Enter a Soldier of Caesar’s
SOLDIER Enobarbus, Antony
Hath after thee sent all thy treasure, with
His bounty overplus. The messenger
Came on my guard, and at thy tent is now
Unloading of his mules.
ENOBARBUS I give it you.
SOLDIER Mock not, Enobarbus,
I tell you true. Best you safed the bringer
Out of the host. I must attend mine office,
Or would have done’t myself. Your Emperor
Continues still a Jove.
Exit (4.6.19-29)
The pace of the action continues to pick up: it’s only a moment of stage time, 25 lines or so, since Antony announced that this was his intention, and it’s been done: Enobarbus, Antony hath after thee sent all thy treasure, the anonymous soldier announces—and with his bounty overplus. Both bounty and overplus suggest excess; so does the fact that even this random soldier knows that there’s an additional gift from Antony, on top of Enobarbus’s own treasure. There’s clearly a LOT of treasure being unloaded from those mules—plural—and it’s just by chance that the courier came on my guard, while this particular soldier was on sentry duty. Has he run to tell Enobarbus, hoping for a reward himself? Or is this purely casual? I give it you, says Enobarbus: you have it. I don’t want it. Take the lot, all of it. The soldier can’t believe it, and also, he’s used to Enobarbus being the joker; he’s certainly not going to take this offer seriously: mock not, Enobarbus, I tell you true. It’s for real! Best you safed the bringer out of the host; you’d better make sure the guy who brought it (leading the mules, presumably) has safe conduct back through the troops, gets back to Antony OK. I must attend mine office, or would have done’t myself. He’d have done it himself, but, well, no time; busy busy, getting ready for this battle. No one has time for Enobarbus; no one cares. He’s an irrelevance. Your Emperor continues still a Jove: Antony, eh? So generous, so lavish with his gifts. Great guy. (And your Emperor: Enobarbus is still squarely identified with Antony.)