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On board POMPEY's galley, off Misenum.
[Music plays. Enter two or three Servants with a banquet]
FIRST SERVANT
Here they'll be man. Some of their plants are ill-rooted already, the least
wind in the world will blow them down.
SECOND SERVANT
Lepidus is high-colored.
FIRST SERVANT
They have made him drink alms-drink.
SECOND SERVANT
As they pinch one another by the disposition, he cries out, no more;
reconciles them to his entreaty, and himself to the drink.
FIRST SERVANT
But it raises the greater war between him and his discretion.
SECOND SERVANT
Why this is to have a name in great men's fellowship: I had as lief have a
reed that will do me no service, as a partisan I could not heave.
FIRST SERVANT
To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in it, are the
holes where eyes should be, which pitifully disaster the cheeks.
[A sennet sounded. Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MARK ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POMPEY,
AGRIPPA, MECAENAS, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, MENAS, with other captains]
MARK ANTONY
, ,
, , 2
,
Thus^do | they sir:| they take | the flow | of
the Nile
, ,
2 , , ,
By cert|ain scales | in the pyr|amid:| they know
2 , ,
, 2 ,
,
By the height,| the low|ness, or the | mean: if |
dearth
<- ,
, ,
, ,
Or || foison | follow.| The high|er Ni|lus
swells,
,
, , 2 ,
, 2->
The more | it prom|ises:| as it ebbs,| the
seeds||man
, ,
, ,
,
Upon | the slime | and ooze | scatters | his
grain,
,
, ,
And short|ly comes | to harv|est. \\
LEPIDUS
You've strange serpents there?
MARK ANTONY
Aye Lepidus.
LEPIDUS
Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun:
so is your crocodile.
MARK ANTONY
They are so.
POMPEY
Sit, and some wine: A health to Lepidus.
LEPIDUS
I am not so well as I should be:
But I'll nere out.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Not till you have slept: I fear me you'll be in till then.
LEPIDUS
Nay certainly, I have heard the Ptolemies' pyramises are very goodly
things: without contradiction I have heard that.
MENAS
Pompey, a word.
POMPEY
Say in mine ear, what is it.
MENAS
Forsake thy seat I do beseech thee captain, And hear me speak a word.
POMPEY
Forbear me till anon. [whispering in his ear] This wine for Lepidus.
LEPIDUS
What manner of thing is your crocodile?
MARK ANTONY
It is shaped sir like itself, and it is as broad as it hath breadth: it is
just so high as it is, and moves with its own organs. it lives by that which
nourisheth it, and the elements once out of it, it transmigrates.
LEPIDUS
What color is it of?
MARK ANTONY
Of it own color too.
LEPIDUS
'Tis a strange serpent.
MARK ANTONY
'Tis so, and the tears of it are wet.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Will this description satisfy him?
MARK ANTONY
With the health that Pompey gives him, else he is a very epicure.
POMPEY
Go hang sir, hang: Tell me of that? away: Do as I bid you. Where's this cup
I called for?
MENAS
If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me,
Rise from thy stool.
POMPEY
I think thou'rt mad: The matter?
MENAS
I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes.
POMPEY
Thou hast served me with much faith: What's else to say? Be jolly lords.
MARK ANTONY
These quicksands Lepidus,
Keep off, them for you sink.
MENAS
Wilt thou be lord of all the world?
POMPEY
What sayst thou?
MENAS
Wilt thou be lord of the whole world?
That's twice.
POMPEY
How should that be?
MENAS
But entertain it, and though thou think me poor, I am the man will give thee
all the world.
POMPEY
Hast thou drunk well.
MENAS
, ,
, ,
,
No Pom/pey, I | have kept | me from | the cup,
, .
T T T
, ,
Thou art | if thou darst be,| the earth|ly Jove:
, ,
, ,
,
Whatere | the o|cean pales,| or sky | inclips,
, ,
x
Is thine,| if thou | wilt have it.
POMPEY
, ,
Show me | which^way?
MENAS
T T
T , ,
, 2
These three world-|sharers,| these com|petitors
,
x ,
, ,
Are in | thy vessel.| Let me | cut the | cable,
,
, , ,
,
And when | we are / put off,| fall to | their
throats:
, . T
All* there | is thine.
