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Anthony and Cleopatra (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Randall Martin
Not Peer Reviewed
1175
Flourish. Enter Pompey, at one doore with Drum and Trum-
pet: at another Cæsar, Lepidus, Anthony, Enobarbus, Me-
cenas, Agrippa, Menas with Souldiers Marching.
Pom. Your Hostages I haue, so haue you mine:
And we shall talke before we fight.
1180Cæsar. Most meete that first we come to words,
And therefore haue we
Our written purposes before vs sent,
Which if thou hast considered, let vs know,
If'twill tye vp thy discontented Sword,
1185And carry backe to Cicelie much tall youth,
That else must perish heere.
Pom. To you all three,
The Senators alone of this great world,
Chiefe Factors for the Gods. I do not know,
1190Wherefore my Father should reuengers want,
Hauing a Sonne and Friends, since Iulius Cæsar,
Who at Phillippi the good Brutus ghosted,
There saw you labouring for him. What was't
That mou'd pale Cassius to conspire? And what
1195Made all-honor'd, honest, Romaine Brutus,
With the arm'd rest, Courtiers of beautious freedome,
To drench the Capitoll, but that they would
Haue one man but a man, and that his it
Hath made me rigge my Nauie. At whose burthen,
1200The anger'd Ocean fomes, with which I meant
To scourge th'ingratitude, that despightfull Rome
Cast on my Noble Father.
Cæsar. Take your time.
Ant. Thou can'st not feare vs Pompey with thy sailes.
1205Weele speake with thee at Sea. At land thou know'st
How much we do o're-count thee.
Pom. At Land indeed
Thou dost orecount me of my Fatherrs house:
But since the Cuckoo buildes not for himselfe,
1210Remaine in't as thou maist.
Lepi. Be pleas'd to tell vs,
(For this is from the present how you take)
The offers we haue sent you.
Cæsar. There's the point.
1215Ant. Which do not be entreated too,
But waigh what it is worth imbrac'd
Cæsar. And what may follow to try a larger Fortune.
Pom. You haue made me offer
Of Cicelie, Sardinia: and I must
1220Rid all the Sea of Pirats. Then, to send
Measures of Wheate to Rome: this greed vpon,
To part with vnhackt edges, and beare backe
Our Targes vndinted.
Omnes. That's our offer.
1225Pom. Know then I came before you heere,
A man prepar'd
To take this offer. But Marke Anthony,
Put me to some impatience: though I loose
The praise of it by telling. You must know
1230When Cæsar and your Brother were at blowes,
Your Mother came to Cicelie, and did finde
Her welcome Friendly.
Ant. I haue heard it Pompey,
And am well studied for a liberall thanks,
1235Which I do owe you.
Pom. Let me haue your hand:
I did not thinke Sir, to haue met you heere,
Ant. The beds i'th'East are soft, and thanks to you,
That cal'd me timelier then my purpose hither:
1240For I haue gained by't.
Cæsar. Since I saw you last, ther's a change vpon you.
Pom. Well, I know not,
What counts harsh Fotune cast's vpon my face,
But in my bosome shall she neuer come,
1245To make my heart her vassaile.
Lep. Well met heere.
Pom. I hope so Lepidus, thus we are agreed:
I craue our composion may be written
And seal'd betweene vs,
1250Cæsar. That's the next to do.
Pom. Weele feast each other, ere we part, and lett's
Draw lots who shall begin.
Ant. That will I Pompey.
Pompey. No Anthony take the lot: but first or last,
1255your fine Egyptian cookerie shall haue the fame, I haue
heard that Iulius Cæsar, grew fat with feasting there.
Anth. You haue heard much.
Pom. I haue faire meaning Sir.
Ant. And faire words to them.
1260Pom. Then so much haue I heard,
And I haue heard Appolodorus carried---
Eno. No more that: he did so.
Pom. What I pray you?
Eno. A certaine Queene to Cæsar in a Matris.
1265Pom. I know thee now, how far'st thou Souldier?
Eno. Well, and well am like to do, for I perceiue
Foure Feasts are toward.
Pom. Let me shake thy hand,
I neuer hated thee: I haue seene thee fight,
1270When I haue enuied thy behauiour.
Enob. Sir, I neuer lou'd you much, but I ha'prais'd ye,
When you haue well deseru'd ten times as much,
As I haue said you did.
Pom. Inioy thy plainnesse,
1275It nothing ill becomes thee:
Aboord my Gally, I inuite you all.
Will you leade Lords?
All. Shew's the way, sir.
Pom. Come.
Exeunt.Manet Enob. & Menas
1280Men. Thy Father Pompey would ne're haue made this
Treaty. You, and I haue knowne sir.
Enob. At Sea, I thinke.
Men. We haue Sir.
Enob. You haue done well by water.
1285Men. And you by Land.
Enob. I will praise any man that will praise me, thogh
it cannot be denied what I haue done by Land.
Men. Nor what I haue done by water.
Enob. Yes some-thing you can deny for your owne
1290safety: you haue bin a great Theefe by Sea.
Men. And you by Land.
Enob. There I deny my Land seruice: but giue mee
your hand Menas, if our eyes had authority, heere they
might take two Theeues kissing.
1295Men. All mens faces are true, whatsomere their hands
are.
Enob. But there is neuer a fayre Woman, ha's a true
Face.
Men. No slander, they steale hearts.
1300Enob. We came hither to fight with you.
Men. For my part, I am sorry it is turn'd to a Drink-
ing. Pompey doth this day laugh away his Fortune.
Enob. If he do, sure he cannot weep't backe againe.
Men. Y'haue said Sir, we look'd not for Marke An-
1305thony heere, pray you, is he married to Cleopatra?
Enob. Cæsars Sister is call'd Octauia.
Men. True Sir, she was the wife of Caius Marcellus.
Enob. But she is now the wife of Marcus Anthonius.
Men. Pray'ye sir.
1310Enob. 'Tis true.
Men. Then is Cæsar and he, for euer knit together.
Enob. If I were bound to Diuine of this vnity, I wold
not Prophesie so.
Men. I thinke the policy of that purpose, made more
1315in the Marriage, then the loue of the parties.
Enob. I thinke so too. But you shall finde the band
that seemes to tye their friendship together, will bee the
very strangler of their Amity: Octauia is of a holy, cold,
and still conuersation.
1320Men. Who would not haue his wife so?
Eno. Not he that himselfe is not so: which is Marke
Anthony: he will to his Egyptian dish againe: then shall
the sighes of Octauia blow the fire vp in Caesar, and (as I
said before) that which is the strength of their Amity,
1325shall proue the immediate Author of their variance. An-
thony will vse his affection where it is. Hee married but
his occasion heere.
Men. And thus it may be. Come Sir, will you aboord?
I haue a health for you.
1330Enob. I shall take it sir: we haue vs'd our Throats in
Egypt.
Men. Come, let's away.
Exeunt.