all for love-第17章
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DOLABELLA。 She loves you; even to madness。
ANTONY。 Oh; I know it。 You; Dolabella; do not better know How much she loves me。 And should I Forsake this beauty? This all…perfect creature?
DOLABELLA。 I could not; were she mine。
ANTONY。 And yet you first Persuaded me: How come you altered since?
DOLABELLA。 I said at first I was not fit to go: I could not hear her sighs; and see her tears; But pity must prevail: And so; perhaps; It may again with you; for I have promised; That she should take her last farewell: And; see; She comes to claim my word。
Enter CLEOPATRA
ANTONY。 False Dolabella!
DOLABELLA。 What's false; my lord?
ANTONY。 Why; Dolabella's false; And Cleopatra's false; both false and faithless。 Draw near; you well…joined wickedness; you serpents; Whom I have in my kindly bosom warmed; Till I am stung to death。
DOLABELLA。 My lord; have I Deserved to be thus used?
CLEOPATRA。 Can Heaven prepare A newer torment? Can it find a curse Beyond our separation?
ANTONY。 Yes; if fate Be just; much greater: Heaven should be ingenious In punishing such crimes。 The rolling stone; And gnawing vulture; were slight pains; invented When Jove was young; and no examples known Of mighty ills; but you have ripened sin; To such a monstrous growth; 'twill pose the gods To find an equal torture。 Two; two such! Oh; there's no further name;two such! to me; To me; who locked my soul within your breasts; Had no desires; no joys; no life; but you; When half the globe was mine; I gave it you In dowry with my heart; I had no use; No fruit of all; but you: A friend and mistress Was what the world could give。 O Cleopatra! O Dolabella! how could you betray This tender heart; which with an infant fondness Lay lulled betwixt your bosoms; and there slept; Secure of injured faith?
DOLABELLA。 If she has wronged you; Heaven; hell; and you revenge it。
ANTONY。 If she has wronged me! Thou wouldst evade thy part of guilt; but swear Thou lov'st not her。
DOLABELLA。 Not so as I love you。
ANTONY。 Not so? Swear; swear; I say; thou dost not love her。
DOLABELLA。 No more than friendship will allow。
ANTONY。 No more? Friendship allows thee nothing: Thou art perjured And yet thou didst not swear thou lov'st her not; But not so much; no more。 O trifling hypocrite; Who dar'st not own to her; thou dost not love; Nor own to me; thou dost! Ventidius heard it; Octavia saw it。
CLEOPATRA。 They are enemies。
ANTONY。 Alexas is not so: He; he confessed it; He; who; next hell; best knew it; he avowed it。 Why do I seek a proof beyond yourself? 'To DOLABELLA。' You; whom I sent to bear my last farewell; Returned; to plead her stay。
DOLABELLA。 What shall I answer? If to have loved be guilt; then I have sinned; But if to have repented of that love Can wash away my crime; I have repented。 Yet; if I have offended past forgiveness; Let not her suffer: She is innocent。
CLEOPATRA。 Ah; what will not a woman do; who loves? What means will she refuse; to keep that heart; Where all her joys are placed? 'Twas I encouraged; 'Twas I blew up the fire that scorched his soul; To make you jealous; and by that regain you。 But all in vain; I could not counterfeit: In spite of all the dams my love broke o'er; And drowned by heart again: fate took the occasion; And thus one minute's feigning has destroyed My whole life's truth。
ANTONY。 Thin cobweb arts of falsehood; Seen; and broke through at first。
DOLABELLA。 Forgive your mistress。
CLEOPATRA。 Forgive your friend。
ANTONY。 You have convinced yourselves。 You plead each other's cause: What witness have you; That you but meant to raise my jealousy?
