Antony and Cleopatra
Act IV, Scene 1
Before Alexandria. Octavius Caesar’s camp.
- Enter Caesar, Agrippa, and Maecenas, with his army; Caesar
- reading a letter.
Caesar
1 - 6- He calls me boy, and chides as he had power
- To beat me out of Egypt. My messenger
- He hath whipt with rods, dares me to personal combat,
- Caesar to Antony. Let the old ruffian know
- I have many other ways to die; mean time
- Laugh at his challenge.
Maecenas
7 - 11- Caesar must think,
- When one so great begins to rage, he’s hunted
- Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now
- Make boot of his distraction: never anger
- Made good guard for itself.
Caesar
12 - 18- Let our best heads
- Know that tomorrow the last of many battles
- We mean to fight. Within our files there are,
- Of those that serv’d Mark Antony but late,
- Enough to fetch him in. See it done,
- And feast the army; we have store to do’t,
- And they have earn’d the waste. Poor Antony!
- Exeunt.
Act header from Duprant & Co. edition of Antony and Cleopatra
W. J. Rolfe, Paul Avril, 1891