My grieving ear withal; whereon I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Caf. (8) Which foon he granted,

Being an Obftruct 'tween his luft and him.
Octa. Do not fay fo, my Lord.

Caf. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.

Where is he now?

Octa. My Lord, 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

(9) The Kings o' th' earth for war. He hath affembled Bacchus the King of Libya, Archelaus

Of Cappadocia, Philadelphus King

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian King Adullas,
King Malchus of Arabia, King of Pont,
Herod of Jewry, Mithridates King
Of Comagene, Polemon and Amintas,
The King of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a more larger lift of fcepters.
Octa. Ay me, moft wretched,

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

Caf. Welcome hither;

led,

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

(8) Which foon be granted,

Being an Abftract tween his luft and him.] Antony very foon comply'd to let Octavia go, at her requeft, fays Cæfar; and why? Because he was an abstract between his inordinate paffion and him; this is abfurd. We must read,

Being an Obftru&t 'tween his luft and him.

i. e. his wife being an obftruction, a bar to the profecution of his wanton pleafures with Cleopatra.

WARBURTON.

(9) Mr. Upton remarks, that there are fome errours in this enumeration of the auxiliary Kings: but it is probable that the authour did not much with to be accurate.

Hold

Hold unbewail'd their way.
Nothing more dear to me.
Beyond the mark of thought;

Welcome to Rome.
You are abus'd

and the high Gods,

To do you juftice, make their ministers

Of us, and those 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 farge
In his abominations, turns you off,

And gives his (1) potent regiment to a trull,
That noifes it against us.

Octa. Is it fo, Sir?

Caf. It is moft certain.

Sifter, welcome. Pray you,

Be ever known to patience, my dear'ft fifter! [Exeunt

SCENE VI.

Near the Promontory of Actium.

Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus.

Cleo. Eno. But why, why, why?

Will be even with thee, doubt it not.

Cleo. Thou haft (2) forefpoke my being in there

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. [Afide.] Well, I could reply; if we fhould ferve with horfe and mares together, the horfe were

(1) -potent regiment- -] Regiment, is government, autho rity; he puts his power and his empire into the hands of a falfe

woman.

It may be obferved, that trull was not, in our authour's time, a term of mere infamy, but a word of flight contempt, as wench

is now.

(2)forefpoke my being-] To forefpeak, is to contradict, to Speak against, as farbid is to order negatively.

merely

merely loft; the mares would bear a foldier and his horfe.

Cleo. What is't you fay?

Eno. Your prefence needs muft puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time What should not then be fpar'd. He is already Traduc'd for levity, and 'tis faid in Rome,

That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids,
Manage this war,

Cleo. Sink Rome, and their tongues rot

That speak againft us! A charge we bear i' th' war;
And, as the prefident of my Kingdom, will I
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it,
I will not stay behind.

Enter Antony and Canidius.

Eno. Nay, I have done : here comes the Emperor. Ant. Is it not strange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum, and Brundufium,

He could fo quickly cut th' Ionian fea,

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 become the best of men

To taunt at flacknèfs.

Canidius, we

Will fight with him by fea.

Cleo. By fea, what else?

Can. Why will my Lord do fo?

Ant. For that he dares us to't.

Eno. So hath my Lord dar'd him to fingle fight. Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharfalia, Where Cafar fought with Pompey. But thefe offers, Which ferve not for his vantage, he shakes off; And fo fhould you.

Eno. Your fhips are not well mann'd,
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Ingroft by fwift imprefs. In Cafar's fleet
Are thofe that often have 'gainft Pompey fought;
Their fhips are yare, yours heavy: no difgrace

Shall fall you for refufing him at fea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By fea, by sea.

Eno. Moft worthy Sir, you therein throw away
The abfolute foldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth moft confift
Of war-mark'd footmen: leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promises affurance, and
Give up yourself meerly to chance and hazard,
From firm fecurity.

Ant. I'll fight at sea.

Cleo. I have fixty fails, Cafar none better.
Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn,

And, with the reft full-mann'd, from th' head of

Actium

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

Thy bufinefs?

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. The news is true, my Lord; he is defcry'd; Cæfar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in perfon? 'tis impoffible. Strange, that his power fhould be fo. Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou fhalt hold by land, And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our fhip; Away, my Thetis !

Enter a Soldier,

How now, worthy foldier?

Sold. Oh noble Emperor, do not fight by fea, Trust not to rotten planks: do you mifdoubt

This fword, and these my wounds? let the Egyptians And the Phænicians go a ducking: we

Have us'd to conquer ftanding on the earth,

And fighting foot to foot.

Ant. Well, well, away. [Ex. Ant. Cleo. and Enob.

Sold.

Sold. (3) By Hercules, I think, I am i' th' right.
Can. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action
Not in the power on't: fo our leader's led,
And we are women's men.

Sold. You keep by land

The legions and the horfe whole, do you not?
Can. Marcus O&avius, Marcus Fufteius,
Publicola and Calius, are for sea :

But we keep whole by land.

Carries beyond belief.

grows

This speed of Cafar's

Sold. While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in such (4) distractions as
Beguil'd all spies.

Can. Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
Sold. They fay, one Taurus.

Can. Well, I know the man.

Enter a Messenger.

Mef. The Emperor calls Canidius.

Can. With news the time's in labour, and throw s

forth

Each minute fome.

Enter Cæfar, with his army marching.

Caf. Taurus!

Taur. My Lord.

[Exeunt.

Caf. Strike not by land. Keep whole, provoke

not battle,

"Till we have done at fea. Do not exceed

The prefcript of this fcroul; our fortune lies
Upon this jump.

(3) By Hercules, I think, I am i' th' right.

Can. Soldier, thoa art; but his whole action grows

[Exeunt.

Not in the pow'r on't: -] That is, his whole conduct be comes ungoverned bythe right, or by reafon.

(4) distractions Detachments; feparate bodies.

VOL. IX.

H

Enter