The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (767 page)

The dove will peck the hawk; and I still see,

A diminution in our captain's brain

A reduction in our captain's brain

Restores his heart: when valour preys on reason,

Restores his heart: when courage overcomes intelligence,

It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek

It eats the sword it fights with. I will try to find

Some way to leave him.

Exit

Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECAENAS, with his Army; OCTAVIUS CAESAR reading a letter

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

He calls me boy; and chides, as he had power

He calls me a boy; and scolds, as if he had the power

To beat me out of Egypt; my messenger

To chase me out of Egypt; my messenger

He hath whipp'd with rods; dares me to personal combat,

He has whipped with sticks; dares me to single combat,

Caesar to Antony: let the old ruffian know

Caesar to Antony: let the old scoundrel know

I have many other ways to die; meantime

I have plenty of other ways to die; meanwhile

Laugh at his challenge.

I laugh at his challenge.

MECAENAS

Caesar must think,

Caesar must think,
When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted

When such a great man begins to rage, he is

Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now

Very close to falling. Give him no breath, but now

Make boot of his distraction: never anger

Take advantage of his distraction: anger never

Made good guard for itself.

Guarded itself well.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Let our best heads

Let our wisest men

Know, that to-morrow the last of many battles

Know that tomorrow is the last of many battles
We mean to fight: within our files there are,

That we mean to fight: in our ranks there are,

Of those that served Mark Antony but late,

Of those who until recently served Mark Antony,

Enough to fetch him in. See it done:

Enough to bring him in. See it done:

And feast the army; we have store to do't,

And give the army a feast; we have the supplies to do it,

And they have earn'd the waste. Poor Antony!

And they have earned the indulgence. Poor Antony!

Exeunt

Enter MARK ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, with others

MARK ANTONY

He will not fight with me, Domitius.

He will not fight with me, Domitius.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

No.

No.

MARK ANTONY

Why should he not?

Why won't he?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,

He thinks, since his fortune is twenty times better,

He is twenty men to one.

He is twenty men to one.

MARK ANTONY

To-morrow, soldier,

Tomorrow, soldier,
By sea and land I'll fight: or I will live,

By sea and land I'll fight: or I will live,
Or bathe my dying honour in the blood

Or bathe my dying honor in the blood

Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well?

That will make it live again. Will you fight well?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

I'll strike, and cry 'Take all.'

I will order them to take everything.

MARK ANTONY

Well said; come on.

Well said; come on.
Call forth my household servants: let's to-night

Tell my household servants to come: tonight let's

Be bounteous at our meal.

Have a generous meal.

Enter three or four Servitors

Give me thy hand,

Give me your hand,

Thou hast been rightly honest;--so hast thou;--

You have been honest as you should be; --so have you;--

Thou,--and thou,--and thou:--you have served me well,

You,--and you, --and you:--you have served me well,

And kings have been your fellows.

And you have been side-by-side with kings.

CLEOPATRA

[Aside to DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS] What means this?

What is this about?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

[Aside to CLEOPATRA] 'Tis one of those odd

It is one of the odd

tricks which sorrow shoots

tricks that sadness shoots

Out of the mind.

Out of the mind.

MARK ANTONY

And thou art honest too.

And you are honest, too.

I wish I could be made so many men,

I wish I could be made into many men,

And all of you clapp'd up together in

And all of you put together into

An Antony, that I might do you service

One Antony, so that I could serve you

So good as you have done.

As well as you have done.

All

The gods forbid!

May the gods forbid!

MARK ANTONY

Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night:

Well, my good men, wait on my tonight:

Scant not my cups; and make as much of me

Keep my cups filled; and make as big a deal of me

As when mine empire was your fellow too,

As when my empire was yours too,

And suffer'd my command.

And was under my command.

CLEOPATRA

[Aside to DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS] What does he mean?

What does he mean?

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

[Aside to CLEOPATRA] To make his followers weep.

To make his followers cry.

MARK ANTONY

Tend me to-night;

Take care of me tonight;

May be it is the period of your duty:

It might be the last part of your service:

Haply you shall not see me more; or if,

You may not see me again; or if you do,

A mangled shadow: perchance to-morrow

Just a beaten shadow: perhaps tomorrow

You'll serve another master. I look on you

You'll serve another master. I look at you

As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,

In the way of someone who is saying goodbye. My honest friends,

I turn you not away; but, like a master

I do not push you away; but, like a master

Married to your good service, stay till death:

Depending on your good service, stay till my death:

Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,

Care for me tonight for two hours, I do not ask for more,

And the gods yield you for't!

And may the gods treat you well for it!

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

What mean you, sir,

What is the meaning of this, sir,

To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;

To make them so uncomfortable? Look, they cry;

And I, an ass, am onion-eyed: for shame,

And I myself am teary-eyed: for shame,

Transform us not to women.

Don't make us like women.

MARK ANTONY

Ho, ho, ho!

Hey, hey, hey!

Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus!

Now the witch take me, if I meant it like that!

Grace grow where those drops fall!

May good things grow where those drops fall!

My hearty friends,

My strong friends,

You take me in too dolorous a sense;

You misunderstand me in too sad a way;

For I spake to you for your comfort; did desire you

For I spoke to you for your comfort; I wanted you

To burn this night with torches: know, my hearts,

To fill this night with torches; know, my hearts,

I hope well of to-morrow; and will lead you

I have good hopes of tomorrow; and will lead you

Where rather I'll expect victorious life

Where I expect a victorious life

Than death and honour. Let's to supper, come,

Rather than an honorable death. Let's go to supper, come,

And drown consideration.

And drink away our worries.

Exeunt