Antony and Cleopatra | Page 8

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 prayers.
POMPEY.
I shall do well;
The people love me, and the sea is mine;

My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope
Says it will come
to the full. Mark Antony
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make
No
wars without doors: Caesar gets money where
He loses hearts:
Lepidus flatters both,
Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves
Nor
either cares for him.
MENAS.
Caesar and Lepidus
Are in the field: a mighty strength
they carry.
POMPEY.
Where have you this? 'tis false.
MENAS.
From Silvius, sir.
POMPEY.
He dreams: I know they are in Rome together,
Looking
for Antony. But all the charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, soften thy
wan'd lip!
Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!
Tie up the
libertine in a field of feasts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks

Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;
That sleep and feeding
may prorogue his honour
Even till a Lethe'd dullness.
[Enter VARRIUS.]

How now, Varrius!
VARRIUS.
This is most certain that I shall deliver:--
Mark Antony
is every hour in Rome
Expected: since he went from Egypt 'tis
A
space for further travel.
POMPEY.
I could have given less matter
A better ear.--Menas, I
did not think
This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm

For such a petty war; his soldiership
Is twice the other twain: but let
us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of
Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er lust-wearied Antony.
MENAS.
I cannot hope
Caesar and Antony shall well greet
together:
His wife that's dead did trespasses to Caesar;
His brother
warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.
POMPEY.
I know not, Menas,
How lesser enmities may give way
to greater.
Were't not that we stand up against them all,
'Twere
pregnant they should square between themselves;
For they have
entertained cause enough
To draw their swords: but how the fear of
us
May cement their divisions, and bind up
The petty difference,
we yet not know.
Be't as our gods will have't! It only stands
Our
lives upon to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE II. Rome. A Room in the House of LEPIDUS.
[Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS.]
LEPIDUS.
Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,
And shall become
you well, to entreat your captain
To soft and gentle speech.
ENOBARBUS.
I shall entreat him
To answer like himself: if
Caesar move him,
Let Antony look over Caesar's head,
And speak

as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,
I
would not shave't to-day.
LEPIDUS.
'Tis not a time
For private stomaching.
ENOBARBUS.
Every time
Serves for the matter that is then born
in't.
LEPIDUS.
But small to greater matters must give way.
ENOBARBUS.
Not if the small come first.
LEPIDUS.
Your speech is passion:
But, pray you, stir no embers
up. Here comes
The noble Antony.
[Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS.]
ENOBARBUS.
And yonder, Caesar.
[Enter CAESAR, MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA.]
ANTONY.
If we compose well here, to Parthia;
Hark, Ventidius.
CAESAR.
I do not know,
Maecenas; ask Agrippa.
LEPIDUS.
Noble friends,
That which combin'd us was most great,
and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,
May it be gently
heard: when we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds: then, noble partners,--
The rather for I
earnestly beseech,--
Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,

Nor curstness grow to the matter.
ANTONY.
'Tis spoken well.
Were we before our armies, and to
fight,
I should do thus.
CAESAR.
Welcome to Rome.

ANTONY.
Thank you.
CAESAR.
Sit.
ANTONY.
Sit, sir.