CLEOPATRA。 Ourselves; and Heaven。
ANTONY。 Guilt witnesses for guilt。 Hence; love and friendship! You have no longer place in human breasts; These two have driven you out: Avoid my sight! I would not kill the man whom I have loved; And cannot hurt the woman; but avoid me: I do not know how long I can be tame; For; if I stay one minute more; to think How I am wronged; my justice and revenge Will cry so loud within me; that my pity Will not be heard for either。
DOLABELLA。 Heaven has but Our sorrow for our sins; and then delights To pardon erring man: Sweet mercy seems Its darling attribute; which limits justice; As if there were degrees in infinite; And infinite would rather want perfection Than punish to extent。
ANTONY。 I can forgive A foe; but not a mistress and a friend。 Treason is there in its most horrid shape; Where trust is greatest; and the soul resigned; Is stabbed by its own guards: I'll hear no more; Hence from my sight for ever!
CLEOPATRA。 How? for ever! I cannot go one moment from your sight; And must I go for ever? My joys; my only joys; are centred here: What place have I to go to? My own kingdom? That I have lost for you: Or to the Romans? They hate me for your sake: Or must I wander The wide world o'er; a helpless; banished woman; Banished for love of you; banished from you? Ay; there's the banishment! Oh; hear me; hear me; With strictest justice: For I beg no favour; And if I have offended you; then kill me; But do not banish me。
ANTONY。 I must not hear you。 I have a fool within me takes your part; But honour stops my ears。
CLEOPATRA。 For pity hear me! Would you cast off a slave who followed you? Who crouched beneath your spurn?He has no pity! See; if he gives one tear to my departure; One look; one kind farewell: O iron heart! Let all the gods look down; and judge betwixt us; If he did ever love!
ANTONY。 No more: Alexas!
DOLABELLA。 A perjured villain!
ANTONY。 'to CLEOPATRA。' Your Alexas; yours。
CLEOPATRA。 Oh; 'twas his plot; his ruinous design; To engage you in my love by jealousy。 Hear him; confront him with me; let him speak。
ANTONY。 I have; I have。
CLEOPATRA。 And if he clear me not
ANTONY。 Your creature! one; who hangs upon your smiles! Watches your eye; to say or to unsay; Whate'er you please! I am not to be moved。
CLEOPATRA。 Then must we part? Farewell; my cruel lord! The appearance is against me; and I go; Unjustified; for ever from your sight。 How I have loved; you know; how yet I love; My only comfort is; I know myself: I love you more; even now you are unkind; Then when you loved me most; so well; so truly I'll never strive against it; but die pleased; To think you once were mine。
ANTONY。 Good heaven; they weep at parting! Must I weep too? that calls them innocent。 I must not weep; and yet I must; to think That I must not forgive。 Live; but live wretched; 'tis but just you should; Who made me so: Live from each other's sight: Let me not hear you meet。 Set all the earth; And all the seas; betwixt your sundered loves: View nothing common but the sun and skies。 Now; all take several ways; And each your own sad fate; with mine; deplore; That you were false; and I could trust no more。 'Exeunt severally。'
Act V
Scene I
Enter CLEOPATRA; CHARMION; and IRAS
CHARMION。 Be juster; Heaven; such virtue punished thus; Will make us think that chance rules all above; And shuffles; with a random hand; the lots; Which man is forced to draw。
CLEOPATRA。 I could tear out these eyes; that gained his heart; And had not power to keep it。 O the curse Of doting on; even when I find it dotage! Bear witness; gods; you heard him bid me go; You; whom he mocked with imprecating vows Of promised faith!I'll die; I will not bear it。 You may hold me 'She pulls out her dagger; and they hold her。' But I can keep my breath; I can die inward; And choke this love。
Enter ALEXAS
IRAS。 Help; O Alexas; help! The queen grows desperate; her soul struggles in her With all the agonies of love and rage; And strives to force its passage。
CLEOPATRA。 Let me go。 Art thou there; traitor!O; O for a little breath; to vent my rage; Give; give me way; and let me loose upon him。
ALEXAS。 Yes; I deserve it; for my ill…timed truth。 Was it for me to prop The ruins of a falling majesty? To place myself beneath the mighty flaw; Thus to be crushed; and pounded into atoms; By its o'erwhelming weight? 'Tis too presuming For subjects to preserve that wilful power; Which courts its own destruction。
CL