antony and cleopatra(安东尼和克利奥帕格拉)-第16章
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CLEOPATRA。 What's thy name？ PROCULEIUS。 My name is Proculeius。
CLEOPATRA。 Antony Did tell me of you； bade me trust you； but I do not
greatly care to be deceiv'd； That have no use for trusting。 If your master
Would have a queen his beggar； you must tell him That majesty； to keep
decorum； must No less beg than a kingdom。 If he please To give me
conquer'd Egypt for my son； He gives me so much of mine own as I Will
kneel to him with thanks。 PROCULEIUS。 Be of good cheer； Y'are fall'n
into a princely hand； fear nothing。 Make your full reference freely to my
lord； Who is so full of grace that it flows over On all that need。 Let me
report to him Your sweet dependency； and you shall find A conqueror that
will pray in aid for kindness Where he for grace is kneel'd to。
CLEOPATRA。 Pray you tell him I am his fortune's vassal and I send him
The greatness he has got。 I hourly learn A doctrine of obedience； and
would gladly Look him i' th' face。 PROCULEIUS。 This I'll report； dear
lady。 Have comfort； for I know your plight is pitied Of him that caus'd it。
GALLUS。 You see how easily she may be surpris'd。
Here PROCULEIUS and two of the guard ascend the monument by a
ladder placed against a window； and come behind CLEOPATRA。 Some of
the guard unbar and open the gates
Guard her till Caesar come。 Exit IRAS。 Royal Queen！ CHARMIAN。
O Cleopatra！ thou art taken； Queen！ CLEOPATRA。 Quick； quick； good
hands。 ＇Drawing a dagger＇ PROCULEIUS。 Hold； worthy lady； hold；
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＇Disarms her＇ Do not yourself such wrong； who are in this Reliev'd； but
not betray'd。 CLEOPATRA。 What； of death too； That rids our dogs of
languish？ PROCULEIUS。 Cleopatra； Do not abuse my master's bounty by
Th' undoing of yourself。 Let the world see His nobleness well acted； which
your death Will never let come forth。 CLEOPATRA。 Where art thou； death？
Come hither； come！ Come； come； and take a queen Worth many babes and
beggars！ PROCULEIUS。 O； temperance； lady！ CLEOPATRA。 Sir； I will
eat no meat； I'll not drink； sir； If idle talk will once be necessary； I'll not
sleep neither。 This mortal house I'll ruin； Do Caesar what he can。 Know；
sir； that I Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court； Nor once be
chastis'd with the sober eye Of dull Octavia。 Shall they hoist me up； And
show me to the shouting varletry Of censuring Rome？ Rather a ditch in
Egypt Be gentle grave unto me！ Rather on Nilus' mud Lay me stark…nak'd；
and let the water…flies Blow me into abhorring！ Rather make My country's
high pyramides my gibbet； And hang me up in chains！ PROCULEIUS。
You do extend These thoughts of horror further than you shall Find cause
in Caesar。
Enter DOLABELLA
DOLABELLA。 Proculeius； What thou hast done thy master Caesar
knows； And he hath sent for thee。 For the Queen； I'll take her to my guard。
PROCULEIUS。 So； Dolabella； It shall content me best。 Be gentle to her。
＇To CLEOPATRA＇ To Caesar I will speak what you shall please； If you'll
employ me to him。 CLEOPATRA。 Say I would die。 Exeunt
PROCULEIUS and soldiers DOLABELLA。 Most noble Empress； you
have heard of me？ CLEOPATRA。 I cannot tell。 DOLABELLA。 Assuredly
you know me。 CLEOPATRA。 No matter； sir； what I have heard or known。
You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams； Is't not your trick？
DOLABELLA。 I understand not； madam。 CLEOPATRA。 I dreamt there
was an Emperor Antony… O； such another sleep； that I might see But such
another man！ DOLABELLA。 If it might please ye… CLEOPATRA。 His
face was as the heav'ns； and therein stuck A sun and moon； which kept
their course and lighted The little O； the earth。 DOLABELLA。 Most
sovereign creature… CLEOPATRA。 His legs bestrid the ocean； his rear'd
arm Crested the world。 His voice was propertied As all the tuned spheres；
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and that to friends； But when he meant to quail and shake the orb； He was
as rattling thunder。 For his bounty； There was no winter in't； an autumn
'twas That grew the more by reaping。 His delights Were dolphin…like： they
show'd his back above The element they liv'd in。 In his livery Walk'd
crowns and crownets； realms and islands were As plates dropp'd from his
pocket。 DOLABELLA。 Cleopatra… CLEOPATRA。 Think you there was or
might be such a man As this I dreamt of？ DOLABELLA。 Gentle madam；
no。 CLEOPATRA。 You lie； up to the hearing of the gods。 But if there be
nor ever were one such； It's past the size of dreaming。 Nature wants stuff
To vie strange forms with fancy； yet t' imagine An Antony were nature's
piece 'gainst fancy； Condemning shadows quite。 DOLABELLA。 Hear me；
