ANTONY. The world and my great office will sometimes
Divide me from your bosom.

OCTAVIA. All which time
Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers

To them for you.
ANTONY. Good night, sir. My Octavia,

Read not my blemishes in the world's report.
I have not kept my square; but that to come

Shall all be done by th' rule. Good night, dear lady.
OCTAVIA. Good night, sir.

CAESAR. Good night. Exeunt CAESAR and OCTAVIA
Enter SOOTHSAYER

ANTONY. Now, sirrah, you do wish yourself in Egypt?
SOOTHSAYER. Would I had never come from thence, nor you thither!

ANTONY. If you can- your reason.
SOOTHSAYER. I see it in my motion, have it not in my tongue; but

yet hie you to Egypt again.
ANTONY. Say to me,

Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Caesar's or mine?
SOOTHSAYER. Caesar's.

Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side.
Thy daemon, that thy spirit which keeps thee, is

Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable,
Where Caesar's is not; but near him thy angel

Becomes a fear, as being o'erpow'r'd. Therefore
Make space enough between you.

ANTONY. Speak this no more.
SOOTHSAYER. To none but thee; no more but when to thee.

If thou dost play with him at any game,
Thou art sure to lose; and of that natural luck

He beats thee 'gainst the odds. Thy lustre thickens
When he shines by. I say again, thy spirit

Is all afraid to govern thee near him;
But, he away, 'tis noble.

ANTONY. Get thee gone.
Say to Ventidius I would speak with him.

Exit SOOTHSAYER
He shall to Parthia.- Be it art or hap,

He hath spoken true. The very dice obey him;
And in our sports my better cunning faints

Under his chance. If we draw lots, he speeds;
His cocks do win the battle still of mine,

When it is all to nought, and his quails ever
Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt;

And though I make this marriage for my peace,
I' th' East my pleasure lies.

Enter VENTIDIUS
O, come, Ventidius,

You must to Parthia. Your commission's ready;
Follow me and receive't. Exeunt

SCENE IV.
Rome. A street

Enter LEPIDUS, MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA
LEPIDUS. Trouble yourselves no further. Pray you hasten

Your generals after.
AGRIPPA. Sir, Mark Antony

Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow.
LEPIDUS. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress,

Which will become you both, farewell.
MAECENAS. We shall,

As I conceive the journey, be at th' Mount
Before you, Lepidus.

LEPIDUS. Your way is shorter;
My purposes do draw me much about.

You'll win two days upon me.
BOTH. Sir, good success!

LEPIDUS. Farewell. Exeunt
SCENE V.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA'S palace
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS

CLEOPATRA. Give me some music- music, moody food
Of us that trade in love.

ALL. The music, ho!
Enter MARDIAN the eunuch

CLEOPATRA. Let it alone! Let's to billiards. Come, Charmian.
CHARMIAN. My arm is sore; best play with Mardian.

CLEOPATRA. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd
As with a woman. Come, you'll play with me, sir?

MARDIAN. As well as I can, madam.
CLEOPATRA. And when good will is show'd, though't come too short,

The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now.
Give me mine angle- we'll to th' river. There,

My music playing far off, I will betray
Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce

Their slimy jaws; and as I draw them up
I'll think them every one an Antony,

And say 'Ah ha! Y'are caught.'
CHARMIAN. 'Twas merry when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver
Did hang a salt fish on his hook, which he

With fervency drew up.
CLEOPATRA. That time? O times

I laughed him out of patience; and that night
I laugh'd him into patience; and next morn,

Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed,
Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst

I wore his sword Philippan.
Enter a MESSENGER

O! from Italy?
Ram thou thy fruitfultidings in mine ears,

That long time have been barren.
MESSENGER. Madam, madam-

CLEOPATRA. Antony's dead! If thou say so, villain,
Thou kill'st thy mistress; but well and free,

If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here
My bluest veins to kiss- a hand that kings

Have lipp'd, and trembled kissing.
MESSENGER. First, madam, he is well.

CLEOPATRA. Why, there's more gold.
But, sirrah, mark, we use

To say the dead are well. Bring it to that,
The gold I give thee will I melt and pour

Down thy ill-uttering throat.
MESSENGER. Good madam, hear me.

CLEOPATRA. Well, go to, I will.
But there's no goodness in thy face. If Antony

Be free and healthful- why so tart a favour
To trumpet such good tidings? If not well,

Thou shouldst come like a Fury crown'd with snakes,
Not like a formal man.

MESSENGER. Will't please you hear me?
CLEOPATRA. I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak'st.

Yet, if thou say Antony lives, is well,
Or friends with Caesar, or not captive to him,

I'll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail
Rich pearls upon thee.

MESSENGER. Madam, he's well.
CLEOPATRA. Well said.

MESSENGER. And friends with Caesar.
CLEOPATRA. Th'art an honest man.

MESSENGER. Caesar and he are greater friends than ever.
CLEOPATRA. Make thee a fortune from me.

MESSENGER. But yet, madam-
CLEOPATRA. I do not like 'but yet.' It does allay

The good precedence; fie upon 'but yet'!
'But yet' is as a gaoler to bring forth

Some monstrous malefactor. Prithee, friend,
Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear,

The good and bad together. He's friends with Caesar;
In state of health, thou say'st; and, thou say'st, free.

