That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience, As 'tis reported, so.

Mec. Inform'd.

Let Rome be thus

Agr. Who, queasy* with his insolence *Sick. 20 Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Cas. The people know it; and have now received

His accusations.

Agr.

Who does he accuse?

Cæs. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated* him
His part o' the isle: then does he say, he lent me
Some shipping unrestored: lastly, he frets *Assigned.
That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be deposed; and, being,† that we detain
All his revenue.

Agr.

+Inasmuch as. 30

Sir, this should be answer'd. Cæs. 'Tis done already, and the messenger

gone.

I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;
That he his high authority abused,

And did deserve his change: for what I have 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.

Cæs. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter OCTAVIA with her train.

39

Oct. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most
dear Cæsar!
Cæs. That ever I should call thee castaway!
Oct. You have not call'd me so, nor have you

cause.

Cas. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You

come not

Like Cæsar's sister: the wife of Antony
Should have an army for an usher, and
The neighs of horse to tell of her approach
Long ere she did appear; the trees by the way
Should have borne men; and expectation fainted,

49

Longing for what it had not; nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Raised by your populous troops: but you are come
A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented
The ostentation of our love, which, left unshown,
Is often left unloved: we should have met you
By sea and land; supplying every stage
With an augmented greeting.

Oct.
Good my lord,
To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did
On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted
My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Cæs.
Which soon he granted, 60
Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.
Oft. Do not say so, my lord.

Cæs.

I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now?

Cas. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire

Up to a whore; who now are levying

The kings o' the earth for war: he hath assembled Bocchus, the king of Libya; 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 Amyntas,
The kings of Mede and Lycaonia,
With a more larger list of sceptres.

70

Oct. Ay me, most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends That do afflict each other!

Cæs. Welcome hither: Your letters did withhold our breaking forth; 79 Till we perceived, 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 necessities;

But let determined things to destiny

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

of us and those that love you. Best of comfort; And ever welcome to us.

Agr.

Welcome, lady.
Mec. Welcome, dear madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you:
Only the adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off;
And gives his potent regiment* to a trull,
That noises it against us.

Is it so, sir?

90

*Government.

Cæs. Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you, Be ever known to patience: my dear'st sister!

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII. Near Altium. Antony's camp.
Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.

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

Cleo. Thou hast forspoke* my being in these

wars,

And say'st it is not fit.

Eno.

*Spoken against.

Well, is it, is it?

Cleo. If not denounced against us, why should

not we

Be there in person?

Eno. [Aside] Well, I could reply:

If we should serve with horse and mares together, The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear A soldier and his horse.

IO

Cleo.
What is 't you say?
Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;
Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's
time,

What should not then be spared. He is already
Traduced 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' the

war,

And, as the president of my kingdom, will

Appear there for a man.

I will not stay behind.
Eno.

Here comes the emperor.

Ant.

Speak not against it;

Nay, I have done.

20

Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.

Is it not strange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum and Brundusium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,

And take in* Toryne? You have heard on 't,

sweet?

Cleo. Celerity is never more admired Than by the negligent.

Ant.

A good rebuke,

*Conquer.

Which might have well becomed the best of men, To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo.

By sea! what else?

Can. Why will my lord do so? Ant. For that he dares us to 't. 30 Eno. So hath my lord dared him to single fight. Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia, Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: but these

offers,

Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.

Eno.
Your ships are not well mann'd;
Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people
Ingross'd by swift impress; in Cæsar's fleet

Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought: Their ships are yare;* yours, heavy: no disgrace Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepared for land.

Ant.

By sea, by sea.

*Ready. 40

Eno. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away The absolute soldiership you have by land; Distract your army, which doth most consist Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego

The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.

Ant.

I'll fight at sea.

Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better. 50 Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn; And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium

Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail,
We then can do 't at land.

Mess.

Enter a Messenger.

Thy business?

The news is true, my lord; he is descried;

Cæsar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;

Strange that his power should be. Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship:
Away, my Thetis!

Enter a Soldier.

How now, worthy soldier! 61 Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea; Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt This sword and these my wounds?

Egyptians

Let the

And the Phoenicians go a-ducking: we
Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant.

Well, well: away! [Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus. Sold. By Hercules, I think I am i' the right. Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows

Not in the power on 't: so our leader's led, 70 And we are women's men.

Sold.

You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea: