Let your best love draw to that point which seeks
Beft to preferve it: if I lofe mine honour,

I lose my self; better I were not yours,

Than yours fo branchlefs. But as you requested,
"Your felf fhall go between's; the mean time, Lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shall ftrain your brother; make your fooneft haste,
So your defires are yours.

Ót. Thanks to my Lord,

The Jove of power make me, although most weak,
Your reconciler! wars 'twixt you twain would be
As if the world fhould cleave, and that flain men
Should folder up the rift.

way;

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,
Turn your displeasure that for our faults
Can never be fo equal, that your love
Can equally move with them. Provide your going,
Chufe your own company, and command what coft

1 Your heart has mind to.

Enter Enobarbus and Eros.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?

Eros. There's ftrange news come, Sir.

Eno. What, man?

Eros. Cæfar and Lepidus have made war

On Pompey

Eno. This is old; what's the fuccefs?

Eros. Cæfar having made ufe of him i'th' wars 'Gainft Pompey, prefently denied him rivalty:

Would not let him partake of the glory of them;
Not refting here, accufes him of letters

Which he had formerly written to Pompey.

Upon his own appeal he feizes him,

So the poor third is up, 'till death inlarge
His confine.

[Exeunt.

En. Then, World! thou haft a pair of chaps, no more: And throw between them all the food thou haft, They'll grind each other. Where is Antony? Eros. He's walking in the garden thus; and fpurns. The rush that lyes before him. Crys, Fool Lepidus! VOL. VII.

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And

And threats the throat of that his officer

That murder'd Pompey.

Eno. Our great navy's rigg'd.

Eros. For Italy and Cæfar; more, Domitius,
My Lord defires you prefently; my news
I might have told hereafter.

no. "Twill be naught,

But let it be; bring me to Antony.

Eros. Come, Sir.

SCENE V.

[Exeunt.

The Palace in Rome.

Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecænas.

Caf. Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more,
In Alexandria; here's the matter of it:
I' th' market-place on a tribunal filver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publickly enthron'd; at the feet fat
Cæfarion, whom they call my father's fon,
And all the unlawful iffue that their luft

Since then hath made between them. Unto her
He gave the 'stablishment of Egypt, made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Abfolute Queen.

Mec. This in the publick eye?

Caf. I'th' common fhew-place where they exercise. His fons were there proclaim'd the Kings of Kings; Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy affign'd

Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia : she

In the habiliments of the Goddess Ifis

That day appear'd, and oft before gave audience,

As 'tis reported, fo.

Mec. Let Rome be thus

Inform'd; who, queafie with his infolence
Already, will their good thoughts call from him.
Caf. The people know it, and have now receiv'd
His accufations.

Agr. Whom does he accufe?

Caf. Cæfar, for that having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius fpoil'd, we had not rated him

His part o'th' ifle. Then does he fay, he lent me
Some shipping unreftor'd, Laftly he frets

That

That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and being, that we detain

All his revenue.

Agr. Sir, this should be anfwer'd,

Caf. 'Tis done already, and his messenger gone: I told him Lepidus was grown too cruel,

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deferve his change. For what I've conquer'd,

I grant him part; but then in his Armenia,

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I

Demand the like.

Mec. He'll never yield to that.

Caf. Nor muft he then be yielded to in this.
Enter Octavia with Attendants.

Oft. Hail, Cæfar, and my Lord! hail, most dear Cæfar! Caf. That eyer I should call thee cast-away!

O. You have not call'd me fo, nor have you cause. Caf. Why haft thou ftol'n upon me thus ? you come not Like Cæfar's fifter; the wife of Antony

Should have an army for an ufher, and

The neighs of horse to tell of her approach,
Long ere the did appear. The trees by th' way
Should have born men, and expectation fainted
Longing for what it had not. Nay, the duft
Should have afcended to the roof of heav'n,
Rais'd by your populous troops: but you are come
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The oftent of our love; which left unfhewn,
Is often left unlov'd; we should have met you
By fea and land, fupplying every ftage
With an augmented greeting.

Oct. Good my Lord,

To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it
On
my free will. My Lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My grieving ear withal; whereon I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Caf. Which foon he granted,

Being an obftruct 'tween his luft and him.

Oft. Do not say fo, my Lord.

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Caf.

Caf. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind:

Where is he now ?

O. My Lord, he is in Athens.

Caf. No, my moft wronged fifter; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore, who now are levying

The Kings o' th' earth for war.

He hath affembled

Bocchus the King of Lybia, Archelaus
Of Cappadocia, Philadelphos King

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian King Adallas,
King Malchus of Arabia, King of Pont,
Herod of Jewry, Mithridates King
Of Comagene, Polemon and Amintas,
The Kings of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a larger lift of scepters.

08. Ah me moft wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do afflict each other!

Caf. Welcome hither;

Your letters did with-hold our breaking forth,
'Till we perceiv'd both how you were wrong led,
And we in negligent danger; cheer your heart.
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these strong neceffities,
But let determin'd things to destiny

Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome :
Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd
Beyond the mark of thought; and the high Gods,
To do you justice, make their ministers

Of us, and thofe that love you. Be of comfort,
And ever welcome to us.

Agr. Welcome, Lady.

Mec. Welcome, dear Madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you;
Only th' adulterous Antony, moft large
In his abominations, turns you off,
And gives his potent regiment to a trull
That nofes it against us.

Oct. Is it fo, Sir?

Caf.

Caf. It is most certain: fifter, welcome; pray you Be ever known to patience. My dear'ft fifter! SCENE VI. ACTIUM.

Enter Cleopatra, and nobarbus.

Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Eno. But why, why, why?

[Exeunt.

Cleo. Thou haft befpoke my being in these wars ; And fay'ft it is not fit.

Eno. Well; is it, is it?

Cleo. Is't not denounc'd against us? why fhould not we Be there in perfon?

Eno. Well I could reply;

If we should serve with horfe and mares together,
The horse were meerly loft; the mares would bear
A foldier and his horse.

Cleo. What is't you say?

Eno. Your prefence needs muft puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time, What fhould not then be fpar'd. He is already Traduc'd for levity, and 'tis said in Rome, That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids, Manage this war.

Cleo. Sink Rome, and their tongues rot

That speak against us! A charge we bear i'th' war,
And as the prefident of my kingdom will I

Appear there for a man.

I will not stay behind.

Speak not against it,

Enter Antony and Canidius.

Eno. Nay, I have done :

Here comes the Emperor.

Ant. Is't not ftrange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum, and Brundufium,

He could fo quickly cut th' 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 flackness. Come, Canidius, we

Will fight with him by fea.

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Clev