MESSENGER. Free, madam! No; I made no such report.
He's bound unto Octavia.

CLEOPATRA. For what good turn?
MESSENGER. For the best turn i' th' bed.

CLEOPATRA. I am pale, Charmian.
MESSENGER. Madam, he's married to Octavia.

CLEOPATRA. The most infectiouspestilence upon thee!
[Strikes him down]

MESSENGER. Good madam, patience.
CLEOPATRA. What say you? Hence, [Strikes him]

Horrible villain! or I'll spurn thine eyes
Like balls before me; I'll unhair thy head;

[She hales him up and down]
Thou shalt be whipp'd with wire and stew'd in brine,

Smarting in ling'ring pickle.
MESSENGER. Gracious madam,

I that do bring the news made not the match.
CLEOPATRA. Say 'tis not so, a province I will give thee,

And make thy fortunes proud. The blow thou hadst
Shall make thy peace for moving me to rage;

And I will boot thee with what gift beside
Thy modesty can beg.

MESSENGER. He's married, madam.
CLEOPATRA. Rogue, thou hast liv'd too long. [Draws a knife]

MESSENGER. Nay, then I'll run.
What mean you, madam? I have made no fault. Exit

CHARMIAN. Good madam, keep yourself within yourself:
The man is innocent.

CLEOPATRA. Some innocents scape not the thunderbolt.
Melt Egypt into Nile! and kindly creatures

Turn all to serpents! Call the slave again.
Though I am mad, I will not bite him. Call!

CHARMIAN. He is afear'd to come.
CLEOPATRA. I will not hurt him.

These hands do lack nobility, that they strike
A meaner than myself; since I myself

Have given myself the cause.
Enter the MESSENGER again

Come hither, sir.
Though it be honest, it is never good

To bring bad news. Give to a gracious message
An host of tongues; but let ill tidings tell

Themselves when they be felt.
MESSENGER. I have done my duty.

CLEOPATRA. Is he married?
I cannot hate thee worser than I do

If thou again say 'Yes.'
MESSENGER. He's married, madam.

CLEOPATRA. The gods confound thee! Dost thou hold there still?
MESSENGER. Should I lie, madam?

CLEOPATRA. O, I would thou didst,
So half my Egypt were submerg'd and made

A cistern for scal'd snakes! Go, get thee hence.
Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me

Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married?
MESSENGER. I crave your Highness' pardon.

CLEOPATRA. He is married?
MESSENGER. Take no offence that I would not offend you;

To punish me for what you make me do
Seems much unequal. He's married to Octavia.

CLEOPATRA. O, that his fault should make a knave of thee

• thence [ðens] ad.从那里；因此 (初中英语单词)
• govern [´gʌvən] v.统治；控制；指导 (初中英语单词)
• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
• cunning [´kʌniŋ] a.&n.狡猾(诡诈)的 (初中英语单词)
• conceive [kən´si:v] v.设想；表达；怀孕 (初中英语单词)
• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)
• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
• patience [´peiʃəns] n.忍耐(力)；耐心；坚韧 (初中英语单词)
• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
• goodness [´gudnis] n.优良；美德；精华 (初中英语单词)
• formal [´fɔ:məl] a.正式的；外表的 (初中英语单词)
• captive [´kæptiv] n.俘虏；捕获物 (初中英语单词)
• shower [´ʃauə] n.展出者；阵雨；淋浴 (初中英语单词)
• gracious [´greiʃəs] a.和蔼可亲的；任慈的 (初中英语单词)
• province [´prɔvins] n.省；领域；范围 (初中英语单词)
• messenger [´mesindʒə] n.使者；送信人 (初中英语单词)
• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
• offend [ə´fend] v.犯错误；违犯；犯罪 (初中英语单词)
• punish [´pʌniʃ] vt.(惩)罚；痛击；折磨 (初中英语单词)
• caesar [´si:zə] n.凯撒；暴君；独裁者 (高中英语单词)
• motion [´məuʃən] n.手势 vt.打手势 (高中英语单词)
• fruitful [´fru:tfəl] a.成功的；丰富的 (高中英语单词)
• tidings [´taidiŋz] n.消息，音信 (高中英语单词)
• trumpet [´trʌmpit] n.喇叭；小号 (高中英语单词)
• monstrous [´mɔnstrəs] a.怪异的；庞大的 (高中英语单词)
• infectious [in´fekʃəs] a.传染，传染(性)的 (高中英语单词)
• nobility [nəu´biliti, nə-] n.高贵；贵金属性 (高中英语单词)
• confound [kən´faund] v.混淆；使惊惶 (高中英语单词)
• courageous [kə´reidʒəs] a.勇敢的；无畏的 (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• modesty [´mɔdisti] n.谨慎；端庄；羞怯 (英语四级单词)
• unequal [ʌn´i:kwəl] a.不平等的；不同的 (英语四级单词)
• eunuch [´ju:nək] n.太监 (英语六级单词)
• pestilence [´pestiləns] n.瘟(鼠)疫；毒害(物) (英语六级单词)
• cistern [´sistən] n.蓄水池(箱)；水塘 (英语六级单词)