Most fit for business. Go, make thee ready;

Our letters are prepared.

Char.

Cle. Indeed, he is so:

That so I harried him.1

[Exit Messenger.

A proper man.

I repent me much,

Why, methinks, by him.

This creature's no such thing.

Char. Nothing, madam.

Cle. The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.

Char. Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend, And serving you so long!

Cle. I have one thing more to ask him yet, good
Charmian :-

But 'tis no matter; thou shalt bring him to me
Where I will write: all may be well enough.
Char. I warrant you, madam.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Athens. A room in Antony's house.

Enter ANTONY and OCTAVIA.

Ant. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that;That were excusable, that, and thousands more Of semblable import: 2 but he hath waged

New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it

To public ear:

That I used him so roughly.

• Of similar tendency.

Spoke scantly of me: when perforce he could not But pay me terms of honor, cold and sickly

He vented them; most narrow measure lent me : When the best hint was given him, he not took 't, Or did it from his teeth.1

Oct.

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

If this division chance, ne'er stood between, Praying for both parts: the good gods will mock me presently,

When I shall 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 extremes at all.

Ant.

Gentle Octavia,

Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks Best to preserve it: if I lose mine honor,

I lose myself: better I were not yours,

Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested, Yourself shall go between us: 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.

Oct.

Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak, Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be

1 Indistinctly, unwillingly.

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.

SCENE V.

The same.

Another room in the same.

Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?

Eros. There's strange news come, sir.

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; 1 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, 2 seises him so the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.

Eno. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, no

more;

1 Equal rank.

2 Accusation.

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, Le

pidus !'

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

I might have told hereafter.

Eno.

But let it be.-Bring me to Antony.

Eros. Come, sir.

"Twill be naught:

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Rome. A room in Casar's house.

Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECENAS.

Ca. Contemning Rome, he has done ai this, and

more,

In Alexandria ;-here's the manner of it.
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,

Absolute queen.

Mec.

This in the public eye?

Ca. 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.

Mec. Inform'd.

Let Rome be thus

1

Agr. Who, queasy 1 with his insolence

Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Ca. The people know it, and have now received His accusations.

Agr.

Whom does he accuse?

Ca. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him
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.

Ca. 'Tis done already. and the messenger gone.

1 Sick, disgusted.

2 Assigned.