With the arm'd reft, Courtiers of beauteous freedom,
To drench the Capitol, but that they would
Have one Man but a Man; and that is it
Hath made me rig my Navy. At whofe burthen,
The anger'd Ocean foams, with which I meant
To fcourge th' ingratitude, that defpiteful Rome
Caft on my Noble Father.

Caf. Take your time,

Ant. Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy Sails, We'll speak with thee at Sea. At Land thou know'st How much we do o'er-count thee.

Pom. At Land indeed

Thou doft o'er-count me of my Father's House.
But fince the Cuckoo builds not for himself,

Remain in't as thou may'st.

Lep. Be pleas'd to tell us,

For this is from the prefent now you talk,

The offers we have fent you

Caf. There's the point.

Ant. Which do not be intreated to, but weigh

What it is worth embrac'd.

Caf. And what may follow

To try a larger Fortune.

Pom. You have made me offer

Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I muft

Rid all the Sea of Pirates; then to fend

Measures of Wheat to Rome: this 'greed upon,
To part with unhackt edges, and bear back
Our Targets undinted.

Omnes. That's our offer.

Pom. Know then I came before you here, a Man
Prepar'd, to take this offer. But, Mark Antony,
Put me to fome impatience: though I lofe
The praife of it by telling. You must know
When Cafar and your Brother were at blows,
Your Mother came to Sicily, and did find
Her welcome friendly.

Ant. I have heard it, Pompey,

And am well ftudied for a liberal thanks,"

Which I do owe you.

Pom. Let me have your Hand:

I did not think, Sir, to have met you here,

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 ftudied, not a prefent Thought,
By duty ruminated.

Ant. Will Cafar speak?

Caf. Not 'till he hears how Antony is touch'd, With what is spoken already.

Ant. What power is in Agrippa, If I would fay Agrippa, be it fo, To make this good?

Caf. The power of Cafar, And his power unto Octavia.

Ant. May I never

To this good purpose, that fo fairly fhews,
Dream of impediment; let me have thy hand
Further this A&t of Grace: and from this hour,
The Heart of Brothers govern in our Loves,
And fway our great Defigns.

Caf. There's my hand:

A Sifter I bequeath you, whom no Brother
Did ever love fo dearly. Let her live

To join our Kingdoms, and our Hearts, and never

Fly off our Loves again.

Lep. Happily, Amen.

Ant. I did not think to draw my Sword against Pompey, For he hath laid ftrange Courtefies, and great

Of late upon me.

I must thank him only,

Left my remembrance fuffer ill report:

At heel of that defie him.

Lep. Time calls upon's,

Of us muft Pompey presently be fought,
Or else he feeks out us.

Ant. Where lyes he?

Caf. About the Mount-Mifenum.

Ant. What is his ftrength by Land?

Caf. Great, and increafing :

But by Sea he is an abfolute Mafter.
Ant. So is the Frame,

Would we had fpoke together. Hafte we for it,
Yet e'er we put our felves in Arms, dispatch we

The

The bufinefs we have talk'd of.

Caf. With moft gladness.

And do invite you to my Sifter's view,
Whither ftraight I'll lead you.

Ant. Let us, Lepidus, not lack your company.
Lep. Noble Antony, not fickness should detain me.

Manent Enobarbus, Agrippa, Mecænas.

Mec. Welcome from Egypt, Sir.

[Exeunt.

Ene. Half the Heart of Cafar, worthy Mecanas. My Honourable Friend Agrippa.

Agr. Good Enobarbus.

Mec. We have cause to be glad, that matters are so well digefted you stay'd well by't in Egypt.

Eno. Ay Sir, we did fleep day out of countenance, and made the Night light with drinking.

Mec. Eight wild-Boars roafted whole at a breakfast: and but twelve Perfons there. Is this true?

Eno. This was but as a Fly by an Eagle: we had much more monftrous matter of Feaft, which worthily deserved noting.

Mec. She's a moft triumphant Lady, if report be fquare to her.

Eno. When the firft met Mark Antony, she purs'd up his Heart upon the River of Cydnus.

