Act III, Scene vii:
ANTONY'S Camp near the Promontory of Actium.

[Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.]

CLEOPATRA:

I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

ENOBARBUS:

But why, why, why?

CLEOPATRA:

Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,

And say'st it is not fit.

ENOBARBUS:

Well, is it, is it?

CLEOPATRA:

If not denounc'd against us, why should not we

Be there in person?

ENOBARBUS:

[Aside.] Well, I could reply:—

If we should serve with horse and mares together

The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear

A soldier and his horse.

CLEOPATRA:

What is't you say?

ENOBARBUS:

Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;

Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time,

What should not then be spar'd. He is already

Traduc'd for levity: and 'tis said in Rome

That Photinus an eunuch and your maids

Manage this war.

CLEOPATRA:

Sink Rome, and their tongues rot

That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war,

And, as the president of my kingdom, will

Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;

I will not stay behind.

ENOBARBUS:

Nay, I have done.

Here comes the emperor.

[Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.]

ANTONY:

Is it not strange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum and Brundusium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,

And take in Toryne?—You have heard on't, sweet?

CLEOPATRA:

Celerity is never more admir'd

Than by the negligent.

ANTONY:

A good rebuke,

Which might have well becom'd 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 dar'd him to single fight.

CANIDIUS:

Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,

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 mann'd:

Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people

Ingross'd by swift impress; in Caesar's fleet

Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:

Their ships are yare; yours heavy: no disgrace

Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

ANTONY:

By sea, by sea.

ENOBARBUS:

Most worthy sir, you therein throw away

The absolute soldiership you have by land;

Distract your army, which doth most consist

Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted

Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo

The way which promises assurance; 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 overplus of shipping will we burn;

And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium

Beat the 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 descried;

Caesar has taken Toryne.

ANTONY:

Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible—

Strange that his power should be.—Canidius,

Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,

And our twelve thousand horse.—We'll to our ship:

Away, my Thetis!

[Enter a SOLDIER.]

How now, worthy soldier?

SOLDIER:

O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;

Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt

This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians

And the Phoenicians go a-ducking: we

Have us'd to conquer standing on the earth

And fighting foot to foot.

ANTONY:

Well, well:—away.

[Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENOBARBUS.]

SOLDIER:

By Hercules, I think I am i' the right.

CANIDIUS:

Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows

Not in the power on't: so our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

SOLDIER:

You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, 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

Carries beyond belief.

SOLDIER:

While he was yet in Rome

His power went out in such distractions as

Beguil'd 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 with labour; and throes forth

Each minute some.

[Exeunt.]