Men.
Eno.

Why?

A' bears the third part of the world, man; see'st not?

Men. The third part, then, is drunk: would it

were all,

That it might go on wheels!

Eno. Drink thou; increase the reels.

Pom. This is not yet an Alexandrian feast. Ant. It ripens towards it. Strike the vessels, ho!

Here is to Cæsar!

Cæs.

I could well forbear 't.

Be a child o' the time.

It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain,
And it grows fouler.

Ant.

Cæs. Possess it, I'll make answer: But I had rather fast from all four days Than drink so much in one.

Eno.

Ha, my brave emperor! [ToAntony.

Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals,
And celebrate our drink?

Pom.

Let's ha't, good soldier. III

Ant. Come, let's all take hands,

Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our

sense

In soft and delicate Lethe.

Eno.

All take hands.

Make battery to our ears with the loud music:
The while I'll place you: then the boy shall sing;
The holding* every man shall bear as loud *Chorus.
As his strong sides can volley.

[Music plays. Enobarbus places them hand

THE SONG.

in hand.

Come, thou monarch of the vine,
Plumpy Bacchus with pink eyne!*
In thy fats our cares be drown'd,
With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd:
Cup us, till the world go round,
Cup us, till the world go round!

I 20

* Eyes.

Cæs. What would you more?

night. Good brother,

Pompey, good

Let me request you off: our graver business Frowns at this levity. Gentle lords, let's part; You see we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarb

Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost

131

Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good

I'll try you on the shore.

Ant. And shall, sir: give's your hand.
Pom.

O Antony, You have my father's house,-But, what? we are

friends.

Come, down into the boat.

Eno.

Take heed you fall not.

[Exeunt all but Enobarbus and Menas.

Menas, I'll not on shore.

Men.

No, to my cabin.

These drums! these trumpets, flutes! what!
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell

To these great fellows: sound and be hang'd, sound out! [Sound a flourish, with drums. Eno. Ho! says a'. There's my cap.

Men. Ho! Noble captain, come.

ACT III.

SCENE I. A plain in Syria.

141

[Exeunt.

Enter VENTIDIUS as it were in triumph, with SILIUS, and other Romans, Officers, and Soldiers; the dead body of PACORUS borne before him.

Ven. Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now

Pleased fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death

Make me revenger. Bear the king's son's body Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes,

Pays this for Marcus Crassus.

Sil.

Noble Ventidius,

Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm, The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media,

Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither

The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony
Shall set thee on triumphant chariots and
Put garlands on thy head.

Ven.

O Silius, Silius,

ΙΟ

I have done enough; a lower place, note well,
May make too great an act: for learn this, Silius;
Better to leave undone, than by our deed

Acquire too high a fame when him we serve's away.

- Cæsar and Antony have ever won

More in their officer than person: Sossius,
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,

For quick accumulation of renown,

19

Which he achieved by the minute, lost his favour.
Who does i' the wars more than his captain can
Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition,
The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
Than gain which darkens him.

I could do more to do Antonius good,

But 'twould offend him; and in his offence
Should my performance perish.

Sil.

Thou hast, Ventidius, that

Without the which a soldier, and his sword, Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony?

Ven. I'll humbly signify what in his name, 30 That magical word of war, we have effected; How, with his banners and his well-paid ranks, The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia We have jaded* out o' the field.

Sil.

*Whipped.

Where is he now? Ven. He purposeth to Athens: whither, with

what haste

The weight we must convey with's will permit, We shall appear before him. On, there; pass

along!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Rome.

An ante-chamber in Cæsar's
house.

Enter AGRIPPA at one door, ENOBARBUS at
another.

Agr. What, are the brothers parted?

Eno. They have dispatch'd with Pompey, he

is gone;

The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps

To part from Rome; Cæsar is sad; and Lepidus, Since Pompey's feast, as Menas says, is troubled With the green sickness.

Agr.

'Tis a noble Lepidus. Eno. A very fine one: O, how he loves Cæsar!

Agr. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!

Eno. Cæsar? Why, he's the Jupiter of men. Agr. What's Antony? The god of Jupiter. 10 Eno. Spake you of Cæsar? How! the nonpareil!

Agr. O Antony! O thou Arabian bird!

Eno. Would you praise Cæsar, say 'Cæsar:' go no further.

Agr. Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.

Eno. But he loves Cæsar best; yet he loves Antony:

Ho! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot

Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number, ho!
His love to Antony. But as for Cæsar,
Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.

Agr.

Both he loves. Eno. They are his shards,* and he their beetle. [Trumpets within.] So; *Wing-cases. 20 This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa.

Agr. Good fortune, worthy soldier; and farewell.

Enter CESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, and OCTAVIA. Ant. No further, sir.

Cæs.

You take from me a great part of myself;

Use me well in 't. Sister, prove such a wife

As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest band

Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble Antony,
Let not the piece of virtue, which is set
Betwixt us as the cement of our love,
To keep it builded, be the ram to batter
The fortress of it; for better might we
Have loved without this mean, if on both parts
This be not cherish'd.

You shall not find,

30

Though you be therein curious, the least cause For what you seem to fear: so, the gods keep you, And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends! We will here part.

Cæs. Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well:

The elements be kind to thee, and make

Thy spirits all of comfort! fare thee well.
Ŏct. My noble brother!

40

Ant. The April's in her eyes: it is love's spring,

And these the showers to bring it on.

Be cheerful.

Oct. Sir, look well to my husband's house; and

Cæs. What,

Octavia?

O. I'll tell you in your ear.

Ant. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor

can

Her heart inform her tongue, -the swan's down

feather,

That stands upon the swell at full of tide,

And neither way inclines.

Eno. [Aside to Agr.] Will Cæsar weep?

50

Agr. [Aside to Eno.] He has a cloud in 's face. Eno. [Aside to Agr.] He were the worse for that, were he a horse;

So is he, being a man.

Agr. [Aside to Eno.] Why, Enobarbus,