Do as I bid you. (Aloud) Where’s this cup I called for?

MENAS (aside to Pompey)

If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me,

Rise from thy stool.

POMPEY ⌈rising⌉ I think thou’rt mad. The matter?

⌈Menas⌉ and Pompey stand apart⌉

MENAS

I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes.

POMPEY

Thou hast served me with much faith. What’s else to

say?

Be jolly, lords.

ANTONY

These quicksands, Lepidus,

Keep off them, for you sink.

MENAS

Wilt thou be lord of all the world?

POMPEY

What sayst thou?

MENAS

Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That’s twice.

POMPEY

How should that be?

MENAS

But entertain it

And, though thou think me poor, I am the man

Will give thee all the world.

POMPEY

Hast thou drunk well?

MENAS

No, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup.

Thou art, if thou dar‘st be, the earthly Jove.

Whate’er the ocean pales or sky inclips

Is thine, if thou wilt ha’t.

POMPEY

Show me which way!

MENAS

These three world-sharers, these competitors,

Are in thy vessel. Let me cut the cable;

And when we are put off, fall to their throats.

All there is thine.

POMPEY

Ah, this thou shouldst have done

And not have spoke on’t. In me ‘tis villainy,

In thee ’t had been good service. Thou must know

’Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour;

Mine honour, it. Repent that e’er thy tongue

Hath so betrayed thine act. Being done unknown,

I should have found it afterwards well done,

But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink.

He returns to the others

MENAS (aside)

For this, I’ll never follow thy palled fortunes more.

Who seeks and will not take when once ’tis offered,

Shall never find it more.

POMPEY

This health to Lepidus!

ANTONY

Bear him ashore.—I’ll pledge it for him, Pompey.

ENOBARBUS

Here’s to thee, Menas!

MENAS

Enobarbus, welcome.

POMPEY

Fill till the cup be hid.

One lifts Lepidus, drunk, and carries him off

ENOBARBUS

There’s a strong fellow, Menas.

MENAS Why? 86

ENOBARBUS

A bears the third part of the world, man; seest not?

MENAS

The third part then is drunk. Would it were all,

That it might go on wheels.

ENOBARBUS

Drink thou, increase the reels.

MENAS Come.

POMPEY

This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.

ANTONY

It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho!

Here’s to Caesar!

CAESAR

I could well forbear’t.

It’s monstrous labour when I wash my brain,

An it grow fouler.

ANTONY Be a child o’th’ time.

CAESAR Possess it, I’ll make answer.

But I had rather fast from all, four days,

Than drink so much in one.

ENOBARBUS (to Antony)

Ha, my brave Emperor, Shall we dance now the Egyptian bacchanals,

And celebrate our drink?

POMPEY Let’s ha’t, good soldier.

ANTONY Come, let’s all take hands

Till that the conquering wine hath steeped our sense

In soft and delicate Lethe.

ENOBARBUS

All take hands.

Make battery to our ears with the loud music.

The while I’ll place you, then the boy shall sing.

The holding every man shall beat as loud

As his strong sides can volley.

Music plays. Enobarbus places them hand in hand

⌈Boy⌉ (sings)

Come, thou monarch of the vine,

Plumpy Bacchus, with pink eyne!

In thy vats our cares be drowned,

With thy grapes our hairs be crowned!

Cup us till the world go round,

Cup us till the world go round!

CAESAR

What would you more? Pompey, good night.

(To Antony)

Good-brother,

Let me request you off. Our graver business

Frowns at this levity. Gentle lords, let’s part.

You see we have burnt our cheeks. Strong Enobarb

Is weaker than the wine, and mine own tongue

Splits what it speaks. The wild disguise hath almost

Anticked us all. What needs more words? Good night.

Good Antony, your hand.

POMPEY

I’ll try you on the shore.

ANTONY

And shall, sir. Give’s your hand.

POMPEY

O Antony,

You have my father’s house. But what, we are friends!

Come down into the boat.

Exeunt all but Enobarbus and Menas

ENOBARBUS

Take heed you fall not, Menas.

MENAS

I’ll not on shore.

No, to my cabin. These drums, these trumpets, flutes,

what!

Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell

To these great fellows. Sound and be hanged, sound out!

Sound a flourish, with drums

ENOBARBUS (throwing his cap in the air)

Hoo, says a! There’s my cap.

MENAS

Ho, noble captain, come!

Exeunt

3.1 Enter Ventidius, with Silius and other Roman soldiers, as it were in triumph; 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,