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James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
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SCENE XI. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and Iras.

Cleo.
What shall we do, Enobarbus9 note?

Eno.
Think, and die1 note










.

-- 318 --

Cleo.
Is Antony, or we, in fault for this?

Eno.
Antony only, that would make his will

-- 319 --


Lord of his reason. What though2 note you fled
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
Frighted each other? why should he follow3 note?
The itch of his affection should not then
Have nick'd his captainship4 note

; at such a point,
When half to half the world oppos'd, he being
The mered question5 note





: 'Twas a shame no less

-- 320 --


Than was his loss, to course your flying flags,
And leave his navy gazing.

Cleo.
Pr'ythee, peace.
Enter Antony, with Euphronius.

Ant.
Is this his answer?

Eup.
Ay, my lord.

Ant.
The queen shall then have courtesy, so she
Will yield us up.

Eup.
He says so.

Ant.
Let her know it6 note




.—
To the boy Cæsar send this grizled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
With principalities.

Cleo.
That head, my lord?

Ant.
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 Cæsar: I dare him therefore
To lay his gay comparisons apart,
And answer me declin'd7 note















, sword against sword,

-- 321 --


Ourselves alone: I'll write it; follow me. [Exeunt Antony and Euphronius.

Eno.
Yes, like enough, high-battled Cæsar will
Unstate his happiness, and be stag'd to the show8 note



,

-- 322 --


Against a sworder.—I see, men's judgments are
A parcel of their fortunes9 note
; and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them,
To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Cæsar will
Answer his emptiness!—Cæsar, thou hast subdu'd
His judgment too. Enter an Attendant.

Att.
A messenger from Cæsar.

Cleo.
What, no more ceremony?—See, my women!—
Against the blown rose may they stop their nose,
That kneel'd unto the buds.—Admit him, sir.

Eno.
Mine honesty, and I, begin to square1 note. [Aside.
The loyalty, well held to fools2 note



, does make
Our faith mere folly:—Yet, he, that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fallen lord,
Does conquer him that did his master conquer,
And earns a place i' the story.

-- 323 --

Enter Thyreus.

Cleo.
Cæsar's will?

Thyr.
Hear it apart.

Cleo.
None but friends3 note
; say boldly.

Thyr.
So, haply, are they friends to Antony.

Eno.
He needs as many, sir, as Cæsar has;
Or needs not us. If Cæsar please, our master
Will leap to be his friend: For us, you know,
Whose he is, we are; and that's, Cæsar's.

Thyr.
So.—
Thus then, thou most renown'd; Cæsar entreats,
Not to consider in what case thou stand'st,
Further than he is Cæsar's4 note


.

-- 324 --

Cleo.
Go on: Right royal.

Thyr.
He knows, that you embrace not5 note Antony
As you did love, but as you fear'd him.

Cleo.
O!

Thyr.
The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
Does pity, as constrained blemishes,
Not as deserv'd.

Cleo.
He is a god, and knows
What is most right: Mine honour was not yielded,
But conquer'd merely.

Eno.
To be sure of that, [Aside.
I will ask Antony.—Sir, sir, thou'rt so leaky,
That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
Thy dearest quit thee6 note



.
[Exit Enobarbus.

Thyr.
Shall I say to Cæsar
What you require of him? for he partly begs
To be desir'd to give. It much would please him,
That of his fortunes you should make a staff

-- 325 --


To lean upon: but it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,
And put yourself under his shrowd,
The universal landlord.

Cleo.
What's your name?

Thyr.
My name is Thyreus.

Cleo.
Most kind messenger,
Say to great Cæsar this, In disputation
I kiss his conqu'ring hand7 note








: tell him, I am prompt

-- 326 --


To lay my crown at his feet, and there to kneel:
Tell him, from his all-obeying breath8 note




I hear
The doom of Egypt.

Thyr.
'Tis your noblest course.
Wisdom and fortune combating together,
If that the former dare but what it can,
No chance may shake it. Give me grace9 note to lay
My duty on your hand.

Cleo.
Your Cæsar's father oft,
When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in1 note,
Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,
As it rain'd kisses2 note

.

-- 327 --

Re-enter Antony and Enobarbus.

Ant.
Favours, by Jove that thunders!—
What art thou, fellow?

Thyr.
One, that but performs
The bidding of the fullest man3 note


, and worthiest
To have command obey'd.

Eno.
You will be whipp'd.

Ant.
Approach, there:—Ay, you kite!—Now gods and devils!
Authority melts from me: Of late, when I cry'd, ho!
Like boys unto a muss4 note







, kings would start forth,
And cry, Your will? Have you no ears? I am Enter Attendants.
Antony yet. Take hence this Jack5 note, and whip him.

Eno.
'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp,
Than with an old one dying.

Ant.
Moon and stars!

