Antony and Cleopatra Part 11

Ant. Come, let's all take hands, Till that the conquering Wine hath steep't our sense, In soft and delicate Lethe

Eno. All take hands: Make battery to our eares with the loud Musicke, The while, Ile place you, then the Boy shall sing.

The holding euery man shall beate as loud, As his strong sides can volly.

Musicke Playes. En.o.barbus places them hand in hand.

The Song.

Come thou Monarch of the Vine, Plumpie Bacchus, with pinke eyne: In thy Fattes our Cares be drown'd, With thy Grapes our haires be Crown'd.

Cup vs till the world go round, Cup vs till the world go round

Caesar. What would you more?

Pompey goodnight. Good Brother Let me request you of our grauer businesse Frownes at this leuitie. Gentle Lords let's part, You see we haue burnt our cheekes. Strong En.o.barbe Is weaker then the Wine, and mine owne tongue Spleet's what it speakes: the wilde disguise hath almost Antickt vs all. What needs more words? goodnight.

Good Anthony your hand

Pom. Ile try you on the sh.o.r.e

Anth. And shall Sir, giues your hand

Pom. Oh Anthony, you haue my Father house.

But what, we are Friends?

Come downe into the Boate

Eno. Take heed you fall not Menas: Ile not on sh.o.r.e, No to my Cabin: these Drummes, These Trumpets, Flutes: what Let Neptune heare, we bid aloud farewell To these great Fellowes. Sound and be hang'd, sound out.

Sound a Flourish with Drummes.

Enor. Hoo saies a there's my Cap

Men. Hoa, n.o.ble Captaine, come.

Exeunt.

Enter Ventidius as it were in triumph, the dead body of Pacorus borne before him.

Ven. Now darting Parthya art thou stroke, and now Pleas'd Fortune does of Marcus Cra.s.sus death Make me reuenger. Beare the Kings Sonnes body, Before our Army, thy Pacorus Orades, Paies this for Marcus Cra.s.sus

Romaine. n.o.ble Ventidius, Whil'st yet with Parthian blood thy Sword is warme, The Fugitiue Parthians follow. Spurre through Media, Mesapotamia, and the shelters, whether The routed flie. So thy grand Captaine Anthony Shall set thee on triumphant Chariots, and Put Garlands on thy head

Ven. Oh Sillius, Sillius, I haue done enough. A lower place note well May make too great an act. For learne this Sillius, Better to leaue vndone, then by our deed Acquire too high a Fame, when him we serues away.

Caesar and Anthony, haue euer wonne More in their officer, then person. Sossius One of my place in Syria, his Lieutenant, For quicke acc.u.mulation of renowne, Which he atchiu'd by'th' minute, lost his fauour.

Who does i'th' Warres more then his Captaine can, Becomes his Captaines Captaine: and Ambition (The Souldiers vertue) rather makes choise of losse Then gaine, which darkens him.

I could do more to do Anthonius good, But 'twould offend him. And in his offence, Should my performance perish

Rom. Thou hast Ventidius that, without the which a Souldier and his Sword graunts scarce distinction: thou wilt write to Anthony

Ven. Ile humbly signifie what in his name, That magicall word of Warre we haue effected, How with his Banners, and his well paid ranks, The nere-yet beaten Horse of Parthia, We haue iaded out o'th' Field

Rom. Where is he now?

Ven. He purposeth to Athens, whither with what hast The waight we must conuay with's, will permit: We shall appeare before him. On there, pa.s.se along.

Exeunt.

Enter Agrippa at one doore, En.o.barbus at another.

Agri. What are the Brothers parted?

Eno. They haue dispatcht with Pompey, he is gone, The other three are Sealing. Octauia weepes To part from Rome: Caesar is sad, and Lepidus Since Pompey's feast, as Menas saies, is troubled With the Greene-Sicknesse

Agri. 'Tis a n.o.ble Lepidus

Eno. A very fine one: oh, how he loues Caesar

Agri. Nay but how deerely he adores Mark Anthony

Eno. Caesar? why he's the Iupiter of men

Ant. What's Anthony, the G.o.d of Iupiter?

Eno. Spake you of Caesar? How, the non-pareill?

Agri. Oh Anthony, oh thou Arabian Bird!

Eno. Would you praise Caesar, say Caesar go no further

Agr. Indeed he plied them both with excellent praises

Eno. But he loues Caesar best, yet he loues Anthony: Hoo, Hearts, Tongues, Figure, Scribes, Bards, Poets, cannot Thinke speake, cast, write, sing, number: hoo, His loue to Anthony. But as for Caesar, Kneele downe, kneele downe, and wonder

Agri. Both he loues

Eno. They are his Shards, and he their Beetle, so: This is to horse: Adieu, n.o.ble Agrippa

Agri. Good Fortune worthy Souldier, and farewell.

Enter Caesar, Anthony, Lepidus, and Octauia.

Antho. No further Sir

Caesar. You take from me a great part of my selfe: Vse me well in't. Sister, proue such a wife As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest Band Shall pa.s.se on thy approofe: most n.o.ble Anthony, Let not the peece of Vertue which is set Betwixt vs, as the Cyment of our loue To keepe it builded, be the Ramme to batter The Fortresse of it: for better might we Haue lou'd without this meane, if on both parts This be not cherisht

Ant. Make me not offended, in your distrust

Caesar. I haue said

Ant. You shall not finde, Though you be therein curious, the lest cause For what you seeme to feare, so the G.o.ds keepe you, And make the hearts of Romaines serue your ends: We will heere part

Caesar. Farewell my deerest Sister, fare thee well, The Elements be kind to thee, and make Thy spirits all of comfort: fare thee well

Octa. My n.o.ble Brother

Anth. The Aprill's in her eyes, it is Loues spring, And these the showers to bring it on: be cheerfull