Page images
PDF
EPUB

Thou art, if thou dar'st be, the earthly Jove:
Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips,

Is thine, if thou wilt have 't.

Pom.

Show me which way.

Men. These three world-sharers, these competitors, Are in thy vessel: Let me cut the cable;

And, when we are put off, fall to their throats:
All there is thine.

Pom. Ah, this thou shouldst have done, And not have spoke on 't! In me, 't is villainy; In thee, it had been good service. Thou must know, "T is not my profit that does lead mine honour; Mine honour, it. Repent, that e'er thy tongue Hath so betray'd thine act: Being done unknown, I should have found it afterwards well done; But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink. Men. For this,

[Aside. I'll never follow thy pall'd fortunes more.-Who seeks, and will not take, when once 't is offer'd, Shall never find it more.

Pom.

This health to Lepidus.

Ant. Bear him ashore.-I'll pledge it for him, Pompey. Eno. Here's to thee, Menas.

Men.

Enobarbus, welcome.

Pom. Fill till the cup be hid.

Eno. There's a strong fellow, Menas. [Pointing to the Attendant who carries off Lepidus.

Men. Why?

Eno. A bears the third part of the world, man: Seest not?

Men. The third part then is drunk: 'Would it were all, that it might go on wheels!

Eno. Drink thou; increase the reels.

Men. Come.

Pom. This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.

Ant. It ripens towards it.-Strike the vessels, ho! Here is to Cæsar.

Cæs.

It 's monstrous labour when I wash my brain

And it grows fouler.

Ant.

Cas. Possess it, I'll make answer:

But I had rather fast from all four days,

VIL

Pom

I could well forbear it.

[merged small][ocr errors]

Be a child o' the time.

what? F

E. Tak

sho

[TO ANT.

[blocks in formation]

Let 's ha 't, good soldier.

Let Neptun

these gre

[blocks in formation]

Than drink so much in one.

Eno. Ha, my brave emperor!

Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals,
And celebrate our drink?

Pom.

Ant. Come, let us all take hands;

Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense
In soft and delicate Lethe.

Eno.

All take hands.

Make battery to our ears with the loud music :-
The while, I'll place you. Then the boy shall sing;
The holding every man shall bear, as loud

a

As his strong sides can volley. [Music plays. ENO.
places them hand in hand.
SONG.

Come, thou monarch of the vine,
Plumpy Bacchus, with pink eyne:
In thy vats our cares be drown'd;
With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd;
Cup us, till the world go round;
Cup us, till the world go round!

Cæs. What would you more?-Pompey, good night.
Good brother,

Let me request you off: our graver business
Frowns at this levity.-Gentle lords, let 's part;
You see we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarbe
Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue
Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost
Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good night.-
Good Antony, your hand.

a Holding-the burden of the song.

Pom.
I'll try you o' the shore.
Ant. And shall, sir; give 's your hand.

Pom. O, Antony, you have my father-house,But what? we are friends: Come, down into the boat. Eno. Take heed you fall not.-Menas, I'll not on

shore.

[Exeunt Рox., CES., ANT.,

Men. No, to my cabin.

and Attendants.

These drums!-these trumpets, flutes! what!-
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell

To these great fellows: sound, and be hang'd, sound [A flourish of trumpets, with drums.

out!

Eno. Ho, says 'a !-There 's my cap.
Men. Ho!-noble captain! Come.

[Exeunt.

[graphic]

ACT III.

SCENE I-A Plain in Syria.

Enter VENTIDIUS, as it were in triumph, with SILIUS, and other Romans, Officers, and Soldiers; the dead body of PACORUS borne before him.

Ven. Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and

now

Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death
Make me revenger.-Bear the king's son's body
Before our army: Thy Pacorus, Orodes,

Pays this for Marcus Crassus.

Sil.

Noble Ventidius,

Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm,
The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media,
Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither

The routed fly so thy grand captain Antony
Shall set thee on triumphant chariots, and
Put garlands on thy head.

Ven.

O Silius, Silius,

I have done enough: A lower place, note well, May make too great an act: For learn this, Silius, Better to leave undone, than by our deed

Acquire too high a fame, when him we serve 's away.
Cæsar, and Antony, have ever won

More in their officer than person: Sossius,
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
For quick accumulation of renown,

Which he achiev'd by the minute, lost his favour.
Who does i' the wars more than his captain can
Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition,
The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
Than gain, which darkens him.

I could do more to do Antonius good,
But 't would offend him; and in his offence
Should my performance perish.

Sil.

Thou hast, Ventidius, that, Without the which a soldier, and his sword,

Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony?
Ven. I'll humbly signify what in his name,
That magical word of war, we have effected;
How, with his banners, and his well-paid ranks,
The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia

We have jaded out o' the field.

Sil.

Where is he now? Ven. He purposeth to Athens: whither with what

haste

The weight we must convey with us will permit, We shall appear before him.-On, there; pass along. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Rome. An Ante-Chamber in Cæsar's House.

Enter AGRIPPA, and ENOBARBUS, meeting.

Agr. What, are the brothers parted?

Eno. They have despatch'd with Pompey, he is gone; The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps

To part from Rome; Cæsar is sad; and Lepidus,
Since Pompey's feast, as Menas says, is troubled
With the green sickness.

Agr.

"T is a noble Lepidus. Eno. A very fine one: O, how he loves Cæsar! Agr. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony! Eno. Cæsar? Why, he 's the Jupiter of men. Agr. What 's Antony? The god of Jupiter. Eno. Spake you of Cæsar? How? the nonpareil! Agr. O Antony! O thou Arabian bird!

Eno. Would you praise Cæsar, say,-Cæsar;-go no further.

« PreviousContinue »