mon body, Since my becomings kill me, when they do not | Comes dear'd, by being lack'd. This com Ant. Let us go. Come; Our separation so abides, and flies, [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-Rome.-An apartment in CESAR'S House. It is not Cesar's natural vice to hate Than Cleopatra: nor the queen Ptolemy. [or A man, who is the abstract of all faults Lep. I must not think, there are Than what he chooses. is not Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy; (As his composure must be rare indeed, Whom these things cannot blemish,) yet must Antony No way excuse his soils, when we do bear [loud That drums him from his sport, and speaks as As his own state, and ours,-'tis to be chid As we rate boys; who, being mature in know[sure, ledge, Pawn their experience to their present pleaAnd so rebel to judgement. love, * Associate or partner. Levity. Visit him. Like a vagabond flag upon the stream, Mess. Cesar, I bring thee word, Make the sea serve them: which they eart and wound With keels of every kind: Many hot inroads No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as soon Leave thy lascivious wassals. When thou once Wast beaten from Modena, where thou slew'st did deign The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; Lep. It is pity of him. Ces. Let his shames quickly Drive him to Rome: 'Tis time we twain Did show ourselves i'the field; and, to that end, Assemble we immediate council: Pompey Thrives in our idleness. Lep. To-morrow, Cesar, I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly Ces. Till which encounter, It is my business too. Farewell. Lep. Farewell, my lord: What you shall know mean time of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, Sir, Ces. Doubt not, Sir; [Exeunt. SCENE V.-Alexandria.-A Room in the Pulace. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN. Cleo. Charmian, Char. Madam. Cleo. Ha, ha!— Give me to drink mandragora.‡‡ Char. Why, madam? Cleo. That I might sleep out this great gap of My Antony is away. Char. You think of him Too much. Cleo. O, treason! Char. Madam, I trust, not so. Cleo. Thou eunuch! Mardian! Mar. What's your highness' pleasure? [time, * Endeared by being missed. + Plough. Turn pale. Ruddy. Feastings; in the old copy it is vai sailes, + Procured by his own fault. i. e. vassals, Urine. ** Stagnant, slimy water. || Consume. Discontented. I †† My bounden duty. A sleepy potion. Cleo. O Charmian, Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? Or does he walk? or is he on his horse? The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm When thou wast here above the ground, I was There would he anchor his aspect, and die Enter ALEXAS. Alex. Sovereign of Egypt, hail! Cleo. How much unlike art thou Mark Antony? Yet, coming from him, that great medicine Cleo. Mine ear must pluck it thence. Cleo. What, was he sad, or merry? Alex. Like to the time o'the year between the extremes Of hot and cold; he was nor sad, nor merry. Cleo. O well-divided disposition!-Note him, Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him: He was not sad; for he would shine on those In Egypt with his joy: but between both; Cleo. Who's born that day When I forget to send to Antony, † A helmet. * Unmanned. [gers: + Furious. Shall die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian. Welcome, my good Alexas.-Did I, Charmian, Ever love Cesar so? Char. () that brave Cesar! Cleo. Be chok'd with such another emphasis! Say, the brave Antony. Char. The valiant Cesar! Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cesar paragon again My man of men. Char. By your most gracious pardon, I sing but after you. Cleo. My sallad days; [blood, When I was green in judgement:-Cold in To say, as I said then!-But, come, away: Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day A several greeting, or I'll unpeople Egypt. ACT II. [Exeunt. The people love me, and the sea is mine; He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both, Nor either cares for him. Men. Cesar and Lepidus Are in the field; a mighty strength they carry. Pom. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony: But all charms of love nour, [rius! Even tillt a Lethe'd dullness.-How now, Var Enter VARRIUS. Var. This is most certain that I shall deliMark Antony is every hour in Rome [ver: Expected; since he went from Egypt, 'tis A space for further travel. Pom. I could have given less matter A better ear.-Menas, I did not think, This amorous surfeiter would have don'd; his For such a petty war: his soldiership [helm Is twice the other twain: But let us rear The higher our opiniou, that our stirring Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck The ne'er lust-wearied Antony. Serves for the matter that is then born in it. Should say myself offended; and with you should Once name you derogately, when to sound your name It not concern'd me. Ant. My being in Egypt, Cesar, What was't to you? Ces. No more than my residing here at Rome Might be to you in Egypt: Yet, if you there Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt Might be my question.t Ant. How intend you, practis'd? Ces. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, [brother, By what did here befal me. Your wife, and Made wars upon me; and their contestation Was theme for you, you were the word of war. Ant. You do mistake your business; my brother never Did urge me in his act: I did enquire it; Discredit my authority with yours; And make the wars alike against my stomach, Having alike your cause? Öf this, my letters Before did satisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel, As matter whole you have not to make it with, It must not be with this. Ces. You praise yourself By laying defects of judgement to me; but You patch'd up your excuses. Ant. Not so, not so; Lep. But small to greater matters must give Very necessity of this thought, that I, I know you could not lack, I am certain on't, way. Eno. Not if the small come first. Lep. Your speech is passion: But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony. Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS. Eno. And yonder, Cesar. Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA. Ant. If we composet well here, to Parthia: Hark you, Ventidius. Ces. I do not know, Mecænas; ask Agrippa. Lep. Noble friends, Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought, Could not with grateful eyes attend those wars Which 'fronted mine own peace. As for my wife, I would you had her spirit in such another: The third o'the world is yours; which with a snaffle|| You may pace easy, but not such a wife. Eno. 'Would we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women! Ant. So much incurable, her garboils,¶ Ce sar, Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted That which combin'd us was most great, and Shrewdness of policy too,) I grieving grant, let not Did you too much disquiet: for that, you must But say, I could not help it. Ces. I wrote to you, When rioting in Alexandria; you Did gibe my missive** out of audience. Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts Ant. Sir, He fell upon me, ere admitted; then Ces. You have broken The article of your oath; which you shall never Have tongue to charge me with. Lep. Soft, Cesar. Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak; The honour's sacred which he talks on now, Supposing that I lack'd it: But on, Cesar; Ces. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them; The which you both denied. [up And then, when poison'd hours had bound me From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may, I'll play the penitent to you: but mine honesty Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power Work without it: Truth is, that Fulvia, Lep. "Tis nobly spoken. Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite, Were to remember that the present need Speaks to atonet you. Lep. Worthily spoke, Mecænas. Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you shall have time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do. Ces. Great, and increasing: but by sea He is an absolute master. Ant. So is the fame. [it: Ant. Thou art a soldier only; speak no more. Eno. That truth should be silent, I had al-'Would, we had spoke together! Haste we for most forgot. Ant. You wrong this presence, therefore speak no more. Eno. Go to then; your considerate stone. Ces. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech: for it cannot be, We shall remain in friendship, our conditions; So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew What hoop should hold us staunch, from edge to edge O'the world I would pursue it. Agr. Give me leave, Cesar, Ces. Speak, Agrippa. Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, despatch we The business we have talk'd of. Ces. With most gladness; And do invite you to my sister's view, Lep. Noble Antony, [Flourish. Exeunt CESAR, ANTONY, and Mec. Welcome from Egypt, Sir. Eno. Half the heart of Cesar, worthy Meca Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, nas!-my honourable friend, Agrippa! Admir'd Octavia: great Mark Antony Is now a widower. Ces. Say not so, Agrippa; If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof Ant. I am not married, Cesar: let me hear Agrippa further speak. Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity, To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts With an unslipping knot, take Antony Octavia to his wife: whose beauty claims No worse a husband than the best of men; Whose virtue, and whose general graces, speak That which none else can utter. By this marriage, All little jealousies, which now seem great, And all great fears, which now import their dangers, [tales, Would then be nothing: truths would be but Where now half tales be truths: her love to both, Would, each to other, and all loves to both, Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke; For 'tis a studied, not a present thought, Agr. Good Enobarbus! Mec. We have cause to be glad, that matters are so well digested. You staid well by it in Egypt. Eno. Ay, Sir; we did sleep day out of coun tenance, and made the night light with drinking. Mec. Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve persons there; is this true? Eno. This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deserved noting. Mec. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square* to her, Eno. When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart upon the river of Cydnus. Agr. There she appear'd indeed; or my re porter devised well for her. Eno. I will tell you: The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold; Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that The winds were love-sick with them: the oars were silver; [made Ces. Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and . By duty ruminated. Ant. Will Cesar speak? With what is spoke already. Ant. What power is in Agrippa, If I would say, Agrippa, be it so, To make this good? The water, which they beat, to follow faster, As amorous of their strokes. For her own person, *Suits with her merits. It beggar'd all description: she did lie seem [cool, To glow the delicate cheeks which they did And they undid, did.* Agr. O, rare for Antony! Eno. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides, That yarely frame the office. From the barge Agr. Rare Egyptian! Eno. Upon her landing, Antony sent to her, Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast; Agr. Royal wench! She made great Cesar lay his sword to bed; Eno. I saw her once Where most she satisfies. For vilest things Mec. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle Agr. Let us go. Good Enobarbus make yourself my guest, Eno. Humbly, Sir, I thank you. [Exeunt. House. Enter CESAR, ANTONY, OCTAVIA between them; Ant. Get thee gone: Say to Ventidius, I would speak with him: And though I make this marriage for my peace, Enter VENTIDIUS. I'the east my pleasure lies:-0, come, Ventidius, You must to Parthia; your commission's ready: Follow and receive it. SCENE IV.-The same.-A Street. Enter LEPIDS, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA. Agr. Sir, Mark Antony Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow. Lep. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress. Ant. The world, and my great office, will Which will become you both, farewell. |