-- 328 --


Whip him:—Were't twenty of the greatest tributaries
That do acknowledge Cæsar, should I find them
So saucy with the hand of she here, (What's her name,
Since she was Cleopatra6 note



?)—Whip him, fellows,
Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face,
And whine aloud for mercy: Take him hence.

Thyr.
Mark Antony,—

Ant.
Tug him away: being whipp'd,
Bring him again:—This Jack7 note of Cæsar's shall
Bear us an errand to him.— [Exeunt Attend. with Thyreus.
You were half blasted ere I knew you: Ha!
Have I my pillow left unpress'd in Rome,
Forborne the getting of a lawful race,
And by a gem of women8 note



, to be abus'd
By one that looks on feeders9 note











?

-- 329 --

Cleo.
Good my lord,—

Ant.
You have been a boggler ever:—

-- 330 --


But when we in our viciousness grow hard,
(O misery on't!) the wise gods seel our eyes1 note





;
In our own filth drop our clear judgments2 note



; make us
Adore our errors; laugh at us, while we strut
To our confusion.

Cleo.
O, is it come to this?

Ant.
I found you as a morsel, cold upon
Dead Cæsar's trencher: nay, you were a fragment
Of Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have
Luxuriously pick'd out3 note
:—For, I am sure,
Though you can guess what temperance should be,
You know not what it is.

Cleo.
Wherefore is this?

Ant.
To let a fellow that will take rewards,
And say, God quit you! be familiar with
My playfellow, your hand; this kingly seal,
And plighter of high hearts!—O, that I were

-- 331 --


Upon the hill of Basan4 note, to outroar
The horned herd5 note

! for I have savage cause;
And to proclaim it civilly, were like
A halter'd neck, which does the hangman thank
For being yare about him6 note
.—Is he whipp'd? Re-enter Attendants, with Thyreus.

1 Att.
Soundly, my lord.

Ant.
Cry'd he? and begg'd he pardon?

1 Att.
He did ask favour.

Ant.
If that thy father live, let him repent
Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
To follow Cæsar in his triumph, since
Thou hast been whipp'd for following him: henceforth,
The white hand of a lady fever thee,
Shake thou to look on't.—Get thee back to Cæsar,
Tell him thy entertainment: Look, thou say7 note,

-- 332 --


He makes me angry with him: for he seems
Proud and disdainful; harping on what I am;
Not what he knew I was: He makes me angry;
And at this time most easy 'tis to do't;
When my good stars, that were my former guides,
Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
Into the abism of hell. If he mislike
My speech, and what is done; tell him, he has
Hipparchus, my enfranchis'd bondman, whom
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
As he shall like, to quit me8 note: Urge it thou:
Hence, with thy stripes, begone. [Exit Thyreus.

Cleo.
Have you done yet?

Ant.
Alack, our terrene moon
Is now eclips'd; and it portends alone
The fall of Antony!

Cleo.
I must stay his time.

Ant.
To flatter Cæsar, would you mingle eyes
With one that ties his points9 note?

Cleo.
Not know me yet?

Ant.
Cold-hearted toward me?

Cleo.
Ah, dear, if I be so,
From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
And poison it in the source; and the first stone
Drop in my neck: as it determines1 note


, so

-- 333 --


Dissolve my life! The next Cæsarion smite2 note

!
Till, by degrees, the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
By the discandying of this pelleted storm3 note

,
Lie graveless; till the flies and gnats of Nile
Have buried them for prey4 note


!

Ant.
I am satisfied.
Cæsar sits down in Alexandria; where
I will oppose his fate. Our force by land
Hath nobly held; our sever'd navy too
Have knit again, and fleet5 note







, threat'ning most sea-like.

-- 334 --


Where hast thou been, my heart?—Dost thou hear, lady?
If from the field I shall return once more
To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;
I and my sword will earn our chronicle6 note


;
There is hope in it yet.

Cleo.
That's my brave lord!

Ant.
I will be treble-sinew'd7 note



, hearted, breath'd,
And fight maliciously: for when mine hours
Were nice and lucky8 note




, men did ransome lives
Of me for jests; but now9 note




, I'll set my teeth1 note,

-- 335 --


And send to darkness all that stop me.—Come,
Let's have one other gaudy night2 note

: call to me
All my sad captains, fill our bowls; once more
Let's mock the midnight bell.

Cleo.
It is my birth-day?
I had thought, to have held it poor; but, since my lord
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra3 note.

Ant.
We'll yet do well.

Cleo.
Call all his noble captains to my lord.

Ant.
Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night I'll force
The wine peep through their scars.—Come on, my queen;
There's sap in't yet4 note
. The next time I do fight,

-- 336 --


I'll make death love me; for I will contend
Even with his pestilent scythe5 note





. [Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Attendants.

Eno.
Now he'll out-stare the lightning6 note

. To be furious,
Is, to be frighted out of fear: and in that mood,
The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still,
A diminution in our captain's brain
Restores his heart: When valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him. [Exit.

-- 337 --

Previous section


James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
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