CAESAR
Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield.
Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks
The pauses that he makes.
DOLABELLA
Caesar, I shall.
CAESAR
is that? And what art that dar’st
Appear thus to us?
DERCETUS
I am called Dercetus.
Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy
Best to be served. Whilst he stood up and spoke,
He was my master, and I wore my life
To spend upon his haters. If please
To take me to , as I was to him
I’ll be to Caesar; if pleasest not,
I yield up my life.
CAESAR
What is’t say’st?
DERCETUS
I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.
CAESAR
The breaking of so great a thing should make
A greater crack. The round world
Should have shook lions into civil streets,
And citizens to their dens. The death of Antony
Is not a single doom; in the name lay
A moiety of the world.
DERCETUS
He is dead, Caesar,
Not by a public minister of justice,
Nor by a hired knife, but that self hand
Which writ his honour in the acts it did
, with the courage which the heart did lend it,
Splitted the heart. This is his sword.
I robbed his wound of it. Behold it stained
With his most noble blood.
CAESAR
Look you sad, friends?
The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
To wash the eyes of kings.
AGRIPPA
And strange it is
That nature must compel us to lament
Our most persisted deeds.
MAECENAS
His taints and honours
Waged equal with him.
AGRIPPA
A rarer spirit never
Did steer humanity, but you gods will give us
Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touched.
MAECENAS
When such a spacious mirror’s set before him,
He needs must see himself.
CAESAR
O Antony,
I have followed to this, but we do lance
Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
Have shown to such a declining day
Or look on . We could not stall together
In the whole world. But yet let me lament
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That , my brother, my competitor
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle, that our stars,
Unreconciliable, should divide
Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends—
CAESAR
But I will tell you at some meeter season.
The business of this man looks out of him;
We’ll hear him what he says. are you?
EGYPTIAN
A poor Egyptian yet. The queen, my mistress,
Confined in all she has, her monument,
Of intents desires instruction,
That she preparedly may frame herself
To the way she’s forced to.
CAESAR
Bid her have good heart.
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we
Determine for her. For Caesar cannot lean
To be ungentle.
EGYPTIAN
So the gods preserve !
CAESAR
Come , Proculeius. Go and say
We purpose her no shame. Give her what comforts
The quality of her passion shall require,
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
She do defeat us, for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in our triumph. Go,
And with your speediest bring us what she says
And how you find of her.
PROCULEIUS
Caesar, I shall.
CAESAR
Gallus, go you along.
CAESAR
Where’s Dolabella, to second Proculeius?
ALL
Dolabella!
CAESAR
Let him alone, for I remember now
How he’s employed. He shall in time be ready.
Go with me to my tent, where you shall see
How hardly I was drawn into this war,
How calm and gentle I proceeded still
In all my writings. Go with me and see
What I can show in this.