Gary Taylor, John Jowett, Terri Bourus, and Gabriel Egan (eds), The New Oxford Shakespeare: Modern Critical Edition
Main Text
pg 2574Sc. 21.2
Editor’s NoteEnter Enobarbus, Lamprius, a Soothsayer, Rannius, Lucillius, Charmian, Iras, Mardian the eunuch, and Alexas1charmian Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything Alexas, almost Editor’s Note2most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you praised so 3to th' Queen?
4O that I knew this husband, which you say
Editor’s Note5Must charge his horns with garlands!
alexas Soothsayer!
6soothsayer Your will?
7charmian Is this the man? Is't you, sir, that know things?
8soothsayer In nature's infinite book of secrecy
9A little I can read.
10alexas [to Charmian] Show him your hand.
Editor’s Note11enobarbus [calling] Bring in the banquet quickly,
Link 12Wine enough Cleopatra's health to drink.
Editor’s Note[Servants bring food and wine]13charmian [to Soothsayer] Good sir, give me good fortune.
soothsayer I make not, but foresee.
14charmian Pray then, foresee me one.
soothsayer You shall be yet
Editor’s Note15Far fairer than you are.
charmian He means in flesh.
charmian Wrinkles forbid!
17alexas Vex not his prescience. Be attentive.
charmian Hush!
18soothsayer You shall be more beloving than beloved.
20alexas Nay, hear him.
Editor’s Note21charmian Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to 22three kings in a forenoon and widow them all. Let me have a child Editor’s Note23at fifty to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage. Find me to marry Editor’s Note24me with Octavius Caesar, and companion me with my mistress.
25soothsayer You shall outlive the lady whom you serve.
Editor’s Note27soothsayer You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune
28Than that which is to approach.
Editor’s Note29charmian Then belike my children shall have no names. Prithee, how Editor’s Note30many boys and wenches must I have?
31soothsayer If every of your wishes had a womb,
32And fertile every wish, a millïon.
35charmian [to Soothsayer] Nay, come, tell Iras hers.
36alexas We'll know all our fortunes.
Editor’s Note39iras [showing her hand to Soothsayer] There's a palm presages chastity, 40if nothing else.
42iras Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay.
Editor’s Note43charmian Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication, I Editor’s Note44cannot scratch mine ear. [To Soothsayer] Prithee, tell her but a workaday 45fortune.
46soothsayer Your fortunes are alike.
iras But how, but how?
47Give me particulars.
soothsayer I have said.
48iras Am I not an inch of fortune better than she?
49charmian Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where 50would you choose it?
51iras Not in my husband's nose.
Editor’s Note52charmian Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas—come, his fortune, his Editor’s Note53fortune. O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Editor’s Note54Isis, I beseech thee, and let her die too, and give him a worse, and let 55worse follow worse till the worst of all follow him laughing to his 56grave, fiftyfold a cuckold. Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou 57deny me a matter of more weight; good Isis, I beseech thee.
58iras Amen, dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people. For as it is Editor’s Note59a heart-breaking to see a handsome man loose-wived, so it is a deadly Editor’s Note60sorrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded. Therefore, dear Isis, Editor’s Note61keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly.
62charmian Amen.
63alexas Lo now, if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they Editor’s Note64would make themselves whores but they'd do't.
Editor’s NoteEnter Cleopatra65enobarbus Hush, here comes Antony.
charmian Not he, the Queen.
66cleopatra Saw you my lord?
enobarbus No, lady.
cleopatra Was he not here?
charmian No, madam.
67cleopatra He was disposed to mirth, but on the sudden
Editor’s Note68A Roman thought hath struck him. Enobarbus!
69enobarbus Madam?
70cleopatra Seek him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas?
pg 2576 71alexas Here, at your service. My lord approaches.
Editor’s NoteEnter Antony with a Messenger72cleopatra We will not look upon him. Go with us.
Exeunt all but Antony and the MessengerEditor’s Note75first messenger Ay, but soon that war had end, and the time's state
Editor’s Note76Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Caesar,
Editor’s Note77Whose better issue in the war from Italy
78Upon the first encounter drove them.
antony Well, what worst?
Editor’s Note80antony When it concerns the fool or coward. On.
81Things that are past are done. With me 'tis thus:
82Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death,
Editor’s Note83I hear him as he flattered.
first messenger Labienus—
84This is stiff news—hath with his Parthian force
Editor’s Note85Extended Asïa; from Eúphrates
86His conquering banner shook, from Syria
87To Lydia, and to Ionia,
88Whilst—
antony 'Antony', thou wouldst say?
first messenger O, my lord!
