Shakespeare's Works: 37 plays, plus poetry, with line numbers (eBook)

ACT II

SCENE I Messina. Pompey's house.

 [Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS, in warlike manner]

(1) POMPEY If the great gods be just, they shall assist

 The deeds of justest men.

MENECRATES Know, worthy Pompey,

 That what they do delay, they not deny.

POMPEY Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays

 The thing we sue for.

MENECRATES We, ignorant of ourselves,

 Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers

 Deny us for our good; so find we profit

 By losing of our prayers.

POMPEY I shall do well:

 The people love me, and the sea is mine;

(10) My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope

 Says it will come to the full. Mark Antony

 In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make

 No wars without doors: Caesar gets money where

 He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,

 Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,

 Nor either cares for him.

MENAS Caesar and Lepidus

 Are in the field: a mighty strength they carry.

POMPEY Where have you this? 'tis false.

MENAS From Silvius, sir.

POMPEY He dreams: I know they are in Rome together,

(20) Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love,

 Salt Cleopatra, soften thy waned lip!

 Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!

 Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,

 Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks

 Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;

 That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour

 Even till a Lethe'd dulness!

 [Enter VARRIUS]

         How now, Varrius!

VARRIUS This is most certain that I shall deliver:

 Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

(30) Expected: since he went from Egypt 'tis

 A space for further travel.

POMPEY I could have given less matter

 A better ear. Menas, I did not think

 This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm

 For such a petty war: his soldiership

 Is twice the other twain: but let us rear

 The higher our opinion, that our stirring

 Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck

 The ne'er-lust-wearied Antony.

MENAS I cannot hope

 Caesar and Antony shall well greet together:

(40) His wife that's dead did trespasses to Caesar;

 His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,

 Not moved by Antony.

POMPEY I know not, Menas,

 How lesser enmities may give way to greater.

 Were't not that we stand up against them all,

 'Twere pregnant they should square between

 themselves;

 For they have entertained cause enough

 To draw their swords: but how the fear of us

 May cement their divisions and bind up

 The petty difference, we yet not know.

(50) Be't as our gods will have't! It only stands

 Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.

 Come, Menas.

 [Exeunt]

SCENE II Rome. The house of Lepidus.

 [Enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS]

(1) LEPIDUS Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,

 And shall become you well, to entreat your captain

 To soft and gentle speech.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS I shall entreat him

 To answer like himself: if Caesar move him,

 Let Antony look over Caesar's head

 And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,

 Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

 I would not shave't to-day.

LEPIDUS 'Tis not a time

 For private stomaching.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Every time

(10) Serves for the matter that is then born in't.

LEPIDUS But small to greater matters must give way.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Not if the small come first.

LEPIDUS Your speech is passion:

 But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes

 The noble Antony.

 [Enter MARK ANTONY and VENTIDIUS]

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS                   And yonder, Caesar.

 [Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MECAENAS, and AGRIPPA]

MARK ANTONY If we compose well here, to Parthia:

 Hark, Ventidius.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR                   I do not know,

 Mecaenas; ask Agrippa.

LEPIDUS Noble friends,

 That which combined us was most great, and let not

 A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,

(20) May it be gently heard: when we debate

 Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

 Murder in healing wounds: then, noble partners,

 The rather, for I earnestly beseech,

 Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,

 Nor curstness grow to the matter.

MARK ANTONY 'Tis spoken well.

 Were we before our armies, and to fight.

 I should do thus.

 [Flourish]

OCTAVIUS CAESAR Welcome to Rome.

MARK ANTONY                   Thank you.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR Sit.

MARK ANTONY Sit, sir.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR Nay, then.

MARK ANTONY I learn, you take things ill which are not so,

 Or being, concern you not.

(30) OCTAVIUS CAESAR I must be laugh'd at,

 If, or for nothing or a little, I

 Should say myself offended, and with you

 Chiefly i' the world; more laugh'd at, that I should

 Once name you derogately, when to sound your name

 It not concern'd me.

MARK ANTONY My being in Egypt, Caesar,

 What was't to you?

OCTAVIUS CAESAR No more than my residing here at Rome

 Might be to you in Egypt: yet, if you there

 Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt

 Might be my question.

(40) MARK ANTONY How intend you, practised?

OCTAVIUS CAESAR You may be pleased to catch at mine intent

 By what did here befal me. Your wife and brother

 Made wars upon me; and their contestation

 Was theme for you, you were the word of war.

MARK ANTONY You do mistake your business; my brother never

 Did urge me in his act: I did inquire it;

 And have my learning from some true reports,

 That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather

 Discredit my authority with yours;

(50) And make the wars alike against my stomach,

 Having alike your cause? Of this my letters

 Before did satisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,

 As matter whole you have not to make it with,

 It must not be with this.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR You praise yourself

 By laying defects of judgment to me; but

 You patch'd up your excuses.

MARK ANTONY Not so, not so;

 I know you could not lack, I am certain on't,

 Very necessity of this thought, that I,

 Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,

(60) Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars

 Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,

 I would you had her spirit in such another:

 The third o' the world is yours; which with a snaffle

 You may pace easy, but not such a wife.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Would we had all such wives, that the men might go

 to wars with the women!

MARK ANTONY So much uncurbable, her garboils, Caesar

 Made out of her impatience, which not wanted

 Shrewdness of policy too, I grieving grant

(70) Did you too much disquiet: for that you must

 But say, I could not help it.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR I wrote to you

 When rioting in Alexandria; you

 Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts

 Did gibe my missive out of audience.

MARK ANTONY Sir,

 He fell upon me ere admitted: then

 Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want

 Of what I was i' the morning: but next day

 I told him of myself; which was as much

 As to have ask'd him pardon. Let this fellow

(80) Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,

 Out of our question wipe him.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR You have broken

 The article of your oath; which you shall never

 Have tongue to charge me with.

LEPIDUS Soft, Caesar!

MARK ANTONY No,

 Lepidus, let him speak:

 The honour is sacred which he talks...