ANTONY & CLEOPATRA. Sidney Lee. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Sidney Lee
Издательство: Bookwire
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Жанр произведения: Языкознание
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isbn: 9788027236695
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left unlov’d; we should have met you

       By sea and land; supplying every stage

       With an augmented greeting.

       OCTAVIA.

       Good my lord,

       To come thus was I not constrain’d, but did it

       On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,

       Hearing that you prepar’d for war, acquainted

       My grieved ear withal: whereon I begg’d

       His pardon for return.

       CAESAR.

       Which soon he granted,

       Being an obstruct ‘tween his lust and him.

       OCTAVIA.

       Do not say so, my lord.

       CAESAR.

       I have eyes upon him,

       And his affairs come to me on the wind.

       Where is he now?

       OCTAVIA.

       My lord, in Athens.

       CAESAR.

       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’ theearth for war: he hath assembled

       Bocchus, the king of Libya; Archelaus

       Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king

       Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas;

       King Manchus of Arabia; King of Pont;

       Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king

       Of Comagene; Polemon and Amyntas,

       The kings of Mede and Lycaonia, with

       More larger list of sceptres.

       OCTAVIA.

       Ay me, most wretched,

       That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,

       That do afflict each other!

       CAESAR.

       Welcome hither:

       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 destiny

       Hold unbewail’d their way. Welcome to Rome;

       Nothing more dear to me. You are abus’d

       Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,

       To do you justice, make their ministers

       Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort;

       And ever welcome to us.

       AGRIPPA.

       Welcome, lady.

       MAECENAS.

       Welcome, dear madam.

       Each heart in Rome does love and pity you:

       Only theadulterous Antony, most large

       In his abominations, turns you off,

       And gives his potent regiment to a trull

       That noises it against us.

       OCTAVIA.

       Is it so, sir?

       CAESAR.

       Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you

       Be ever known to patience: my dear’st sister!

       [Exeunt.]

      SCENE VII. ANTONY’S Camp near the Promontory of Actium.

       [Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.]

       CLEOPATRA.

       I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

       ENOBARBUS.

       But why, why, why?

       CLEOPATRA.

       Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,

       And say’st it is not fit.

       ENOBARBUS.

       Well, is it, is it?

       CLEOPATRA.

       If not denounc’d against us, why should not we

       Be there in person?

       ENOBARBUS.

       [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.

       CLEOPATRA.

       What is’t you say?

       ENOBARBUS.

       Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;

       Take from his heart, take from his brain, from’s time,

       What should not then be spar’d. He is already

       Traduc’d for levity: and ‘tis said in Rome

       That Photinus an eunuch and your maids

       Manage this war.

       CLEOPATRA.

       Sink Rome, and their tongues rot

       That speak against us! A charge we bear i’ the war,

       And, as the president of my kingdom, will

       Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;

       I will not stay behind.

       ENOBARBUS.

       Nay, I have done.

       Here comes the emperor.

       [Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.]

       ANTONY.

       Is it 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?

       CLEOPATRA.

       Celerity is never more admir’d

       Than by the negligent.

       ANTONY.

       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.

       CLEOPATRA.

       By sea! what else?

       CANIDIUS.

       Why will my lord do so?

       ANTONY.

       For that he dares us to’t.

       ENOBARBUS.

       So hath my lord dar’d him to single fight.

       CANIDIUS.

       Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,

       Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers,

       Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;

       And so should you.

       ENOBARBUS.

       Your ships are not well mann’d:

       Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people

       Ingross’d by swift impress; in Caesar’s fleet

       Are those that often have ‘gainst