Welcome to PhiloLogic  
   home |  the ARTFL project |  download |  documentation |  sample databases |   
Edward Capell [1758], Antony and Cleopatra; an historical Play, written by William Shakespeare: fitted for the Stage by abridging only; and now acted, at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, by his Majesty's Servants (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S30100].
To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

Previous section

Next section

SCENE II. The same. Plain between both Camps. Enter Cæsar, Taurus, Officers, and Others.

Cæs.
Taurus,—

Tau.
—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 &dagger2; scrowl: Our fortune lies
Upon this jump.
[Exeunt. Enter Antony, Enobarbus, and Others.

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.
[Exeunt. Enter Canidius, marching with his Land-army one Way; and Taurus, the Lieutenant of Cæsar, with his, the other Way. After their going in, is heard the Noise of a Sea-fight. Alarums. Enter Enobarbus.

Eno.
Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer:
The Antoniad, note the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To see't, mine eyes are blasted.
Enter Diomede.

Dio.
—Gods, and goddesses,

-- 50 --


All the whole synod of them!

Eno.
—What's thy passion?

Dio.
The greater cantle of the world is lost
With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away
Kingdoms, and provinces.

Eno.
—How appears the fight?

Dio.
On our side like the token'd pestilence,
Where death is sure. Yon' ribald nag of Egypt,
(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 breeze upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails, note and flies.

Eno.
—That I beheld: mine eyes
Did sicken at the sight of it, and could not
Endure a further view.

Dio.
—She once being looft,
The noble ruin of her magick, Antony,
Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,
Leaving the fight in heighth, flies after her:
I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

Eno.
—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 giv'n example for our flight,
Most grosly, by his own.

Eno.
“Ay, are you there-abouts? Why then, goodnight”
“Indeed.”

-- 51 --

Can.
—Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.

Dio.
'Tis easy to't: and there I will attend
What further comes.
[Exit.

Can.
—To Cæsar will I render
My legions, and my horse; six Kings already
Shew me the way of yielding.
[Exit.

Eno.
—I'll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.
[Exit.
Previous section

Next section


Edward Capell [1758], Antony and Cleopatra; an historical Play, written by William Shakespeare: fitted for the Stage by abridging only; and now acted, at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, by his Majesty's Servants (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S30100].
Powered by PhiloLogic