Scene I

[I A house in Rome.]

Enter Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus.

ANTONY:

These many then shall die, their names are prick'd.

ANTONY:

These many men then shall die; their names are checked on the list.

OCTAVIUS:

Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus?

OCTAVIUS:

Your brother must die too. Do you consent, Lepidus?

LEPIDUS:

I do consent—

LEPIDUS:

I do consent,—

OCTAVIUS:

Prick him down, Antony.

OCTAVIUS:

Mark him down, Antony.

LEPIDUS:

Upon condition Publius shall not live,(5)
Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.

LEPIDUS:

—On the condition that Publius shall not live,
Who is your nephew, Mark Antony.

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.(10)

ANTONY:

He shall not live; look, I condemn him with a check.
But, Lepidus, go to Caesar's house;
Go get the will here, and we shall determine
How to cut off some appointments in legacies.

LEPIDUS:

What, shall I find you here?

LEPIDUS:

What, shall I find you here?

OCTAVIUS:

Or here, or at the Capitol.

OCTAVIUS:

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(15)
One of the three to share it?

ANTONY:

This is a foolish man without merit,
Good to be sent on errands. Is it fitting that,
With the world divided into three parts, he should be
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.

OCTAVIUS:

You thought so,
And took his side when we decided who should die,
In our black punishment and condemning to death.

ANTONY:

Octavius, I have seen more days than you,(20)
And though we lay these honors on this man
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,
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;(25)
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
And graze in commons.

ANTONY:

Octavius, I am older than you.
And, although we lay these honors on this man,
To ease ourselves of different, disgraceful burdens,
He shall only carry them as the donkey carries gold,
Groaning and sweating under the load,
Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we choose,
We then unload him and let him loose,
Like an unloaded donkey, to shake his ears
And graze in the common fields.

OCTAVIUS:

You may do your will,(30)
But he's a tried and valiant soldier.

OCTAVIUS:

You may do what you want to,
But I say he's a tried and valiant soldier.

ANTONY:

So is my horse, Octavius, and for that
I do appoint him store of provender.
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,(35)
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;
A barren-spirited fellow, one that feeds
On objects, arts, and imitations,(40)
Which, out of use and staled by other men,
Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him
But as a property. And now, Octavius,
Listen great things. Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers; we must straight make head;(45)
Therefore let our alliance be combined,
Our best friends made, our means stretch'd;
And let us presently go sit in council,
How covert matters may be best disclosed,
And open perils surest answered.(50)

ANTONY:

So is my horse, Octavius, and for that,
I appoint him keeper of the hay.
My horse is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,
His bodily motions ruled by my whims.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so;
He must be taught, and trained, and told to go out.
He’s a spiritless fellow, one that feeds
On objects, arts, and imitating other people,
Which, when they are outdated and discarded by other men,
Become his habits. Don’t talk of him
Except as a property. And now, Octavius,
Listen to great things. Brutus and Cassius
Are planning our government. we must revolt against them
Right away; for that reason, let’s join forces,
Our best friends are false, and we stretched
Beyond our means, And let’s go sit in council now,
So that secret matters may be revealed in the best way,
And open dangers met safely.

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,
Millions of mischiefs.

OCTAVIUS:

Let’s do so, because we are on trial,
And surrounded by many enemies,
And some that have smiles in their hearts, I’m afraid,
Are capable of millions of evil deeds.

Exeunt.