Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia, He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd In the habiliments of the goddess Isis That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience As 'tis reported, so. Mec. Inform'd. Let Rome be thus Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Cæs. The people know it; and have now receiv'd His accusations. Agr. Whom does he accuse? Cæs. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain Agr. Sir, this should be answer'd. Cæs. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone. I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; That he his high authority abus'd, And did deserve his change; for what I have conquer'd, I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, Demand the like. Mec. He'll never yield to that. Cæs. Nor must not then be yielded to in this. Enter Octavia. Octa. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear Cæsar! Cæs. That ever I should call thee, cast-away! Octa. You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause. Cæs. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You come not Like Cæsar's sister: The wife of Antony Should have an army for an usher, and Octa. Good my lord, To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it Cæs. Which soon he granted, Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him. Octa. Do not say so, my lord. Cæs. I have eyes upon him, And his affairs come to me on the wind. Where is he now? Octa. My lord, in Athens. Cæs. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore; who now are levying The kings o' the earth for war: He hath assembled Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus, Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas: Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas, Octa. Ah me, most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends, That do afflict each other! Cis. Hold unbewail'd their way. Beyond the mark of thought: Welcome to Rome: You are abus'd and the high gods, To do you justice, make them ministers Of us, and those that love you. Best of comfort; Mec. Welcome, dear madam. Each heart in Rome does love and pity you; And gives his potent regiment to a trull, Octa. Is it so, sir? Cæs. Most certain. Sister, welcome: Pray you, Be ever known to patience: My dearest sister! [Exeunt. SCENE. VII. ANTONY'S CAMP, NEAR THE PROMONTORY OF ACTIUM. Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus. Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not. Cleo. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars; And say'st, it is not fit. Eno. Well, is it, is it? Cleo. Is't not? Denounce against us, why should not we Be there in person? Eno. [Aside.] Well, I could reply: If we should serve with horse and mares together, The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear A soldier, and his horse. Cleo. What is't you say? Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his time, What should not then be spar'd. He is already Cleo. Sink Rome; and their tongues rot, That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war, And, as the president of my kingdom, will Appear there for a man. Speak not against it; That from Tarentum, and Brundusium, He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea, And take in Toryne?-You have heard on't, sweet? Cleo. Celerity is never more admir'd, Than by the negligent. Ant. A good rebuke, Which might have well becom❜d the best of men, To taunt at slackness.-Canidius, we Will fight with him by sea. Cleo. By sea! What else? For he dares us to't. Can. Why will my lord do so? Ant. Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight.. |