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Rome. A Room in ANTONY’S House. | |
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ANTONY, OCTAVIUS, and LEPIDUS, seated at a table. | |
| Ant. These many then shall die; their names are prick’d. | |
| Oct. Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus? | |
| Lep. I do consent. | 5 |
| Oct. Prick him down, Antony. | |
| Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live, | |
| Who is your sister’s son, Mark Antony. | |
| Ant. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him. | |
| But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar’s house; | 10 |
| Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine | |
| How to cut off some charge in legacies. | |
| Lep. What! shall I find you here? | |
| Oct. Or here or at the Capitol. [Exit LEPIDUS. | |
| Ant. This is a slight unmeritable man, | 15 |
| Meet to be sent on errands: is it fit, | |
| The three-fold world divided, he should stand | |
| One of the three to share it? | |
| Oct. So you thought him; | |
| And took his voice who should be prick’d to die, | 20 |
| In our black sentence and proscription. | |
| Ant. Octavius, I have seen more days than you: | |
| And though we lay these honours on this man, | |
| To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads, | |
| He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold, | 25 |
| To groan and sweat under the business, | |
| Either led or driven, as we point the way; | |
| And having brought our treasure where we will, | |
| Then take we down his load, and turn him off, | |
| Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears, | 30 |
| And graze in commons. | |
| Oct. You may do your will; | |
| But he’s a tried and valiant soldier. | |
| Ant. So is my horse, Octavius; and for that | |
| I do appoint him store of provender. | 35 |
| It is a creature that I teach to fight, | |
| To wind, to stop, to run directly on, | |
| His corporal motion govern’d by my spirit. | |
| And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so; | |
| He must be taught, and train’d, and bid go forth; | 40 |
| A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds | |
| On abject orts, and imitations, | |
| Which, out of use and stal’d by other men, | |
| Begin his fashion: do not talk of him | |
| But as a property. And now, Octavius, | 45 |
| Listen great things: Brutus and Cassius | |
| Are levying powers; we must straight make head; | |
| Therefore let our alliance be combin’d, | |
| Our best friends made, and our best means stretch’d out; | |
| And let us presently go sit in council, | 50 |
| How covert matters may be best disclos’d, | |
| And open perils surest answered. | |
| Oct. Let us do so: for we are at the stake, | |
| And bay’d about with many enemies; | |
| And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear, | 55 |
| Millions of mischiefs. [Exeunt. | |
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