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Home > Anthony and Cleopatra > ACT II - SCENE VII. On board POMPEY's galley, off Misenum.

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ACT II - SCENE VII. On board POMPEY's galley, off Misenum.
First Servant
1    Here they'll be, man. Some o' their plants are
2    ill-rooted already: the least wind i' the world
3    will blow them down.
Second Servant
4    Lepidus is high-coloured.
First Servant
5    They have made him drink alms-drink.
Second Servant
6    As they pinch one another by the disposition, he
7    cries out 'No more;' reconciles them to his
8    entreaty, and himself to the drink.
First Servant
9    But it raises the greater war between him and
10   his discretion.
Second Servant
11   Why, this is to have a name in great men's
12   fellowship: I had as lief have a reed that will do
13   me no service as a partisan I could not heave.
First Servant
14   To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen
15   to move in't, are the holes where eyes should be,
16   which pitifully disaster the cheeks.
MARK ANTONY
To OCTAVIUS CAESAR
17    Thus do they, sir: they take
18   the flow o' the Nile
19   By certain scales i' the pyramid; they know,
20   By the height, the lowness, or the mean, if dearth
21   Or foison follow: the higher Nilus swells,
22   The more it promises: as it ebbs, the seedsman
23   Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain,
24   And shortly comes to harvest.
LEPIDUS
25   You've strange serpents there.
MARK ANTONY
26   Ay, Lepidus.
LEPIDUS
27   Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the
28   operation of your sun: so is your crocodile.
MARK ANTONY
29   They are so.
POMPEY
30   Sit,--and some wine! A health to Lepidus!
LEPIDUS
31   I am not so well as I should be, but I'll ne'er out.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
32   Not till you have slept; I fear me you'll be in till then.
LEPIDUS
33   Nay, certainly, I have heard the Ptolemies'
34   pyramises are very goodly things; without
35   contradiction, I have heard that.
MENAS
Aside to POMPEY
36    Pompey, a word.
POMPEY
Aside to MENAS
37    Say in mine ear:
38   what is't?
MENAS
Aside to POMPEY
39    Forsake thy seat, I do beseech
40   thee, captain,
41   And hear me speak a word.
POMPEY
Aside to MENAS
42    Forbear me till anon.
43   This wine for Lepidus!
LEPIDUS
44   What manner o' thing is your crocodile?
MARK ANTONY
45   It is shaped, sir, like itself; and it is as broad
46   as it hath breadth: it is just so high as it is,
47   and moves with its own organs: it lives by that
48   which nourisheth it; and the elements once out of
49   it, it transmigrates.
LEPIDUS
50   What colour is it of?
MARK ANTONY
51   Of it own colour too.
LEPIDUS
52   'Tis a strange serpent.
MARK ANTONY
53   'Tis so. And the tears of it are wet.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
54   Will this description satisfy him?
MARK ANTONY
55   With the health that Pompey gives him, else he is a
56   very epicure.
POMPEY
Aside to MENAS
57    Go hang, sir, hang! Tell me of
58   that? away!
59   Do as I bid you. Where's this cup I call'd for?
MENAS
Aside to POMPEY
60    If for the sake of merit thou
61   wilt hear me,
62   Rise from thy stool.
POMPEY
Aside to MENAS
63    I think thou'rt mad.
64   The matter?
Rises, and walks aside

