William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (455 page)
Read William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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POMPEY (aside to Menas) Forbear me till anon.
(Aloud) This wine for Lepidus!
Menas
whispers
in Pompey’s ear
LEPIDUS What manner o’ thing is your crocodile?
ANTONY It is shaped, sir, like itself; and it is as broad as it hath breadth. It is just so high as it is, and moves with it own organs. It lives by that which nourisheth it, and the elements once out of it, it transmigrates.
LEPIDUS What colour is it of?
ANTONY Of it own colour, too.
LEPIDUS ’Tis a strange serpent.
ANTONY ’Tis so, and the tears of it are wet.
CAESAR (to Antony)
Will this description satisfy him?
ANTONY With the health that Pompey gives him; else he is a very epicure.
POMPEY (aside to Menas)
Go hang, sir, hang! Tell me of that? Away,
Do as I bid you. (Aloud) Where’s this cup I called for?
Do as I bid you. (Aloud) Where’s this cup I called for?
MENAS (aside to Pompey)
If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me,
Rise from thy stool.
Rise from thy stool.
POMPEY ⌈
rising
⌉ I think thou’rt mad. The matter?
rising
⌉ I think thou’rt mad. The matter?
⌈Menas⌉ and Pompey stand apart⌉
MENAS
I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes.
POMPEY
Thou hast served me with much faith. What’s else to
say?
Be jolly, lords.
say?
Be jolly, lords.
ANTONY
These quicksands, Lepidus,
Keep off them, for you sink.
MENAS
Wilt thou be lord of all the world?
POMPEY
What sayst thou?
MENAS
Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That’s twice.
POMPEY
How should that be?
MENAS
But entertain it
And, though thou think me poor, I am the man
Will give thee all the world.
Will give thee all the world.
POMPEY
Hast thou drunk well?
MENAS
No, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup.
Thou art, if thou dar‘st be, the earthly Jove.
Whate’er the ocean pales or sky inclips
Is thine, if thou wilt ha’t.
Thou art, if thou dar‘st be, the earthly Jove.
Whate’er the ocean pales or sky inclips
Is thine, if thou wilt ha’t.
POMPEY
Show me which way!
MENAS
These three world-sharers, these competitors,
Are in thy vessel. Let me cut the cable;
And when we are put off, fall to their throats.
All there is thine.
Are in thy vessel. Let me cut the cable;
And when we are put off, fall to their throats.
All there is thine.
POMPEY
Ah, this thou shouldst have done
And not have spoke on’t. In me ‘tis villainy,
In thee ’t had been good service. Thou must know
’Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour;
Mine honour, it. Repent that e’er thy tongue
Hath so betrayed thine act. Being done unknown,
I should have found it afterwards well done,
But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink.
In thee ’t had been good service. Thou must know
’Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour;
Mine honour, it. Repent that e’er thy tongue
Hath so betrayed thine act. Being done unknown,
I should have found it afterwards well done,
But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink.
He returns to the others
MENAS (aside)
For this, I’ll never follow thy palled fortunes more.
Who seeks and will not take when once ’tis offered,
Shall never find it more.
Who seeks and will not take when once ’tis offered,
Shall never find it more.
POMPEY
This health to Lepidus!
ANTONY
Bear him ashore.—I’ll pledge it for him, Pompey.
ENOBARBUS
Here’s to thee, Menas!
MENAS
Enobarbus, welcome.
POMPEY
Fill till the cup be hid.
One lifts Lepidus, drunk, and carries him off
ENOBARBUS
There’s a strong fellow, Menas.
MENAS Why? 86
ENOBARBUS
A bears the third part of the world, man; seest not?
MENAS
The third part then is drunk. Would it were all,
That it might go on wheels.
That it might go on wheels.
ENOBARBUS
Drink thou, increase the reels.
MENAS Come.
POMPEY
This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.
ANTONY
It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho!
Here’s to Caesar!
Here’s to Caesar!
CAESAR
I could well forbear’t.
It’s monstrous labour when I wash my brain,
An it grow fouler.
An it grow fouler.
ANTONY Be a child o’th’ time.
CAESAR Possess it, I’ll make answer.
But I had rather fast from all, four days,
Than drink so much in one.
Than drink so much in one.
