Looking for Antony: But all charms of love
Salt Cleopatra, atra, soften thy wan'd lip !6

Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both !
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;
That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even till a Lethe'd dulness.-How now, Varrius?

Enter VARRIUS.

Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver:
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome
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 helm
For such a petty war: his soldiership
Is twice the other twain: But let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow' pluck..
The ne'er lust-wearied Antony.

Men. I cannot hope,

Cæsar and Antony shall well greet together:
His wife, that's dead, did trespasses to Cæsar;
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom. I know not, Menas,

How lesser enmities may give way to greater. Were't not that we stand up against them all, 'Twere pregnant they should square between them

selves; 8

For they have entertained cause enough

To draw their swords: but how the fear of us

May cement their divisions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.

Be it as our gods will have it! It only stands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

1

Rome. A Room in the House of LEPIDUS. Enter ENOBARBUS

and LEPIDUS.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,

And shall become you well, to entreat your captain

To soft and gentle speech.

Eno. I shall entreat him

To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him,

Let Antony look over Cæsar's head,

And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

I would not shave to-day.

Lep. 'Tis not a time

For private stomaching.

Eno. Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in it.

Lep. But small to greater matters must give 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, Cæsar.

Enter CÆSAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia :

Hark you, Ventidius.

Cas. I do not know,

Mecænas; ask Agrippa.

Lep. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,

May it be gently heard: When we debate

[1] This play is not divided into acts by the author or first editors, and therefore the present division may be altered at pleasure I think the first act may be commodiously continued to this place, and the second act opened with the interview of the chief persons, and a change of the state of action. Yet it must be confessed, that it is of small importance, where these uncon nected and desultory scenes are interrupted. JOHNS,

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners,

(The rather, for I earnestly beseech,)

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,

Nor curstness grow tothe matter.

Ant. 'Tis spoken well:

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

I should do thus.

Cas. Welcome to Rome.

Ant. Thank you.

Cas. Sit.

Ant. Sit, sir!

Cas. Nay,

Then-3

Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not so;

Or, being, concern you not.

Cas. I must be laugh'd at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should say myself offended; and with you

Chiefly i'the world: more laugh'd at, that I should Once name you derogately, when to sound your name It not concern'd me.

Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæsar,

What was't to you?

Cas. 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.

Ant. How intend you, practis'd?

Cas. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent,
By what did here befal. Your wife, and brother,
Made wars upon me; and their contestation
Was theme for you, you were the word of war.4

Ant. You domistake your business; my brother never
Did urge me in his act: I did inquire it;
And have my learning from some true reports,6

[3] Antony appears to be jealous of a circumstance which seemed to indi cate a consciousness of superiority in his too successful partner in power; and accordingly resents the invitation of Cæsar to be seated: Cæsar answers, Nay then; i. e. If you are so ready to resent what I meant as an act of civil. ity, there can be no reason to suppose you have temper enough for the busi. ness on which at present we are met.

STEEV.

(4) Was theme for you, I believe means only, was proposed as an example for you to follow on a yet more extensive plan; as themes are given for a writer to dilate upon. STEEV.

[5] i.e. Never did make use of my name as a pretence for the war.WARE. 161 Reports, for reporters. STEEV.

That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather
Discredit my authority with yours;

And make the wars alike against my stomach,
Having alike your cause?? Of 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.

Cas. You praise yourself

By laying defects of judgment to me; but
You patch'd up your excuses.

Ant. Not so, not so;

I know you could not lack, I am certain on't,
Very necessity of this thought, that I,
Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,
Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars
Which 'fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,
I would you had her spirit in such another: 9
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 uncurable, her garboils, Cæsar,
Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too,) I grieving grant,
Did you too much disquiet for that, you must
But say, I could not help it.

Cas. I wrote toyou,

When rioting in Alexandria; you
Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my missive out of audience.

Ant. Sir,

He fell upon me, ere admitted; then

Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want
Of what I was i'the morning: but, next day,
I told him of myself; which was as much

As to have ask'd him pardon: Let this fellow

[9] I wish you had the spirit of Fulvia, embodied in such another woman as her; I wish you were married to such another spirited woman; and then you would find, that tho' you can govern a third part of the world, the management of such a woman is not an easy matter. MAL. - Such, I believe, should be omitted, as both the verse and meaning are complete without it:

I would you had her spirit in another."

STEEV.

[] i. e. Told him the condition I was in, when he had his last audience, WARB.

Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,
Out of our question wipe him.

Cas. You have broken

The article of your oath; which you shall never

Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep. Soft, Cæsar.

Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak;

The honour's sacred which he talks on now,
Supposing that I lack'd it: But on, Cæsar ;
The article of my oath,

Cas. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them; The which you both denied.

Ant. Neglected, rather;

And then, when poison'd hours had bound me up
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,

To have me out of Egypt, made wars here ;
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do
So far ask pardon, as befits mine honour
To stoop in such a case.

Lep. 'Tis nobly spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between you; to forget them quite, Were to remember that the present need

Speaks to atone you.2

Lep. Worthily spoken, 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.

Ant. Thou art a soldier only; speak no more.

Eno. That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot. Ant. You wrong this presence, therefore speak no more. Eno. Go to then; your considerate stone.3

Cas. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech; for it cannot be,

MAL.

[1] Nor my greatness work without mine honesty. [2] Atone, reconcile. STEEV-Griefs, grievances. MAL. [3] If I must be chidden, henceforward I will be mute as a marble statue, which seems to think, though it can say nothing. "As silent as a stone," however, might have been once a common phrase. STEEV.

[4] I do not, says Cesar, think the man wrong, but too free of his interposition; for it cannot be, we shall remain in friendship: yet if it were pos sible, I would endeavour it. JOHNS.