But we keep whole by land. This speed of

Cæsar's

Carries* beyond belief.

*Goes.

Sold.
His power went out in such distractions† as
Beguiled all spies.

While he was yet in Rome,

Can.

*Forces. +Detachments, Who's his lieutenant, hear you?

Sold. They say, one Taurus.

Can.

Well I know the man.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. The emperor calls Canidius.

80

Can. With news the time's with labour, and

throes* forth,

Each minute, some.

SCENE VIII. A plain near Actium.

Enter CESAR, and TAURUS, with his army,

Cæs. Taurus!

Taur. My lord?

marching.

Cæs. Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke

not battle,

Till we have done at sea.

Do not exceed

*Hazard. [Exeunt.

The prescript of this scroll: our fortune lies

Upon this jump.*

SCENE IX. Another part of the plain.

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

Ant. Set we our squadron on yond 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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE X. Another part of the plain.

CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant of CESAR, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight.

Alarum. Enter ENOBARBUS.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! behold no longer:

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

I can

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:
To see 't mine eyes are blasted.

Scar.

Enter SCARUS.

Gods and goddesses,

What's thy passion?

All the whole synod of them!
Eno.
Scar. The greater cantle* of the world is lost
With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away *Corner.
Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno.
How appears the fight?
Scar. On our side like the token'd* pestilence,
Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of
Egypt,-
*Spotted. IO
Whom leprosy o'ertake!-i' the midst o' the fight,
When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,
Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,
The breeset upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails and flies.

Eno. That I beheld:

†Gad-fly.

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not Endure a further view.

Scar.

She once being loof'd,*

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:

I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

21

Eno.

*Brought close to the wind.

Alack, alack!

Enter CANIDIUS.

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 night indeed.

30

Can. Toward Peloponnesus are they fled. Scar. '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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE XI. Alexandria. Cleopatra's

palace.

Enter ANTONY with Attendants.

Ant. Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon't;

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

All.

*Belated.

Fly! not we.

Ant. I have fled myself; and have instructed cowards

To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be

gone;

I have myself resolved upon a course

Which has no need of you; be gone:

IO

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,

21

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.
[Sits down.

Enter CLEOPATRA led by CHARMIAN and IRAS;
EROS following.

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?

Ant. O fie, fie, fie!

Char. Madam!

Iras. Madam, O good empress!
Eros. Sir, sir,-

Ant. Yes, my lord, yes; he at Philippi kept
His sword e'en 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

30

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!

4I

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

Her head's declined, and death will seize her, but*

Your comfort makes the rescue.

Ant. I have offended reputation,

A most unnoble swerving.

Eros.

Sir, the queen.

*Unless,

50

Ant. O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt?

See,

How I convey my shame out of thine eyes

By looking back what I have left behind

'Stroy'd in dishonour.

O my lord, my lord,

Cleo.
Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought
You would have follow'd.

Ant.

Egypt, thou knew'st too well My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings, And thou shouldst tow me after: o'er my spirit Thy full supremacy thou knew'st, and that Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods 60 Command me.

Cleo.
Ant.

O, my pardon!

Now I must

To the young man send humble treaties;* dodge
And palter in the shifts of lowness; who *Entreaties.
With half the bulk o' the world play'd as I
pleased,

Making and marring fortunes. You did know
How much you were my conqueror; and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all cause.

Cleo.

Pardon, pardon!

*Values.

Ant. Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates* All that is won and lost: give me a kiss; Even this repays me. We sent our schoolmaster; Is he come back? Love, I am full of lead. Some wine, within there, and our viands! Fortune knows

We scorn her most when most she offers blows.

72

[Exeunt.

SCENE XII. Egypt. Cæsar's camp.

Enter CESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with

others.

Cæs. Let him appear that's come from Antony. Know you him?

Dol.

Cæsar, 'tis his schoolmaster: An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither He sends so poor a pinion of his wing, Which had superfluous kings for messengers Not many moons gone by.