Oct. Do not say so, my lord. Cæs. I have eyes upon him, And his affairs come to me on the wind. Where is he now? Oct. My lord, in Athens. Ces. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore; who now are levying The kings o' the earth for war: He hath assembled Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus, Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas: Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas, Oct. Ah me, most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends, That do afflict each other! Welcome hither: Cies. Your letters did withhold our breaking forth; Till we perceiv'd, both how you were wrong led, And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart: Be you not troubled with the time, which drives O'er your content these strong necessities; But let determin'd things to Hold unbewail'd their way. Nothing more dear to me. destiny Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods, To do you justice, make them ministers Of us, and those that love you. Best of comfort; And ever welcome to us. Agr. Welcome, lady. Mec. Welcome, dear madam. Each heart in Rome does love and pity you: In his abominations, turns you off; And gives his potent regiment' to a trull, Oct. Is it so, sir? Ces. Most certain. Sister, welcome: Pray you, Be ever known to patience: My dearest sister! [Exeunt. SCENE VII. Antony's Camp, near the Promontory of Actium. Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS. Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not. Cleo. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars; And say'st, it is not fit. Eno. Well, is it, is it? Cleo. Is't not? Denounce against us, why should not we Be there in person? Eno. [Aside.] Well, I could reply: If we should serve with horse and mares together, The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear A soldier, and his horse. What is't you say? Cleo. Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his time, What should not then be spar'd. He is already 1- potent regiment-] Regiment, is government, authority; he puts his power and his empire into the hands of a false woman. forspoke my being-] To forspeak, is to contradict, to speak against, as forbid is to order negatively. 8 9 merely lost;] i. e. entirely, absolutely lost. That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids, Eno. Here comes the emperor. Ant. Nay, I have done: Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS. Is't not strange, Canidius, That from Tarentum, and Brundusium, He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea, And take in Toryne?'-You have heard on't, sweet? Cleo. Celerity is never more admir'd, Than by the negligent. Ant. A good rebuke, Which might have well becom'd the best of men, To taunt at slackness.-Canidius, we Will fight with him by sea. Cleo. By sea! What else? For he dares us2 to't. Can. Why will my lord do so? Ant. Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight. Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia, Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: But these offers, Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off; And so should you. Eno. Your ships are not well mann'd: Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people Ingross'd by swift impress; in Cæsar's fleet Are those, that often have 'gainst Pompey fought: Their ships are yare; yours, heavy. No disgrace And take in Toryne?] To take in is to gain by conquest. ? For he dares us-] i. e. because he dares us. Shall fall you for refusing him at sea, Ant. By sea, by sea. Eno. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away The absolute soldiership you have by land; Distract your army, which doth most consist Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego The way which promises assurance; and Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, From firm security. Ant. I'll fight at sea. Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better. Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn; And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail, Enter a Messenger. We then can do't at land.-Thy business? Mess. The news is true, my lord; he is descried; Cæsar has taken Toryne. Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible; Strange, that his power should be.'-Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land, And our twelve thousand horse:-We'll to our ship; Enter a Soldier. Away, my Thetis !*-How now, worthy soldier? Strange, that his power should be.] It is strange that his forces should be there. my Thetis!] Antony may address Cleopatra by the name of this sea-nymph, because she had just promised him assistance in his naval expedition; or perhaps in allusion to her voyage down the Cydnus, when she appeared like Thetis surrounded by the Nereids. Trust not to rotten planks: Do you misdoubt This sword, and these my wounds? Let the Egyp tians, And the Phoenicians, go a ducking; we Have used to conquer, standing on the earth, Ant. Well, well, away. [Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENo BARBUS. grows Sold. By Hercules, I think, I am i' the right. Sold. You keep by land The legions and the horse whole, do you not? Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea: But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæsar's Carries beyond belief." Sold. His power went out in such distractions, as Beguil'd all spies. While he was yet in Rome, Who's his lieutenant, hear you? Sold. They say, one Taurus. Can. Well I know the man. Can. Enter a Messenger. Mess. The emperor calls for Canidius. but his whole action grows Not in the power on't:] i. e. His whole conduct in the war is not founded upon that which is his greatest strength, (namely, his land force,) but on the caprice of a woman, who wishes that he should fight by sea. 6 Carries beyond belief.] Perhaps this phrase is from archery. distractions,] Detachments, separate bodies. |