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Can. With news the time's with labour; and throes forth,"

Each minute, some.

SCENE VIII.

A Plain near Actium.

[Exeunt.

Enter CESAR, TAURUS, Officers, and Others.

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Taur. My lord.

Cæs.

Strike not by land; keep whole:

Provoke not battle, till we have done at sea.
Do not exceed the prescript of this scroll:
Our fortune lies upon this jump.

8

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

[Exeunt.

Ant. Set we our squadrons on yon' side o'the hill, In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place We may the number of the ships behold, And so proceed accordingly.

[Exeun

Enter CANIDIUS, marching with his Land Army o Way over the Stage; and TAURUS, the Lieutenc of Cæsar, the other Way. After their going is heard the Noise of a Sea-Fight.

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Alarum. Re-enter ENOBARBUS.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can be no longer:

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

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Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

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Can. 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.

Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good

Indeed.

night

[Aside. Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled. Scur. 'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend What further comes.

Can.
My legions, and my horse; six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.

To Cæsar will I render

Eno.

I'll yet follow

The wounded chance of Antony," though my reason Sits in the wind against me.

SCENE IX.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY and Attendants.

Exeunt.

Ant. 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

• The wounded chance of Antony,] i. e. the broken fortunes of Antony.

7 — so lated in the world,] Alluding to a benighted traveller.

Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,
And make your peace with Cæsar.

Att.

Fly! not we. Ant. 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 sea side 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.

8

[Sits down.

Enter EROS, and CLEOPATRA, led by CHARMIAN and IRAS.

Eros. Nay, gentle madam, to him:-Comfort him.

Iras. Do, most dear queen.

Char. Do! Why, what else?

Cleo. Let me sit down.

O Juno!

Ant. No, no, no, no, no.
Eros. See you here, sir?

I have lost command,] i. e. I entreat you to leave me,

because I have lost all power to command your absence.

VOL. VIII.

G G

Ant. O fye, fye, fye.

Char. Madam,

Iras. Madam; O good empress!

Eros. Sir, sir,

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes;-He, at Philippi, kept His sword even 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. Cleo. Ah, stand by.

Eros. The queen, my lord, the queen.

Iras. Go to him, madam, speak to him;

He is unqualitied with very shame.

Cleo. Well then,-Sustain me:-O!

Eros. Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches;

Her head's declin'd, and death will seize her; but3 Your comfort makes the rescue.

Ant. I have offended reputation;

A most unnoble swerving.

Eros.

Sir, the queen.

Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See, How I convey my shame out of thine eyes By looking back on what I have left behind 'Stroy'd in dishonour.

- He, at Philippi, kept

His sword even like a dancer;] i. e. Cæsar never offered to draw his sword, but kept it in the scabbard, like one who dances with a sword on, which was formerly the custom in England. 1 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ he alone

Dealt on lieutenantry,] i. e. fought by proxy, made war by his lieutenants, or on the strength of his lieutenants.

He is unqualitied-] Perhaps, unqualitied, signifies unmanned in general, disarmed of his usual faculties.

death will seize her; but-] But has here, as once before in this play, the force of except, or unless.

* How I convey my shame-] How, by looking another way, I withdraw my ignominy from your sight.

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