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_ ACT IV. SCENE II.
Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace.
[Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA,
ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, with others.]
ANTONY.
He will not fight with me, Domitius?
ENOBARBUS.
No.
ANTONY.
Why should he not?
ENOBARBUS.
He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,
He is twenty men to one.
ANTONY.
To-morrow, soldier,
By sea and land I'll fight. Or I will live,
Or bathe my dying honour in the blood
Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well?
ENOBARBUS.
I'll strike, and cry 'Take all.'
ANTONY.
Well said; come on.
Call forth my household servants; let's to-night
Be bounteous at our meal.
[Enter three or four servitors]
Give me thy hand,
Thou has been rightly honest. So hast thou;
Thou, and thou, and thou. You have serv'd me well,
And kings have been your fellows.
CLEOPATRA.
[Aside to ENOBARBUS]
What means this?
ENOBARBUS.
[Aside to CLEOPATRA]
'Tis one of those odd tricks
which sorrow shoots
Out of the mind.
ANTONY.
And thou art honest too.
I wish I could be made so many men,
And all of you clapp'd up together in
An Antony, that I might do you service
So good as you have done.
SERVANT.
The gods forbid!
ANTONY.
Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night.
Scant not my cups, and make as much of me
As when mine empire was your fellow too,
And suffer'd my command.
CLEOPATRA.
[Aside to ENOBARBUS]
What does he mean?
ENOBARBUS.
[Aside to CLEOPATRA]
To make his followers weep.
ANTONY.
Tend me to-night;
May be it is the period of your duty.
Haply you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow. Perchance to-morrow
You'll serve another master. I look on you
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
I turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death.
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield you for't!
ENOBARBUS.
What mean you, sir,
To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;
And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd. For shame!
Transform us not to women.
ANTONY.
Ho, ho, ho!
Now the witch take me if I meant it thus!
Grace grow where those drops fall! My hearty friends,
You take me in too dolorous a sense;
For I spake to you for your comfort, did desire you
To burn this night with torches. Know, my hearts,
I hope well of to-morrow, and will lead you
Where rather I'll expect victorious life
Than death and honour. Let's to supper, come,
And drown consideration.
[Exeunt.] _
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