Distract your army, which doth most consist
Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.
I'll fight at sea.
I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.
Our overplus of shipping will we burn;
And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium
Beat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
We then can do't at land.
Thy business?
The news is true, my lord; he is descried;
Caesar has taken Toryne.
Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;
Strange that power should be. Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship:
Away, my Thetis!
How now, worthy soldier?
O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt
This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we
Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.
Well, well: away!
By Hercules, I think I am i' the right.
Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows
Not in the power on't: so our leader's led,
And we are women's men.
You keep by land
The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
Publicola, and Caelius, are for sea:
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's
Carries beyond belief.
While he was yet in Rome,
His power went out in such distractions as
Beguiled all spies.
Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
They say, one Taurus.
Well I know the man.
The emperor calls Canidius.
With news the time's with labour, and throes forth,
Each minute, some.
Taurus!
My lord?
Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke not battle,
Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed
The prescript of this scroll: our fortune lies
Upon this jump.
Set we our squadrons on yond side o' the hill,
In eye of Caesar's battle; from which place
We may the number of the ships behold,
And so proceed accordingly.
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.
Gods and goddesses,
All the whole synod of them!
What's thy passion!
The greater cantle of the world is lost
With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away
Kingdoms and provinces.
How appears the fight?