I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne’er before
Did violate so itself.
ENOBARBUS.
Alack, alack!
[Enter CANIDIUS.]
CANIDIUS.
Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight
Most grossly by his own!
ENOBARBUS.
Ay, are you thereabouts?
Why, then, good night indeed.
CANIDIUS.
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
SCARUS.
‘Tis easy to’t; and there I will attend
What further comes.
CANIDIUS.
To Caesar will I render
My legions and my horse; six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.
ENOBARBUS.
I’ll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE XI. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
[Enter ANTONY and attendants.]
ANTONY.
Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon’t;—
It is asham’d to bear me.—Friends, come hither:
I am so lated in the world that I
Have lost my way for ever:—I have a ship
Laden with gold; take that; divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Caesar.
ALL.
Fly! Not we.
ANTONY.
I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards
To run and show their shoulders.—Friends, be gone;
I have myself resolv’d upon a course
Which has no need of you; be gone;
My treasure’s in the harbour, take it.—O,
I follow’d that I blush to look upon:
My very hairs do mutiny; for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting.—Friends, be gone: you shall
Have letters from me to some friends that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of loathness: take the hint
Which my despair proclaims; let that be left
Which leaves itself: to the seaside straightway:
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little: pray you now:—
Nay, do so; for indeed I have lost command,
Therefore I pray you:—I’ll see you by and by.
[Sits down.]
[Enter CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and IRAS, EROS following.]
EROS.
Nay, gentle madam, to him!—comfort him.
IRAS.
Do, most dear queen.
CHARMIAN.
Do! why, what else?
CLEOPATRA.
Let me sit down. O Juno!
ANTONY.
No, no, no, no, no.
EROS.
See you here, sir?
ANTONY.
O, fie, fie, fie!
CHARMIAN.
Madam,—
IRAS.
Madam, O good empress,—
EROS.
Sir, sir,—
ANTONY.
Yes, my lord, yes;—he at Philippi kept
His sword e’en like a dancer; while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and ‘twas I
That the mad Brutus ended; he alone
Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had
In the brave squares of war: yet now—no matter.
CLEOPATRA.
Ah, stand by.
EROS.
The queen, my lord, the queen!
IRAS.
Go to him, madam, speak to him:
He is unqualitied with very shame.
CLEOPATRA.
Well then,—sustain me.—O!
EROS.
Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches:
Her head’s declin’d, and death will seize her, but
Your comfort makes the rescue.
ANTONY.
I have offended reputation,—
A most unnoble swerving.
EROS.
Sir, the queen.
ANTONY.
O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes
By looking back, what I have left behind
‘Stroy’d in dishonour.
CLEOPATRA.
O my lord, my lord,
Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought
You would have follow’d.
ANTONY.
Egypt, thou knew’st too well
My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings,
And thou shouldst tow me after: o’er my spirit
Thy full supremacy thou knew’st, and that
Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.
CLEOPATRA.
O, my pardon!
ANTONY.
Now I must
To the young man send humble treaties, dodge
And palter in the shifts of lowness; who
With half the bulk o’ the world play’d as I pleas’d,
Making and marring fortunes. You did know
How much you were my conqueror; and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all cause.
CLEOPATRA.
Pardon, pardon!
ANTONY.
Fall