SCENE I. A plain in Syria. Enter VENTIDIUS as it were in triumph, with SILIUS, and other Romans, Officers, and Soldiers; the dead body of PACORUS borne before him VENTIDIUS Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck;and now Pleased fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death Make me revenger. Bear the king's son's body Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes, Pays this for Marcus Crassus. SILIUS Noble Ventidius, Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm, The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media, Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony Shall set thee on triumphant chariots and Put garlands on thy head. VENTIDIUS O Silius, Silius, I have done enough; a lower place, note well, May make too great an act: for learn this, Silius;Better to leave undone, than by our deed Acquire too high a fame when him we serve's away.
Caesar and Antony have ever won More in their officer than person: Sossius, One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant, For quick accumulation of renown, Which he achieved by the minute, lost his favour.
Who does i' the wars more than his captain can Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition, The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss, Than gain which darkens him.
I could do more to do Antonius good, But 'twould offend him; and in his offence Should my performance perish. SILIUS Thou hast, Ventidius, that Without the which a soldier, and his sword, Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony! VENTIDIUS I'll humbly signify what in his name, That magical word of war, we have effected;How, with his banners and his well-paid ranks, The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia We have jaded out o' the field. SILIUS Where is he now? VENTIDIUS He purposeth to Athens: whither, with what haste The weight we must convey with's will permit, We shall appear before him. On there; pass along!
Exeunt SCENE II. Rome. An ante-chamber in OCTAVIUS CAESAR's house. Enter AGRIPPA at one door, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS at another AGRIPPA What, are the brothers parted? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS They have dispatch'd with Pompey, he is gone;The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps To part from Rome; Caesar is sad; and Lepidus, Since Pompey's feast, as Menas says, is troubled With the green sickness. AGRIPPA 'Tis a noble Lepidus. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS A very fine one: O, how he loves Caesar! AGRIPPA Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony! DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Caesar? Why, he's the Jupiter of men. AGRIPPA What's Antony? The god of Jupiter. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Spake you of Caesar? How! the non-pareil! AGRIPPA O Antony! O thou Arabian bird! DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Would you praise Caesar, say 'Caesar:'
go no further. AGRIPPA Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS But he loves Caesar best; yet he loves Antony:
Ho! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number, ho!
His love to Antony. But as for Caesar, Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder. AGRIPPA Both he loves. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS They are his shards, and he their beetle.
Trumpets within So;
This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa. AGRIPPA Good fortune, worthy soldier; and farewell.
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MARK ANTONY, LEPIDUS, and OCTAVIA MARK ANTONY No further, sir. OCTAVIUS CAESAR You take from me a great part of myself;Use me well in 't. Sister, prove such a wife As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest band Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble Antony, Let not the piece of virtue, which is set Betwixt us as the cement of our love, To keep it builded, be the ram to batter The fortress of it; for better might we Have loved without this mean, if on both parts This be not cherish'd. MARK ANTONY Make me not offended In your distrust. OCTAVIUS CAESAR I have said. MARK ANTONY You shall not find, Though you be therein curious, the least cause For what you seem to fear: so, the gods keep you, And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends!
We will here part. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well:
The elements be kind to thee, and make Thy spirits all of comfort! fare thee well. OCTAVIA My noble brother! MARK ANTONY The April 's in her eyes: it is love's spring, And these the showers to bring it on. Be cheerful. OCTAVIA Sir, look well to my husband's house;and-- OCTAVIUS CAESAR What, Octavia? OCTAVIA I'll tell you in your ear. MARK ANTONY Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue,--the swan's down-feather, That stands upon the swell at full of tide, And neither way inclines. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside to AGRIPPA] Will Caesar weep? AGRIPPA [Aside to DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS] He has a cloud in 's face. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside to AGRIPPA] He were the worse for that, were he a horse;So is he, being a man. AGRIPPA [Aside to DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS] Why, Enobarbus, When Antony found Julius Caesar dead, He cried almost to roaring; and he wept When at Philippi he found Brutus slain. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [Aside to AGRIPPA] That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum;What willingly he did confound he wail'd, Believe't, till I wept too. OCTAVIUS CAESAR No, sweet Octavia, You shall hear from me still; the time shall not Out-go my thinking on you. MARK ANTONY Come, sir, come;I'll wrestle with you in my strength of love:
Look, here I have you; thus I let you go, And give you to the gods. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Adieu; be happy! LEPIDUS Let all the number of the stars give light To thy fair way! OCTAVIUS CAESAR Farewell, fa rewell!
Kisses OCTAVIA MARK ANTONY Farewell!
Trumpets sound. Exeunt SCENE III. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS CLEOPATRA Where is the fellow? ALEXAS Half afeard to come. CLEOPATRA Go to, go to.
