READ STUDY GUIDE: Act I, scenes iv–v; Act II, scenes i–ii |
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Act II, Scene ii:
Rome. A Room in the House of LEPIDUS.
Rome. A Room in the House of LEPIDUS.
| [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 himself: if Caesar move him, |
| Let Antony look over Caesar's head, |
| And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter, |
| Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard, |
| I would not shave't to-day. |
| LEPIDUS: |
| 'Tis not a time |
| For private stomaching. |
| 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 compose well here, to Parthia; |
| Hark, Ventidius. |
| CAESAR: |
| I do not know, |
| Maecenas; ask Agrippa. |
| LEPIDUS: |
| Noble friends, |
| That which combin'd us was most great, and let not |
| A leaner action rend us. What's amiss, |
| May it be gently heard: when we debate |
| Our trivial difference loud, we do commit |
| Murder in healing wounds: then, noble partners,— |
| The rather for I earnestly beseech,— |
| Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, |
| Nor curstness grow to the matter. |
| ANTONY: |
| 'Tis spoken well. |
| Were we before our armies, and to fight, |
| I should do thus. |
| CAESAR: |
| Welcome to Rome. |
| ANTONY: |
| Thank you. |
| CAESAR: |
| Sit. |
| ANTONY: |
| Sit, sir. |
| CAESAR: |
| Nay, then. |
| ANTONY: |
| I learn you take things ill which are not so, |
| Or being, concern you not. |
| CAESAR: |
| I must be laugh'd at |
| If, or for nothing or a little, I |
| Should say myself offended, and with you |
| Chiefly i' the world; more laugh'd at that I should |
| Once name you derogately, when to sound your name |
| It not concern'd me. |
| 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 state, your being in Egypt |
| Might be my question. |
| ANTONY: |
| How intend you practis'd? |
| CAESAR: |
| You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent |
| By what did here befall me. Your wife and brother |
| Made wars upon me; and their contestation |
| Was theme for you, you were the word of war. |
| ANTONY: |
| You do mistake your business; my brother never |
| Did urge me in his act: I did inquire it; |
| And have my learning from some true reports |
| That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather |
| Discredit my authority with yours; |
| And make the wars alike against my stomach, |
| Having alike your cause? Of this my letters |
| Before did satisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel |
| As matter whole you have not to make it with, |
| It must not be with this. |
| CAESAR: |
| You praise yourself |
| By laying defects of judgment to me; but |
| You patch'd up your excuses. |
| ANTONY: |
| Not so, not so; |
| I know you could not lack, I am certain on't, |
| Very necessity of this thought, that I, |
| Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought, |
| Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars |
| Which 'fronted mine own peace. As for my wife, |
| I would you had her spirit in such another: |
| The third o' theworld is yours; which with a snaffle |
| You may pace 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 uncurbable, her garboils, Caesar, |
| Made out of her impatience,—which not wanted |
| Shrewdness of policy too,—I grieving grant |
| Did you too much disquiet: for that you must |
| But say I could not help it. |
| CAESAR: |
| I wrote to you |
| When rioting in Alexandria; you |
| Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts |
| Did gibe my missive out of audience. |
| ANTONY: |
| Sir, |
| He fell upon me ere admitted: then |
| Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want |
| Of what I was i' the morning: but next day |
| I told him of myself; which was as much |
| As to have ask'd him pardon. Let this fellow |
| Be nothing of our strife; if we contend, |
| Out of our question wipe him. |
| CAESAR: |
| You have broken |
| The article of your oath; which you shall never |
| Have tongue to charge me with. |
| LEPIDUS: |
| Soft, Caesar! |
| ANTONY: |
| No; Lepidus, let him speak. |
| The honour is sacred which he talks on now, |
| Supposing that I lack'd it.—But on, Caesar; |
| The article of my oath. |
| CAESAR: |
| To lend me arms and aid when I requir'd them; |
| The which you both denied. |
| ANTONY: |
| Neglected, rather; |
| And then when poison'd hours had bound me up |
| From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may, |
| I'll play the penitent to you: but mine honesty |
| Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power |
| Work without it. Truth is, that Fulvia, |
| To have me out of Egypt, made wars here; |
| For which myself, the ignorant motive, do |
| So far ask pardon as befits mine honour |
| To stoop in such a case. |
| LEPIDUS: |
| 'Tis noble spoken. |
| MAECENAS: |
| If it might please you to enforce no further |
| The griefs between ye: to forget them quite |
| Were to remember that the present need |
| Speaks to atone you. |
| LEPIDUS: |
| Worthily spoken, Maecenas. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, you may, |
| when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you shall |
| have time to wrangle in when you have nothing else to do. |
| ANTONY: |
| Thou art a soldier only: speak no more. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| That truth should be silent I had almost forgot. |
| ANTONY: |
| You wrong this presence; therefore speak no more. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Go to, then; your considerate stone! |
| CAESAR: |
| I do not much dislike the matter, but |
| The manner of his speech; for't cannot be |
| We shall remain in friendship, our conditions |
| So differing in their acts. Yet if I knew |
| What hoop should hold us stanch, from edge to edge |
| O' the world, I would pursue it. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| Give me leave, Caesar,— |
| CAESAR: |
| Speak, Agrippa. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, |
| Admir'd Octavia: great Mark Antony |
| Is now a widower. |
| CAESAR: |
| Say not so, Agrippa: |
| If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof |
| Were well deserv'd of rashness. |
| ANTONY: |
| I am not married, Caesar: let me hear |
| Agrippa further speak. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| To hold you in perpetual amity, |
| To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts |
| With an unslipping knot, take Antony |
| Octavia to his wife; whose beauty claims |
| No worse a husband than the best of men; |
