The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 61
CLEOPATRA
No matter, sir, what I have heard or known.
You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams;
Is’t not your trick?
DOLABELLA I understand not, madam.
CLEOPATRA I dreamt there was an emperor Antony.
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O, such another sleep, that I might see
But such another man!
DOLABELLA If it might please ye –
CLEOPATRA
His face was as the heavens, and therein stuck
A sun and moon which kept their course and lighted
The little O, the earth.
DOLABELLA Most sovereign creature –
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CLEOPATRA His legs bestrid the ocean; his reared arm
Crested the world; his voice was propertied
As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends;
But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,
He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty,
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There was no winter in’t; an autumn it was
That grew the more by reaping. His delights
Were dolphin-like: they showed his back above
The element they lived in. In his livery
Walked crowns and crownets; realms and islands
were
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As plates dropped from his pocket.
DOLABELLA Cleopatra –
CLEOPATRA
Think you there was or might be such a man
As this I dreamt of?
DOLABELLA Gentle madam, no.
CLEOPATRA You lie up to the hearing of the gods!
But if there be nor ever were one such,
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It’s past the size of dreaming. Nature wants stuff
To vie strange forms with fancy; yet t’imagine
An Antony were nature’s piece ’gainst fancy,
Condemning shadows quite.
DOLABELLA Hear me, good madam.
Your loss is as yourself, great, and you bear it
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As answering to the weight. Would I might never
O’ertake pursued success, but I do feel,
By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites
My very heart at root.
CLEOPATRA I thank you, sir.
Know you what Caesar means to do with me?
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DOLABELLA
I am loath to tell you what I would you knew.
CLEOPATRA Nay, pray you, sir.
DOLABELLA Though he be honourable –
CLEOPATRA He’ll lead me, then, in triumph.
DOLABELLA Madam, he will. I know’t.
Flourish. Enter PROCULEIUS, CAESAR, GALLUS, MAECENAS and others of his train.
ALL Make way there! Caesar!
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CAESAR Which is the Queen of Egypt?
DOLABELLA It is the Emperor, madam.
[Cleopatra kneels.]
CAESAR Arise! You shall not kneel.
I pray you rise. Rise, Egypt.
CLEOPATRA Sir, the gods
Will have it thus. My master and my lord
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I must obey. [She stands.]
CAESAR Take to you no hard thoughts.
The record of what injuries you did us,
Though written in our flesh, we shall remember
As things but done by chance.
CLEOPATRA Sole sir o’th’ world,
I cannot project mine own cause so well
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To make it clear, but do confess I have
Been laden with like frailties which before
Have often shamed our sex.
CAESAR Cleopatra, know
We will extenuate rather than enforce.
If you apply yourself to our intents,
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Which towards you are most gentle, you shall find
A benefit in this change; but if you seek
To lay on me a cruelty by taking
Antony’s course, you shall bereave yourself
Of my good purposes, and put your children
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To that destruction which I’ll guard them from
If thereon you rely. I’ll take my leave.
CLEOPATRA
And may through all the world! ’Tis yours, and we,
Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall
Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord.
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[Hands him a paper.]
CAESAR You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.
CLEOPATRA This is the brief of money, plate and jewels
I am possessed of. ’Tis exactly valued,
Not petty things admitted. Where’s Seleucus?
Enter SELEUCUS.
SELEUCUS Here, madam.
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CLEOPATRA
This is my treasurer. Let him speak, my lord,
Upon his peril, that I have reserved
To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.
SELEUCUS Madam,
I had rather seel my lips than to my peril
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Speak that which is not.
CLEOPATRA What have I kept back?
SELEUCUS
Enough to purchase what you have made known.
CAESAR Nay, blush not, Cleopatra. I approve
Your wisdom in the deed.
CLEOPATRA See, Caesar! O behold
How pomp is followed! Mine will now be yours
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And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine.
The ingratitude of this Seleucus does
Even make me wild. O slave, of no more trust
Than love that’s hired! What, go’st thou back?
Thou shalt
Go back, I warrant thee! But I’ll catch thine eyes
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Though they had wings! Slave! Soulless villain! Dog!
O rarely base!
CAESAR Good queen, let us entreat you.
