Obey it on all cause.

CLEOPATRA

Pardon, pardon!

ANTONY

Fall not a tear, I say. One of them rates

All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss.

He kisses her

Even this repays me. (To an Attendant) We sent our

schoolmaster;

Is a come back? (To Cleopatra) Love, I am full of lead.

(Calling) Some wine

Within there, and our viands! Fortune knows

We scorn her most when most she offers blows.

Exeunt

3.12 Enter Caesar, ⌈Agrippa,⌉ Thidias, and Dolabella, with others

CAESAR

Let him appear that’s come from Antony.

Know you him?

DOLABELLA

Caesar, ’tis his schoolmaster; An argument that he is plucked, when hither

He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,

Which had superfluous kings for messengers

Not many moons gone by.

Enter Ambassador from Antony

CAESAR

Approach and speak.

AMBASSADOR

Such as I am, I come from Antony.

I was of late as petty to his ends

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf

To his grand sea.

CAESAR

Be’t so. Declare thine office.

AMBASSADOR

Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and

Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted,

He lessens his requests, and to thee sues

To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,

A private man in Athens. This for him.

Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness,

Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves

The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,

Now hazarded to thy grace.

CAESAR

For Antony, I have no ears to his request. The Queen

Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she

From Egypt drive her all-disgracèd friend,

Or take his life there. This if she perform

She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.

AMBASSADOR

Fortune pursue thee!

CAESAR

Bring him through the bands.

Exit Ambassador, attended

(To Thidias) To try thy eloquence now ‘tis time.

Dispatch.

From Antony win Cleopatra. Promise,

And in our name, what she requires. Add more

As thine invention offers. Women are not

In their best fortunes strong, but want will perjure

The ne’er-touched vestal. Try thy cunning, Thidias.

Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we

Will answer as a law.

THIDIAS

Caesar, I go.

CAESAR

Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,

And what thou think’st his very action speaks

In every power that moves.

THIDIAS Caesar, I shall.

Exeunt Caesar and his train at one door, and Thidias at another

3.13 Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and Iras

CLEOPATRA

What shall we do, Enobarbus?

ENOBARBUS

Think, and die.

CLEOPATRA

Is Antony or we in fault for this?

ENOBARBUS

Antony only, that would make his will

Lord of his reason. What though you fled

From that great face of war, whose several ranges

Frighted each other? Why should he follow?

The itch of his affection should not then

Have nicked his captainship, at such a point,

When half to half the world opposed, he being

The mooted question. ’Twas a shame no less

Than was his loss, to course your flying flags

And leave his navy gazing.

CLEOPATRA

Prithee, peace.

Enter the Ambassador with Antony

ANTONY

Is that his answer?

AMBASSADOR

Ay, my lord.

ANTONY

The Queen shall then have courtesy, so she

Will yield us up.

AMBASSADOR

He says so.

ANTONY

Let her know’t.

(To Cleopatra) To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,

And he will fill thy wishes to the brim

With principalities.

CLEOPATRA

That head, my lord?

ANTONY (to the Ambassador)

To him again. Tell him he wears the rose

Of youth upon him, from which the world should note

Something particular. His coin, ships, legions,

May be a coward‘s, whose ministers would prevail

Under the service of a child as soon

As i’th’ command of Caesar. I dare him therefore

To lay his gay caparisons apart

And answer me declined, sword against sword,

Ourselves alone. I’ll write it. Follow me.

Exeunt Antony and Ambassador

ENOBARBUS (aside)

Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will

Unstate his happiness and be staged to th’ show

Against a sworder! I see men’s judgements are

A parcel of their fortunes, and things outward

Do draw the inward quality after them

To suffer all alike. That he should dream,

Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will

Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdued

His judgement, too.

Enter a Servant

SERVANT

A messenger from Caesar.

CLEOPATRA

What, no more ceremony? See, my women:

Against the blown rose may they stop their nose,

That kneeled unto the buds. Admit him, sir.

Exit Servant

ENOBARBUS (aside)

Mine honesty and I begin to square.

The loyalty well held to fools does make

Our faith mere folly; yet he that can endure

To follow with allegiance a fall’n lord

Does conquer him that did his master conquer,

And earns a place i’th’ story.

Enter Thidias