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

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

Agr. Whom does he accuse?

Cef. Cæfar; and that having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius spoud, we had not rated him
His part o'ch' Ine. Then does he say, he lent me
Some Shipping unrestor’d. Lastly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the Triumvirate
Should be depos’d; and, being, that we detain
All his revenue.

Agr. Sir, this should be answer'd.

Cef. 'Tis done already, and his messenger 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

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.
Cæs. Nor must he then be yielded to in this.

Enter OEtavia, with Attendants. 08. Hail, Cæfar, and my lord ! hail, most dear

Cæsar! Cæf. That ever I should call thee Caft-away! OÉ. You have not callid me so, nor have you caufe. Caf. Why haft thou stoln upon us thus ? you come

grant him

not

Like Cæfar'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 th

way
Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,
Longing for w., : it had not. Nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heav'n,

On my

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 sea and land, supplying every stage
With an augmented greeting.

Qet. Good my lord,
To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it

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.

Cel. s Which foon he granted,
Being an Obstruct 'tween his lust and him.

Oēt. Do not say so, my lord,

Cæf. I have eyes upon him,
And his affairs come to me on the wind :
Where is he now?

OET. My lord, in Athens.

Caf. No, my most 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 he granted,

Being an Abitract 'tween his lust and him.] Antony very foon comply'd to let Octavia go at her requeit, says Cæfar; and why? Because she was an abfiract between his inordinate paso fion and him; this is absurd. We must read,

Being an Obstruct 'tween his lus and him. i. e. his wife being an obstruction, a bar to the prosecution of his wanton pleasures with Cleopatra,

With a more larger list of scepters.

08. Ay me most wretched,
That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do amict each other!

Cæs. 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 necessities;
But let determin'd things to Destiny
Hold unbe wail'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, most large
In his abominations, turns you off,
And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
That noses it against us.

OET. Is it so, Sir ?

Cæs. It is most certain : sister, welcome ; pray you, Be ever known to patience. My dear’st fifter !

[Exeunt. S CE N E 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 forespoke my being in these wars ; And fay'st, it is not fit. Vol. VII.

M

Eno,

Eno. Well; is it, is it?

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

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

Cleo. What is't you say?

Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony ;
Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time,
What should not then be spar'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 against us! A charge we bear i'th' war;
And, as the president of my Kingdom, will I
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it,
I will not stay 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 so 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 Nackness. Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo. By sea, 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 single fight.

Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pbarsalia,
Where Cæfar fought with Pompey. But these offers,

Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.

Eno. Your ships are not well mann'd,
Your mariners are muliteers, reapers, people
Ingroft by swift impress. In Cæsar's fleet
Are those that often have against Pompey fought ;
Their ships are yare, yours heavy: no disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By fea, by sea.

Eno. Most worthy Sir, you therein throw away
The absolute soldiership 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 assurance, and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security,

Ant. I'll fight at sea.
Cleo. I have sixty fails, Cesar none better.

Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn,
And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of

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

Enter a Mellenger.
Thy business?

Mes. The news is true, my lord; he is descried s Cæfar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible. Strange, that his power should be so. Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land, And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship; Away, my

Tbetis !

Enter a Soldier.
How now, worthy soldier ?
Sol. Oh noble Emperor, do not fight by sea,
M2

Trust