Agr. There fhe appear'd indeed or my reporter devis'd

well for her.

Eno. I will tell you;

The Barge fhe fat in, like a Burnish'd Throne
Burnt on the water; the Poop was beaten Gold,
Purple the Sails, and so perfumed, that

The Winds were Love-fick.

1

With them the Oars were Silver,

Which to the tune of Flutes kept ftroke, and made
The water which they beat, to follow fafter,
As amorous of their ftrokes. For her own Perfon,
It beggar'd all defcription; fhe did lye

In her Pavillion, Cloth of Gold, of Tissue,
O'er-pi&uring that Venus, where we fee
The Fancy out-work Nature. On each fide her
Stood pretty dimpled Boys, like fmiling Cupids,

With divers-colour'd Fans, whofe wind did feem
To glow the delicate Cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid did.

Agr. Oh rare for Antony.

Eno. Her Gentlewomen, like the, Nereides,
So many Mere-maids tended her i'th' Eyes,
And made their bends adornings. At the Helm,
A feeming Mere-maid fteers; the Silken Tackles
Swell with the touches of thofe Flower-foft hands,
That yarely frame the Office. From the Barge
A ftrange invifible perfume hits the Senfe
Of the adjacent Wharfs. The City caft
Her People out upon her; and Antony
Enthron'd i'th' Market-place, did fit alone,
Whistling to th' Air; which but for vacancy,
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,
And made a gap in Nature.

Agr. Rare Egyptian!

Eno. Upon her landing, Antony sent to her,
Invited her to Supper: the replyed,

It fhould be better, he became her Gueft;
Which the entreated. Our Courteous Antony,
Whom ne'er, the word of no, Woman heard fpeak,
Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the Feaft:
And for his Ordinary, pays his Heart,

For what his Eyes eat only.

Agr. Royal wench!

She made great Cafar lay his Sword to Bed,
He ploughed her, and the cropt.

Eno. I faw her once

Hop forty Paces through the publick Street..

And having loft her breath, fhe fpoke, and panted,
That she did make defect, perfection,

And breathless power breath forth.

Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Eno. Never, he will not.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom steal
Her infinite variety: Other Women cloy
The Appetites they feed, but the makes hungry,
Where most she fatisfies. For vilest things
Become themselves in her, that the holy Priefts

Blefs

Bless her, when she is Riggish.

Mec. If Beauty, Wisdom, Modefty, can settle
The Heart of Antony, Octavia is

A bleffed Lottery to him.
Agr. Let us go.

Good Enobarbus, make

felf my
your my Gueft,

Whilft you abide here.

Eno. Humbly, Sir, I thank you.

[Exeunt.

Enter Antony, Cæfar, O&avia between them.

Ant. The World, and my great Office, will fometimes Divide me from your Bofom.

Octa. All which time,

Before the Gods my Knee fhall bow in Prayers

To them for you.

Ant. Good Night Sir. My Octavia,

Read not my blemishes in the World's report:
I have not kept my fquare, but that to come
Shall all be done by th' Rule; good Night, dear Lady.
Octa. Good Night, Sir.

Caf. Good Night.

[Exeunt Cæfar and Octavia.

Enter Soothsayer.

Ant. Now Sirrah! do you wish your felf in Ægypt? Sooth. Would I had never come from thence, nor you thither.

Ant. If you can, your reafon?.

Sooth. I fee it in my motion, have it not in my tongue; But yet hie you to Egypt again.

Ant. Say to me, whofe Fortune fhall rife higher, Cafar's or mine?

Sooth. Cafar's. Therefore, oh Antony, ftay not by his fide.
Thy Damon, that's thy Spirit which keeps thee, is
Noble, Couragious, High, Unmatchable,

Where Cafar's is not. But near him thy Angel
Becomes a fear; as being o'erpower'd, and therefore

Make pace enough between you.

Ant. Speak this no more.

Sooth. To none but thee, no more, but when to thee,

If thou doft play with him at any Game,

Thou art fure to lofe: And of that Natural luck

He beats thee 'gainft the odds. Thy Luftre thickens,
When he fhines by: I fay again, thy Spirit