[Flourish. Enter AGRIPPA, CAESAR, with DOLABELLA and ENOBARBUS.]
CAESAR.
Go forth, Agrippa, and begin the fight:
Our will is Antony be took alive;
Make it so known.
AGRIPPA.
Caesar, I shall.
[Exit.]
CAESAR.
The time of universal peace is near:
Prove this a prosperous day, the three-nook’d world
Shall bear the olive freely.
[Enter a Messenger.]
MESSENGER.
Antony
Is come into the field.
CAESAR.
Go charge Agrippa
Plant those that have revolted in the van,
That Antony may seem to spend his fury
Upon himself.
[Exeunt CAESAR and his Train.]
ENOBARBUS.
Alexas did revolt; and went to Jewry on
Affairs of Antony; there did dissuade
Great Herod to incline himself to Caesar
And leave his master Antony: for this pains
Casaer hath hang’d him. Canidius and the rest
That fell away, have entertainment, but
No honourable trust. I have done ill;
Of which I do accuse myself so sorely
That I will joy no more.
[Enter a SOLDIER of CAESAR’S.]
SOLDIER.
Enobarbus, Antony
Hath after thee sent all thy treasure, with
His bounty overplus: the messenger
Came on my guard, and at thy tent is now
Unloading of his mules.
ENOBARBUS.
I give it you.
SOLDIER.
Mock not, Enobarbus.
I tell you true: best you saf’d the bringer
Out of the host; I must attend mine office,
Or would have done’t myself. Your emperor
Continues still a Jove.
[Exit.]
ENOBARBUS.
I am alone the villain of the earth,
And feel I am so most. O Antony,
Thou mine of bounty, how wouldst thou have paid
My better service, when my turpitude
Thou dost so crown with gold! This blows my heart:
If swift thought break it not, a swifter mean
Shall outstrike thought: but thought will do’t, I feel.
I fight against thee!—No: I will go seek
Some ditch wherein to die; the foul’st best fits
My latter part of life.
[Exit.]
SCENE VII. Field of battle between the Camps.
[Alarum. Drums and trumpets. Enter AGRIPPA and others.]
AGRIPPA.
Retire, we have engag’d ourselves too far:
Caesar himself has work, and our oppression
Exceeds what we expected.
[Exeunt.]
[Alarum. Enter ANTONY, and SCARUS wounded.]
SCARUS.
O my brave emperor, this is fought indeed!
Had we done so at first, we had driven them home
With clouts about their heads.
ANTONY.
Thou bleed’st apace.
SCARUS.
I had a wound here that was like a T,
But now ‘tis made an H.
ANTONY.
They do retire.
SCARUS.
We’ll beat’em into bench-holes: I have yet
Room for six scotches more.
[Enter EROS.]
EROS.
They are beaten, sir; and our advantage serves
For a fair victory.
SCARUS.
Let us score their backs
And snatch ‘em up, as we take hares, behind:
‘Tis sport to maul a runner.
ANTONY.
I will reward thee
Once for thy sprightly comfort, and tenfold
For thy good valour. Come thee on.
SCARUS.
I’ll halt after.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE VIII. Under the Walls of Alexandria.
[Alarum. Enter ANTONY, marching; SCARUS and Forces.]
ANTONY.
We have beat him to his camp. Run one before
And let the queen know of our gests.—Tomorrow,
Before the sun shall see us, we’ll spill the blood
That has to-day escap’d. I thank you all;
For doughty-handed are you, and have fought
Not as you serv’d the cause, but as’t had been
Each man’s like mine; you have shown all Hectors.
Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends,
Tell them your feats; whilst they with joyful tears
Wash the congealment from your wounds and kiss
The honour’d gashes whole.—[To SCARUS.] Give me thy hand;
[Enter CLEOPATRA, attended.]
To this great fairy I’ll commend thy acts,
Make her thanks bless thee. O thou day o’ the world,
Chain mine arm’d neck; leap thou, attire and all;
Through proof of harness to my heart, and there
Ride on the pants triumphing.
CLEOPATRA.
Lord of lords!
O infinite virtue, com’st thou smiling from
The world’s great snare uncaught?
ANTONY.
Mine nightingale,
We have beat them to their beds. What, girl! though grey
Do something mingle with our younger brown, yet ha’ we
A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can
Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man;
Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand;—
Kiss it, my warrior: he hath fought to-day
As if a god, in