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Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia,

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he affign'd
Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia: fhe

In the habiliments of the goddess Ifis

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

Mec. Let Rome be thus inform'd.

Agr. Who, queafy with his infolence already, Will their good thoughts call from him.

Caf. The people know it, and have now receiv'd His accufations.

Agr. Whom does he accufe?

Caf. Cæfar; for that having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius fpoil'd, we had not rated him
His part o'th' ifle. Then does he fay, he lent me
Some fhipping unreflor'd. Laftly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the triumvirate

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

Arg. Sir, this fhould be anfwer'd.

Caf. 'Tis done already, and his meffenger gone. I told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deferve his change. For what I've conquer'd

I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia,

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, 1

Demand the like.

Mec. He'll ne'er yield to that.

Caf. Nor muft he then be yielded to in this.

Enter Octavia, with Attendants.

O. Hail, Cafar, and my Lord! hail, moft dear

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Caf. That ever I fhould call thee caft away!

Oct. You have not call'd me fo, nor have you cause.
Cef. Why haft thou ftol'n upon us thus? you come

Like Cæfar's fifter. The wife of Antony
Should have an army for an ufher, and

The neighs of horse to tell of her approach.

Long ere fhe did appear. The trees by th' way
Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not. Nay, the dutt

[not

Should have afcended to the roof of heav'n,
Rais'd by your populous troops, But you are come
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The oftentation of our love; which left unfhewn,
Is often left unlov'd; we fhould have met you
By fea and land, fupplying every stage
With an augmented greeting

Oct. Good my Lord,

To come thus was I not conftrain'd, but did, it
On my free-will. My Lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My grieving ear withal; whereon I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Gaf. Which foon he granted,

Being an obstruct 'tween his luft and him.
Oct. 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?

Oct. 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

The Kings o' th' earth for war.

He hath affembled

Bocchus the King of Libya, Archelaus
Of Cappadocia, Philadelphos King

Of Paphlagonia, the Thracian King Adúllas,
King Malchus of Arabia, King of Pont,
Herod of Jewry, Mithridates King
Of Comagene, Polemon and Amintas,
The Kings of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a more larger lift of fceptres.

Oct. Ah me most wretched,

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

Caf. Welcome hither;

Your letters did with hold our breaking forth,
Till we perceiv'd, 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 thefe ftrong neceflities;
But let determin'd things to deftiny

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Hold unbewail'd their way.

Nothing more dear to me.

Welcome to Rome;

You are abus'd

Beyond the mark of thought; and the high.gods,
To do you justice, make their ministers

Of us, and thofe 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 large
In his abominations, turns you off,

And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
That nofes it against us.

Oct. Is it fo, Sir?

Caf. It is moft certain. Sifter, welcome; pray you, Be ever known to patience. My dear'st fifter!

[Exe.

SCENE VI.

Near the promontory of Actium.

Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus.

Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

Eno. But why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou haft forefpoke my being in these wars ; And fay'ft it is not fit.

Eno. Well; is it, is it?

Cleo. Is't not denounc'd against us? why should not we be there in person?

Eno Well, I could reply: if we should serve with horfe and mares together, the horfe were merely loft, the mares would bear a foldier and his horfe.

Cleo. What is't you say?

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Eno. Your prefence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time, What fhould 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 against 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 ftay 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 mea
To taunt at flackness.

Canidius, we

Will fight with him by fea.

Cleo. By fea, what else?

Can. Why will my Lord do so ?

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 Pharsalia, Where Cafar fought with Pompey. But thefe offers, Which fe ve not for his vantage, he shakes off; And fo fhould you.

Eno. Your fhips are not well mann'd,

Your mariners are muliteers, reapers, people
Ingrofs'd by fwift imprefs. In Cæfar's fleet
Are thofe that often have against Pompey fought;
Their fhips are yare, your's 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 most confift
Of war mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promifes affurance, and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm fecurity.

Ant. I'll fight at fea.

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

And, with the rest full mann'd, from the head of Actium

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

Thy bufmefs?

Enter a Mejenger.

Me. The news is true, my Lord; he is defcried; 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 horfe. We'll to our fhip; Away, my Thetis !

Enter a Soldier.

How now, worthy Soldier!

Sol. Oh, Noble Emperor, do not fight by fea, Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt

This fword, and thefe my wounds? let the Ægyptians And the Phoenicians go a-ducking: we

Have us'd to conquer standing on the earth,

And fighting foot to foot.

Ant. Well, well, away. [Exeunt Ant. Cleo. and Eno. Sol. By Hercules, I think I am i' th' right.

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

Not in the power on't fo our leader's led,

And we are womens' men.

Sol. You keep by land.

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Jufteius,

Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea :

But we keep whole by land. This fpeed of Cæfar's Carries beyond belief.

Sol. While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in fuch distractions as

Beguil'd all spies,

Can. Who's his lieutenant, hear you?

Sol. They fay, one Taurus.

Gan. Well I know the man.

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