| Whose virtue and whose general graces speak |
| That which none else can utter. By this marriage |
| All little jealousies, which now seem great, |
| And all great fears, which now import their dangers, |
| Would then be nothing: truths would be tales, |
| Where now half tales be truths: her love to both |
| Would each to other, and all loves to both, |
| Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke; |
| For 'tis a studied, not a present thought, |
| By duty ruminated. |
| ANTONY: |
| Will Caesar speak? |
| CAESAR: |
| Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd |
| With what is spoke already. |
| ANTONY: |
| What power is in Agrippa, |
| If I would say 'Agrippa, be it so,' |
| To make this good? |
| CAESAR: |
| The power of Caesar, and |
| His power unto Octavia. |
| ANTONY: |
| May I never |
| To this good purpose, that so fairly shows, |
| Dream of impediment!—Let me have thy hand: |
| Further this act of grace; and from this hour |
| The heart of brothers govern in our loves |
| And sway our great designs! |
| CAESAR: |
| There is my hand. |
| A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother |
| Did ever love so dearly: let her live |
| To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and never |
| Fly off our loves again! |
| LEPIDUS: |
| Happily, amen! |
| ANTONY: |
| I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Pompey; |
| For he hath laid strange courtesies and great |
| Of late upon me. I must thank him only, |
| Lest my remembrance suffer ill report; |
| At heel of that, defy him. |
| LEPIDUS: |
| Time calls upon's: |
| Of us must Pompey presently be sought, |
| Or else he seeks out us. |
| ANTONY: |
| Where lies he? |
| CAESAR: |
| About the Mount Misenum. |
| ANTONY: |
| What is his strength |
| By land? |
| CAESAR: |
| Great and increasing; but by sea |
| He is an absolute master. |
| ANTONY: |
| So is the fame. |
| Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it: |
| Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, despatch we |
| The business we have talk'd of. |
| CAESAR: |
| With most gladness; |
| And do invite you to my sister's view, |
| Whither straight I'll lead you. |
| ANTONY: |
| Let us, Lepidus, |
| Not lack your company. |
| LEPIDUS: |
| Noble Antony, |
| Not sickness should detain me. |
| [Flourish. Exeunt CAESAR, ANTONY, and LEPIDUS.] |
| MAECENAS: |
| Welcome from Egypt, sir. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Half the heart of Caesar, worthy Maecenas!—my honourable friend, |
| Agrippa!— |
| AGRIPPA: |
| Good Enobarbus! |
| MAECENAS: |
| We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You |
| stay'd well by it in Egypt. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night |
| light with drinking. |
| MAECENAS: |
| Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve |
| persons there. Is this true? |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monstrous |
| matter of feast, which worthily deserved noting. |
| MAECENAS: |
| She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| When she first met Mark Antony she pursed up his heart, upon the |
| river of Cydnus. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised well for her. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| I will tell you. |
| The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, |
| Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold; |
| Purple the sails, and so perfumed that |
| The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver, |
| Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made |
| The water which they beat to follow faster, |
| As amorous of their strokes. For her own person, |
| It beggar'd all description: she did lie |
| In her pavilion,—cloth-of-gold of tissue,— |
| O'er-picturing that Venus where we see |
| The fancy out-work nature: on each side her |
| Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids, |
| With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem |
| To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool, |
| And what they undid did. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| O, rare for Antony! |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Her gentlewomen, like the Nereids, |
| So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes, |
| And made their bends adornings: at the helm |
| A seeming mermaid steers: the silken tackle |
| Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands |
| That yarely frame the office. From the barge |
| A strange invisible perfume hits the sense |
| Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast |
| Her people out upon her; and Antony, |
| Enthron'd i' the market-place, did sit alone, |
| Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy, |
| Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too, |
| And made a gap in nature. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| Rare Egyptian! |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Upon her landing, Antony sent to her, |
| Invited her to supper: she replied |
| It should be better he became her guest; |
| Which she entreated: our courteous Antony, |
| Whom ne'er the word of 'No' woman heard speak, |
| Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast, |
| And, for his ordinary, pays his heart |
| For what his eyes eat only. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| Royal wench! |
| She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed: |
| He ploughed her, and she cropp'd. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| I saw her once |
| Hop forty paces through the public street; |
| And, having lost her breath, she spoke and panted, |
| That she did make defect perfection, |
| And, breathless, power breathe forth. |
| MAECENAS: |
| Now Antony must leave her utterly. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Never; he will not: |
| Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale |
| Her infinite variety: other women cloy |
| The appetites they feed; but she makes hungry |
| Where most she satisfies: for vilest things |
| Become themselves in her; that the holy priests |
| Bless her when she is riggish. |
| MAECENAS: |
| If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle |
| The heart of Antony, Octavia is |
| A blessed lottery to him. |
| AGRIPPA: |
| Let us go.— |
| Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest |
| Whilst you abide here. |
| ENOBARBUS: |
| Humbly, sir, I thank you. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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