' isle. Then does he say he lent me Some s.h.i.+pping, unrestor'd. Lastly, he frets That Lepidus of the triumvirate Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain All his revenue.

AGRIPPA. Sir, this should be answer'd.

CAESAR. 'Tis done already, and messenger gone.

I have told him Lepidus was grown too cruel, That he his high authority abus'd, And did deserve his change. For what I have conquer'd I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, 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 cast-away!

OCTAVIA. You have not call'd 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, Rais'd 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 unlov'd. 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 constrain'd, but did it On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony, Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted My grieved ear withal; whereon I begg'd His pardon for return.

CAESAR. Which soon he granted, Being an obstruct 'tween his l.u.s.t and him.

OCTAVIA. Do not say so, my lord.

CAESAR. I have eyes upon him, And his affairs come to me on the wind.