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CLEOPATRA
O, my pardon!
MARK ANTONY
Now I must
To the young man send humble treaties, dodge
And palter in the shifts of lowness; who
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.
CLEOPATRA
Pardon, pardon!
MARK ANTONY
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.
Exeunt
SCENE XII. Egypt. OCTAVIUS CAESAR's
camp
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with others
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Let him appear that's come from Antony.
Know you him?
DOLABELLA
Caesar, 'tis his schoolmaster:
An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither
He sends so poor a pinion off his wing,
Which had superfluous kings for messengers
Not many moons gone by.
Enter EUPHRONIUS, ambassador from MARK ANTONY
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Approach, and speak.
EUPHRONIUS
Such as I am, I come from Antony:
I was of late as petty to his ends
As is the morn-dew on the myrtle-leaf
To his grand sea.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Be't so: declare thine office.
EUPHRONIUS
Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted,
He lessens his requests; and to thee sues
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens: this for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;
Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
For Antony,
I have no ears to his request. The queen
Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,
Or take his life there: this if she perform,
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
EUPHRONIUS
Fortune pursue thee!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Bring him through the bands.
Exit EUPHRONIUS
[To THYREUS] From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,
And in our name, what she requires; add more,
From thine invention, offers: women are not
In their best fortunes strong; but want will perjure
The ne'er touch'd vestal: try thy cunning, Thyreus;
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.
THYREUS
Caesar, I go.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,
And what thou think'st his very action speaks
In every power that moves.
THYREUS
Caesar, I shall.
Exeunt
SCENE XIII. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's
palace
Enter CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS
CLEOPATRA
What shall we do, Enobarbus?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Think, and die.
CLEOPATRA
Is Antony or we in fault for this?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Antony only, that would make his will
Lord of his reason. What though you fled
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
Frighted each other? why should he follow?
The itch of his affection should not then
Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point,
When half to half the world opposed, he being
The meered question: 'twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.
CLEOPATRA
Prithee, peace.
Enter MARK ANTONY with EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador
MARK ANTONY
Is that his answer?
EUPHRONIUS
Ay, my lord.
MARK ANTONY
The queen shall then have courtesy, so she
Will yield us up.
EUPHRONIUS
He says so.
MARK ANTONY
Let her know't.
To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
With principalities.
CLEOPATRA
That head, my lord?
MARK ANTONY
To him again: tell him he wears the rose
Of youth upon him; from which the world should note
Something particular: his coin, ships, legions,
May be a coward's; whose ministers would prevail
Under the service of a child as soon
As i' the command of Caesar: I dare him therefore
To lay his gay comparisons apart,
And answer me declined, sword against sword,
Ourselves alone. I'll write it: follow me.
Exeunt MARK ANTONY and EUPHRONIUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
[Aside] Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will
Unstate his happiness, and be staged to the show,
Against a sworder! I see men's judgments are
A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,
To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will
Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdued
His judgment too.
Enter an Attendant
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