ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

Act 2 Scene 3

(Enter Antony and Caesar; Octavia between them)
l1l	Antony	 The world and my great office will sometimes
l2l		Divide me from your bosom.
	Octavia	All which time,
l3l		Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers
l4l		To them for you.
	Antony	Good night, sir. My Octavia,
l5l		Read not my blemishes in the world’s report.
l6l		I have not kept my square, but that to come
l7l		Shall all be done by th’ rule. Good night, dear lady.
l8l		Good night, sir.
l9l	Caesar	Good night.
		(Exeunt Caesar and Octavia)
l10l		(Enter Soothsayer)
		Antony	 Now, sirrah. You do wish yourself in Egypt?
l11l	Soothsayer	Would I had never come from thence, nor you
l12l		Gone thither.
	Antony	If you can, your reason?
l13l	Soothsayer	I see it in my motion, have it not in my tongue.
l14l		But yet hie you to Egypt again.
	Antony	Say to me
l15l		Whose fortunes shall rise higher: Caesar’s or mine?
l16l	Soothsayer	Caesar’s. Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side.
l17l		Thy daemon, that thy spirit which keeps thee, is
l18l		Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable,
l19l		Where Caesar’s is not. But near him thy angel
l20l		Becomes afeard, as being o’erpowered. Therefore
l21l		Make space enough between you.
	Antony	Speak this no more.
l22l	Soothsayer	To none but thee# no more but when to thee.
l23l		If thou dost play with him at any game
l24l		Thou art sure to lose# and of that natural luck
l25l		He beats thee ’gainst the odds. Thy lustre thickens
l26l		When he shines by. I say again, thy spirit
l27l		Is all afraid to govern thee near him#
l28l		But he away, ’tis noble.
	Antony	Get thee gone.
l29l		Say to Ventidius I would speak with him.
		(Exit Soothsayer)
l30l		He shall to Parthia# be it art or hap,
l31l		He hath spoken true. The very dice obey him,
l32l		And in our sports my better cunning faints
l33l		Under his chance. If we draw lots, he speeds.
l34l		His cocks do win the battle still of mine
l35l		When it is all to nought, and his quails ever
l36l		Beat mine, inhooped, at odds. I will to Egypt#
l37l		And though I make this marriage for my peace,
l38l		I’ th’ East my pleasure lies.
		(Enter Ventidius)
		 O, come, Ventidius.
l39l		You must to Parthia, your commission’s ready.
l40l		Follow me, and receive ’t.
		(Exeunt)