Editor’s Note89antony Speak to me home. Mince not the general tongue—
90Name Cleopatra as she is called in Rome.
Editor’s Note91Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase, and taunt my faults
Editor’s Note92With such full licence as both truth and malice
93Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds
Editor’s Note94When our quick minds lie still, and our ills told us
Editor’s Note95Is as our earing. Fare thee well a while.
98[second messenger] The man from Sicyon—
[antony] Is there such a one?
antony Let him appear.
[Exit Second Messenger]100These strong Egyptian fetters I must break,
pg 2577101Or lose myself in dotage.
Enter another Messenger with a letterWhat are you?
102third messenger Fulvia thy wife is dead.
antony Where died she?
103[third messenger] In Sicyon.
104Her length of sickness, with what else more serious
Editor’s Note105Importeth thee to know, this bears.
[He gives Antony the letter]antony Forbear me.
[Exit Third Messenger]106There's a great spirit gone. Thus did I desire it.
Editor’s Note107What our contempts doth often hurl from us,
Link 108We wish it ours again. The present pleasure,
Editor’s Note109By revolution low'ring, does become
110The opposite of itself. She's good being gone—
Editor’s Note111The hand could pluck her back that shoved her on.
Editor’s Note112I must from this enchanting queen break off.
113Ten thousand harms more than the ills I know
Editor’s Note114My idleness doth hatch. How now, Enobarbus!
Editor’s NoteEnter Enobarbus115enobarbus What's your pleasure, sir?
antony I must with haste from hence.
116enobarbus Why then we kill all our women. We see how mortal an 117unkindness is to them; if they suffer our departure, death's the word.
118antony I must be gone.
119enobarbus Under a compelling occasion let women die. It were pity to 120cast them away for nothing—though between them and a great cause 121they should be esteemed nothing. Cleopatra catching but the least Editor’s Note122noise of this dies instantly. I have seen her die twenty times upon Editor’s Note123far poorer moment. I do think there is mettle in death, which Editor’s Note124commits some loving act upon her, she hath such a celerity in dying.
125antony She is cunning past man's thought.
126enobarbus Alack, sir, no—her passions are made of nothing but the 127finest part of pure love. We cannot call her winds and waters sighs 128and tears; they are greater storms and tempests than almanacs 129can report. This cannot be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a shower Editor’s Note130of rain as well as Jove.
131antony Would I had never seen her!
Editor’s Note132enobarbus O, sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of work, Editor’s Note133which not to have been blessed withal would have discredited your travel.
134antony Fulvia is dead.
135enobarbus Sir.
136antony Fulvia is dead.
pg 2578 137enobarbus Fulvia?
138antony Dead.
139enobarbus Why, sir, give the gods a thankful sacrifice. When it 140pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man from him, it shows to Editor’s Note141man the tailors of the earth; comforting therein that when old robes Editor’s Note142are worn out there are members to make new. If there were no more Editor’s Note143women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut, and the case to be 144lamented. This grief is crowned with consolation; your old smock Editor’s Note145brings forth a new petticoat—and indeed the tears live in an 146onion that should water this sorrow.
149enobarbus And the business you have broached here cannot be 150without you, especially that of Cleopatra's, which wholly depends on Editor’s Note151your abode.
152antony No more light answers. Let our officers
153Have notice what we purpose. I shall break
Editor’s Note154The cause of our expedience to the Queen,
155And get her leave to part; for not alone
Editor’s Note156The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,
157Do strongly speak to us, but the letters too
Editor’s Note158Of many our contriving friends in Rome
Editor’s Note159Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius
160Hath given the dare to Caesar and commands
161The empire of the sea. Our slippery people,
162Whose love is never linked to the deserver
Editor’s Note163Till his deserts are past, begin to throw
164Pompey the Great and all his dignities
165Upon his son, who—high in name and power,
Editor’s Note166Higher than both in blood and life—stands up
Editor’s Note167For the main soldier; whose quality, going on,
Editor’s Note168The sides o'th' world may danger. Much is breeding
Editor’s Note169Which, like the courser's hair, hath yet but life,
170And not a serpent's poison. Say our pleasure,
Editor’s Note171To such whose place is under us, requires
172Our quick remove from hence.
enobarbus I shall do't.
Editor’s Note[Exeunt severally]
