No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as soon Taken as seen; for Pompey's name strikes more Than could his war resisted. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Antony, Leave thy lascivious wassails. When thou once Wast beaten from Modena, where thou slew'st Hirtius and Pansa, consuls, at thy heel Did famine follow; whom thou fought'st against, Though daintily brought up, with patience more Than savages could suffer: thou didst drink The stale of horses, and the gilded puddle Which beasts would cough at: thy palate then did deign The roughest berry on the rudest hedge;Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets, The barks of trees thou browsed'st; on the Alps It is reported thou didst eat strange flesh, Which some did die to look on: and all this--It wounds thine honour that I speak it now--Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek So much as lank'd not. LEPIDUS 'Tis pity of him. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Let his shames quickly Drive him to Rome: 'tis time we twain Did show ourselves i' the field; and to that end Assemble we immediate council: Pompey Thrives in our idleness. LEPIDUS To-morrow, Caesar, I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly Both what by sea and land I can be able To front this present time. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Till which encounter, It is my business too. Farewell. LEPIDUS Farewell, my lord: what you shall know meantime Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir, To let me be partaker. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Doubt not, sir;I knew it for my bond.
Exeunt SCENE V. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN CLEOPATRA Charmian! CHARMIAN Madam? CLEOPATRA Ha, ha!
Give me to drink mandragora. CHARMIAN Why, madam? CLEOPATRA That I might sleep out this great gap of time My Antony is away. CHARMIAN You think of him too much. CLEOPATRA O, 'tis treason! CHARMIAN Madam, I trust, not so. CLEOPATRA Thou, eunuch Mardian! MARDIAN What's your highness' pleasure? CLEOPATRA Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure In aught an eunuch has: 'tis well for thee, That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections? MARDIAN Yes, gracious madam. CLEOPATRA Indeed! MARDIAN Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing But what indeed is honest to be done:
Yet have I fierce affections, and think What Venus did with Mars. CLEOPATRA O Charmian, Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he?
Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?
O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou movest?
The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm And burgonet of men. He's speaking now, Or murmuring 'Where's my serpent of old Nile?'
For so he calls me: now I feed myself With most delicious poison. Think on me, That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black, And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar, When thou wast here above the ground, I was A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow;There would he anchor his aspect and die With looking on his life.
Enter ALEXAS, from OCTAVIUS CAESAR ALEXAS Sovereign of Egypt, hail! CLEOPATRA How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath With his tinct gilded thee.
How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? ALEXAS Last thing he did, dear queen, He kiss'd,--the last of many doubled kisses,--This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart. CLEOPATRA Mine ear must pluck it thence. ALEXAS 'Good friend,' quoth he, 'Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot, To mend the petty present, I will piece Her opulent throne with kingdoms; all the east, Say thou, shall call her mistress.' So he nodded, And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed, Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke Was beastly dumb'd by him. CLEOPATRA What, was he sad or merry? ALEXAS Like to the time o' the year between the extremes Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry. CLEOPATRA O well-divided disposition! Note him, Note him good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him:
He was not sad, for he would shine on those That make their looks by his; he was not merry, Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay In Egypt with his joy; but between both:
O heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad or merry, The violence of either thee becomes, So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts? ALEXAS Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
Why do you send so thick? CLEOPATRA Who's born that day When I forget to send to Antony, Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian, Ever love Caesar so? CHARMIAN O that brave Caesar! CLEOPATRA Be choked with such another emphasis!
Say, the brave Antony. CHARMIAN The valiant Caesar! CLEOPATRA By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Caesar paragon again My man of men. CHARMIAN By your most gracious pardon, I sing but after you. CLEOPATRA My salad days, When I was green in judgment: cold in blood, To say as I said then! But, come, away;Get me ink and paper:
He shall have every day a several greeting, Or I'll unpeople Egypt.
