Caesar and Cleopatra(1898)

George Bernard Shaw

Excerpt: ...Be not excited, mistress: all is well. FTATATEETA (panting). All well! Oh, thou hast given my heart a turn! (She clutches her side, gasping.) The four porters have now come up and are waiting at the stairhead to be paid. APOLLODORUS. Here, ye hungry ones. (He gives money to the first porter, who holds it in his hand to show to the others. They crowd greedily to see how much it is, quite prepared, after the Eastern fashion, to protest to heaven against their patron's stinginess. But his liberality overpowers them.) FIRST PORTER. O bounteous prince! SECOND PORTER. O lord of the bazaar! THIRD PORTER. O favored of the gods! FOURTH PORTER. O father to all the porters of the market! SENTINEL (enviously, threatening them fiercely with his pilum). Hence, dogs: off. Out of this. (They fly before him northward along the quay.) APOLLODORUS. Farewell, Ftatateeta. I shall be at the lighthouse before the Egyptians. (He descends the steps.) FTATATEETA. The gods speed thee and protect my nursling! The sentry returns from chasing the porters and looks down at the boat, standing near the stairhead lest Ftatateeta should attempt to escape. APOLLODORUS (from beneath, as the boat moves off). Farewell, valiant pilum pitcher. SENTINEL. Farewell shopkeeper. APOLLODORUS. Ha, ha! Pull, thou brave boatman, pull. So Ho-o-o-o-o! (He begins to sing in barcarolle measure to the rhythm of the oars) My heart, my heart, spread out thy wings: Shake off thy heavy load of love