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Ant.

Gentle Octavia,

Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks
Best to preserve it: if I lose mine honour,
I lose myself: better I were not yours
Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,
Yourself shall go between's: the mean time, lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shall stain your brother: make your soonest haste;
So your desires are yours.

Thanks to my lord.

Octa.
The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak,
Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be
As if the world should cleave, and that slain men
Should solder up the rift.

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,
Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults
Can never be so equal, that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your going;
Choose your own company, and command what cost
Your heart has mind to.

[Exeunt.

Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting.

Eno. How now, friend Eros!

Eros. There's strange news come, sir.

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Eno. What, man?

Eros. Cæsar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.
Eno. This is old: what is the success?

Eros. Cæsar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him rivality; would not let him partake in the glory of the action: and not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal, seizes him: so the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.

Eno. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, no more;
And throw between them all the food thou hast,
They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony?

Eros. He's walking in the garden-thus; and spurns
The rush that lies before him; cries Fool Lepidus!'
And threats the throat of that his officer
That murder'd Pompey.

Eno.

Our great navy's rigg'd. Eros. For Italy and Cæsar. More, Domitius; My lord desires you presently: my news

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3. What,] Rowe. What Ff. 4-11. Cæsar...confine.] Prose in Ff. Ten lines, ending war...success? ...wars....rivalty:....them ;....letters... Pompey... him,... inlarge ... confine, in Hanmer. Capell proposes to end lines 5—11 at success?.....wars...rivalty;...

and...letters...seizes...up,...confine.

4. wars] warres F.. warre F2 war F3F4.

upon] On Hanmer.

5. This] Pho! this Capell conj. what is] what's Hanmer and

Capell.

6. in the] i' th' Hanmer and Capell.

7. rivality] rivalty Rowe (ed. 2) and Capell.

8. of the action] F ̧F3F4. of action F2 of them Hanmer. om. Capell conj.

and] om. Hanmer.

9. hel Which he Hanner.

I might have told hereafter.

Eno.
But let it be. Bring me to Antony.

'Twill be naught:

Eros. Come, sir.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Rome. Cæsar's house.

Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECENAS.

Cas. Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more,
In Alexandria: here's the manner of't:
I' the market-place, on a tribunal silver'd
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publicly enthroned: at the feet sat
Cæsarion, whom they call my father's son,
And all the unlawful issue that their lust

Since then hath made between them. Unto her
He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Cas. I' the common show-place, where they exercise. His sons he there proclaim'd the kings of kings:

Great Media, Parthia and Armenia,

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd
Syria, Cilicia and Phoenicia: she

In the habiliments of the goddess

Isis

That day appear'd, and oft before gave audience,
As 'tis reported, so.

Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence

Already, will their good thoughts call from him.

Cas. The people know it, and have now received

His accusations.

Agr.

Who does he accuse?

Cas. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him

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His part o' the isle: then does he say, he lent me

Some shipping unrestored: lastly, he frets

That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be deposed; and, being, that we detain

All his revenue.

Agr.

Sir, this should be answer'd.

Cas. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone.

I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;

That he his high authority abused

And did deserve his change: for what I have conquer'd,

I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia
And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I
Demand the like.

17. the habiliments] Rowe (ed. 2). depos'd, in Ff. th' abiliments Ff.

19. reported, so] Rowe. reported so Ff.

19, 20. Let...Inform'd.] Divided as by Hanmer. One line in Ff.

20. Agr.] om. Hanmer, continuing the speech to ‘Mec.

20, 31. Who......him.] Divided as by Hanmer. The first line ends already, in Ff.

22, 23. The...accusations.] Divided as by Pope. The first line ends it in Ff.

22. know] F3F4. knowes F,F2. 23. Who] F1. Whom F2F3F4. 24. and that,] for that Hanmer. 28-30. That......revenue.] As in Rowe. Two lines, the first ending

28. triumvirate] Rowe. Triumphe rate, F. Triumvirate, F2F3F4.

29. and, being, that] and being, that Rowe. And being that, F1F2 And being that F3F4. and, being that, Boswell.

31. the] F, his FF3F4. a Collier MS.

31. have] om. Rowe (ed. 2).

33. he] F. om. F2F3F4

34. his change】 disgrace or dis-
charge Anon. conj.

change: for] F. chance for
F2F3F4 chance. For Rowe.
I have] I've Pope.

36, 37. And...like.] As in Rowe.
One line in Ff.

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Mac.

He'll never yield to that.

Cas. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter OCTAVIA, with her train.

Octa. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear Cæsar!
Cas. That ever I should call thee castaway!

Octa. You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause.

Cas. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You come not Like Cæsar's sister: the wife of Antony

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Should have an army for an usher, and

The neighs of horse to tell of her approach
Long ere she did appear; the trees by the way
Should have borne men; and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not; nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Raised by your populous troops: but you are come
A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented
The ostentation of our love, which, left unshown,
Is often left unloved: we should have met you
By sea and land, supplying every stage

With an augmented greeting.

To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it
On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted
My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Cæs.

Which soon he granted,

Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.

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