Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's Palace.
 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 merd 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 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 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 comparisons 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 judgments 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 judgment 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.

Cleopatra									Caesar's will?

Thidias	Hear it apart.

Cleopatra					None but friends: say boldly.

Thidias	So, haply, are they friends to Antony.

Enobarbus	He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has,
	Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master
	Will leap to be his friend; for us, you know,
	Whose he is, we are - and that is Caesar's.

Thidias										So.
	Thus then, thou most renowned: Caesar entreats
	Not to consider in what case thou stand'st
	Further than he is Caesar.

Cleopatra									Go on; right royal.

Thidias	He knows that you embraced not Antony
	As you did love, but as you feared him.

Cleopatra											O!

Thidias	The scars upon your honour therefore he
	Does pity, as constraind blemishes,
	Not as deserved.

Cleopatra						He is a god, and knows
	What is most right. Mine honour was not yielded,
	But conquered merely.

Enobarbus				[Aside.] To be sure of that,
	I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky
	That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
	Thy dearest quit thee.
													[Exit.
Thidias							Shall I say to Caesar
	What you require of him? For he partly begs
	To be desired to give. It much would please him
	That of his fortunes you should make a staff
	To lean upon; but it would warm his spirits
	To hear from me you had left Antony,
	And put yourself under his shroud,
	The universal landlord.

Cleopatra								What's your name?

Thidias	My name is Thidias.

Cleopatra							Most kind messenger,
	Say to great Caesar this in deputation:
	I kiss his conquering hand. Tell him I am prompt
	To lay my crown at's feet, and there to kneel.
	Tell him from his all-obeying breath I hear
	The doom of Egypt.

Thidias						'Tis your noblest course.
	Wisdom and fortune combating together,
	If that the former dare but what it can,
	No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay
	My duty on your hand.

Cleopatra							Your Caesar's father oft,
	When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,
	Bestowed his lips on that unworthy place,
	As it rained kisses.

                      Re-enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

Antony						Favours? By Jove that thunders!
	What art thou, fellow?

Thidias							One that but performs
	The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest
	To have command obeyed.

Enobarbus					[Aside.] You will be whipped.

Antony	Approach there! Ah, you kite! Now, gods and devils!
	Authority melts from me: of late, when I cried "Ho!",
	Like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth
	And cry "Your will?" Have you no ears? I am
	Antony yet.

                             Enter SERVANTS.

				Take hence this Jack, and whip him.

Enobarbus	[Aside.] 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp
	Than with an old one dying.

Antony									Moon and stars!
	Whip him. Were't twenty of the greatest tributaries
	That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them
	So saucy with the hand of she here, - what's her name
	Since she was Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows,
	Till like a boy you see him cringe his face
	And whine aloud for mercy. Take him hence.

Thidias	Mark Antony!

Antony					Tug him away. Being whipped,
	Bring him again. This Jack of Caesar's shall
	Bear us an errand to him.
								  [Exeunt SERVANTS with THIDIAS.
	You were half blasted ere I knew you. Ha!
	Have I my pillow left unpressed in Rome,
	Forborne the getting of a lawful race,
	And by a gem of women, to be abused
	By one that looks on feeders?

Cleopatra									Good my lord,-

Antony	You have been a boggler ever;
	But when we in our viciousness grow hard-
	O misery on't! - the wise gods seel our eyes,
	In our own filth drop our clear judgments, make us
	Adore our errors, laugh at's while we strut
	To our confusion.

Cleopatra						O, is't come to this?

Antony	I found you as a morsel cold upon
	Dead Caesar's trencher. Nay, you were a fragment
	Of Gnaeus Pompey's, besides what hotter hours,
	Unregistered in vulgar fame, you have
	Luxuriously picked out. For I am sure,
	Though you can guess what temperance should be,
	You know not what it is.

Cleopatra								Wherefore is this?

Antony	To let a fellow that will take rewards
	And say "God quit you!" be familiar with
	My playfellow, your hand, this kingly seal
	And plighter of high hearts! O that I were
	Upon the hill of Basan to outroar
	The hornd herd! For I have savage cause,
	And to proclaim it civilly were like
	A haltered neck which does the hangman thank
	For being yare about him.

                      Enter a SERVANT with THIDIAS.

									Is he whipped?

Servant	Soundly, my lord.

Antony	Cried he? And begged a' pardon?

Servant	He did ask favour.

Antony	If that thy father live, let him repent
	Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
	To follow Caesar in his triumph, since
	Thou hast been whipped for following him. Henceforth
	The white hand of a lady fever thee,
	Shake thou to look on't. Get thee back to Caesar;
	Tell him thy entertainment. Look thou say
	He makes me angry with him; for he seems
	Proud and disdainful, harping on what I am,
	Not what he knew I was. He makes me angry,
	And at this time most easy 'tis to do't,
	When my good stars, that were my former guides,
	Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
	Into th' abysm of hell. If he mislike
	My speech and what is done, tell him he has
	Hipparchus, my enfranchd bondman, whom
	He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
	As he shall like, to quit me. Urge it thou.
	Hence with thy stripes; be gone!
													[Exit THIDIAS.

Cleopatra	Have you done yet?

Antony						Alack, our terrene moon
	Is now eclipsed, and it portends alone
	The fall of Antony!

Cleopatra							I must stay his time.

Antony	To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes
	With one that ties his points?

Cleopatra									Not know me yet?

Antony	Cold-hearted toward me?

Cleopatra								Ah, dear, if I be so,
	From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
	And poison it in the source, and the first stone
	Drop in my neck - as it determines, so
	Dissolve my life. The next Caesarion smite,
	Till by degrees the memory of my womb,
	Together with my brave Egyptians all,
	By the discandying of this pelleted storm,
	Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile
	Have buried them for prey!

Antony							I am satisfied.
	Caesar sits down in Alexandria, where
	I will oppose his fate. Our force by land
	Hath nobly held; our severed navy too
	Have knit again, and fleet, threatening most sea-like.
	Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear, lady?
	If from the field I shall return once more
	To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood:
	I and my sword will earn our chronicle.
	There's hope in't yet.

Cleopatra								That's my brave lord!

Antony	I will be treble-sinewed, hearted, breathed,
	And fight maliciously; for when mine hours
	Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
	Of me for jests; but now I'll set my teeth
	And send to darkness all that stop me. Come,
	Let's have one other gaudy night. Call to me
	All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more.
	Let's mock the midnight bell.

Cleopatra										It is my birthday.
	I had thought t' have held it poor; but since my lord
	Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

Antony	We will yet do well.

Cleopatra	Call all his noble captains to my lord.

Antony	Do so, we'll speak to them; and tonight I'll force
	The wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen,
	There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight
	I'll make death love me, for I will contend
	Even with his pestilent scythe.
									  [Exeunt all but ENOBARBUS.

Enobarbus	Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious
	Is to be frighted out of fear, and in that mood
	The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still
	A diminution in our captain's brain
	Restores his heart. When valour preys on reason,
	It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
	Some way to leave him.
													[Exit.