ENOBARBUS (to Antony)
Ha, my brave Emperor, Shall we dance now the Egyptian bacchanals,
And celebrate our drink?
And celebrate our drink?
POMPEY Let’s ha’t, good soldier.
ANTONY Come, let’s all take hands
Till that the conquering wine hath steeped our sense
In soft and delicate Lethe.
In soft and delicate Lethe.
ENOBARBUS
All take hands.
Make battery to our ears with the loud music.
The while I’ll place you, then the boy shall sing.
The holding every man shall beat as loud
As his strong sides can volley.
The while I’ll place you, then the boy shall sing.
The holding every man shall beat as loud
As his strong sides can volley.
Music plays. Enobarbus places them hand in hand
⌈Boy⌉
(sings)
(sings)
Come, thou monarch of the vine,
Plumpy Bacchus, with pink eyne!
In thy vats our cares be drowned,
With thy grapes our hairs be crowned!
Cup us till the world go round,
Cup us till the world go round!
CAESAR
What would you more? Pompey, good night.
(
To Antony
)
(
To Antony
)
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 Enobarb
Is weaker than the wine, and mine own tongue
Splits what it speaks. The wild disguise hath almost
Anticked us all. What needs more words? Good night.
Good Antony, your hand.
Frowns at this levity. Gentle lords, let’s part.
You see we have burnt our cheeks. Strong Enobarb
Is weaker than the wine, and mine own tongue
Splits what it speaks. The wild disguise hath almost
Anticked us all. What needs more words? Good night.
Good Antony, your hand.
POMPEY
I’ll try you on the shore.
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.
Come down into the boat.
Exeunt all but Enobarbus and Menas
ENOBARBUS
Take heed you fall not, Menas.
MENAS
I’ll not on shore.
No, to my cabin. These drums, these trumpets, flutes,
what!
what!
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell
To these great fellows. Sound and be hanged, sound out!
To these great fellows. Sound and be hanged, sound out!
Sound a flourish, with drums
ENOBARBUS (throwing his cap in the air)
Hoo, says a! There’s my cap.
MENAS
Ho, noble captain, come!
Exeunt
Enter Ventidius, with Silius and other Roman soldiers, as it were in triumph; the dead body of Pacorus borne before him
VENTIDIUS
Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now
Pleased fortune does of Marcus Crassus’ death
Make me revenger. Bear the King’s son’s body
Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes,
Pays this for Marcus Crassus.
Pleased fortune does of Marcus Crassus’ death
Make me revenger. Bear the King’s son’s body
Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes,
Pays this for Marcus Crassus.
SILIUS
Noble 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.
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 accumulation of renown,
Which he achieved by th’ minute, lost his favour.
Who does 4’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.
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 accumulation of renown,
Which he achieved by th’ minute, lost his favour.
Who does 4’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?
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.
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; pass along.
The weight we must convey with’s will permit,
We shall appear before him.—On there; pass along.
Exeunt
Enter Agrippa at one door, Enobarbus at another AGRIPPA
What, are the brothers parted?
ENOBARBUS
They have dispatched 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.
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 noble Lepidus.
ENOBARBUS
A very fine one. O, how he loves Caesar!
AGRIPPA
Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!
ENOBARBUS
Caesar? Why, he’s the Jupiter of men.
AGRIPPA
What’s Antony—the god of Jupiter?
ENOBARBUS
Spake you of Caesar? How, the nonpareil?
AGRIPPA
O Antony, O thou Arabian bird!
ENOBARBUS
Would you praise Caesar, say ‘Caesar’; go no further.
AGRIPPA
Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.
ENOBARBUS
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.
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.
ENOBARBUS
They are his shards, and he their beetle.
⌈
Trumpet within
⌉
So,
This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa.
AGRIPPA
Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell.
Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell.
Enter Caesar, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavia
ANTONY (
to Caesar
) No further, sir.
to Caesar
) 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 bond
Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble 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 loved without this mean if on both parts
This be not cherished.
Use me well in’t. Sister, prove such a wife
As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest bond
Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble 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 loved without this mean if on both parts
This be not cherished.
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 gods keep you,
And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends.
We will here part.
For what you seem to fear. So, the gods keep you,
And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends.
We will here part.
CAESAR
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