good madam。 Your loss is； as yourself； great； and you bear it As answering
to the weight。 Would I might never O'ertake pursu'd success； but I do feel；
By the rebound of yours； a grief that smites My very heart at root。
CLEOPATRA。 I thank you； sir。 Know you what Caesar means to do with
me？ DOLABELLA。 I am loath to tell you what I would you knew。
CLEOPATRA。 Nay； pray you； sir。 DOLABELLA。 Though he be
honourable… CLEOPATRA。 He'll lead me； then； in triumph？
DOLABELLA。 Madam； he will。 I know't。 ＇Flourish＇ ＇Within： 'Make way
there…Caesar！'＇
Enter CAESAR； GALLUS； PROCULEIUS； MAECENAS；
SELEUCUS； and others of his train
CAESAR。 Which is the Queen of Egypt？ DOLABELLA。 It is the
Emperor； madam。 ＇CLEOPATRA kneels＇ CAESAR。 Arise； you shall not
kneel。 I pray you； rise； rise； Egypt。 CLEOPATRA。 Sir； the gods Will have
it thus； my master and my lord I must obey。 CAESAR。 Take to you no
hard thoughts。 The record of what injuries you did us； Though written in
our flesh； we shall remember As things but done by chance。 CLEOPATRA。
Sole sir o' th' world； I cannot project mine own cause so well To make it
clear； but do confess I have Been laden with like frailties which before
Have often sham'd our sex。 CAESAR。 Cleopatra； know We will extenuate
rather than enforce。 If you apply yourself to our intents… Which towards
you are most gentle… you shall find A benefit in this change； but if you
seek To lay on me a cruelty by taking Antony's course； you shall bereave
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yourself Of my good purposes； and put your children To that destruction
which I'll guard them from； If thereon you rely。 I'll take my leave。
CLEOPATRA。 And may； through all the world。 'Tis yours； and we； Your
scutcheons and your signs of conquest； shall Hang in what place you
please。 Here； my good lord。 CAESAR。 You shall advise me in all for
Cleopatra。 CLEOPATRA。 This is the brief of money； plate； and jewels； I
am possess'd of。 'Tis exactly valued； Not petty things admitted。 Where's
Seleucus？ SELEUCUS。 Here； madam。 CLEOPATRA。 This is my treasurer；
let him speak； my lord； Upon his peril； that I have reserv'd To myself
nothing。 Speak the truth； Seleucus。 SELEUCUS。 Madam； I had rather seal
my lips than to my peril Speak that which is not。 CLEOPATRA。 What
have I kept back？ SELEUCUS。 Enough to purchase what you have made
known。 CAESAR。 Nay； blush not； Cleopatra； I approve Your wisdom in
the deed。 CLEOPATRA。 See； Caesar！ O； behold； How pomp is followed！
Mine will now be yours； And； should we shift estates； yours would be
mine。 The ingratitude of this Seleucus does Even make me wild。 O slave；
of no more trust Than love that's hir'd！ What； goest thou back？ Thou shalt
Go back； I warrant thee； but I'll catch thine eyes Though they had wings。
Slave； soulless villain； dog！ O rarely base！ CAESAR。 Good Queen； let us
entreat you。 CLEOPATRA。 O Caesar； what a wounding shame is this； That
thou vouchsafing here to visit me； Doing the honour of thy lordliness To
one so meek； that mine own servant should Parcel the sum of my disgraces
by Addition of his envy！ Say； good Caesar； That I some lady trifles have
reserv'd； Immoment toys； things of such dignity As we greet modern
friends withal； and say Some nobler token I have kept apart For Livia and
Octavia； to induce Their mediation… must I be unfolded With one that I
have bred？ The gods！ It smites me Beneath the fall I have。 ＇To
SELEUCUS＇ Prithee go hence； Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits
Through th' ashes of my chance。 Wert thou a man； Thou wouldst have
mercy on me。 CAESAR。 Forbear； Seleucus。 Exit SELEUCUS
CLEOPATRA。 Be it known that we； the greatest； are misthought For
things that others do； and when we fall We answer others' merits in our
name； Are therefore to be pitied。 CAESAR。 Cleopatra； Not what you have
reserv'd； nor what acknowledg'd； Put we i' th' roll of conquest。 Still be't
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yours； Bestow it at your pleasure； and believe Caesar's no merchant； to
make prize with you Of things that merchants sold。 Therefore be cheer'd；
Make not your thoughts your prisons。 No； dear Queen； For we intend so to
dispose you as Yourself shall give us counsel。 Feed and sleep。 Our care
and pity is so much upon you That we remain your friend； and so； adieu。
CLEOPATRA。 My master and my lord！ CAESAR。 Not so。 Adieu。 Flourish。
Exeunt CAESAR and his train CLEOPATRA。 He words me； girls； he
words me； that I should not Be noble to myself。 But hark thee； Charmian！
＇Whispers CHARMIAN＇ IRAS。 Finish； good lady； the bright day is done；
And we are for the dark。 CLEOPATRA。 Hie thee again。 I have spoke
already； and it is provided； Go put it to the haste。 CHARMIAN。 Madam； I
will。
Re…enter DOLABELLA
