Even this repays me.—We sent our schoolmaster;
Is he come back?—Love, I am full of lead.—
Some wine, within there, and our viands!—Fortune knows
We scorn her most when most she offers blows.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE XII. CAESAR’S camp in Egypt.
[Enter CAESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with others.]
CAESAR.
Let him appear that’s come from Antony.—
Know you him?
DOLABELLA.
Caesar, ‘tis his schoolmaster:
An argument that he is pluck’d, when hither
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,
Which had superfluous kings for messengers
Not many moons gone by.
[Enter EUPHRONIUS.]
CAESAR.
Approach, and speak.
EUPHRONIUS.
Such as I am, I come from Antony:
I was of late as petty to his ends
As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf
To his grand sea.
CAESAR.
Be’t so: declare thine office.
EUPHRONIUS.
Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted,
He lessens his requests; and to thee sues
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens: this for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;
Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
CAESAR.
For Antony,
I have no ears to his request. The queen
Of audience nor desire shall fail; so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,
Or take his life there: this if she perform,
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
EUPHRONIUS.
Fortune pursue thee!
CAESAR.
Bring him through the bands.
[Exit EUPHRONIUS.]
[To THYREUS.] To try thy eloquence, now ‘tis time. Despatch;
From Antony win Cleopatra. Promise,
And in our name, what she requires; add more,
From thine invention, offers: women are not
In their best fortunes strong; but want will perjure
The ne’er-touch’d vestal: try thy cunning, Thyreus;
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.
THYREUS.
Caesar, I go.
CAESAR.
Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,
And what thou think’st his very action speaks
In every power that moves.
THYREUS.
Caesar, I shall.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE XIII. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
[Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS.]
CLEOPATRA.
What shall we do, Enobarbus?
ENOBARBUS.
Think, and die.
CLEOPATRA.
Is Antony or we in fault for this?
ENOBARBUS.
Antony only, that would make his will
Lord of his reason. What though you fled
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
Frighted each other? why should he follow?
The itch of his affection should not then
Have nick’d his captainship; at such a point,
When half to half the world oppos’d, he being
The mered question; ‘twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags
And leave his navy gazing.
CLEOPATRA.
Pr’ythee, peace.
[Enter ANTONY, with EUPHRONIUS.]
ANTONY.
Is that his answer?
EUPHRONIUS.
Ay, my lord.
ANTONY.
The queen shall then have courtesy, so she
Will yield us up.
EUPHRONIUS.
He says so.
ANTONY.
Let her know’t.—
To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
With principalities.
CLEOPATRA.
That head, my lord?
ANTONY.
To him again: tell him he wears the rose
Of youth upon him; from which the world should note
Something particular: his coins, ships, legions,
May be a coward’s; whose ministers would prevail
Under the service of a child as soon
As i’ the command of Caesar: I dare him therefore
To lay his gay comparisons apart,
And answer me declin’d, sword against sword,
Ourselves alone. I’ll write it: follow me.
[Exeunt ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS.]
EUPHRONIUS.
Yes, like enough high-battled Caesar will
Unstate his happiness, and be stag’d to the show
Against a sworder.—I see men’s judgments are
A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,
To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will
Answer his emptiness!—Caesar, thou hast subdu’d
His judgment too.
[Enter an Attendant.]
ATTENDANT.
A messenger from Caesar.
CLEOPATRA.
What, no more ceremony?—See, my women!—
Against the blown rose may they stop their nose