Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,
I would you had her spirit in such another:

The third o' the world is yours, which with a snaffle
You
may pace easy, but not such a wife.

Eno. Would we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women!

Ant. So much uncurbable, her garboils, Cæsar,
Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too) I grieving grant,
Did you too much disquiet: for that, you must
But say, I could not help it.

Cæs.

I wrote to you,
When rioting in Alexandria; you
Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my missive out of audience.
Ant.

He fell upon me, ere admitted: then

Sir,

Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want
Of what I was i' the morning; but, next day,
I told him of myself, which was as much
As to have ask'd him pardon. Let this fellow
Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,

Out of our question wipe him.

Cæs.

You have broken

The article of your oath, which you shall never

Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep:

Soft, Cæsar.

Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak:

The honour's sacred which he talks on now,

Supposing that I lack'd it.

The article of my oath.

But on, Cæsar;

Cæs. To lend me arms and aid when I requir'd

them,

The which you both denied.

Neglected, rather;

Ant.
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 noble spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no farther
The griefs between ye: to forget them quite,

Were to remember that the present need
Speaks to atone you'.

Lep.

Worthily spoken, Mecænas. 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 no

more.

Eno. Go to then; your considerate stone. Cæs. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech; for it cannot be, We shall remain in friendship, our conditions So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew What hoop should hold us staunch, from edge to edge O'the world I would pursue it.

Agr.

Cæs. Speak, Agrippa.

Give me leave, Cæsar,

Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side,

7 to ATONE you.] i. e. reconcile you. See Vol. vi. p. 240. 589, &c. your considerate stone.] It may be a question, whether Enobarbus means to call Antony "a considerate stone," or to say merely that he will be silent as a stone. If the former, we must, with Johnson, change "your" of the folios to you; but the latter affords a clear meaning without any alteration of the ancient text.

Admir'd Octavia: great Mark Antony
Is now a widower.

Cæs.

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 farther 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 dangers,
Would then be nothing: truths would be tales,
Where now half tales be truths: her love to both,
Would, each to other, and all loves to both,

Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke,
For 'tis a studied, not a present thought,

By duty ruminated.

Ant.

Will Cæsar speak?

Cæs. Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is spoke already.

What power

is in Agrippa,

Ant.
If I would say, "Agrippa, be it so,'

To make this good?

Cæs.

The power of Cæsar, and His power unto Octavia.

" Were well deserv'd of rashness.] There are several misprints in this short speech, as it stands in prose in the folio, 1623, viz. “Say not, say Agrippa; if Cleopater heard you, your proof were well deserved of rashness." Of these modern editors take no notice, but silently change say to "so," and proof to "reproof," as if such were the ancient text. Theobald recommended approof instead of proof; but Hanmer's correction of "reproof" seems much preferable: the meaning then is, "your reproof were well deserved on account of rashness." The later folios do not vary from the first, excepting in the proper mode of spelling the name of Cleopatra.

VOL. VIII.

Ꭰ

Ant.

May I never

To this good purpose, that so fairly shows,
Dream of impediment!-Let me have thy hand :
Further this act of grace, and from this hour
The heart of brothers govern in our loves,
And sway our great designs!

Cæs.

There is my hand.

A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother
Did ever love so dearly: let her live

To join our kingdoms, and our hearts; and never
Fly off our loves again!

Lep.

Happily, amen.

Ant. I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Pom

pey;

For he hath laid strange courtesies, and great,

Of late upon me: I must thank him only,

Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;

At heel of that, defy him.

Lep.

Time calls upon us:

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,

Or else he seeks out us.

Cæs. Great, and increasing; but by sea

He is an absolute master.

Ant.

So is the fame.

Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it;
Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, despatch we
The business we have talk'd of.

Cæs.

And do invite you to my sister's view,
Whither straight I'll lead you.

With most gladness;

Let us, Lepidus,

Noble Antony,

Not sickness should detain me.

my

[Flourish. Exeunt CESAR, ANTONY, and LEPIDUS. Mec. Welcome from Egypt, sir.

Eno. Half the heart of Cæsar, worthy Mecenas!honourable friend, Agrippa!—

Agr. Good Enobarbus!

Mec. We have cause to be glad, that matters are so well digested. You stay'd well by it in Egypt.

Eno. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking.

Mec. 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 noting.

Mec. 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 Cydnus.

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
The water, which they beat, to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggar'd all description: she did lie

In her pavilion, (cloth of gold, of tissue)
O'er-picturing that Venus, where we see,
The fancy out-work nature: on each side her,
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With diverse-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
10 TO GLOW the delicate cheeks] All the folios read, "To glove," &c.

10