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all for love-第6部分

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 And strew with flowers the pavement; let the priests Do present sacrifice; pour out the wine; And call the gods to join with you in gladness。

VENTIDIUS。  Curse on the tongue that bids this general joy! Can they be friends of Antony; who revel When Antony's in danger?  Hide; for shame; You Romans; your great grandsires' images; For fear their souls should animate their marbles; To blush at their degenerate progeny。

ALEXAS。  A love; which knows no bounds; to Antony; Would mark the day with honours; when all heaven Laboured for him; when each propitious star Stood wakeful in his orb; to watch that hour And shed his better influence。  Her own birthday Our queen neglected like a vulgar fate; That passed obscurely by。

VENTIDIUS。  Would it had slept; Divided far from his; till some remote And future age had called it out; to ruin Some other prince; not him!

ALEXAS。  Your emperor; Though grown unkind; would be more gentle; than To upbraid my queen for loving him too well。

VENTIDIUS。  Does the mute sacrifice upbraid the priest! He knows him not his executioner。 Oh; she has decked his ruin with her love; Led him in golden bands to gaudy slaughter; And made perdition pleasing:  She has left him The blank of what he was。 I tell thee; eunuch; she has quite unmanned him。 Can any Roman see; and know him now; Thus altered from the lord of half mankind; Unbent; unsinewed; made a woman's toy; Shrunk from the vast extent of all his honours; And crampt within a corner of the world? O Antony! Thou bravest soldier; and thou best of friends! Bounteous as nature; next to nature's God! Couldst thou but make new worlds; so wouldst thou give them; As bounty were thy being! rough in battle; As the first Romans when they went to war; Yet after victory more pitiful Than all their praying virgins left at home!

ALEXAS。  Would you could add; to those more shining virtues; His truth to her who loves him。

VENTIDIUS。  Would I could not! But wherefore waste I precious hours with thee! Thou art her darling mischief; her chief engine; Antony's other fate。  Go; tell thy queen; Ventidius is arrived; to end her charms。 Let your Egyptian timbrels play alone; Nor mix effeminate sounds with Roman trumpets; You dare not fight for Antony; go pray And keep your cowards' holiday in temples。      'Exeunt ALEXAS; SERAPION。'

     Re…enter the Gentleman of M。 ANTONY

2 Gent。  The emperor approaches; and commands; On pain of death; that none presume to stay。

1 Gent。  I dare not disobey him。      'Going out with the other。'

VENTIDIUS。  Well; I dare。 But I'll observe him first unseen; and find Which way his humour drives:  The rest I'll venture。      'Withdraws。'

     Enter ANTONY; walking with a disturbed motion before      he speaks

ANTONY。  They tell me; 'tis my birthday; and I'll keep it With double pomp of sadness。 'Tis what the day deserves; which gave me breath。 Why was I raised the meteor of the world; Hung in the skies; and blazing as I travelled; 'Till all my fires were spent; and then cast downward; To be trod out by Caesar?

VENTIDIUS。  'aside。'  On my soul; 'Tis mournful; wondrous mournful!

ANTONY。  Count thy gains。 Now; Antony; wouldst thou be born for this? Glutton of fortune; thy devouring youth Has starved thy wanting age。

VENTIDIUS。  How sorrow shakes him!      'Aside。' So; now the tempest tears him up by the roots; And on the ground extends the noble ruin。      'ANTONY having thrown himself down。' Lie there; thou shadow of an emperor; The place thou pressest on thy mother earth Is all thy empire now:  now it contains thee; Some few days hence; and then 'twill be too large; When thou'rt contracted in thy narrow urn; Shrunk to a few ashes; then Octavia (For Cleopatra will not live to see it); Octavia then will have thee all her own; And bear thee in her widowed hand to Caesar; Caesar will weep; the crocodile will weep; To see his rival of the universe Lie still and peaceful there。  I'll think no more on't。

ANTONY。  Give me some music; look that it be sad。 I'll soothe my melancholy; till I swell; And burst myself with sighing。      'Soft music。' 'Tis somewhat to my humour; stay; I fancy I'm now turned wild; a commoner of nature; Of all forsaken; and forsaking all; Live in a shady forest's sylvan scene; Stretched at my length beneath some blasted oak; I lean my head upon the mossy bark; And look just of a piece as I grew from it; My uncombed locks; matted like mistletoe; Hang o'er my hoary face; a murm'ring brook Runs at my foot。

VENTIDIUS。  Methinks I fancy Myself there too。

ANTONY。  The herd come jumping by me; And fearless; quench their thirst; while I look on; And take me for their fellow…citizen。 More of this image; more; it lulls my thoughts。      'Soft music again。'

VENTIDIUS。  I must disturb him; I can hold no longer。      'Stands before him。'

ANTONY。  'starting up'。  Art thou Ventidius?

