Table of Contents
ACT IV SCENE I Setting: A house in Rome.
ANTONY, OCTAVIUS, and LEPIDUS, seated at a table.
ANTONY | These many, then, shall die; their names are prick'd. | |
OCTAVIUS | Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus? | |
LEPIDUS | I do consent–– | |
OCTAVIUS | Prick him down, Antony. | |
LEPIDUS | Upon condition Publius shall not live, | |
Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony. | 5 | |
ANTONY | He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him. | |
But, Lepidus, go you to Caesar's house; | ||
Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine | ||
How to cut off some charge in legacies. | ||
LEPIDUS | What, shall I find you here? | 10 |
OCTAVIUS | Or here, or at the Capitol. | |
Exit LEPIDUS. | ||
ANTONY | This is a slight unmeritable man, | |
Meet to be sent on errands: is it fit, | ||
The three–fold world divided, he should stand | ||
One of the three to share it? | ||
OCTAVIUS | So you thought him; | |
And took his voice who should be prick'd to die, | ||
In our black sentence and proscription. | ||
ANTONY | Octavius, I have seen more days than you: | |
And though we lay these honours on this man, | ||
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads, | 20 | |
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold, | ||
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, | 25 | |
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears, | ||
And graze in commons. | ||
OCTAVIUS | You may do your will; | |
But he's a tried and valiant soldier. | ||
ANTONY | So is my horse, Octavius; and for that | |
I do appoint him store of provender: | 30 | |
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; | 35 | |
A barren–spirited fellow; one that feeds | ||
On abjects, orts and imitations, | ||
Which, out of use and staled by other men, | ||
Begin his fashion: do not talk of him, | ||
But as a property. And now, Octavius, | 40 | |
Listen great things:––Brutus and Cassius | ||
Are levying powers: we must straight make head: | ||
Therefore let our alliance be combined, | ||
Our best friends made, our means stretch'd | ||
And let us presently go sit in council, | 45 | |
How covert matters may be best disclosed, | ||
And open perils surest answered. | ||
OCTAVIUS | 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, | 50 | |
Millions of mischiefs. | ||
Exeunt |