Agr. Who, queafie 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; and that having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius fpoi'd, we had not rated him
His part o'th' Ifle. Then does he say, he lent me
Some Shipping unreftor'd. Laftly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the Triumvirate

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

Agr. 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 deserve his Change. For what I've 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 ne'er yield to that.

Caf. Nor muft he then be yielded to in this.
Enter Octavia, with Attendants.

Oa. Hail, Cafar, and my lord! hail, moft dear
Cafar!

Caf. That ever I should call thee Cast-away!

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

not

Like Cafar's fifter; 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 th' way
Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,
Longing for w, it had not. Nay, the duft
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 unshewn,
Is often left unlov'd; we should have met you
By fea and land, fupplying every stage
With an augmented greeting.

Qa. 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.

Caf. Which foon he granted,

Being an Obftruct '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 Adullas,
King Malchus of Arabia, King of Pont,
Herod of Jewry, Mithridates King
Of Comagene, Polemon and Amintas,
The King of Mede, and Lycaonia,

5 Which foon be granted,

Being an Abstract 'tween his luft and him.] Antony very foon comply'd to let Octavia go at her requeit, fays Cafar; and why? Because she was an abfiract between his inordinate paffion and him; this is abfurd. We must read,

Being an Obftru& 'tween his luft and him.

i. e. his wife being an obstruction, a bar to the prosecution of his wanton pleasures with Cleopatra.

With a more larger lift of scepters.

O. Ay me moft 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 these strong neceffities;
But let determin'd things to Deftiny

Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome;
Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd
Beyond the mark of thought; and the high Gods,
To do you justice, make their ministers

Of us, and those 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 noses it against us.

O. Is it fo, Sir?

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

[Exeunt.

Near the Promontory of A&tium.

Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus.

will be even with thee, doubt it not.

Cleo. Iw

Eno. But why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou haft forefpoke my being in these wars;

And fay'ft, it is not fit.

Eno.

Eno. Well, is it, is it?

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

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

Cleo. What is't you say?

Eno. Your prefence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time, What should 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 there tongues rot

That speak againft us! A charge we bear i' th' war; And, as the prefident of my Kingdom, will I

Appear there for a man.

I will not stay behind.

Speak not against it,

Enter Antony and Canidius.

Eno. Nay, I have done: here comes the Emperor.
Ant. Is it not ftrange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum, and Brundufium,

He could fo quickly cut th' 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,

Which might have well become the best of men
To taunt at flackness. Canidius, we

Will fight with him by fea.

Cleo. By fea, what else?

Can. Why will my lord do fo?

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 Pharfalia, Where Cafar fought with Pompey. But thefe offers,

Which serve 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
Ingroft by swift imprefs. In Cafar's fleet
Are those that often have againft Pompey fought;
Their fhips are yare, yours heavy: no difgrace
Shall fall you for refufing him at sea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By fea, by fea.

Eno. Moft worthy Sir, you therein throw away The abfolute foldierfhip 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 promises affurance, and Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, From firm fecurity,

Ant. I'll fight at sea.

Cleo. I have fixty fails, Cæfar none better.
Ant. Our overplus of fhipping will we burn,
And, with the reft full-mann'd, from the head of
Altium

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

Thy business?.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. The news is true, my lord; he is defcried Cafar 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 foldier?

Sol. Oh noble Emperor, do not fight by fea,

M 2

Truft