CLEOPATRA
O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this,
That – thou vouchsafing here to visit me,
Doing the honour of thy lordliness
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To one so meek – that mine own servant should
Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
Addition of his envy! Say, good Caesar,
That I some lady trifles have reserved,
Immoment toys, things of such dignity
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As we greet modern friends withal; and say
Some nobler token I have kept apart
For Livia and Octavia, to induce
Their mediation, must I be unfolded
With one that I have bred? The gods! It smites me
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Beneath the fall I have. [to Seleucus] Prithee go hence,
Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits
Through th’ashes of my chance. Wert thou a man,
Thou wouldst have mercy on me.
CAESAR Forbear, Seleucus.
Exit Seleucus.
CLEOPATRA
Be it known that we, the greatest, are misthought
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For things that others do, and when we fall,
We answer others’ merits in our name,
Are therefore to be pitied.
CAESAR Cleopatra,
Not what you have reserved nor what acknowledged
Put we i’th’ roll of conquest. Still be’t yours;
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Bestow it at your pleasure, and believe
Caesar’s no merchant to make prize with you
Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheered;
Make not your thoughts your prisons. No, dear
queen,
For we intend so to dispose you as
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Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed and sleep.
Our care and pity is so much upon you
That we remain your friend; and so, a
dieu.
CLEOPATRA My master and my lord!
CAESAR Not so. Adieu.
Flourish. Exeunt Caesar and his train.
CLEOPATRA
He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not
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Be noble to myself. But hark thee, Charmian.
[Whispers to Charmian.]
CHARMIAN Finish, good lady. The bright day is done
And we are for the dark.
CLEOPATRA Hie thee again.
I have spoke already and it is provided.
Go put it to the haste.
CHARMIAN Madam, I will.
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Enter DOLABELLA.
DOLABELLA Where’s the Queen?
CHARMIAN Behold, sir. Exit.
CLEOPATRA Dolabella!
DOLABELLA
Madam, as thereto sworn by your command,
Which my love makes religion to obey,
I tell you this: Caesar through Syria
Intends his journey, and within three days
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You with your children will he send before.
Make your best use of this. I have performed
Your pleasure and my promise.
CLEOPATRA Dolabella,
I shall remain your debtor.
DOLABELLA I, your servant.
Adieu, good queen. I must attend on Caesar.
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CLEOPATRA Farewell and thanks. Exit Dolabella.
Now, Iras, what think’st thou?
Thou an Egyptian puppet shall be shown
In Rome as well as I. Mechanic slaves
With greasy aprons, rules and hammers shall
Uplift us to the view. In their thick breaths,
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Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded
And forced to drink their vapour.
IRAS The gods forbid!
CLEOPATRA Nay, ’tis most certain, Iras. Saucy lictors
Will catch at us like strumpets, and scald rhymers
Ballad us out o’tune. The quick comedians
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Extemporally will stage us and present
Our Alexandrian revels; Antony
Shall be brought drunken forth; and I shall see
Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness
I’th’ posture of a whore.
IRAS O the good gods!
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CLEOPATRA Nay, that’s certain.
IRAS I’ll never see’t, for I am sure my nails
Are stronger than mine eyes!
CLEOPATRA Why, that’s the way
To fool their preparation and to conquer
Their most absurd intents.
Enter CHARMIAN.
Now, Charmian!
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Show me, my women, like a queen. Go fetch
My best attires. I am again for Cydnus
To meet Mark Antony. Sirrah Iras, go.
Now, noble Charmian, we’ll dispatch indeed,
And when thou hast done this chare, I’ll give thee
leave
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To play till doomsday. Bring our crown and all.
Exit Iras.
[a noise within]
Wherefore’s this noise?
Enter a Guardsman.
GUARDSMAN Here is a rural fellow
That will not be denied your highness’ presence.
He brings you figs.
CLEOPATRA Let him come in. Exit Guardsman.
What poor an instrument
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May do a noble deed! He brings me liberty.
My resolution’s placed, and I have nothing
Of woman in me. Now from head to foot
I am marble-constant. Now the fleeting moon
No planet is of mine.
Enter Guardsman and Clown with a basket.
GUARDSMAN This is the man.
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CLEOPATRA Avoid, and leave him. Exit Guardsman.
Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there
That kills and pains not?
CLOWN Truly, I have him; but I would not be the party
that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is
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immortal. Those that do die of it do seldom or never
recover.
CLEOPATRA Remember’st thou any that have died on’t?
CLOWN Very many; men and women too. I heard of one
of them no longer than yesterday – a very honest