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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [989]

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was to thy rudder tied by th' 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 Command me.

CLEOPATRA.

O, my pardon!

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' th' world play'd as I pleas'd,

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!

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 'a 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

ACT_3|SC_12

SCENE XII.

CAESAR'S camp in Egypt

Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with others

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 of his wing,

Which had superfluous kings for messengers

Not many moons gone by.

Enter EUPHRONIUS, Ambassador from ANTONY

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.

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.

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!

CAESAR.

Bring him through the bands. Exit EUPHRONIUS

[To THYREUS] To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time. Dispatch;

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.

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

ACT_3|SC_13

SCENE XIII.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace

Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS

CLEOPATRA.

What shall we do, Enobarbus?

ENOBARBUS.

Think, and die.

CLEOPATRA.

Is Antony or we in fault for this?

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 oppos'd, he being

The mered question. 'Twas a shame no less

Than was his loss, to course your flying flags

And leave his navy gazing.

CLEOPATRA.

Prithee, peace.

Enter EUPHRONIUS, the Ambassador; with ANTONY

ANTONY.

Is that his answer?

EUPHRONIUS.

Ay, my lord.

ANTONY.

The Queen shall then have courtesy, so she

Will yield us up.

EUPHRONIUS.

He says so.

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?

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

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