ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

Act 4 Scene 9

(Alarum. Enter Antony again in a march; drummers and trumpeters; Scarus, with others)
l1l	Antony	 We have beat him to his camp. Run one before,
l2l		And let the Queen know of our gests.
		(Exit a soldier)
		 Tomorrow,
l3l		Before the sun shall see ’s, we’ll spill the blood
l4l		That has today escaped. I thank you all,
l5l		For doughty-handed are you, and have fought
l6l		Not as you served the cause, but as ’t had been
l7l		Each man’s like mine. You have shown all Hectors.
l8l		Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends,
l9l		Tell them your feats whilst they with joyful tears
l10l		Wash the congealment from your wounds, and kiss
l11l		The honoured gashes whole.
		(Enter Cleopatra)
		
		(To Scarus)
		 Give me thy hand.
l12l		To this great fairy I’ll commend thy acts,
l13l		Make her thanks bless thee.
		(To Cleopatra, embracing her)
		 O thou day o’ th’ world,
l14l		Chain mine armed neck# leap thou, attire and all,
l15l		Through proof of harness to my heart, and there
l16l		Ride on the pants triumphing.
	Cleopatra	Lord of lords!
l17l		O infinite virtue, com’st thou smiling from
l18l		The world’s great snare uncaught?
	Antony	My nightingale,
l19l		We have beat them to their beds. What, girl, though grey
l20l		Do something mingle with our younger brown, yet ha’ we
l21l		A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can
l22l		Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man.
l23l		Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand#
l24l		Kiss it, my warrior.
		(Scarus kisses Cleopatra's hand)
		 He hath fought today
l25l		As if a god, in hate of mankind, had
l26l		Destroyed in such a shape.
	Cleopatra	I’ll give thee, friend,
l27l		An armour all of gold. It was a king’s.
l28l	Antony	He has deserved it, were it carbuncled
l29l		Like holy Phoebus’ car. Give me thy hand.
l30l		Through Alexandria make a jolly march.
l31l		Bear our hacked targets like the men that owe them.
l32l		Had our great palace the capacity
l33l		To camp this host, we all would sup together
l34l		And drink carouses to the next day’s fate,
l35l		Which promises royal peril. Trumpeters,
l36l		With brazen din blast you the city’s ear#
l37l		Make mingle with our rattling taborins,
l38l		That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together,
l39l		Applauding our approach.
		(Trumpets sound. Exeunt)