Act 3, Scene 10
Another part of the plain. CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant of CAESAR, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight.
Alarum. Enter ENOBARBUS.
Enobarbus
Naught, naught all, naught! I can behold no longer:
The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:
To see't mine eyes are blasted. Enter SCARUS.
Scarus
Gods and goddesses,
All the whole synod of them!
Enobarbus
What's thy passion?
Scarus
The greater cantle of the world is lost
With very ignorance; we have kissed away
Kingdoms and provinces.
Enobarbus
How appears the fight?
Scarus
On our side like the tokened pestilence,
Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt,
Whom leprosy o'ertake! — i' the midst o' the fight,
When vantage like a pair of twins appeared,
Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,
The breeze upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails and flies.
Enobarbus
That I beheld:
Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not
Endure a further view.
Scarus
She once being loofed,
The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,
Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:
I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.
Enobarbus
Alack, alack! Enter CANIDIUS.
Canidius
Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight,
Most grossly, by his own!
Enobarbus
Ay, are you thereabouts?
Why, then, good night indeed.
Canidius
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
Scarus
'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend
What further comes.
Canidius
To Caesar will I render
My legions and my horse: six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.
Enobarbus
I'll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me. Exeunt.