CLEOPATRA.
I’ll give thee, friend,
An armour all of gold; it was a king’s.
ANTONY.
He has deserv’d it, were it carbuncled
Like holy Phoebus’ car.—Give me thy hand:
Through Alexandria make a jolly march;
Bear our hack’d targets like the men that owe them:
Had our great palace the capacity
To camp this host, we all would sup together,
And drink carouses to the next day’s fate,
Which promises royal peril.—Trumpeters,
With brazen din blast you the city’s ear;
Make mingle with our rattling tabourines;
That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together,
Applauding our approach.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE IX. CAESAR’S camp.
[Sentinels at their Post.]
FIRST SOLDIER.
If we be not reliev’d within this hour,
We must return to thecourt of guard: the night
Is shiny; and they say we shall embattle
By the second hour i’ the morn.
SECOND SOLDIER.
This last day was
A shrewd one to’s.
[Enter ENOBARBUS.]
ENOBARBUS.
O, bear me witness, night.—
THIRD SOLDIER.
What man is this?
SECOND SOLDIER.
Stand close and list him.
ENOBARBUS.
Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon,
When men revolted shall upon record
Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did
Before thy face repent!—
FIRST SOLDIER.
Enobarbus!
THIRD SOLDIER.
Peace!
Hark further.
ENOBARBUS.
O sovereign mistress of true melancholy,
The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me,
That life, a very rebel to my will,
May hang no longer on me: throw my heart
Against the flint and hardness of my fault;
Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder,
And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony,
Nobler than my revolt is infamous,
Forgive me in thine own particular;
But let the world rank me in register
A master-leaver and a fugitive:
O Antony! O Antony!
[Dies.]
SECOND SOLDIER.
Let’s speak to him.
FIRST SOLDIER.
Let’s hear him, for the things he speaks
May concern Caesar.
THIRD SOLDIER.
Let’s do so. But he sleeps.
FIRST SOLDIER.
Swoons rather; for so bad a prayer as his
Was never yet fore sleep.
SECOND SOLDIER.
Go we to him.
THIRD SOLDIER.
Awake, sir, awake; speak to us.
SECOND SOLDIER.
Hear you, sir?
FIRST SOLDIER.
The hand of death hath raught him.
[Drums afar off.]
Hark! the drums
Do merrily wake the sleepers. Let us bear him
To the court of guard; he is of note: our hour
Is fully out.
THIRD SOLDIER.
Come on, then;
He may recover yet.
[Exeunt with the body.]
SCENE X. Ground between the two Camps.
[Enter ANTONY and SCARUS, with Forces, marching.]
ANTONY.
Their preparation is to-day by sea;
We please them not by land.
SCARUS.
For both, my lord.
ANTONY.
I would they’d fight i’ the fire or i’ the air;
We’d fight there too. But this it is; our foot
Upon the hills adjoining to the city
Shall stay with us:—order for sea is given;
They have put forth the haven:—forward now,
Where their appointment we may best discover,
And look on their endeavour.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE XI. Another part of the Ground.
[Enter CAESAR with his Forces, marching.]
CAESAR.
But being charg’d, we will be still by land,
Which, as I take’t, we shall; for his best force
Is forth to man his galleys. To the vales,
And hold our best advantage.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE XII. Another part of the Ground.
[Enter ANTONY and SCARUS.]
ANTONY.
Yet they are not join’d: where yond pine does stand
I shall discover all: I’ll bring thee word
Straight how ‘tis like to go.
[Exit.]
SCARUS.
Swallows have built
In Cleopatra’s sails their nests: the augurers
Say they know not,—they cannot tell;—look grimly,
And dare not speak their knowledge. Antony
Is valiant and dejected; and, by starts,
His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear
Of what he has and has not.
[Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight.]
[Re-enter ANTONY.]
ANTONY.
All is lost;
This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me:
My fleet hath yielded to the foe; and yonder
They cast their caps up, and carouse together