One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
For quick accumulation of renown,
Which he achieved by th’ minute, lost his favour.
Who does 4’th’ 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’th’ 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
3.2 Enter Agrippa at one door, Enobarbus at another AGRIPPA What, are the brothers parted?
ENOBARBUS
They have dispatched 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.
ENOBARBUS
A very fine one. O, how he loves Caesar!
AGRIPPA
Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!
ENOBARBUS
Caesar? Why, he’s the Jupiter of men.
AGRIPPA
What’s Antony—the god of Jupiter?
ENOBARBUS
Spake you of Caesar? How, the nonpareil?
AGRIPPA
O Antony, O thou Arabian bird!
ENOBARBUS
Would you praise Caesar, say ‘Caesar’; go no further.
AGRIPPA
Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.
ENOBARBUS
But he loves Caesar best; yet he loves Antony—
Hoo! Hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets,
cannot
Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number—hoo!—
His love to Antony. But as for Caesar—
Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.
AGRIPPA
Both he loves.
ENOBARBUS
They are his shards, and he their beetle.
⌈Trumpet within⌉
So,
This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa.
AGRIPPA
Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell.
Enter Caesar, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavia
ANTONY (to Caesar) No further, sir.
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 bond
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 cherished.
ANTONY
Make me not offended
In your distrust.
CAESAR
I have said.
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.
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 (weeping) My noble brother!
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—
CAESAR
What, Octavia?
OCTAVIA
I’ll tell you in your ear.
She whispers to Caesar
ANTONY
Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can
Her heart inform her tongue—the swan’-down
feather,
That stands upon the swell at full of tide,
And neither way inclines.
ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa) Will Caesar weep?
AGRIPPA (aside to Enobarbus) He has a cloud in’s face.
ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa)
He were the worse for that were he a horse;
So is he, being a man.
AGRIPPA (aside to Enobarbus) Why, Enobarbus,
When Antony found Julius Caesar dead
He cried almost to roaring, and he wept
When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.
ENOBARBUS (aside to Agrippa)
That year indeed he was troubled with a rheum.
What willingly he did confound he wailed,
Believe’, till I wept too.
CAESAR
No, sweet Octavia,
You shall hear from me still. The time shall not
Outgo my thinking on you.
ANTONY
Come, sir, come,
I’ll wrestle with you in my strength of love.
Look, here I have you (embracing Caesar); thus I let
you go,
And give you to the gods.
CAESAR
Adieu, be happy.
LEPIDUS
Let all the number of the stars give light
To thy fair way.
CAESAR
Farewell, farewell.
He kisses Octavia
ANTONY Farewell.
Trumpets sound. Exeunt Antony, Octavia, and Enobarbus at one door, Caesar, Lepidus, and Agrippa at another
3.3 Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas
CLEOPATRA
Where is the fellow?
ALEXAS
Half afeard to come.
CLEOPATRA
Go to, go to.
Enter the Messenger as before
Come hither, sir.
ALEXAS
Good majesty,
Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you
But when you are well pleased.
CLEOPATRA
That Herod’s head
I’ll have; but how, when Antony is gone,