Beat mine, inhooped, at odds. I will to Egypt;

And though I make this marriage for my peace,

I’th’ East my pleasure lies.

Enter Ventidius

O, come, Ventidius.

You must to Parthia, your commission’s ready.

Follow me, and receive’t.

Exeunt

2.4 Enter Lepidus, Maecenas, and Agrippa

LEPIDUS

Trouble yourselves no further. Pray you, hasten

Your generals after.

AGRIPPA

Sir, Mark Antony

Will e’en but kiss Octavia, and we’ll follow.

LEPIDUS

Till I shall see you in your soldier’s dress,

Which will become you both, farewell.

MAECENAS

We shall, As I conceive the journey, be at the Mount

Before you, Lepidus.

LEPIDUS

Your way is shorter.

My purposes do draw me much about.

You’ll win two days upon me.

MAECENAS and AGRIPPA

Sir, good success.

LEPIDUS Farewell.

Exeunt Maecenas and Agrippa at one door, Lepidus at another

2.5 Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas

CLEOPATRA

Give me some music—music, moody food

Of us that trade in love.

CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS The music, ho!

Enter Mardian, the eunuch

CLEOPATRA

Let it alone. Let’s to billiards. Come, Charmian.

CHARMIAN

My arm is sore. Best play with Mardian.

CLEOPATRA

As well a woman with an eunuch played

As with a woman. Come, you’ll play with me, sir?

MARDIAN As well as I can, madam.

CLEOPATRA

And when good will is showed, though’t come too

short

The actor may plead pardon. I’ll none now.

Give me mine angle. We’ll to th’ river. There,

My music playing far off, I will betray

Tawny-finned fishes. My bended hook shall pierce

Their slimy jaws, and as I draw them up

I’ll think them every one an Antony,

And say ‘Ah ha, you’re caught!’

CHARMIAN

’Twas merry when

You wagered on your angling, when your diver

Did hang a salt fish on his hook, which he

With fervency drew up.

CLEOPATRA

That time—O times!—

I laughed him out of patience, and that night

I laughed him into patience, and next morn,

Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed,

Then put my tires and mantles on him whilst

I wore his sword Philippan.

Enter a Messenger

O, from Italy.

Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears,

That long time have been barren.

MESSENGER

Madam, madam!

CLEOPATRA

Antonio’s dead. If thou say so, villain,

Thou kill’st thy mistress; but well and free,

If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here

My bluest veins to kiss—a hand that kings

Have lipped, and trembled kissing.

MESSENGER

First, madam, he is well.

CLEOPATRA

Why, there’s more gold. But, sirrah, mark: we use

To say the dead are well. Bring it to that,

The gold I give thee will I melt and pour

Down thy ill-uttering throat.

MESSENGER Good madam, hear me.

CLEOPATRA Well, go to, I will.

But there’s no goodness in thy face. If Antony

Be free and healthful, so tart a favour

To trumpet such good tidings! If not well,

Thou shouldst come like a Fury crowned with snakes,

Not like a formal man.

MESSENGER

Will’t please you hear me?

CLEOPATRA

I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak’st.

Yet if thou say Antony lives, is well,

Or friends with Caesar, or not captive to him,

I’ll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail

Rich pearls upon thee.

MESSENGER

Madam, he’s well.

CLEOPATRA

Well said.

MESSENGER

And friends with Caesar.

CLEOPATRA Thou’rt an honest man.

MESSENGER

Caesar and he are greater friends than ever.

CLEOPATRA

Make thee a fortune from me.

MESSENGER

But yet, madam—

CLEOPATRA

I do not like ‘But yet’; it does allay

The good precedence. Fie upon ‘But yet’.

‘But yet’ is as a jailer to bring forth

Some monstrous malefactor. Prithee, friend,

Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear,

The good and bad together. He’s friends with Caesar,

In state of health, thou sayst; and, thou sayst, free.

MESSENGER

Free, madam? No, I made no such report.

He’s bound unto Octavia.

CLEOPATRA

For what good turn?

MESSENGER

For the best turn i’th’ bed.

CLEOPATRA

I am pale, Charmian.

MESSENGER

Madam, he’s married to Octavia.

CLEOPATRA

The most infectious pestilence upon thee!

She strikes him down

MESSENGER

Good madam, patience!

CLEOPATRA

What say you?

She strikes him

Hence, horrible villain, or I’ll spurn thine eyes

Like balls before me. I’ll unhair thy head,

She hales him up and down

Thou shalt be whipped with wire and stewed in brine,

Smarting in ling’ring pickle.

MESSENGER

Gracious madam,

I that do bring the news made not the match.

CLEOPATRA

Say ’tis not so, a province I will give thee,

And make thy fortunes proud. The blow thou hadst

Shall make thy peace for moving me to rage,

And I will boot thee with what gift beside

Thy modesty can beg.

MESSENGER

He’s married, madam.

CLEOPATRA

Rogue, thou hast lived too long.

She draws a knife

MESSENGER

Nay then, I’ll run.

What mean you, madam? I have made no fault. Exit

CHARMIAN

Good madam, keep yourself within yourself.

The man is innocent.

CLEOPATRA

Some innocents ’scape not the thunderbolt.

Melt Egypt into Nile, and kindly creatures