POMPEY
T
T , ,
Ah, this | thou shouldst |
have done,
, ,
x ,
, 2
And not | have spoke | on it. In | me 'tis |
villany,
, 2 ,
, , ,
In thee,| it had been | good* serv|ice: thou |
must know,
, x
, ,
,
'Tis not | my profit | that does | lead mine |
honor:
, ,
, , ,
Mine^hon|or it.| Repent | that ere | thy tongue,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Hath so | betrayed | thine^act.| Being done |
unknown,
, 2
, ,
T T T
I should have | found it | after|wards well done,
,
, , ,
,
But must | condemn | it now:| desist,| and drink.
MENAS
, , ,
o
For this,| I'll nev|er fol|low
, ,
, oo
Thy pal|led for|tunes more,|
(tetra with prev)
,
, , , ,
o
Who seeks | and will | not take,| when once |'tis
of|fered, (pair of tri)
, ,
, oo
Shall nev|er find | it more.|
POMPEY
This health to Lepidus.
MARK ANTONY
Bear him ashore,
I'll pledge it for him Pompey.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Here's to thee Menas.
MENAS
Enobarbus, welcome.
POMPEY
Fill till the cup be hid.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
There's a strong fellow Menas.
MENAS
Why?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
He bears the third part of the world man: seest not?
MENAS
The third part, then he is drunk: would it were all, that it might go on
wheels.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Drink thou: increase the reels.
MENAS
Come.
POMPEY
This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.
MARK ANTONY
It ripens towards it: Strike the vessels ho. Here's to Caesar.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
I could well forbear it, it's monstrous labor when I wash my brain, and it
grows fouler.
MARK ANTONY
Be a child of the time.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Possess it, I'll make answer: but I had rather fast from all, four days, than
drink so much in one.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Ha my brave emperor, Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals,
and celebrate our drink?
POMPEY
x
,
Let's^have it | good* sol|dier.
MARK ANTONY
, ,
,
Come,| let's^all | take^hands,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Till that | the con|quering wine | hath steeped |
our sense,
, ,
2 ,
In soft | and de|licate Lethe.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
T T T
All take hands:
, ,
2 ,
2 , ,
Make bat/tery | to our ears | with the loud |
music,
, ,
, ,
,
The while,| I'll place | you, then | the boy |
shall sing.
,
, , , ,
The hold|ing eve|ry man | shall bear | as loud,
, ,
,
As his / strong sides | can vol|ley. \\
[Music plays. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS places them hand in hand]
THE SONG
,
, ,
__
Come thou | monarch | of the | vine,
,
, T T
T
Plumpy | Bacchus,| with pink eyne:
,
, ,
___
In thy | fats our | cares be | drowned,
,
, ,
___
With thy | grapes our | hairs be | crowned.
,
, ,
___
Cup us | till the | world go | round,
,
, ,
___
Cup us | till the | world go | round.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
, ,
What would | you more?
, 2 ,
,
Pompey good | night. Good*| brother
, 2
, ,
, ,
Let me re|quest you | of our | graver |
business
,
, 2 , , ,
Frowns at | this lev|ity. gent|le lords |
let's^part,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
You see | we have burnt | our cheeks.|
Strong^En|obarb
,
, ,
, ,
Is weak|er than | the wine,| and mine^/own tongue
, 2
, , ,
,
Splits what it | speaks: the | wild dis|guise
hath | almost
T T . T
, ,
,
Anticked us all.| What needs | more* words?|
Good* night.
, 3 3 ,
Good* Ant|ony your hand.
POMPEY
,
, ,
I'll try | you on | the shore.
MARK ANTONY
,
x ,
And shall | sir, give us | your hand. \\
POMPEY
, ,
, ,
,
O Ant/ony,| you have | my fath|er's house.
,
2 ,
But what,| we are friends?
, ,
,
Come down^|into | the
boat.
[Exeunt all but DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS and MENAS]
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
, ,
,
Take heed | you fall | not.
MENAS
, ,
I'll not | on shore,
, 2
x ,
No to my | cabin: these^|drums,
, ,
These^|trumpets,|
flutes: what
,
, ,
, ,
Let Nep|tune hear,| we bid | a loud | farewell
2
, , ,
, ,
To these great | fellows.| Sound and | be
hanged,| sound^out.
[Sound a flourish, with drums]
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Ho says he there's my cap.
MENAS
Ho, Noble captain, come.
[Exeunt]