Antony and Cleopatra, Act 2, Scene 6

Pompey

Your hostages I have, so have you mine,And we shall talk before we fight.

I have your hostages, and you have mine. We will talk before we fight.

Caesar

Most meetThat first we come to words, and therefore have weOur written purposes before us sent,Which if thou hast considered, let us knowIf ’twill tie up thy discontented swordAnd carry back to Sicily much tall youthThat else must perish here.

It is only right that we talk first. That is why we sent our written proposals ahead of us. If you have considered them, tell us whether they will make you put away your rebellious sword and take many fine young men back to Sicily who would otherwise die here.

Pompey

To you all three,The senators alone of this great world,Chief factors for the gods: I do not knowWherefore my father should revengers want,Having a son and friends, since Julius Caesar,Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted,There saw you labouring for him. What was’tThat moved pale Cassius to conspire? And whatMade the all-honoured, honest Roman, Brutus,With the armed rest, courtiers of beauteous freedom,To drench the Capitol, but that they wouldHave one man but a man? And that is itHath made me rig my navy, at whose burdenThe angered ocean foams, with which I meantTo scourge th’ ingratitude that despiteful RomeCast on my noble father.

I address all three of you, the sole rulers of this great world, the gods’ chief agents. I do not see why my father should lack avengers when he has a son and friends. After all, Julius Caesar, whose ghost haunted the noble Brutus at Philippi, saw you fighting there on his behalf. What drove pale Cassius to conspire? What made Brutus, that honest Roman whom everyone honored, and the other armed men devoted to beautiful freedom, soak the Capitol in blood? They wanted one man to be no more than a man. That is what made me equip my navy, whose weight makes the angry ocean foam. With it I intended to punish ungrateful, spiteful Rome for its treatment of my noble father.

Caesar

Take your time.

Take your time.

Antony

Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails.We’ll speak with thee at sea. At land thou know’stHow much we do o’ercount thee.

You cannot frighten us with your fleet, Pompey. We will face you at sea. On land, you know how greatly we outnumber you.

Pompey

At land indeedThou dost o’ercount me of my father’s house;But since the cuckoo builds not for himself,Remain in’t as thou mayst.

On land, indeed, you count my father’s house among your possessions. But since the cuckoo does not build its own nest, stay in it as long as you can.

Lepidus

Be pleased to tell us—For this is from the present—how you takeThe offers we have sent you.

Please tell us—for this is getting away from the matter at hand—what you think of the offers we sent you.

Caesar

There’s the point.

That is the point.

Antony

Which do not be entreated to, but weighWhat it is worth embraced.

Do not wait to be persuaded. Consider what you stand to gain by accepting.

Caesar

And what may followTo try a larger fortune.

And what might happen if you gamble on winning more.

Pompey

You have made me offerOf Sicily, Sardinia; and I mustRid all the sea of pirates; then to sendMeasures of wheat to Rome. This ’greed upon,To part with unhacked edges and bear backOur targes undinted.

You have offered me Sicily and Sardinia. In return, I must clear the whole sea of pirates and send shipments of wheat to Rome. Once we agree to this, we will part with our sword blades unchipped and bring home our shields without a dent.

Caesar, Antony, and Lepidus

That’s our offer.

That is our offer.

Pompey

Know, then,I came before you here a man preparedTo take this offer. But Mark AntonyPut me to some impatience. Though I loseThe praise of it by telling, you must knowWhen Caesar and your brother were at blows,Your mother came to Sicily and did findHer welcome friendly.

Then you should know that I came here prepared to accept this offer. But Mark Antony irritated me somewhat. Though telling you costs me the credit I deserve, you must know that when Caesar and your brother were fighting, your mother came to Sicily and received a friendly welcome.

Antony

I have heard it, Pompey,And am well studied for a liberal thanksWhich I do owe you.

I have heard about it, Pompey, and I have given much thought to the generous thanks I owe you.

Pompey

Let me have your hand.I did not think, sir, to have met you here.

Give me your hand. I did not expect to meet you here, sir.

Antony

The beds i’ th’ East are soft; and thanks to you,That called me timelier than my purpose hither,For I have gained by ’t.

The beds in the East are soft. And I thank you for calling me here sooner than I intended to come, because I have benefited from it.

Caesar

Since I saw you last,There is a change upon you.

You have changed since I last saw you.

Pompey

Well, I know notWhat counts harsh Fortune casts upon my face,But in my bosom shall she never comeTo make my heart her vassal.

Well, I do not know what marks cruel Fortune has left on my face. But she will never enter my chest and make my heart her slave.

Lepidus

Well met here.

It is good to meet you here.

Pompey

I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed.I crave our composition may be writtenAnd sealed between us.

I hope so, Lepidus. So we are agreed. I ask that our agreement be written down and sealed by us all.

Caesar

That’s the next to do.

That is the next thing to do.

Pompey

We’ll feast each other ere we part, and let’sDraw lots who shall begin.

We will give feasts for one another before we part. Let us draw lots to decide who goes first.

Antony

That will I, Pompey.

I will, Pompey.

Pompey

No, Antony, take the lot.But, first or last, your fine Egyptian cookeryShall have the fame. I have heard that Julius CaesarGrew fat with feasting there.

No, Antony, draw a lot. But whether you go first or last, your fine Egyptian cooking will win all the praise. I have heard that Julius Caesar grew fat feasting there.

