The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (775 page)

A more unique spirit never

Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us

Steered humanity: but you, gods, give us

Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touch'd.

A few flaws to make us mortal. Caesar is touched.

MECAENAS

When such a spacious mirror's set before him,

When such a big and wide mirror is placed in front of him,

He needs must see himself.

He of course will see himself.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

O Antony!

Oh, Antony!
I have follow'd thee to this; but we do lance

I have pushed you to this; but we force out

Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce

Diseases in our bodies: I must have otherwise

Have shown to thee such a declining day,

Shown to you such a day,

Or look on thine; we could not stall together

Or look at yours; we could not coexist together

In the whole world: but yet let me lament,

In the whole world: but still let me mourn,

With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,

With tears as genuine as the blood of hearts,

That thou, my brother, my competitor

That you, my brother, my competitor

Friend and companion in the front of war,

Friend and companion in the thick of war

The arm of mine own body, and the heart

The arm of my own body, and the heart

Where mine his thoughts did kindle,--that our stars,

Where I shared thoughts with him, -- that our destiny,

Unreconciliable, should divide

Impossible to reconcile, would divide

Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends--

Our equality to this. Hear me, good friends --

But I will tell you at some meeter season:

But I will tell you at a more appropriate time:

Enter an Egyptian

The business of this man looks out of him;

This man looks like he has important business;

We'll hear him what he says. Whence are you?

We'll listen to what he has to say. Where did you come from?

Egyptian

A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress,

I am still a poor Egyptian. My lady the queen,

Confined in all she has, her monument,

Locked up with all she has, her monument,

Of thy intents desires instruction,

Wants to know what you plan for her,

That she preparedly may frame herself

That she can prepare herself

To the way she's forced to.

To whatever you will force her.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Bid her have good heart:

Tell her to have confidence:

She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,

She will soon know from us, by some of ours,

How honourable and how kindly we

How honorably and how kindly we

Determine for her; for Caesar cannot live

Have plans for her; for Caesar cannot live

To be ungentle.

To not be gentle.

Egyptian

So the gods preserve thee!

May the gods care for you!

Exit

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Come hither, Proculeius. Go and say,

Come here, Proculeius. Go and say,

We purpose her no shame: give her what comforts

We have no shame for her: give her what comforts

The quality of her passion shall require,

She wants,
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke

To prevent the possibility that, in her greatness, by some luck

She do defeat us; for her life in Rome

She defeats us; for her life in Rome

Would be eternal in our triumph: go,

Would be forever in our victory: go,

And with your speediest bring us what she says,

And as quickly as you can bring us what she says,

And how you find of her.

And how she is.

PROCULEIUS

Caesar, I shall.

Caesar, I will.

Exit

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Gallus, go you along.

Gallus, go with him.

Exit GALLUS

Where's Dolabella,

Where's Dolabella,
To second Proculeius?

To serve for Proculeius?

All

Dolabella!

Dolabella!

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Let him alone, for I remember now

Leave him alone, for I remember now

How he's employ'd: he shall in time be ready.

What he is doing: he will eventually be ready.

Go with me to my tent; where you shall see

Go with me to my tent, where you will see
How hardly I was drawn into this war;

How rudely I was pulled into this war;

How calm and gentle I proceeded still

How calm and gentle I continued despite it

In all my writings: go with me, and see

In all my writings: go with me, and see
What I can show in this.

What I can show in this.

Exeunt

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS

CLEOPATRA

My desolation does begin to make

My ruin begins to make

A better life. 'Tis paltry to be Caesar;

A better life. It is not much to be Caesar;

Not being Fortune, he's but Fortune's knave,

Not being Fortune, he is only Fortune's servant,

A minister of her will: and it is great

Doing her will: and it is great

To do that thing that ends all other deeds;

To do that thing that ends all other actions,
Which shackles accidents and bolts up change;

Which chains accidents and strengthens change;

Which sleeps, and never palates more the dug,

Which sleeps, and never wants more dug up,

The beggar's nurse and Caesar's.

Enter, to the gates of the monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS and Soldiers

PROCULEIUS

Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt;

Caesar sends greetings to the Queen of Egypt;
And bids thee study on what fair demands

And wishes you to think about what fair demands

Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.

You mean to have him give you.

CLEOPATRA

What's thy name?

What is your name?

PROCULEIUS

My name is Proculeius.

My name is Proculeius.

CLEOPATRA

Antony

Mark Antony
Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but

Told me about you, told me to trust you; but

I do not greatly care to be deceived,

I am not very much worried about being deceived,

That have no use for trusting. If your master

Since I have no use for trusting. If your master

Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,

Wants a queen to beg him, you must tell him,

That majesty, to keep decorum, must

That royalty, to be proper, must

No less beg than a kingdom: if he please

Beg for nothing less than a kingdom: if he would be willing

To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son,

To give me conquered Egypt for my son,

He gives me so much of mine own, as I

He gives me enough of my own, that I

Will kneel to him with thanks.

Will kneel to him with thanks.

PROCULEIUS

Be of good cheer;

Be cheerful;

You're fall'n into a princely hand, fear nothing:

You have fallen into a princely hand, do not fear:

Make your full reference freely to my lord,

Talk freely to my lord,

Who is so full of grace, that it flows over

Who is so full of kindness, that it flows over
On all that need: let me report to him

On everyone in need: let me report to him

Your sweet dependency; and you shall find

Your humility; and you will find

A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness,

A conqueror that will treat others with kindness,

Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

When he is kneeled to graciously.

CLEOPATRA

Pray you, tell him

Please, tell him

I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him

I am his destiny's underling, and I send him

The greatness he has got. I hourly learn

The greatness he has. Each hour I learn

A doctrine of obedience; and would gladly

A lesson of obedience; and would gladly

Look him i' the face.

Look him in the face.

PROCULEIUS

This I'll report, dear lady.

This I will report, dear lady.

Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied

Be comforted, for I know your situation is pitied

Of him that caused it.

By him who caused it.

GALLUS

You see how easily she may be surprised:

You see how easily she may be surprised:

Here PROCULEIUS and two of the Guard ascend the monument by a ladder placed against a window, and, having descended, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the Guard unbar and open the gates

To PROCULEIUS and the Guard

Guard her till Caesar come.

Guard her until Caesar comes.

Exit

IRAS

Royal queen!

Royal queen!

CHARMIAN

O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen:

Oh, Cleopatra! You have been captured, queen:

CLEOPATRA

Quick, quick, good hands.

Drawing a dagger

PROCULEIUS

Hold, worthy lady, hold:

Stop, worthy lady, stop:

Seizes and disarms her

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this

Do not wrong yourself like this, who are

Relieved, but not betray'd.

Kept safe, not betrayed.

CLEOPATRA

What, of death too,

What, from death too,

That rids our dogs of languish?

That releases our dogs from suffering?

PROCULEIUS

Cleopatra,