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Than by the negligent.

ANTONY.

A good rebuke,

Which might have well becom'd the best of men

To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

CLEOPATRA.

By sea! What else?

CANIDIUS.

Why will my lord do so?

ANTONY.

For that he dares us to't.

ENOBARBUS.

So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight.

CANIDIUS.

Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,

Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers,

Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;

And so should you.

ENOBARBUS.

Your ships are not well mann'd;

Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people

Ingross'd by swift impress. In Caesar's fleet

Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought;

Their ships are yare; yours heavy. No disgrace

Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

ANTONY.

By sea, by sea.

ENOBARBUS.

Most worthy sir, you therein throw away

The absolute soldiership you have by land;

Distract your army, which doth most consist

Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted

Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo

The way which promises assurance; and

Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard

From firm security.

ANTONY.

I'll fight at sea.

CLEOPATRA.

I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.

ANTONY.

Our overplus of shipping will we burn,

And, with the rest full-mann'd, from th' head of Actium

Beat th' approaching Caesar. But if we fail,

We then can do't at land.

Enter a MESSENGER

Thy business?

MESSENGER.

The news is true, my lord: he is descried;

Caesar has taken Toryne.

ANTONY.

Can he be there in person? 'Tis impossible-

Strange that his power should be. Canidius,

Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,

And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship.

Away, my Thetis!

Enter a SOLDIER

How now, worthy soldier?

SOLDIER.

O noble Emperor, do not fight by sea;

Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt

This sword and these my wounds? Let th' Egyptians

And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we

Have us'd to conquer standing on the earth

And fighting foot to foot.

ANTONY.

Well, well- away.

Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENOBARBUS

SOLDIER.

By Hercules, I think I am i' th' right.

CANIDIUS.

Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows

Not in the power on't. So our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

SOLDIER.

You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

CANIDIUS.

Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Publicola, and Caelius are for sea;

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's

Carries beyond belief.

SOLDIER.

While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in such distractions as

Beguil'd all spies.

CANIDIUS.

Who's his lieutenant, hear you?

SOLDIER.

They say one Taurus.

CANIDIUS.

Well I know the man.

Enter a MESSENGER

MESSENGER.

The Emperor calls Canidius.

CANIDIUS.

With news the time's with labour and throes forth

Each minute some. Exeunt

SCENE VIII.

A plain near Actium

Enter CAESAR, with his army, marching

CAESAR.

Taurus!

TAURUS.

My lord?

CAESAR.

Strike not by land; keep whole; provoke not battle

Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed

The prescript of this scroll. Our fortune lies

Upon this jump. Exeunt

SCENE IX.

Another part of the plain

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS

ANTONY.

Set we our squadrons on yon side o' th' hill,

In eye of Caesar's battle; from which place

We may the number of the ships behold,

And so proceed accordingly. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_10

SCENE X.

Another part of the plain

CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way

over the stage, and TAURUS, the Lieutenant of

CAESAR, the other way. After their going in is heard

the noise of a sea-fight

Alarum. Enter ENOBARBUS

ENOBARBUS.

Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer.

Th' Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder.

To see't mine eyes are blasted.

Enter SCARUS

SCARUS.

Gods and goddesses,

All the whole synod of them!

ENOBARBUS.

What's thy passion?

SCARUS.

The greater cantle