MENAS
65   I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes.
POMPEY
66   Thou hast served me with much faith. What's else to say?
67   Be jolly, lords.
MARK ANTONY
68   These quick-sands, Lepidus,
69   Keep off them, for you sink.
MENAS
70   Wilt thou be lord of all the world?
POMPEY
71   What say'st thou?
MENAS
72   Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That's twice.
POMPEY
73   How should that be?
MENAS
74   But entertain it,
75   And, though thou think me poor, I am the man
76   Will give thee all the world.
POMPEY
77   Hast thou drunk well?
MENAS
78   Now, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup.
79   Thou art, if thou darest be, the earthly Jove:
80   Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips,
81   Is thine, if thou wilt ha't.
POMPEY
82   Show me which way.
MENAS
83   These three world-sharers, these competitors,
84   Are in thy vessel: let me cut the cable;
85   And, when we are put off, fall to their throats:
86   All there is thine.
POMPEY
87   Ah, this thou shouldst have done,
88   And not have spoke on't! In me 'tis villany;
89   In thee't had been good service. Thou must know,
90   'Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour;
91   Mine honour, it. Repent that e'er thy tongue
92   Hath so betray'd thine act: being done unknown,
93   I should have found it afterwards well done;
94   But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink.
MENAS
Aside
95    For this,
96   I'll never follow thy pall'd fortunes more.
97   Who seeks, and will not take when once 'tis offer'd,
98   Shall never find it more.
POMPEY
99   This health to Lepidus!
MARK ANTONY
100  Bear him ashore. I'll pledge it for him, Pompey.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
101  Here's to thee, Menas!
MENAS
102  Enobarbus, welcome!
POMPEY
103  Fill till the cup be hid.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
104  There's a strong fellow, Menas.
Pointing to the Attendant who carries off LEPIDUS

MENAS
105  Why?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
106  A' bears the third part of the world, man; see'st
107  not?
MENAS
108  The third part, then, is drunk: would it were all,
109  That it might go on wheels!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
110  Drink thou; increase the reels.
MENAS
111  Come.
POMPEY
112  This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.
MARK ANTONY
113  It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho?
114  Here is to Caesar!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
115  I could well forbear't.
116  It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain,
117  And it grows fouler.
MARK ANTONY
118  Be a child o' the time.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
119  Possess it, I'll make answer:
120  But I had rather fast from all four days
121  Than drink so much in one.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
122  Ha, my brave emperor!
To MARK ANTONY
123  Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals,
124  And celebrate our drink?
POMPEY
125  Let's ha't, good soldier.
MARK ANTONY
126  Come, let's all take hands,
127  Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense
128  In soft and delicate Lethe.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
129  All take hands.
130  Make battery to our ears with the loud music:
131  The while I'll place you: then the boy shall sing;
132  The holding every man shall bear as loud
133  As his strong sides can volley.
134  Come, thou monarch of the vine,
135  Plumpy Bacchus with pink eyne!
136  In thy fats our cares be drown'd,
137  With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd:
138  Cup us, till the world go round,
139  Cup us, till the world go round!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
140  What would you more? Pompey, good night. Good brother,
141  Let me request you off: our graver business
142  Frowns at this levity. Gentle lords, let's part;
143  You see we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarb
144  Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue
145  Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost
146  Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good night.
147  Good Antony, your hand.
POMPEY
148  I'll try you on the shore.
MARK ANTONY
149  And shall, sir; give's your hand.
POMPEY
150  O Antony,
151  You have my father's house,--But, what? we are friends.
152  Come, down into the boat.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
153  Take heed you fall not.
Exeunt all but DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS and MENAS
154  Menas, I'll not on shore.
MENAS
155  No, to my cabin.
156  These drums! these trumpets, flutes! what!
157  Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell
158  To these great fellows: sound and be hang'd, sound out!
Sound a flourish, with drums

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
159  Ho! says a' There's my cap.
MENAS
160  Ho! Noble captain, come.
Exeunt

< (Previous) ACT II, SCENE VIACT III, I (Next) >
Scene Index
ACT I
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V


  • ACT II
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII


  • ACT III
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII
  • SCENE VIII
  • SCENE IX
  • SCENE X
  • SCENE XI
  • SCENE XII
  • SCENE XIII


  • ACT IV
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII
  • SCENE VIII
  • SCENE IX
  • SCENE X
  • SCENE XI
  • SCENE XII
  • SCENE XIII
  • SCENE XIV
  • SCENE XV


  • ACT V
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II

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