Antony

You have heard much.

You have heard a great deal.

Pompey

I have fair meanings, sir.

I mean no harm, sir.

Antony

And fair words to them.

And your pleasant words match your intentions.

Pompey

Then so much have I heard.And I have heard Apollodorus carried—

Then that is how much I have heard. And I have heard that Apollodorus carried—

Enobarbus

No more of that. He did so.

No more about that. He certainly did.

Pompey

What, I pray you?

What did he carry, please?

Enobarbus

A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.

A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.

Pompey

I know thee now. How far’st thou, soldier?

Now I recognize you. How are you, soldier?

Enobarbus

Well;And well am like to do, for I perceiveFour feasts are toward.

Well, and I expect to do very well, since I see four feasts coming.

Pompey

Let me shake thy hand.I never hated thee. I have seen thee fightWhen I have envied thy behaviour.

Let me shake your hand. I have never hated you. I have watched you fight and envied the way you conducted yourself.

Enobarbus

Sir,I never loved you much, but I ha’ praised yeWhen you have well deserved ten times as muchAs I have said you did.

Sir, I have never loved you much, but I have praised you when you deserved ten times as much praise as I gave you.

Pompey

Enjoy thy plainness;It nothing ill becomes thee.Aboard my galley I invite you all.Will you lead, lords?

Keep speaking your mind. It suits you very well. I invite you all aboard my galley. Will you lead the way, my lords?

Caesar, Antony, and Lepidus

Show’s the way, sir.

Show us the way, sir.

Pompey

Come.

Come.

Menas (aside)

Thy father, Pompey, would ne’er have made this treaty.—You and I have known, sir.

Pompey, your father would never have made this treaty.—You and I have met before, sir.

Enobarbus

At sea, I think.

At sea, I think.

Menas

We have, sir.

We have, sir.

Enobarbus

You have done well by water.

You have done well at sea.

Menas

And you by land.

And you on land.

Enobarbus

I will praise any man that will praise me, though it cannot be denied what I have done by land.

I will praise any man who praises me, though no one can deny what I have done on land.

Menas

Nor what I have done by water.

Nor what I have done at sea.

Enobarbus

Yes, something you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great thief by sea.

Yes, for your own safety you can deny some of it: you have been a great thief at sea.

Menas

And you by land.

And you on land.

Enobarbus

There I deny my land service. But give me your hand, Menas. If our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing.

In that case, I deny my service on land. But give me your hand, Menas. If our eyes had the power to arrest people, they could catch two thieves here kissing.

Menas

All men’s faces are true, whatsome’er their hands are.

Every man’s face is honest, whatever his hands may do.

Enobarbus

But there is never a fair woman has a true face.

But no beautiful woman ever has an honest face.

Menas

No slander. They steal hearts.

That's no slander. They steal hearts.

Enobarbus

We came hither to fight with you.

We came here to fight you.

Menas

For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking. Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune.

For my part, I'm sorry it has turned into a drinking party. Pompey is laughing away his good fortune today.

Enobarbus

If he do, sure he cannot weep ’t back again.

If he is, he certainly can't win it back by crying.

Menas

You have said, sir. We looked not for Mark Antony here. Pray you, is he married to Cleopatra?

You're right, sir. We weren't expecting Mark Antony here. Tell me, is he married to Cleopatra?

Enobarbus

Caesar’s sister is called Octavia.

Caesar's sister is called Octavia.

Menas

True, sir. She was the wife of Caius Marcellus.

True, sir. She was the wife of Caius Marcellus.

Enobarbus

But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius.

But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius.

Menas

Pray you, sir?

What's that, sir?

Enobarbus

’Tis true.

It's true.

Menas

Then is Caesar and he for ever knit together.

Then Caesar and he are bound together forever.

Enobarbus

If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not prophesy so.

If I had to predict the future of this alliance, that wouldn't be my prediction.

Menas

I think the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage than the love of the parties.

I think the political advantage of that alliance had more to do with the marriage than their love for each other.

Enobarbus

I think so too. But you shall find the band that seems to tie their friendship together will be the very strangler of their amity. Octavia is of a holy, cold, and still conversation.

I think so too. But you'll find that the bond that seems to hold their friendship together will be the very thing that strangles it. Octavia is devout, cold, and quiet in her way of life.

Menas

Who would not have his wife so?

Who wouldn't want his wife to be like that?

Enobarbus

Not he that himself is not so; which is Mark Antony. He will to his Egyptian dish again. Then shall the sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Caesar, and, as I said before, that which is the strength of their amity shall prove the immediate author of their variance. Antony will use his affection where it is. He married but his occasion here.

A man who isn't like that himself—and that's Mark Antony. He'll go back for another helping of his Egyptian dish. Then Octavia's sighs will fan the flames of Caesar's anger, and, as I said before, what strengthens their friendship will turn out to be the direct cause of their quarrel. Antony will give his love where his heart is. Here he married only to serve his interests.

Menas

And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard? I have a health for you.

That may well be how it turns out. Come, sir, will you come aboard? I have a toast to drink to you.

Enobarbus

I shall take it, sir. We have used our throats in Egypt.

I'll drink it, sir. We've given our throats plenty of practice in Egypt.

Menas

Come, let’s away.

Come, let's go.