Page:Antony and Cleopatra (1921) Yale.djvu/30

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Wast beaten from Modena, where thou slew'st

Hirtius and Pansa, consuls, at thy heel

Did famine follow, whom thou fought'st against,

Though daintily brought up, with patience more

Than savages could suffer; thou didst drink

The stale of horses and the gilded puddle

Which beasts would cough at; thy palate then did deign

The roughest berry on the rudest hedge;

Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets,

The barks of trees thou browsed'st; on the Alps

It is reported thou didst eat strange flesh,

Which some did die to look on; and all this—

It wounds thy honour that I speak it now—

Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek

So much as lank'd not.

Lep. 'Tis pity of him.

Cæs. Let his shames quickly

Drive him to Rome. 'Tis time we twain

Did show ourselves i' the field; and to that end

Assemble we immediate council; Pompey

Thrives in our idleness.

Lep. To-morrow, Cæsar,

I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly

Both what by sea and land I can be able

To front this present time.

Cæs. Till which encounter,

It is my business too. Farewell.

Lep. Farewell, my lord. What you shall know meantime

Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir,

To let me be partaker.

 62 stale: urine

gilded: of a golden color

71 lank'd not: did not become shrunken 