The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 39

ANTONY. We have beat him to his camp. Run one before And let the Queen know of our gests. To-morrow, Before the sun shall see's, we'll spill the blood That has to-day escap'd. I thank you all; For doughty-handed are you, and have fought Not as you serv'd the cause, but as't had been Each man's like mine; you have shown all Hectors.

Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends, Tell them your feats; whilst they with joyful tears Wash the congealment from your wounds and kiss The honour'd gashes whole.

Enter CLEOPATRA, attended

[To SCARUS] Give me thy hand- To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts, Make her thanks bless thee. O thou day o' th' world, Chain mine arm'd neck. Leap thou, attire and all, Through proof of harness to my heart, and there Ride on the pants triumphing.

CLEOPATRA. Lord of lords!

O infinite virtue, com'st thou smiling from The world's great snare uncaught?

ANTONY. Mine nightingale, We have beat them to their beds. What, girl! though grey Do something mingle with our younger brown, yet ha' we A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man; Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand- Kiss it, my warrior- he hath fought to-day As if a G.o.d in hate of mankind had Destroyed in such a shape.

CLEOPATRA. I'll give thee, friend, An armour all of gold; it was a king's.

ANTONY. He has deserv'd it, were it carbuncled Like holy Phoebus' car. Give me thy hand.

Through Alexandria make a jolly march; Bear our hack'd targets like the men that owe them.

Had our great palace the capacity To camp this host, we all would sup together, And drink carouses to the next day's fate, Which promises royal peril. Trumpeters, With brazen din blast you the city's ear; Make mingle with our rattling tabourines, That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together Applauding our approach. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_9 SCENE IX.

CAESAR'S camp

Enter a CENTURION and his company; En.o.bARBUS follows

CENTURION. If we be not reliev'd within this hour, We must return to th' court of guard. The night Is s.h.i.+ny, and they say we shall embattle By th' second hour i' th' morn.

FIRST WATCH. This last day was A shrewd one to's.

En.o.bARBUS. O, bear me witness, night- SECOND WATCH. What man is this?

FIRST WATCH. Stand close and list him.

En.o.bARBUS. Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon, When men revolted shall upon record Bear hateful memory, poor En.o.barbus did Before thy face repent!

CENTURION. En.o.barbus?

SECOND WATCH. Peace!

Hark further.

En.o.bARBUS. O sovereign mistress of true melancholy, The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me, That life, a very rebel to my will, May hang no longer on me. Throw my heart Against the flint and hardness of my fault, Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder, And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony, n.o.bler than my revolt is infamous, Forgive me in thine own particular, But let the world rank me in register A master-leaver and a fugitive!

O Antony! O Antony! [Dies]

FIRST WATCH. Let's speak to him.

CENTURION. Let's hear him, for the things he speaks May concern Caesar.

SECOND WATCH. Let's do so. But he sleeps.

CENTURION. Swoons rather; for so bad a prayer as his Was never yet for sleep.

FIRST WATCH. Go we to him.

SECOND WATCH. Awake, sir, awake; speak to us.

FIRST WATCH. Hear you, sir?

CENTURION. The hand of death hath raught him.

[Drums afar off ] Hark! the drums Demurely wake the sleepers. Let us bear him To th' court of guard; he is of note. Our hour Is fully out.

SECOND WATCH. Come on, then; He may recover yet. Exeunt with the body

ACT_4|SC_10 SCENE X.

Between the two camps

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS, with their army

ANTONY. Their preparation is to-day by sea; We please them not by land.

SCARUS. For both, my lord.

ANTONY. I would they'd fight i' th' fire or i' th' air; We'd fight there too. But this it is, our foot Upon the hills adjoining to the city Shall stay with us- Order for sea is given; They have put forth the haven- Where their appointment we may best discover And look on their endeavour. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_11 SCENE XI.

Between the camps

Enter CAESAR and his army

CAESAR. But being charg'd, we will be still by land, Which, as I take't, we shall; for his best force Is forth to man his galleys. To the vales, And hold our best advantage. Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_12 SCENE XII.

A hill near Alexandria

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS

ANTONY. Yet they are not join'd. Where yond pine does stand I shall discover all. I'll bring thee word Straight how 'tis like to go. Exit SCARUS. Swallows have built In Cleopatra's sails their nests. The augurers Say they know not, they cannot tell; look grimly, And dare not speak their knowledge. Antony Is valiant and dejected; and by starts His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear Of what he has and has not.

[Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight]

Re-enter ANTONY

ANTONY. All is lost!

This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me.

My fleet hath yielded to the foe, and yonder They cast their caps up and carouse together Like friends long lost. Triple-turn'd wh.o.r.e! 'tis thou Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly; For when I am reveng'd upon my charm, I have done all. Bid them all fly; begone. Exit SCARUS O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more!

Fortune and Antony part here; even here Do we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets On blossoming Caesar; and this pine is bark'd That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am.

O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm- Whose eye beck'd forth my wars and call'd them home, Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end- Like a right gypsy hath at fast and loose Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss.

What, Eros, Eros!

Enter CLEOPATRA

Ah, thou spell! Avaunt!

CLEOPATRA. Why is my lord enrag'd against his love?

ANTONY. Vanish, or I shall give thee thy deserving And blemish Caesar's triumph. Let him take thee And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians; Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot Of all thy s.e.x; most monster-like, be shown For poor'st diminutives, for doits, and let Patient Octavia plough thy visage up With her prepared nails. Exit CLEOPATRA 'Tis well th'art gone, If it be well to live; but better 'twere Thou fell'st into my fury, for one death Might have prevented many. Eros, ho!

The s.h.i.+rt of Nessus is upon me; teach me, Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage; Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o' th' moon, And with those hands that grasp'd the heaviest club Subdue my worthiest self. The witch shall die.

To the young Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall Under this plot. She dies for't. Eros, ho! Exit

ACT_4|SC_13 SCENE XIII.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN

CLEOPATRA. Help me, my women. O, he is more mad Than Telamon for his s.h.i.+eld; the boar of Thessaly Was never so emboss'd.

CHARMIAN. To th'monument!

There lock yourself, and send him word you are dead.

The soul and body rive not more in parting Than greatness going off.

CLEOPATRA. To th' monument!

Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself; Say that the last I spoke was 'Antony'

And word it, prithee, piteously. Hence, Mardian, And bring me how he takes my death. To th' monument!

Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_14 SCENE XIV.

CLEOPATRA'S palace

Enter ANTONY and EROS