Think on me
        That am with Phoebus33’ amorous pinches black
        And wrinkled deep in time. Broad-fronted34 Caesar,
        When thou wast here above the ground, I was
        A morsel36 for a monarch, and great Pompey
        Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow37:
        There would he anchor his aspect38, and die
        With looking on his life39.

Enter Alexas from Antony

ALEXAS    Sovereign of Egypt, hail!

CLEOPATRA    How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
        Yet, coming from him, that great med’cine42 hath
        With his tinct43 gilded thee.
        How goes it with my brave44 Mark Antony?

ALEXAS    Last thing he did, dear queen,
        He kissed — the last of many doubled kisses —
        This orient47 pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.

CLEOPATRA    Mine ear must pluck it thence.

ALEXAS    ‘Good friend,’ quoth49 he,
        ‘Say the firm50 Roman to great Egypt sends
        This treasure of an oyster, at whose foot,
        To mend52 the petty present, I will piece
        Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the east,
        Say thou, shall call her mistress.’ So he nodded,
        And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed55
        Who neighed so high56 that what I would have spoke
        Was beastly dumbed57 by him.

CLEOPATRA    What, was he sad, or merry?

ALEXAS    Like to the time o’th’year between the extremes
        Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor60 merry.

CLEOPATRA    O well-divided disposition! Note him,
        Note him, good Charmian, ’tis the man62; but note him.
        He was not sad, for he would shine on those
        That make their looks by his64: he was not merry,
        Which seemed to tell them his remembrance lay
        In Egypt with his joy: but between both.
        O heavenly mingle! Be’st thou sad or merry,
        The violence68 of either thee becomes,
        So does it no man else.—Met’st thou my posts69?

ALEXAS    Ay, madam, twenty several70 messengers.
        Why do you send so thick71?

CLEOPATRA    Who’s72 born that day
        When I forget to send to Antony
        Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
        Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
        Ever love Caesar so?

CHARMIAN    O, that brave Caesar!

CLEOPATRA    Be choked with such another emphasis.
        Say ‘the brave Antony’.

CHARMIAN    The valiant Caesar.

CLEOPATRA    By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth,
        If thou with Caesar paragon82 again
        My man of men.

CHARMIAN    By your most gracious pardon,
        I sing but after you.

CLEOPATRA    My salad days,
        When I was green87 in judgement, cold in blood,
        To say as I said then. But come, away,
        Get me ink and paper.
        He shall have every day a several greeting
        Or I’ll unpeople Egypt!
Exeunt

[Act 2 Scene 1]                               
running scene 4

Location: Sicily   

Enter Pompey, Menecrates and Menas, in warlike manner

POMPEY    If the great gods be just, they shall assist
        The deeds of justest men.

MENECRATES    Know, worthy Pompey,
        That what they do delay, they not deny4.

POMPEY    Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays
        The thing we sue for5.

MENECRATES    We, ignorant of ourselves,
        Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers
        Deny us for our good: so find we profit
        By losing of our prayers.

POMPEY    I shall do well:
        The people love me, and the sea12 is mine;
        My powers13 are crescent, and my auguring hope
        Says it will come to th’full. Mark Antony
        In Egypt sits at dinner15, and will make
        No wars without16 doors: Caesar gets money where
        He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,
        Of18 both is flattered, but he neither loves,
        Nor either cares for him.

MENAS    Caesar and Lepidus are in the field:
        A mighty strength21 they carry.

POMPEY    Where have you this? ’Tis false.

MENAS    From Silvius, sir.

POMPEY    He dreams. I know they are in Rome together,
        Looking for25 Antony. But all the charms of love,
        Salt26 Cleopatra, soften thy waned lip!
        Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both,
        Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts:
        Keep his brain fuming29: epicurean cooks
        Sharpen with cloyless30 sauce his appetite
        That31 sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
        Even till a Lethe’d32 dullness—

Enter Varrius

                How now, Varrius?

VARRIUS    This is most certain that I shall deliver33:
        Mark Antony is every hour in Rome
        Expected. Since he went from Egypt ’tis
        A space for35 further travel.

POMPEY    I could have given less matter37
        A better ear38. Menas, I did not think
        This amorous surfeiter would have donned his helm39
        For such a petty war: his soldiership
        Is twice the other twain40. But let us rear
        The higher our opinion41, that our stirring
        Can from the lap43 of Egypt’s widow pluck
        The ne’er lust-wearied Antony.

MENAS    I cannot hope45
        Caesar and Antony shall well greet together46;
        His wife that’s dead47 did trespasses to Caesar:
        His brother48 warred upon him, although I think
        Not moved49 by Antony.

POMPEY    I know not, Menas,
        How lesser enmities may give way to greater.
        Were’t not that we stand up against them all,
        ’Twere pregnant53 they should square between themselves,
        For they have entertainèd54 cause enough
        To draw their swords. But how the fear of us
        May cement their divisions, and bind up
        The petty difference, we yet not57 know.
        Be’t as our gods will have’t! It only stands
        Our lives upon to use our strongest hands58.
        Come, Menas.
Exeunt

[Act 2 Scene 2]                               
running scene 5

Location: Rome   

Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus

LEPIDUS    Good Enobarbus, ’tis a worthy deed,
        And shall become you well, to entreat your captain
        To soft and gentle speech.

ENOBARBUS    I shall entreat him
        To answer like himself5: if Caesar move him,
        Let Antony look over Caesar’s head6
        And speak as loud as Mars7. By Jupiter,
        Were I the wearer of Antonio’s beard,
        I would not shave’t today9!

LEPIDUS    ’Tis not a time for private stomaching10.

ENOBARBUS    Every time
        Serves for the matter that is then born in’t.

LEPIDUS    But small to greater matters must give way.

ENOBARBUS    Not if the small come first.

LEPIDUS    Your speech is passion:
        But pray you stir no embers up. Here comes
        The noble Antony.

Enter Antony and Ventidius

ENOBARBUS    And yonder Caesar.

Enter Caesar, Maecenas and Agrippa

ANTONY    If we compose19 well here, to Parthia.
        Hark, Ventidius20.
They converse apart

CAESAR    I do not know, Maecenas, ask Agrippa.

LEPIDUS    Noble friends,
        That which combined23 us was most great, and let not
        A leaner action rend us24. What’s amiss,
        May it be gently25 heard. When we debate
        Our trivial difference loud, we do commit
        Murder in healing wounds26. Then, noble partners,
        The rather for28 I earnestly beseech,
        Touch29 you the sourest points with sweetest terms,
        Nor curstness grow to th’matter30.

ANTONY    ’Tis spoken well:
        Were we before our armies, and to32 fight,
        I should do thus.
Flourish

CAESAR    Welcome to Rome.

ANTONY    Thank you.

CAESAR    Sit.

ANTONY    Sit, sir.

CAESAR    Nay then38.
Caesar sits, then Antony

ANTONY    I learn you take things ill which are not so,
        Or being40, concern you not.

CAESAR    I must be laughed at
        If, or42 for nothing or a little, I
        Should say myself offended, and with you
        Chiefly i’th’world44: more laughed at that I should
        Once name you derogately45 when to sound your name
        It not concerned me46.

ANTONY    My being in Egypt, Caesar,
        What was’t to you?

CAESAR    No more than my residing here at Rome
        Might be to you in Egypt: yet if you there
        Did practise on my state51, your being in Egypt
        Might be my question52.

ANTONY    How intend you53, ‘practised’?

CAESAR    You may be pleased to catch at54 mine intent
        By what did here befall me. Your wife and brother
        Made wars upon me, and their contestation56
        Was theme for you57: you were the word of war.

ANTONY    You do mistake your business. My brother never
        Did urge me59 in his act: I did inquire it,
        And have my learning60 from some true reports
        That drew their swords with you61. Did he not rather
        Discredit my authority with62 yours,
        And make the wars alike against my stomach63,
        Having alike your cause64? Of this my letters
        Before did satisfy you. If you’ll patch65 a quarrel,
        As matter whole66 you have to make it with,
        It must not be with this.

CAESAR    You praise yourself
        By laying defects of judgement to me, but
        You patched up your excuses.

ANTONY    Not so, not so:
        I know you could not lack, I am certain on’t,
        Very necessity of this thought72, that I,
        Your partner in the cause gainst which he74 fought,
        Could not with graceful75 eyes attend those wars
        Which fronted76 mine own peace. As for my wife,
        I would you had her spirit in such another77:
        The third o’th’world is yours, which with a snaffle78
        You may pace79 easy, but not such a wife.

ENOBARBUS    Would we had all such wives, that the men might
        go to wars with the women!

ANTONY    So much uncurbable82, her garboils, Caesar,
        Made out of her impatience — which not wanted83
        Shrewdness of policy84 too — I grieving grant
        Did you too much disquiet. For that you must
        But86 say I could not help it.

CAESAR    I wrote to you:
        When rioting88 in Alexandria you
        Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
        Did gibe my missive out of audience90.

ANTONY    Sir,
        He fell upon me ere admitted92, then.
        Three kings I had newly93 feasted, and did want
        Of what I was i’th’morning. But next day
        I told him of myself95, which was as much
        As to have asked him pardon.