Antony and Cleopatra Act 2, Scene 1

Go to: Antony and Cleopatra Table of Contents, where you can also read the CLASSICS REVITALIZED paraphrase of this scene

Messina. A Room in Pompey’s house.

(Enter Pompey, Menacrates, and Menas.)

Pompey: If the great gods be just, they shall assist /The deeds of justest men.

Menacrates: Know, worthy Pompey, /That what they do delay they not deny.

Pompey: Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays /The thing we sue for.

Menacrates: We, ignorant of ourselves, /Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers /Deny us for our good; so find we profit /By losing of our prayers.

Pompey: I shall do well; /The people love me, and the sea is mine; /My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope /Says it will come to the full. Mark Antony /In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make /No wars without doors: Caesar gets money where /He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both, /Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves /Nor either cares for him.

Menas: Caesar and Lepidus /Are in the field: a mighty strength they carry.

Pompey: Where have you this? 'tis false.

Menas: From Silvius, sir.

Pompey: He dreams: I know they are in Rome together, /Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love, /Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd lip! /Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both! /Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts, /Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks /Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite; /That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour /Even till a Lethe'd dullness./(Enter Varrius.)/How now, Varrius!

Varrius: This is most certain that I shall deliver: /Mark Antony is every hour in Rome /Expected: since he went from Egypt 'tis /A space for further travel.

Pompey: I could have given less matter /A better ear. Menas, I did not think /This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm /For such a petty war; his soldiership /Is twice the other twain: but let us rear /The higher our opinion, that our stirring /Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck /The ne'er lust-wearied Antony.

Menas: I cannot hope /Caesar and Antony shall well greet together: /His wife that's dead did trespasses to Caesar; /His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think, /Not mov'd by Antony.

Pompey: I know not, Menas, /How lesser enmities may give way to greater. /Were't not that we stand up against them all, /'Twere pregnant they should square between themselves; /For they have entertained cause enough /To draw their swords: but how the fear of us /May cement their divisions, and bind up /The petty difference, we yet not know. /Be't as our gods will have't! It only stands /Our lives upon to use our strongest hands. /Come, Menas.

(Exeunt.)

Go to: Next scene (Act 2, Scene 2), or Antony and Cleopatra Table of Contents, where you can also read the CLASSICS REVITALIZED paraphrase of this scene