Antony and Cleopatra | Page 7

inroads?They make in Italy; the borders maritime?Lack blood to think on't, and flush youth revolt:?No vessel can peep forth but 'tis as soon?Taken as seen; for Pompey's name strikes more?Than could his war resisted.
CAESAR.?Antony,?Leave thy lascivious wassails. When thou once?Was 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.
CAESAR.?Let his shames quickly?Drive him to Rome; 'tis time we twain?Did show ourselves i' thefield; 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.
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.
CAESAR.?Doubt not, sir;?I knew it for my bond.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE V. Alexandria. A Room in the 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 wott'st thou whom thou mov'st??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.]
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-girt 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.--Mett'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 chok'd 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.
[Exeunt.]
ACT II.
SCENE I. Messina. A Room in POMPEY'S house.
[Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS.]
POMPEY.?If the great gods be just, they shall assist?The deeds of justest men.
MENECRATES.?Know, worthy Pompey,?That what they do delay they not deny.
POMPEY.?Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays?The thing we sue for.
MENECRATES.?We, ignorant of ourselves,?Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers?Deny us for our good; so find we profit?By losing of our