Cæs.

I must be laugh'd at, 30

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.

What was't to you?

My being in Egypt, Cæsar,

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, practised? 40 Cæs. You may be pleased to catch at mine intent

By what did here befal me. Your wife and brother

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 inquire it;

And have my learning from some true reports,* That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather

*Reporters.

Discredit my authority with yours;
And make the wars alike against my stomach, 50
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.

Cæs.

You praise yourself
By laying defects of judgement 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 60
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.

*Opposed.

Eno. Would we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women!

Ant. So much uncurbable, her garboils,* Cæsar,

*Uproars

Made out of her impatience, which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too, I grieving grant
Did you too much disquiet: for that you must 70
But say, I could not help it.

Cæs.
I wrote to you
When rioting in Alexandria; you

Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my missive* out of audience.
Ant.

He fell upon me ere admitted: then

*Messenger.

Sir,

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

Cæs.

80

*Conversation.

You have broken

The article of your oath; which you shall never Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep.
Ant.

Lepidus, let him speak:

Soft, Cæsar!

No,

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

Cæs. To lend me arms and aid when I required them;

The which you both denied.

Ant.

Neglected, rather; And then when poison'd hours had bound me up 90 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 noble spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further

The griefs between ye: to forget them quite ΙΟΟ Were to remember that the present need

Speaks to atone* you.

Lep.

*Reconcile.

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.

ΙΙΟ

Ant. You wrong this presence; therefore speak

no more.

Eno. Go to, then; your considerate stone.
Cæs. I do not much dislike the matter, but
The manner of his speech; for't cannot be
We shall remain in friendship, our conditions*
So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew

What hoop should hold us stanch, from edge to edge

O' the world I would pursue it.

Agr.

Cas. Speak, Agrippa.

*Dispositions.

Give me leave, Cæsar,

Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Admired Octavia: great Mark Antony

Is now a widower.

Cæs.

Say not so, Agrippa:

If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof
Were well deserved of rashness.

Ant. I am not married, Cæsar: 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

121

130

That which none else can utter. By this mar

riage,

All little jealousies, which now seem great,

And all great fears, which now import their dangers,

Would then be nothing: truths would be tales,
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,
By duty ruminated.

Ant.

Will Cæsar speak?

140

Cæs. Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is spoke already.

Ant.

If I would say, 'Agrippa, be it so,'
To make this good?

Cæs.

What power is in Agrippa,

The power of Cæsar, and

May I never

His power unto Octavia.

Ant.

To this good purpose, that so fairly shows,
Dream of impediment! Let me have thy hand:
Further this act of grace; and from this hour
The heart of brothers govern in our loves
And sway our great designs!

Cæs.

There is my hand.
A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother
Did ever love so dearly: let her live

150

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 'gainst Pompey:

For he hath laid strange courtesies and great

Of late upon me: I must thank him only,

Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;

At heel of that, defy him.

Lep.

Time calls upon's:

160

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,
Or else he seeks out us.

Where lies he?

Ant.
Cæs. About the mount Misenum.
Ant. What is his strength by land?

Cæs. Great and increasing: but by sea He is an absolute master.

So is the fame.

Ant.
Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it:
Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we
The business we have talk'd of.

Cæs.
And do invite you to my sister's view,
Whither straight I'll lead you.

Ant.

With most gladness:

170

Let us, Lepidus,

Noble Antony,

Not sickness should detain me.

Mec.

[Flourish. Exeunt Cæsar, Antony, and Lepidus.

Welcome from Egypt, sir.

Eno. Half the heart of Cæsar, worthy Mecænas! My honourable friend, Agrippa!

Agr. Good Enobarbus!

Mec. We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You stayed well by 't in Egypt.

180

Eno. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, 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.

190

Eño. When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart, upon the river of Cydnus. Agr. There she appeared indeed; or my reporter 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,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made