SCENE IV.

Athens. A Room in Antony's House.

Enter ANTONY and OCTAVIA.

Ant. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,That were excusable, that, and thousands more Of semblable import,-but he hath wag'd

New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it
To publick ear:

Spoke scantly of me: when perforce he could not
But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly
He vented them; most narrow measure lent me:
When the best hint was given him, he not took't,
Or did it from his teeth.'

Oct.
O my good lord,
Believe not all; or, if you must believe,
Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,
If this division chance, ne'er stood between,
Praying for both parts:

And the good gods will mock me presently,
When I shall pray, 0, bless my lord and husband!
Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,

O, bless my brother! Husband win, win brother,
Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway
'Twixt these extremes at all.

Gentle Octavia,

Ant. Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks Best to preserve it: If I lose mine honour,

I lose myself: better I were not yours,

Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,

Or did it from his teeth.] Whether this means, as we now say, in spite of his teeth, or that he spoke through his teeth, so as to be purposely indistinct, is uncertain.

Yourself shall go between us: The mean time, lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war
Shall stain your brother; Make
So your desires are yours.

your soonest haste;

Oct. Thanks to my lord. The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak, Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be2 As if the world should cleave, and that slain men Should solder up the rift.

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,
Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults
Can never be so equal, that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your going;
Choose your own company, and command what cost
Your heart has mind to.
[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The same.

Another Room in the same.

Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?

Eros. There's strange news come, sir.

Eno. What, man?

Eros. Cæsar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.

Eno. This is old; What is the success?

Eros. Cæsar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him rivality; would not let him partake in the glory of the action: and not resting here, accuses him of letters he had

Wars 'twixt you twain would be, &c.] The sense is, that war between Cæsar and Antony would engage the world between them, and that the slaughter would be great in so extensive a commotion.

3 rivality;] Equal rank.

formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal,* seizes him: So the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.

Eno. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, no

more;

And throw between them all the food thou hast, They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony? Eros. He's walking in the garden-thus; and

spurns

The rush that lies before him; cries, Fool, Lepidus! And threats the throat of that his officer,

That murder'd Pompey.

Eno.

Our great navy's rigged.

Eros. For Italy, and Cæsar. More, Domitius;5 My lord desires you presently: my news

I might have told hereafter.

Eno.

"Twill be naught:

[Exeunt.

But let it be.-Bring me to Antony.

Eros. Come, sir.

SCENE VI.

Rome. A Room in Cæsar's House.

Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECENAS.

Cæs. Contemning Rome, he has done all this:
And more;

In Alexandria, here's the manner of it,
I' the market-place, on a tribunal silver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold

upon his own appeal,] To appeal, in Shakspeare, is to accuse; Cæsar seized Lepidus without any other proof than Cæsar's accusation.

More, Domitius;] I have something more to tell you, which I might have told at first, and delayed my news. Antony requires your presence.

Were publickly enthron'd: at the feet, sat
Cæsarion, whom they call my father's son;
And all the unlawful issue, that their lust
Since then hath made between them. Unto her
the 'stablishment of Egypt; made her

He

gave

Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Absolute queen.

Mec.

This in the publick eye?

Cas. I' the common show-place, where they exercise.

His sons he there proclaim'd, The kings of kings:
Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia,

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd
Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia: She

In the habiliments of the goddess Isis
That day appear'd; and oft before
As 'tis reported, so.

Mec. Inform'd.

gave

Let Rome be thus

audience

Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence

Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Cas. The people know it; and have now receiv'd His accusations.

Agr.

Whom 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 unrestor'd: lastly, he frets,

That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain
All his revenue.

Agr.

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 abus'd,

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

Enter OCTAVIA.

Oct. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear
Cæsar!

Cæs. That ever I should call thee, cast-away!
Oct. You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause.
Cæs. 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,
Longing for what it had not: nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Rais'd by your populous troops: But you are come
A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented
The ostent of our love," which, left unshown
Is often left unlov'd: 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 it
On my free-will. My lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Cas.
Which soon he granted,
Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.

• The ostent of our love,] for-ostentation.