I'll have; but how? when Antony is gone,
Through whom I might command it:-Come Thou

near.

Mef. Moft gracious Majefty,

Cleo. Didft thou behold

Octavia?

Mef. Ay, dread Queen.
Cleo. Where?

Mef. In Rome, Madam.

I lookt her in the face; and faw her led
Between her brother and Mark Antony.

Cleo. Is fhe as tall as me?
Mef. She is not, Madam.

Cleo. Didft hear her fpeak? is fhe fhrill-tongu❜d, or low?

Mef. Madam, I heard her fpeak, fhe is low-voic'd.
Cleo. That's not fo good; he cannot like her long.
Char. Like her? oh Ifis! 'tis impoffible.

Cleo. I think fo, Charmian; dull of tongue and
dwarfish.

What Majesty is in her gate? remember,
If e'er thou look'dft on Majesty.

Mef. She creeps;

Her motion and her ftation are as one:

She fhews a body rather than a life,

A ftatue than a breather.

Cleo. Is this certain ?

Mef. 3 Or I have no obfervance.
Char. Three in Egypt

Cannot make better note.

Cleo. He's very knowing.

I do perceive't; there's nothing in her

The fellow has good judgment.

Char. Excellent.

yet.

3 Or I have no obfervance.] Obfervance, for observation or

ability of observing.

Cleo.

Cleo. Guess at her years, I pr'ythee.
Mef. Madam, fhe was a widow.
Cleo. Widow? Charmian, hark.
Mef. And I do think, fhe's thirty.

Cleo. Bear'ft thou her face in mind? it's long, or round?

Mef. Round even to faultinefs.
Cleo. For th' moft part too,

They're foolish that are fo. Her hair, what colour?
Mef. Brown, Madam; and her forehead
As low as fhe would with it.

Cleo. There's gold for thee.

Thou must not take my former sharpness ill,
I will employ thee back again; I find thee
Moft fit for business. Go, make thee ready;
Our letters are prepar❜d.

Char. A proper man.

Cleo. Indeed, he is fo: I repent me much, That fo I harried him. Why, methinks, by him, This creature's no fuch thing.

Char. O, nothing, Madam.

Cleo. The man hath feen fome Majefty, and should know.

Char. Hath he feen Majefty? Ifis elfe defend!

And ferving you so long?

Cleo. I've one thing more to ask him yet, good
Charmian:

But 'tis no matter, thou fhalt bring him to me
Where I will write: all may be well enough.
Char. I warrant you, Madam.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Changes to Athens.

Enter Antony and Octavia.

Ant. NAY, nay, Octavia, not only That,

That were excufable, That and thousands

more

Of semblable import, but he hath wag'd
New wars 'gainft Pompey; made his Will and read it
To publick ear; spoke fcantily of me;

When perforce he could not

But pay me terms of honour, cold and fickly

He vented them; moft narrow measure lent me ; When the beft hint was given him, he (a) not took*t, Or did it from his teeth.

Oct. Oh, my good lord,

Believe not all; or, if you

muft believe,

Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,

If this divifion chance, ne'er ftood between,
Praying for both parts: the good Gods will mock me,
When I fhall pray, oh, blefs my lord and husband!
Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,

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

Ant. Gentle Octavia,

Let your beft love draw to that point, which feeks
Beft to preserve it; if I lofe mine honour,

I lose my self; better I were not yours,

Than yours fo branchlefs. But, as you requested,
Your felf fhall go between's; the mean time, lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war,

Shall ftain your brother; make your foonest hafte;

[(a) not took't. Dr. Thirlby.-Vulg. not look'd.]

So,

So, your defires are yours.

Oct. Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of Power make me, moft weak, moft weak,
Your reconciler! + wars 'twixt you 'twain would be
As if the world should cleave, and that flain men
Should folder up the rift.

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

Can equally move with them. Provide your Going; Chufe your own company, and command what coft Your heart has mind to.

Enter Enobarbus and Eros.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?

Eros. There's ftrange news, come, Sir.

Eno. What, man?

[Exeunt.

Eros. Cæfar and Lepidus have made war upon Pompey. Eno. This is old; what is the success?

Eros. Cæfar, having made ufe of him in the wars 'gainft Pompey, presently denied him rivalty, would not let him partake in the glory of the action; and not refting here, accufes him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey. Upon his own appeal, feizes him; fo the poor Third is up, 'till death enlarge his confine. Eno. Then 'would thou had'ft a pair of chaps, no more and throw between them all the food thou hast, they'll grind the other. Where's Antony?

Eros. He's walking in the garden thus; and fpurns The rush that lies before him. Crys, "fool Lepidus!

wars 'twixt you 'twain would be, &c.] The thought is wonderfully fublime. It is taken from Curtius's leaping into the gulf in the Forum, in order to close the gap. As that was closed by one Roman, fo it is infinuated, that if the whole world were to cleave, Romans only could folder up the chafm. The expreffion is exact. For as metal is foldered by metal more pure and noble, fo the globe was to be foldered up by men, who are only a more refined earth.

And

1

And threats the throat of that his Officer,
That murder'd Pompey.

Eno. Our great Navy's rigg'd.

Eros. For Italy and Cæfar; more, Domitius,
My lord defires you prefently; my news

I might have told hereafter.

Eno. "Twill be naught; but let it be; bring me to

Antony.

Eros. Come, Sir.

Exeunt.

V.

Changes to the Palace in Rome.

Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecænas.

Caf. Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and

In Alexandria; here's the manner of it:
I'th' market-place on a Tribunal filver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publickly enthron'd; at the feet, fat
Cafario, whom they call my father's fon;
And all the unlawful iffue, that their luft
Since then hath made between them.

Unto her
He gave the 'stablishment of Egypt, made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Abfolute Queen.

Mec. This in the publick eye?

Caf. I'th' common fhew-place, where they exercife,
His fons were there proclaim'd the Kings of Kings;
Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he affign'd
Syria, Cilicia, and Phænicia: 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.