Ces. Farewell, Farewell! [Kisses OCTAVIA.
Ant. Farewell! [Trumpets sound. Exeunt.
SCENE III.-Alexandria.-A Room in the
Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and
ALEXAS.

Cleo. Where is the fellow?
Alex. Half afeard to come.
Cleo. Go to, go to:-Come hither, Sir.

Enter a MESSENGER.

Mess. Madam, in Rome.

I look'd her in the face; and saw her led
Between her brother and Mark Antony.
Cleo. Is she as tall as me?

Mess. She is not, madam.

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

me:

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,

Cleo. Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-Praying for both parts:

tongu'd, or low?

Mess. Madam, I heard her speak; she is low

voic'd.

Cleo. That's not so good:-he cannot like her
long.

Char. Like her? O Isis! tis impossible.
Cleo. I think so, Charmian: Duil of tongue,

and dwarfish!

What majesty is in her gait? Remember,
If e'er thou look'st on majesty.

Mess. She creeps;

Her motion and her station* are as one:
She shows a body rather than a life;

A statue, than a breather.

Cleo. Is this certain?

Mess. Or I have no observance.

When I shall pray, O, bless my lord and hus-
And the good gods will mock me presently,

band!

Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,
O, bless my brother! Husband win, win bro-
ther,

Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway
"Twixt these extremes at all.

Ant. Gentle Octavia,

[seeks Let your best love draw to that point, which Best to preserve it: If I lose mine honour, I lose myself: better I were not yours, Than yours so branchless. But, as you re[lady,

quested,

Yourself shall go between us: The mean time,
I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shall stain your brother; Make your soonest
So your desires are yours.

Oct. Thanks to my lord.

[haste;

I do perceiv't:-There's nothing in her yet:— The Jove of power make me most weak, most

Char. Three in Egypt

Cannot make better note.

Cleo. He's very knowing,

[be Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would As if the world should cleave, and that slain Should solder** up the rift.++ [men

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,

Cleo. Bear'st thou her face in mind? is it Can never be so equal, that your love

Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults

conquer'd,

I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia,
And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I
Demand the like.

Eros. Cesar, having made use of him in the | And did deserve his change; for what I have 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 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; [hast, And throw between them all the food thou They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony?

Eros. He's walking in the garden-thus;
and spurns

[dus!
The rush that lies before him; cries, Fool, Lepi-
And threats the throat of that his officer,
That murder'd Pompey.

Eno. Our great navy's rigged.

Eros. For Italy, and Cesar. More, Domitius;

My lord desires you presently: my news 1 might have told hereafter.

Eno. 'Twill be naught:

But let it be.-Bring me to Antony.
Eros. Come, Sir.

[Exeunt.

In Alexandria,-here's the manner of it,-
I'the market place, on a tribunal silver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publicly 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
He gave the 'stablishment of Egypt; made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,
Absolute queen.

Mec. This in the public eye?
Ces. I'the common show-place, where they
exercise.
[kings:
His sons he there proclaim'd, The kings of
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 gave audi-
'As 'tis reported, so.

Mec. Let Rome be thus Inform'd.

[ence

Mec. He'll never yield to that.

Ces. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.
Enter OCTAVIA.

Oct. Hail, Cesar, and my lord! hail, inst
dear Cesar!

Ces. That ever I should call thee, cast-away!
Oct. You have not call'd me so, nor have

you cause.

Ces. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You

come not

Like Cesar'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 faint-
ed,

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 unshow!!,
Is often left unlov'd: we should have met jou
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.

Ces. Which soon he granted,

Being an obstructt 'tween his lust and him.
Oct. Do not say so, my lord.

Ces. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now?

Oct. My lord, in Athens.

Ces. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire

nied

Up to a whore; who now are levying
The kings o'the earth for war: He hath assem-
Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus,
Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king
Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adalas:
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 list of sceptres.

Oct. Ah me, most wretched,

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

Ces. Welcome hither:

Your letters did withhold our breaking forth:
Till we perceiv'd, both how you were wilg
led,

And we in negligent danger. Cheer your hear
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these strong necessities,
But let determin'd things to destiny
Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rove:
Nothing more dear to me. You are abas
Beyond the mark of thought: and the Ligh
gods,

To do you justice, make them ministers
Of us, and those that love you. Best of coci
And ever welcome to us.
flest

his time,

[ready

dier?

Enter a SOLDIER.

What should not then be spar'd. He is al-Away, my Thetis !**-How now, worthy sol-
Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis said in Rome,
That Photinus a eunuch, and your maids,
Manage this war.

Cleo. Sink Rome; and their tongues rot, That speak against us! A charge we bear i'the

war,

And, as the president of my kingdom, will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
I will not stay behind.

Eno. Nay, I have done:
Here comes the emperor.

Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.

Ant. Is't not strange, Canidius,
That from Tarentum, and Brundusium,
He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,
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,

[men,

Which might have well becom'd the best of

To taunt at slackness.-Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo. By sea! at else?

Can. Why wilt my lord do so?
Ant. For he dares us to't.

Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single
fight.

Cun. Ay, and to wage this battle at Phar

salia,

[offers,

Where Cesar fought with Pompey: But these
Which serves not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.

Eno. Your ships are not well mann'd:

Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea; Trust not to rotten planks: Do you misdoubt The sword, and these my wounds? Let the

Egyptians,

And the Phoenicians, go a ducking; we
Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant. Well, well, away.

[Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and
ENOBARBUS.

Sold. By Hercules, I think, I am i'the right.
Can. Soldier, thou art: but his whole action

+ Pressed in haste. * Ready. Incumbered. !! Ships. ¶ Strange that his forces should be there. ** Cleopatra. ++ Goes. 11 Forces. § Detachments, separate bodies.

Agonizes

To run, and show their shoulders.-Friends, be gone;

Eno. Naught, naught, all naught! I can be- I have myself resolv'd upon a course,

Her head's declin'd, and death will seize her;; Of audience, nor desire, shall fail; so she Your comfort makes the rescue.