Be ever known to patience. My dear’st sister!

Exeunt

3.7 Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus

CLEOPATRA

I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

ENOBARBUS But why, why, why?

CLEOPATRA

Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,

And sayst it is not fit.

ENOBARBUS

Well, is it, is it?

CLEOPATRA

Is’t not denounced against us? Why should not we

Be there in person?

ENOBARBUS ⌈aside⌉ Well, I could reply

If we should serve with horse and mares together,

The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear

A soldier and his horse.

CLEOPATRA

What is’t you say?

ENOBARBUS

Your presence needs must puzzle Antony,

Take from his heart, take from his brain, from’s time

What should not then be spared. He is already

Traduced for levity; and ’tis said in Rome

That Photinus, an eunuch, and your maids

Manage this war.

CLEOPATRA

Sink Rome, and their tongues rot

That speak against us! A charge we bear i’th’ war,

And as the president of my kingdom will

Appear there for a man. Speak not against it.

I will not stay behind.

Enter Antony and Camidius

ENOBARBUS

Nay, I have done.

Here comes the Emperor.

ANTONY

Is it not strange, Camidius,

That from Tarentum and Brundisium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian Sea

And take in Toryne?—You have heard on’t, sweet?

CLEOPATRA

Celerity is never more admired

Than by the negligent.

ANTONY

A good rebuke,

Which might have well becomed the best of men

To taunt at slackness. Camidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

CLEOPATRA

By sea—what else?

CAMIDIUS

Why will my lord do so?

ANTONY

For that he dares us to’t.

ENOBARBUS

So hath my lord dared him to single fight.

CAMIDIUS

Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,

Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers

Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off,

And so should you.

ENOBARBUS

Your ships are not well manned, Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people 35

Engrossed by swift impress. In Caesar’s fleet

Are those that often have ’gainst Pompey fought.

Their ships are yare, yours heavy. No disgrace

Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepared for land.

ANTONY

By sea, by sea.

ENOBARBUS

Most worthy sir, you therein throw away

The absolute soldiership you have by land;

Distract your army, which doth most consist

Of war-marked footmen; leave unexecuted

Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo

The way which promises assurance, and

Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard

From firm security.

ANTONY

I’ll fight at sea.

CLEOPATRA

I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.

ANTONY

Our overplus of shipping will we burn,

And with the rest full-manned, from th‘head of

Actium

Beat th’approaching Caesar. But if we fail,

We then can do’t at land.

Enter a Messenger

Thy business?

MESSENGER

The news is true, my lord. He is descried. Caesar has taken Toryne.

ANTONY

Can he be there in person? ’Tis impossible;

Strange that his power should be. Camidius,

Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,

And our twelve thousand horse. We’ll to our ship.

Away, my Thetis!

Enter a Soldier

How now, worthy soldier?

SOLDIER

O noble Emperor, do not fight by sea.

Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt

This sword and these my wounds? Let th’Egyptians

And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we

Have used to conquer standing on the earth,

And fighting foot to foot.

ANTONY

Well, well; away!

Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus

SOLDIER

By Hercules, I think I am i’th’ right.

CAMIDIUS

Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows

Not in the power on’t. So our leader’s led,

And we are women’s men.

SOLDIER

You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

CAMIDIUS

Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Publicola and Caelius are for sea,

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar’s

Carries beyond belief.

SOLDIER

While he was yet in Rome

His power went out in such distractions

As beguiled all spies.

CAMIDIUS

Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?

SOLDIER

They say, one Taurus.

CAMIDIUS

Well I know the man.

Enter a Messenger

MESSENGER

The Emperor calls Camidius.

CAMIDIUS

With news the time’s in labour, and throws forth

Each minute some.

Exeunt

3.8 Enter Caesar with his army, marching, and Taurus CAESAR Taurus!

TAURUS My lord?

CAESAR

Strike not by land. Keep whole. Provoke not battle

Till we have done at sea. (Giving a scroll) Do not

exceed

The prescript of this scroll. Our fortune lies

Upon this jump.

Exit Caesar and his army at one door, Taurus at another

3.9 Enter Antony and Enobarbus

ANTONY

Set we our squadrons on yon side o’th’ hill

In eye of Caesar’s battle, from which place

We may the number of the ships behold,

And so proceed accordingly.

Exeunt

3.10 Camidius marcheth with his land army over the stage, and taurus, the lieutenant of caesar, with his

NOBARBUS

Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer.