We should have met you
        By sea and land, supplying every stage
        With an augmented greeting59.

OCTAVIA    Good my lord,
        To come thus was I not constrained, but did it
        On my free will. My lord Mark Antony,
        Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted
        My grievèd ear withal65, whereon, I begged
        His pardon for66 return.

CAESAR    Which soon he granted,
        Being an abstract68 ’tween his lust and him.

OCTAVIA    Do not say so, my lord.

CAESAR    I have eyes70 upon him,
        And his affairs come to me on the wind.
        Where is he now?

OCTAVIA    My lord, in Athens.

CAESAR    No, my most wrongèd sister. Cleopatra
        Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire
        Up to a who76re, who now are levying
        The kings o’th’earth for war. He hath assembled
        Bocchus, the King of Libya, Archelaus,
        Of Cappadocia79, Philadelphos, King
        Of Paphlagonia80, the Thracian king, Adallas,
        King Malchus of Arabia, King of Pont81,
        Herod of Jewry82, Mithridates, King
        Of Comagene83, Polemon and Amyntas,
        The Kings of Mede and Lycaonia84,
        With a more larger list of sceptres85.

OCTAVIA    Ay me, most wretched,
        That have my heart parted betwixt two friends
        That does afflict88 each other!

CAESAR    Welcome hither:
        Your letters did withhold our breaking forth90
        Till we perceived both how you were wrong led91
        And we in negligent danger92. Cheer your heart,
        Be you not troubled with the time93 which drives
        O’er your content these strong necessities,
        But let determined things to destiny
        Hold unbewailed their way95. Welcome to Rome,
        Nothing more dear to me97. You are abused
        Beyond the mark98 of thought, and the high gods,
        To do you justice, makes his ministers
        Of us99 and those that love you. Best of comfort,
        And ever welcome to us.

AGRIPPA    Welcome, lady.

MAECENAS    Welcome, dear madam.
        Each heart in Rome does love and pity you.
        Only th’adulterous Antony, most large105
        In his abominations106, turns you off
        And gives his potent regiment107 to a trull
        That noises it108 against us.

OCTAVIA    Is it so, sir?

CAESAR    Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you
        Be ever known to patience111, my dear’st sister!
Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 7]                               
running scene 14

Location: Actium, on the north coast of Greece   

Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus

CLEOPATRA    I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

ENOBARBUS    But why, why, why?

CLEOPATRA    Thou hast forspoke3 my being in these wars,
        And say’st it is not fit.

ENOBARBUS    Well, is it, is it?

CLEOPATRA    If not denounced against us6, why should not we
        Be there in person?

Aside

ENOBARBUS    Well, I could reply:
        If we should serve9 with horse and mares together,
        The horse were merely lost10. The mares would bear
        A soldier and his horse.

CLEOPATRA    What is’t you say?

ENOBARBUS    Your presence needs must puzzle13 Antony,
        Take from his heart, take from his brain, from’s time
        What should not then be spared. He is already
        Traduced16 for levity, and ’tis said in Rome
        That Photinus an eunuch and your maids
        Manage this war.

CLEOPATRA    Sink Rome19, and their tongues rot
        That speak against us! A charge20 we bear i’th’war,
        And as the president21 of my kingdom will
        Appear there for22 a man. Speak not against it,
        I will not stay behind.

Enter Antony and Canidius

ENOBARBUS    Nay, I have done.
        Here comes the emperor.

ANTONY    Is it not strange, Canidius,
        That from Tarentum and Brundusium27
        He could so quickly cut28 the Ionian Sea
        And take in29 Toryne?—You have heard on’t, sweet?

CLEOPATRA    Celerity30 is never more admired
        Than by the negligent.

ANTONY    A good rebuke,
        Which might have well becomed33 the best of men,
        To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we
        Will fight with him by sea.

CLEOPATRA    By sea, what else?

CANIDIUS    Why will my lord do so?

ANTONY    For that he dares us to’t.

ENOBARBUS    So hath my lord dared him to single fight.

CANIDIUS    Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia40,
        Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers,
        Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off,
        And so should you.

ENOBARBUS    Your ships are not well manned,
        Your mariners are muleteers45, reapers, people
        Ingrossed46 by swift impress. In Caesar’s fleet
        Are those that often have gainst Pompey fought.
        Their ships are yare48, yours heavy: no disgrace
        Shall fall49 you for refusing him at sea,
        Being prepared for land.

ANTONY    By sea, by sea.

ENOBARBUS    Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
        The absolute53 soldiership you have by land,
        Distract54 your army, which doth most consist
        Of war-marked footmen55, leave unexecuted
        Your own renownèd knowledge, quite forgo
        The way which promises assurance57, and
        Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard
        From firm security.

ANTONY    I’ll fight at sea.

CLEOPATRA    I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.

ANTONY    Our overplus62 of shipping will we burn,
        And with the rest full-manned, from th’head63 of Actium
        Beat th’approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
        We then can do’t at land.—

Enter a Messenger

                Thy business?

MESSENGER    The news is true, my lord: he is descried66.
        Caesar has taken Toryne.

ANTONY    Can he be there in person? ’Tis impossible68
        Strange that his power69 should be. Canidius,
        Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land
        And our twelve thousand horse. We’ll to our ship:
        Away, my Thetis72!—

Enter a Soldier

                How now, worthy soldier?

SOLDIER    O, noble emperor, do not fight by sea:
        Trust not to rotten planks74. Do you misdoubt
        This sword and these my wounds? Let th’Egyptians
        And the Phoenicians76 go a-ducking: we
        Have used77 to conquer standing on the earth
        And fighting foot to foot.

ANTONY    Well, well, away!

Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus

SOLDIER    By Hercules80, I think I am i’th’right.

CANIDIUS    Soldier, thou art. But his whole action grows
        Not in the power on’t81. So our leader’s led,
        And we are women’s men83.

SOLDIER    You keep by land
        The legions and the horse whole85, do you not?

CANIDIUS    Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
        Publicola and Caelius are for sea,
        But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar’s
        Carries89 beyond belief.

SOLDIER    While he was yet90 in Rome,
        His power went out in such distractions91 as
        Beguiled92 all spies.

CANIDIUS    Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?

SOLDIER    They say one Taurus.

CANIDIUS    Well I know the man.

Enter a Messenger

MESSENGER    The emperor calls Canidius.

CANIDIUS    With news the time’s in labour, and throws forth97
        Each minute, some.
Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 8]                               
running scene 15

Location: Actium   

Enter Caesar [and Taurus] with his army, marching

CAESAR    Taurus!

TAURUS    My lord?

CAESAR    Strike not by land. Keep whole3, provoke not battle
        Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed4
        The prescript5 of this scroll: our fortune lies
Gives him a scroll
        Upon this jump6.
Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 9]                               
running scene 15 continues

Enter Antony and Enobarbus

ANTONY    Set we our squadrons on yond1 side o’th’hill
        In eye2 of Caesar’s battle, from which place
        We may the number of the ships behold
        And so proceed accordingly.
Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 10]                               
running scene 15 continues

Canidius marcheth with his land army one way over the stage, and Taurus, the lieutenant of Caesar, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight. Alarum

Enter Enobarbus

ENOBARBUS    Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no
        longer:
        Th’Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral2,
        With all their sixty3, fly and turn the rudder:
        To see’t mine eyes are blasted4.

Enter Scarrus

SCARRUS    Gods and goddesses,
        All the whole synod of them!

ENOBARBUS    What’s thy passion7?

SCARRUS    The greater cantle8 of the world is lost
        With very ignorance9.