VENTIDIUS。  Are you Antony? I'm liker what I was; than you to him I left you last。

ANTONY。  I'm angry。

VENTIDIUS。  So am I。

ANTONY。  I would be private:  leave me。

VENTIDIUS。  Sir; I love you; And therefore will not leave you。

ANTONY。  Will not leave me! Where have you learnt that answer?  Who am I?

VENTIDIUS。  My emperor; the man I love next Heaven: If I said more; I think 'twere scare a sin: You're all that's good; and god…like。

ANTONY。  All that's wretched。 You will not leave me then?

VENTIDIUS。  'Twas too presuming To say I would not; but I dare not leave you: And; 'tis unkind in you to chide me hence So soon; when I so far have come to see you。

ANTONY。  Now thou hast seen me; art thou satisfied? For; if a friend; thou hast beheld enough; And; if a foe; too much。

VENTIDIUS。  Look; emperor; this is no common dew。      'Weeping。' I have not wept this forty years; but now My mother comes afresh into my eyes; I cannot help her softness。

ANTONY。  By heavens; he weeps! poor good old man; he weeps! The big round drops course one another down The furrows of his cheeks。Stop them; Ventidius; Or I shall blush to death; they set my shame; That caused them; full before me。

VENTIDIUS。  I'll do my best。

ANTONY。  Sure there's contagion in the tears of friends: See; I have caught it too。  Believe me; 'tis not For my own griefs; but thine。Nay; father!

VENTIDIUS。  Emperor。

ANTONY。  Emperor!  Why; that's the style of victory; The conqu'ring soldier; red with unfelt wounds; Salutes his general so; but never more Shall that sound reach my ears。

VENTIDIUS。  I warrant you。

ANTONY。  Actium; Actium!  Oh!

VENTIDIUS。  It sits too near you。

ANTONY。  Here; here it lies a lump of lead by day; And; in my short; distracted; nightly slumbers; The hag that rides my dreams。

VENTIDIUS。  Out with it; give it vent。

ANTONY。  Urge not my shame。 I lost a battle;

VENTIDIUS。  So has Julius done。

ANTONY。  Thou favour'st me; and speak'st not half thou think'st; For Julius fought it out; and lost it fairly。 But Antony

VENTIDIUS。  Nay; stop not。

ANTONY。  Antony Well; thou wilt have it;like a coward; fled; Fled while his soldiers fought; fled first; Ventidius。 Thou long'st to curse me; and I give thee leave。 I know thou cam'st prepared to rail。

VENTIDIUS。  I did。

ANTONY。  I'll help thee。I have been a man; Ventidius。

VENTIDIUS。  Yes; and a brave one! but

ANTONY。  I know thy meaning。 But I have lost my reason; have disgraced The name of soldier; with inglorious ease。 In the full vintage of my flowing honours; Sat still; and saw it prest by other hands。 Fortune came smiling to my youth; and wooed it; And purple greatness met my ripened years。 When first I came to empire; I was borne On tides of people; crowding to my triumphs; The wish of nations; and the willing world Received me as its pledge of future peace; I was so great; so happy; so beloved; Fate could not ruin me; till I took pains; And worked against my fortune; child her from me; And returned her loose; yet still she came again。 My careless days; and my luxurious nights; At length have wearied her; and now she's gone; Gone; gone; divorced for ever。  Help me; soldier; To curse this madman; this industrious fool; Who laboured to be wretched:  Pr'ythee; curse me。

VENTIDIUS。  No。

ANTONY。  Why?

VENTIDIUS。  You are too sensible already Of what you've done; too conscious of your failings; And; like a scorpion; whipt by others first To fury; sting yourself in mad revenge。 I would bring balm; and pour it in your wounds; Cure your distempered mind; and heal your fortunes。

ANTONY。  I know thou would'st。

VENTIDIUS。  I will。

ANTONY。  Ha; ha; ha; ha!

VENTIDIUS。  You laugh。

ANTONY。  I do; to see officious love。 Give cordials to the dead。

VENTIDIUS。  You would be lost; then?

ANTONY。  I am。

VENTIDIUS。  I say you are not。  Try your fortune。

ANTONY。  I have; to the utmost。  Dost thou think me desperate; Without just cause?  No; when I found all lost Beyond repair; I hid me from the world; And learnt to scorn it here; which now I do So heartily; I think it is not worth The cost of keeping。

VENTIDIUS。  Caesar thinks not so; He'll thank you for the gift he could not take。 You would be killed like Tully; would you? do; Hold out your throat to Caesar; and die tamely。

ANTONY。  No; I can kill myself; and so re
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