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Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

Ant.

By sea, by sea.

Eno. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away

The absolute soldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most consist
Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.

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Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better.

Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn;

And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of

Actium

Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail,

Enter a Messenger.

We then can do't at land. -Thy business?

Mess. The news is true, my lord; he is descried; Cæsar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible; Strange, that his power should be.-Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land, And our twelve thousand horse :-We'll to our ship;

Enter a Soldier.

Away, my Thetis!-How now, worthy soldier?
Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;

Trust not to rotten planks: Do you misdoubt

This sword, and these my wounds? Let the Egyp

tians,

And the Phoenicians, go a ducking; we

Have us'd to conquer, standing on the earth,

And fighting foot to foot.

Ant.

Well, well, away.

[Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus.

Sold. By Hercules, I think, I am i' the right.

Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows

Not in the power on't34: So our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

Sold.

You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea :

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæsar's

Carries beyond belief.

Sold.

While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in such distractions, as

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Mess. The emperor calls for Canidius.

Can. With news the time's with labour; and throes

forth,

Each minute, some.

[Exeunt. SCENE VIII.

A Plain near Actium.

Enter CÆSAR, TAURUS, Officers, and Others.

Cæs. Taurus,

Taur. My lord.
Cæs.

Strike not by land; keep whole:

[Exeunt.

Provoke not battle, till we have done at sea.
Do not exceed the prescript of this scroll :
Our fortune lies upon this jump.

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

Ant. Set we our squadrons on yon' side o' the hill, In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place We may the number of the ships behold, And so proceed accordingly.

[Excunt.

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

Alarum. Re-enter ENOBARBUS.

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no

longer :

The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To see't, mine eyes are blasted.

Gods, and goddesses,

Enter SCARUS.

Scar.

All the whole synod of them!
Eno.

What's thy passion?

Scar. The greater cantle 35 of the world is lost

With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away

Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno.

How appears the fight?

Scar. On our side like the token'd pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon' ribald-rid 56 nag of Egypt, Whom leprosy o'ertake! i' the midst o' the fight,

When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,

Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,

The brize upon her, like a cow in June,

Hoists sails, and flies.

Eno.

That I beheld: mine eyes

Did sicken at the sight on't, and could not

Endure a further view.

Scar.

She once being loof'd,

The noble ruin of her magick, Antony,

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

Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:

I never saw an action of such shame;

Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before

Did violate so itself.

Eno.

Alack, alack!

Enter CANIDIUS.

Can. Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,

And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight,

Most grossly, by his own.

Eno. Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good

Indeed.

night

Can. Towards Peloponnesus are they fled.
Scar. 'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend

What further comes.
Can.

To Cæsar will I render

My legions, and my horse; six kings already

Show me the way of yielding.

Eno.

I'll yet follow

[Aside.

The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason Sits in the wind against me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter ANTONY, and Attendants.

Ant. Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon't,
It is asham'd to bear me!-Friends, come hither;
I am so lated in the world37, that I

Have lost my way for ever:--I have a ship
Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,

And make your peace with Cæsar.
Att.

Fly! not we.

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