Mef. Madam, fhe was a widow.
Cleo. Widow? Charmian, hark.
Mef. And I do think he's thirty.

Cleo, Bear'it thou her face in mind? is't long or round?
Mef. Round even to faultinefs.

Cleo. For th' most part too,

They're foolish that are fo.

Her hair what colour?

Mef. Brown, Madam; and her forehead As low as fhe would with it.

Cleo. There's gold for thee.

Thou must not take my former fharpness ill,
I will employ thee back again; I find thee
Moft fit for bufinefs. Go, make thee ready,
Our letters are prepar'd.

Char. A proper man.

Cleo. Indeed he is fo; I repent me much

That fo I harried him.

Methinks by him,

This creature's no fuch thing.

Char. O nothing, Madam.

[Exit Mef.

Cleo. The man hath feen fome majefty, and should know. Char. Hath he feen majefty? Ifis elfe defend!

And ferving you fo long.

[mian :

Cleo. I've one thing more to ask him yet, good Char

But 'tis no matter, thou shalt bring him to me

Where I will write all may be well enough.

Char. I warrant you, Madam,

SCENE

ATHEN S.

Enter Antony and Octavia.

Ant. NAY, nay, Octavia, not only that,

[Exeunt.

That were excufable, that and thousands more

Of femblable import, but he hath wag'd

New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it
To publick ear, spoke fcantily of me;

3 'And

3 'And when at any time perforce he could not
But pay me terms of honour, cold and fickly
He vented them; moft narrow measure lent me;
When the best hint was given him, he 4 'not took't,
Or did it from his teeth.

O. Oh, my good Lord,

Believe not all; or if you must believe,
Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,

If this divifion chance, ne'er stood between
Praying for both parts: the good Gods will mock me,
When I fhall pray, O bless my Lord and husband!
Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,

O bless my brother! Husband win, win brother,
Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway
'Twixt these extreams at all.

Ant. Gentle Octavia,

Let your beft love draw to that point which feeks
Beft to preferve it: if I lofe mine honour,
I lose my self; better I were not yours,

Than yours fo branchless. But as you requested,
Your felf fhall go between's; the mean time, Lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shall ftrain your brother; make your fooneft hafte,
So your defires are yours.

Ó. Thanks to my Lord,

6

The Jove of power make me, although moft weak,`
Your reconciler! wars 'twixt you twain would be

As if the world fhould cleave, and that flain men
Should folder up the rift.

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

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

3 When perforce

[Exeunt. Enter

4 o'er look'd... old edit. Thirl. emend. 6 most weak, most weak,

5 ftain... old. edit. Theob, emend.

Enter Enobarbus and Eros.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?

Eros. There's ftrange news come, Sir.
Eno. What, man?

Eros. Cæfar and Lepidus have made war

7 'On` Pompey.

Eno. This is old; 'what's the fuccefs?

Eros. Cafar having made ufe of him i' th' wars
'Gainft Pompey, prefently denied him rivalty:
Would not let him partake of the glory of them;
Not refting here, accufes him of letters

2

I

Which he had formerly 'written' to Pompey.
Upon his own 'appeal he feizes him,

3

So the poor third is up, 'till death inlarge
His confine.

[more:

Eno. Then, World! thou haft a pair of chaps, no And throw between them all the food thou haft,' They'll grind each other. Where is Antony?

5

Eros. He's walking in the garden thus; and fpurns The rush that lyes before him. Crys, Fool Lepidus! And threat the throat of that his officer

That murder'd Pompey.

Eno. Our great navy's rigg'd.

Eros. For Italy and Cæfar; more, Domitius,
My Lord defires you prefently; my news
I might have, told hereafter.

Eno. 'Twill be naught,

But let it be; bring me to Antony.

Eros. Come, Sir.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecænas.

Caf. Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more,

In Alexandria; here's the matter of it:
I' th' market-place on a tribunal filver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publickly enthron'd; at the feet fat
'Cafarion, whom they call my father's fon,
And all the unlawful iffue that their luft

6

Since then hath made between them. Unto her the 'stablishment of Egypt, made her

He gave

Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Abfolute Queen.

Mec. This in the publick eye?

Caf. I' th' common fhew-place where they exercise. His fons were there proclaim'd the Kings of Kings; Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy affign'd

Syria, Cilicia, and Phenicia: fhe

In the habiliments of the Goddess Ifis

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

Mec. Let Rome be thus

Inform'd; 7'who, queafie with his infolence
Already, will their good thoughts call from him.
Caf. The people know it, and have now receiv'd
His accufations.

Agr. Whom does he accufe?

8

Caf. Cafar, 'for that having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius fpoil'd, we had not rated him
His part o' th' ifle. Then does he fay, he lent me
Some shipping unreftor'd. Laftly he frets

That Lepidus of the triumvirate

6 Cæfario,

Should

Should be depos'd; and being, that we detain

All his revenue.

Agr. Sir, this fhould be anfwer'd.

Caef. 'Tis done already, and his messenger gone: I told him Lepidus was grown too cruel,

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deferve his change. For what I've conquer'd,

1 grant him part; but then in this Armenia,

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I

Demand the like.

Mec. He'll never yield to that.

Caf. Nor must he then be yielded to in this,

Enter Octavia with Attendants.

Oct. Hail, Cæfar, and my Lord! hail, most dear Cafar!
Caf. That ever I fhould call thee caft-away!

Oct. You have not call'd me fo, nor have you cause, Caf. Why haft thou ftol'n upon me thus? you come not Like Cafar's fifter; the wife of Antony

Should have an army for an usher, and

The neighs of horse to tell of her approach,
Long ere fhe did appear. The trees by th' way
Should have born men, and expectation fainted
Longing for what it had not. Nay, the duft
Should have afcended to the roof of heav'n,
Rais'd by your populous troops: but you are come
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The 'oftent of our love; which left unfhewn,
Is often left unlov'd; we fhould have met
By fea and land, fupplying every stage

With an augmented greeting.

O. Good my Lord,

you

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

9 oftentation

old edit. Theob. emend.

Cef.