Women are not
        In their best fortunes strong, but want will perjure
        The ne’er touched vestal34. Try thy cunning36, Thidias:
        Make thine own edict for thy pains37, which we
        Will answer38 as a law.

THIDIAS    Caesar, I go.

CAESAR    Observe how Antony becomes his flaw40,
        And what thou think’st his very action speaks41
        In every power that moves42.

THIDIAS    Caesar, I shall.
Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 13]                               
running scene 18

Location: Alexandria   

Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian and Iras

CLEOPATRA    What shall we do, Enobarbus?

ENOBARBUS    Think2, and die.

CLEOPATRA    Is Antony or we3 in fault for this?

ENOBARBUS    Antony only, that would make his will4
        Lord of his reason. What though you fled
        From that great face of war, whose several ranges6
        Frighted each other? Why should he follow?
        The itch of his affection8 should not then
        Have nicked9 his captainship, at such a point,
        When half to half the world opposed, he being
        The meerèd question11. ’Twas a shame no less
        Than was his loss, to course12 your flying flags
        And leave his navy gazing13.

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 up17.

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 particular25: his coin, ships, legions,
        May be a coward’s, whose ministers28 would prevail
        Under the service of a child as soon
        As i’th’command of Caesar. I dare him therefore
        To lay his gay caparisons31 apart
        And answer me declined32, sword against sword,
        Ourselves alone33. I’ll write it: follow me.
        [Exeunt Antony and Ambassador]

ENOBARBUS    Yes, like enough, high-battled34 Caesar will
Aside

        Unstate his happiness35, and be staged to th’show
        Against a sworder36. I see men’s judgements are
        A parcel of37 their fortunes, and things outward
        Do draw the inward quality after them
        To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
        Knowing40 all measures, the full Caesar will
        Answer41 his emptiness. Caesar, thou hast subdued
        His judgement too.

Enter a Servant

SERVANT    A messenger from Caesar.

CLEOPATRA    What, no more ceremony? See, my women,
        Against the blown45 rose may they stop their nose
        That kneeled unto the buds. Admit him, sir.
        [Exit Servant]

ENOBARBUS    Mine honesty47 and I begin to square.
Aside

        The loyalty well held to fools does make
        Our faith49 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’story52.

Enter Thidias

CLEOPATRA    Caesar’s will?

THIDIAS    Hear it apart54.

CLEOPATRA    None but friends55: say boldly.

THIDIAS    So, haply56, are they friends to Antony.

ENOBARBUS    He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has,
        Or needs not us58. If Caesar please, our master
        Will leap to be his friend: for59 us, you know,
        Whose he is we are, and that is Caesar’s60.

THIDIAS    So.
        Thus then, thou most renowned: Caesar entreats
        Not to consider in what case thou stand’st,
        Further than he is Caesar63.

CLEOPATRA    Go on: right royal65.

THIDIAS    He knows that you embrace not Antony
        As you did love, but as you feared him.

CLEOPATRA    O!

THIDIAS    The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
        Does pity as constrainèd70 blemishes,
        Not as deserved.

CLEOPATRA    He is a god and knows
        What is most right73: mine honour was not yielded,
        But conquered merely74.

ENOBARBUS    To be sure of that,
Aside
        I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky
        That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
        Thy dearest quit78 thee.
Exit Enobarbus

THIDIAS    Shall I say to Caesar
        What you require80 of him? For he partly begs
        To be desired81 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 landlord85.

CLEOPATRA    What’s your name?

THIDIAS    My name is Thidias.

CLEOPATRA    Most kind messenger,
        Say to great Caesar this in deputation90:
        I kiss his conqu’ring hand: tell him I am prompt
        To lay my crown at’s feet, and there to kneel:
        Tell him from his all-obeying breath93 I hear
        The doom94 of Egypt.

THIDIAS    ’Tis your noblest course:
        Wisdom and fortune combating together,
        If that the former dare but what it97 can,
        No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay
        My duty on your hand.

CLEOPATRA    Your Caesar’s father100 oft —
Offers him her hand
        When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in101 —
        Bestowed his lips on that unworthy place
        As103 it rained kisses.

Enter Antony and Enobarbus

ANTONY    Favours?104 By Jove that thunders!
        What art thou, fellow105?

THIDIAS    One that but performs
        The bidding of the fullest107 man and worthiest
        To have command obeyed.

ENOBARBUS    You will be whipped.
Aside

Calls for Servants

ANTONY    Approach there!—Ah, you kite110!—
        Now, gods and devils,
        Authority melts from me of late. When I cried ‘Ho!’,
        Like boys unto a muss112, kings would start forth
        And cry ‘Your will?’ Have you no ears? I am
        Antony yet.—Take hence this jack114 and whip him.

Enter a Servant
Other Servants follow

ENOBARBUS    ’Tis better playing with a lion’s whelp115
Aside
        Than with an old one dying.

ANTONY    Moon and stars!
        Whip him. Were’t twenty of the greatest tributaries118
        That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them
        So saucy120 with the hand of she here — what’s her name,
        Since she was121 Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows,
        Till like a boy you see him cringe122 his face
        And whine aloud for mercy. Take him hence.

THIDIAS    Mark Antony!

ANTONY    Tug him away: being whipped,
        Bring him again. The jack of Caesar’s shall
        Bear us an errand to him.


Exeunt [Servants] with Thidias

    You were half blasted128 ere I knew you: ha?
        Have I my pillow left unpressed in Rome,
        Forborne130 the getting of a lawful race,
        And by a gem of women, to be abused
        By one that looks on feeders132?

CLEOPATRA    Good my lord—

ANTONY    You have been a boggler134 ever,
        But when we in our viciousness grow hard —
        O, misery on’t! — the wise gods seel136 our eyes,
        In our own filth drop our clear judgements, make us
        Adore our errors, laugh at’s while we strut
        To our confusion139.

CLEOPATRA    O, is’t come to this?

ANTONY    I found you as a morsel cold upon
        Dead Caesar’s trencher142: nay, you were a fragment
        Of Gneius Pompey143’s, besides what hotter hours
        Unregistered in vulgar fame144 you have
        Luxuriously145 picked out. For I am sure,
        Though you can guess what temperance146 should be,
        You know not what it is.

CLEOPATRA    Wherefore is this?

ANTONY    To let a fellow that will take rewards
        And say ‘God150 quit you!’ be familiar with
        My playfellow, your hand, this kingly seal151
        And plighter152 of high hearts! O, that I were
        Upon the hill of Basan153, to outroar
        The hornèd herd! For I have savage cause154,
        And to proclaim it civilly155, were like
        A haltered neck156 which does the hangman thank
        For being yare157 about him.—Is he whipped?

Enter a Servant with Thidias

SERVANT    Soundly, my lord.

ANTONY    Cried he? And begged a159 pardon?

SERVANT    He did ask favour.

ANTONY    If that thy father live, let him repent
To Thidias

        Thou wast not made his daughter, and be thou sorry
        To follow Caesar in his triumph163, since
        Thou hast been whipped for following him. Henceforth
        The white hand of a lady165 fever thee,
        Shake thou to look on’t. Get thee back to Caesar:
        Tell him thy entertainment167: 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 orbs173 and shot their fires
        Into th’abysm174 of hell.