Shakespeare Portal

Act 3, Scene 1

A plain in Syria.

  1. [Enter VENTIDIUS, in triumph, with SILIUS and other Romans, Officers and Soldiers; the dead body of PACORUS borne in front.]
  2. Ventidius
  3. 1435 Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now
  4. 1436 Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death
  5. 1437 Make me revenger.—Bear the king's son's body
  6. 1438 Before our army.—Thy Pacorus, Orodes,
  7. 1439 Pays this for Marcus Crassus.
  8. Silius
  9. 1440 Noble Ventidius,
  10. 1441 Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm
  11. 1442 The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media,
  12. 1443 Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither
  13. 1444 The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony
  14. 1445 Shall set thee on triumphant chariots, and
  15. 1446 Put garlands on thy head.
  16. Ventidius
  17. 1447 O Silius, Silius,
  18. 1448 I have done enough: a lower place, note well,
  19. 1449 May make too great an act; for learn this, Silius,—
  20. 1450 Better to leave undone, than by our deed
  21. 1451 Acquire too high a fame when him we serve's away.
  22. 1452 Caesar and Antony have ever won
  23. 1453 More in their officer, than person: Sossius,
  24. 1454 One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
  25. 1455 For quick accumulation of renown,
  26. 1456 Which he achiev'd by the minute, lost his favour.
  27. 1457 Who does i' the wars more than his captain can
  28. 1458 Becomes his captain's captain; and ambition,
  29. 1459 The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss
  30. 1460 Than gain which darkens him.
  31. 1461 I could do more to do Antonius good,
  32. 1462 But 'twould offend him; and in his offence
  33. 1463 Should my performance perish.
  34. Silius
  35. 1464 Thou hast, Ventidius, that
  36. 1465 Without the which a soldier and his sword
  37. 1466 Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony?
  38. Ventidius
  39. 1467 I'll humbly signify what in his name,
  40. 1468 That magical word of war, we have effected;
  41. 1469 How, with his banners, and his well-paid ranks,
  42. 1470 The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia
  43. 1471 We have jaded out o' the field.
  44. Silius
  45. 1472 Where is he now?
  46. Ventidius
  47. 1473 He purposeth to Athens: whither, with what haste
  48. 1474 The weight we must convey with's will permit,
  49. 1475 We shall appear before him.—On, there; pass along!
  50. [Exeunt.]