The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (763 page)

BOOK: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
4.87Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

 

Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, and TAURUS, with his army, marching

 

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Taurus!

Taurus!

 

TAURUS

My lord?

Sir?

 

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke not battle,

Do not fight on land; stand your ground: do not start a battle

Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed

Until we have finished at sea. Do not go beyond

The prescript of this scroll: our fortune lies

This order: our whole fortune depends

Upon this jump.

Upon this move.

 

Exeunt

 

Enter MARK ANTONY and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

 

MARK ANTONY

Set we our squadrons on yond side o' the hill,

Let us set our squadrons on this side of the hill,

In eye of Caesar's battle; from which place

Within view of Caesar's battle; from which

We may the number of the ships behold,

We may see the number of the ships,

And so proceed accordingly.

Exeunt

CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant of OCTAVIUS CAESAR, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight

Alarum. Enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Naught, naught all, naught! I can behold no longer:

All for nothing, nothing, nothing! I can't watch anymore;

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:

With all their sixty ships, turn around and escape:

To see't mine eyes are blasted.

To see it burns my eyes.

 

Enter SCARUS

 

SCARUS

Gods and goddesses,

Gods and goddesses,
All the whole synod of them!

The entire navy of them!

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

What's thy passion!

What's your opinion?

 

SCARUS

The greater cantle of the world is lost

The larger wealth is lost

With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away

With ignorance; we have kissed away

Kingdoms and provinces.

Kingdoms and provinces.

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

How appears the fight?

How does the fight look?

 

SCARUS

On our side like the token'd pestilence,

On our side it is like a plague,

Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt,--

Where death is definite. Those weak soldiers of Egypt,--

Whom leprosy o'ertake!--i' the midst o' the fight,

May they have leprosy! -- In the middle of the fight,

The breese upon her, like a cow in June,

The breeze upon her, like a cow in June,

Hoists sails and flies.

Pulls up the sails and runs away.

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

That I beheld:

I saw that:

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not

My eyes sickened at the sight, and could not

Endure a further view.

Stand to watch any longer.

 

SCARUS

She once being loof'd,

Once she had escaped,

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

The one who had ruined her, Antony,

Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,

Put up his sails, and, like a loving male duck,

Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:

Leaving the fight at its peak, sailed after her:

I never saw an action of such shame;

I never saw such a shameful action;

Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before

Experience, manhood, honor, never before

Did violate so itself.

Violated itself so much.

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Alack, alack!

Oh no, oh no!

 

Enter CANIDIUS

 

CANIDIUS

Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,

We are out of luck on the sea,

And sinks most lamentably. Had our general

And it sinks. If our general

Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:

Been himself and fought like he can, it would have gone well:

O, he has given example for our flight,

Oh, he has given an example for our running away,

Most grossly, by his own!

Terribly, by his own!

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Ay, are you thereabouts?

Yes, are you around there?

Why, then, good night indeed.

Why, then, goodnight indeed.

 

CANIDIUS

Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.

They escaped towards Peloponnesus.

 

SCARUS

'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend

That is easily reached; and there I will deal with

What further comes.

What comes after.

 

CANIDIUS

To Caesar will I render

To Caesar I will give

My legions and my horse: six kings already

My armies and my horses: six kings already

Show me the way of yielding.

Have shown me how to surrender.

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

I'll yet follow

I'll still follow

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason

The unlikely way of Antony, even though it does not
Sits in the wind against me.

Seem reasonable to.

 

Exeunt

 

Enter MARK ANTONY with Attendants

 

MARK ANTONY

Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon't;

Listen! The land no longer wants me to walk upon it;

It is ashamed to bear me! Friends, come hither:

It is ashamed to carry me! Friends, come here:
I am so lated in the world, that I

I ham so ruined in the world, that I

Have lost my way for ever: I have a ship

Have lost my way forever: I have a ship

Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,

Full of gold; take it, share it; escape

And make your peace with Caesar.

And make your peace with Caesar.

 

All

Fly! not we.

Run away! Not we.

 

MARK ANTONY

I have fled myself; and have instructed cowards

I have run myself; and have told cowards

To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone;

To run and show their backs. Friends, be gone;
I have myself resolved upon a course

I have decided on a plan

Which has no need of you; be gone:

Which does not need you; go:

My treasure's in the harbour, take it. O,

My treasure's in the harbor, take it. Oh,
I follow'd that I blush to look upon:

I followed what I blushed to look at:

My very hairs do mutiny; for the white

My very hairs rebel against me; for the white

Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them

Scold the brown for riskiness, and they them

For fear and doting. Friends, be gone: you shall

For fear and caring too much. Friends, be gone; you will

Have letters from me to some friends that will

Have letters from me to some friends that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,

Make your pathway easier. Please, do not look sad,

Nor make replies of loathness: take the hint

Or refuse any further: take the hint

Which my despair proclaims; let that be left

Which my despair announces; let that be left

Which leaves itself: to the sea-side straightway:

Which leaves itself: go to the sea:

I will possess you of that ship and treasure.

I will allow you to have that ship and treasure.

Leave me, I pray, a little: pray you now:

Leave me, please, please now:

Nay, do so; for, indeed, I have lost command,

No, do, because I have lost command,

Therefore I pray you: I'll see you by and by.

Therefore, please: I'll see you again.

 

Sits down

Enter CLEOPATRA led by CHARMIAN and IRAS; EROS following

 

EROS

Nay, gentle madam, to him, comfort him.

No, gentle madam, go to him, comfort him.

 

IRAS

Do, most dear queen.

Do, dearest queen.

 

CHARMIAN

Do! why: what else?

Do! What else could you do?

CLEOPATRA

Let me sit down. O Juno!

Let me sit down. O Juno!

 

MARK ANTONY

No, no, no, no, no.

Other books

The Immortal Game by David Shenk
Andrea Pickens - [Lessons in Love 01] by The Defiant Governess
Lady Danger (The Warrior Maids of Rivenloch, Book 1) by Campbell, Glynnis, McKerrigan, Sarah
Ride and Reap by Angelique Voisen
Lethal Dose by Jeff Buick
Captive by Heather Graham
Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark