Cleo. How much unlike art thou Mark Antony Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath With his tinct gilded thee.— How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? - !| He kiss'd,-the last of many doubled kisses,- Cleo. extremes Of hot and cold; he was nor sad, nor merry. Cleo. O well-divided disposition!-Note him, Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him: He was not sad; for he would shine on those Cleo. Who's born that day When I forget to send to Antony, Shall die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian.Welcome, my good Alexas.-Did, I Charmian, Ever love Cæsar so? O that brave Cæsar! Char. Cleo. Be chok'd with such another emphasis ! Say, the brave Antony. Char. The valiant Cæsar! gether, Looking for Antony: But all charms of love, Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver: Pom. I could have given less matter Is twice the other twain: But let us rear I cannot hope, Men. 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; SCENE II.-Rome. A room in the house of Eno. For private stomaching. Noble friends, Maecenas; ask Agrippa. Lep. Which 'fronted mine own peace. As for my 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, Did gibe my missive out of audience. Sir, That which combin'd us was most great, and let not Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts I should do thus. Cas. Welcome to Rome. Ant. Cæs. Ant. Cæs. Then Thank you. Sit. Nay, It not concern'd me. My being in Egypt, Caesar, 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 befall 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 this act: I did inquire it; And make the wars alike against my stomach, Cæs. Ant. (1) Agree. (2) Let not ill humour be added. (3) Use bad arts or stratagems. (4) Subject of conversation. (5) Reporters. (6) Opposed. He fell upon me, ere admitted; then Lep. 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. Mac. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite, Were to remember that the present need Speaks to attone12 you. Lep. Worthily spoke, Mæcenas. 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 Cas. Say not so, Agrippa; If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof Were well deserv'd 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 That which none else can utter. By this marriage, All little jealousies, which now seem great, And all great fears, which now import their dan Not sickness should detain me. [Flourish. Exeunt Cæs. Ant. and Lep. Mac. Welcome from Egypt, sir. Eno. Half the heart of Cæsar, worthy Mæcenas! -my honourable friend, Agrippa! Agr. Good Enobarbus! Mac. We have cause to be glad, that matters are so weil digested. You staid well by it in Egypt. Eno. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking. Mac. 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 nothing. Mac. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.' Eno. When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart upon the river of Cydmus. 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 Agr. Agr. Rare Egyptian! It should be better, he became her guest; Agr. Royal wench! She made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed; He plough'd her, and she cropp'd. Eno. I saw her once Hop forty paces through the public street: And, breathless, power breathe forth. Mac. Now Antony must leave her utterly. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale (3) Readily perform. Mac. SCENE III-The same. A room in Casar's As I conceive the journey, be at mounts Ant. The world, and my great office, will times Lep. We shall, Your way is shorter, All which time Ant. Say to me, Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's, or mine? Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side: Where Cæsar is not; but near him, thy angel If thou dost play with him at any game, Ant. Get thee gone: Say to Ventidius, I would speak with him : [Exit Soothsayer. He shall to Parthia.-Be it art, or hap, He hath spoken true: The very dice obey him; And, in our sports, my better cunning faints Under his chance: if we draw lots, he speeds: His cocks do win the battle still of mine, When it is all to nought; and his quails3 ever Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt: And though I make this marriage for my peace, Enter Ventidius. I' the east my pleasure lies :-0, come, Ventidius, Lep. Farewell. Sir, good success! [Exeunt. SCENE V.-Alexandria. A room in the palace Enter Mardian. Cleo. Let it alone; let us to billiards: Come, Charmian. Char. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian. Cleo. As well a woman with an eunuch play'd, As with a woman:-Come, you'll play with me, sir? Mar. As well as I can, madam. Cleo. And when good will is show'd, though it come too short, The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now:- Char. Cleo. Antony's dead? Madam, madam, If thou say so, villain, thou kill'st thy mistress: If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here Mess. To say, the dead are well: bring it to that, Mess. Good madam, hear me. (4) Inclosed. (5) Mount Misenum. (7) Head-dress. Mess. Cleo. Madam, he's well. Well said. Some monstrous malefactor. Pr'ythee, friend, The good and bad together: He's friend with In state of health, thou say'st; and, thou say'st, free. For what good turn? Mess. Good madam, patience. Cleo. What say you?-hence [Strikes him again. Horrible villain! or I'll spurn thine eyes Like balls before me; I'll unhair thy head; [She hales him up and down. Thou shalt be whipp'd with wire, and stew'd in brine, Smarting in ling'ring pickle. Mess. Gracious madam, I, that do bring the news, made not the match. Cleo. Say, 'tis not so, a province I will give thee, And make thy fortunes proud: the blow thou hadst Shall make thy peace, for moving me to rage; And I will boot thee with what gift beside Thy modesty can beg. Mess. He's married, madam. Cleo. Rogue, thou hast liv'd too long. [Draws a dagger. Mess. Nay, then I'll run :What mean you, madam? I have made no fault. [Exit. Char. Good madam, keep yourself within yourself; The man is innocent. Cleo. Some innocents 'scape not the thunderbolt. Melt Egypt into Nile! and kindly creatures (1) So sour a countenance. (2) A man in his senses. (3) Preceding. VOL. II. Char. Many times, madam. Lead me from hence. I I am paid for't now. faint; O Iras, Charmian,-'Tis no matter :Go to the fellow, good Alexas; bid him Her inclination, let him not leave out Report the features of Octavia, her years, The colour of her hair :-bring me word quickly.-[Exit Alexas. Let him for ever go :-Let him not-Charmian, Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon, T'other way he's a Mars:-Bid you Alexas Bring me word, how tall she is.-Pity me Char mian, [To Mardain. But do not speak to me.-Lead me to my chamber. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-Near Misenum. Enter Pompey and Menas, at one side, with drum and trumpet: at another, Cæsar, Lepidus, Antony, Enobarbus, Mæcenas, with soldiers marching. Pom. Your hostages I have, so have you mine; And we shall talk before we fight. Cæs. Most meet, That first we come to words; and therefore have we Our written purposes before us sent ; Which if thou hast considered, let us know If 'twill tie up thy discontented sword; And carry back to Sicily much tall" youth That else must perish here. Pom. To you all three, :-The senators alone of this great world, Chief factors for the gods,-I do not know, Wherefore my father should revengers want, Having a son, and friends: since Julius Cæsar, |