Pom. Fill, till the cup be hid.

Eno. There's a strong fellow, Menas.

[Pointing to the attendant who carries off Lepidus.

Men.

Eno.

Why?

He bears

The third part of the world, man; See'st not?

Men. The third part then is drunk: 'Would it were all,

That it might go on wheels!

Eno. Drink thou; increase the reels.

Men. Come.

Pom. This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.

Ant. It ripens towards it.-Strike the vessels, ho! Here is to Cæsar.

Cas.

I could well forbear it.

It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain,
And it grows fouler.

Ant.

Be a child o' the time.

Cas. Possess it, I'll make answer: but I had rather

fast

From all, four days, than drink so much in one.

Eno. Ha, my brave emperor !

Shall we now dance the Egyptian Bacchanals,
And celebrate our drink?

Pom.

[to Antony.

Let's ha't, good soldier.

Ant. Come, let us all take hands;

Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense

In soft and delicate Lethe.

Eno.

All take hands.

Make battery to our ears with the loud musick :

The while, I'll place you: Then the boy shall

sing;

The holding every man shall bear, as loud

As his strong sides can volley.

[Music plays. Enobarbus places them hand in hand.

SONG.

Come, thou monarch of the vine,
Plumpy Bacchus, with pink eyne:
In thy vats our cares be drown'd;
With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd;
Cup us till the world go round;

Cup us, till the world

go round!

Cas. What would you more?-Pompey, good night. Good brother,

Let me request you off: our graver business
Frowns at this levity.-Gentle lords, let's part;
You see, we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarbe
Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue
Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost
Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good

night.

Good Antony, your hand.

Pom.

I'll try you o' the shore.

O, Antony,

Ant. And shall, sir: give's your hand.

Pom.

You have my father's house,-But what? we are

friends:

Come, down into the boat.

Eno.

Take heed you fall not.[Exeunt Pom. Cas, Ant. and Attendants.

Menas, I'll not on shore.

Men.

No, to my cabin.—

These drums!-these trumpets, flutes! what!—
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell

To these great fellows: Sound, and be hang'd, sound [A flourish of trumpets, with drums.

out.

Eno. Ho, says 'a!-There's my cap.

Men.

Comę.

Ho!-noble captain!

[Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

A Plain in Syria.

Enter VENTIDIUS, as after conquest, with SILIUS and other Romans, officers, and soldiers; the dead body of Pacorus borne before him.

Ven. Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and

now

Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death

Make me revenger.-Bear the king's son's body

Before our army :-Thy Pacorus, Orodes,

Pays this for Marcus Crassus.

Sil.

Noble Ventidius,

Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm, The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media, Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither

The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony

Shall set thee on triumphant chariots, and

Put garlands on thy head.

O Silius, Silius,

Ven.
I have done enough: A lower place, note well,
May make too great an act: For learn this, Silius;
Better leave undone, than by our deed acquire
Too high a fame, when him we serve's away.
Cæsar, and Antony, have ever won
More in their officer, than person: Sossius,
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
For quick accumulation of renown,

Which he achiev'd by the minute, lost his favour.
Who does i' the wars more than his captain can,
Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition,
The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
Than gain, which darkens him.

I could do more to do Antonius good,

But 'twould offend him; and in his offence
Should my performance perish.

Sil.

Thou hast, Ventidius,

That without which a soldier, and his sword,

Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony?
Ven. I'll humbly signify what in his name,

That magical word of war, we have effected:
How, with his banners, and his well-paid ranks,
The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia

We have jaded out o'the field.

Sil.

Where is he now?

Ven. He purposeth to Athens: whither with what

haste

The weight we must convey with us will permit,
We shall appear before him.-On, there; pass along.

SCENE 11.

[Exeunt.

Rome. An Anti-chamber in Caesar's House.

Enter AGRIPPA, and ENOBARBUS, meeting.

Agr. What, are the brothers parted?

Eno. They have despatch'd with Pompey, he is

gone;