Mess. Round even to faultiness.

Cleo.

For the most part too,

They are foolish that are so.-Her hair, what colour?
Mess. Brown, madam: And her forehead is as low
As she would wish it.

Cleo.
There is gold for thee.
Thou must not take my former sharpness ill:-
I will employ thee back again; I find thee
Most fit for business: Go, make thee ready;
Our letters are prepar'd.

Char.

[Exit Messenger.

A proper man.

I repent me much,
Why, methinks, by him,

Cleo. Indeed, he is so:
That so I harry'd him 30.
This creature's no such thing.

Char.

O, nothing, madam.

Cleo. The man hath seen some majesty, and should

know.

Char. Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend,

And serving you so long!

Cleo. I have one thing more to ask him yet, good

Charmian :

But 'tis no matter; thou shalt bring him to me

Where I will write: All may be well enough.
Char. I warrant you, madam.

[Exeunt.

VOL. XII.

SCENE IV.

Athens. A Room in Antony's House.

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 publick ear:

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

Octa.
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,
Praying for both parts:

And the good gods will mock me presently,
When I shall pray, 0, bless my lord and husband?
Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,
O, bless my brother! Husband win, win brother,
Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway
'Twixt these extremes at all.

Let

Ant.

Gentle Octavia,

your best love draw to that point, which seeks Best to preserve it: If I lose mine honour,

I lose myself: better I were not yours,

Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested, Yourself shall go between us: The mean time, lady, I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shail stain your brother; Make your soonest haste; So your desires are yours.

Octa.

Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak,
Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be

As if the world should cleave, and that slain men
Should solder up the rift.

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins, Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults

Can never be so equal, that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your going; Choose your own company, and command what cost Your heart has mind to.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The Same. Another Room in the Same.

Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?

Eros. There's strange news come, sir.

Eno. What, man ?

Eros. Cæsar and Lepidus have made wars upon

Pompey.

Eno. This is old; What is the success?

Eros. Cæsar, having made use of him in the 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.

31

Eno. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, no

more;

And throw between them all the food thou hast,

They'll grind the one the other.

Eros. He's walking in the

spurns

Where's Antony? garden-thus; and

The rush that lies before him; cries, Fool, Lepidus!

And threats the throat of that his officer,

That murder'd Pompey.

Eno.

Our great navy's rigg'd.
More, Domitius;
my news

Eros. For Italy, and Cæsar. My lord desires you presently:

I might have told hereafter.

Eno.

But let it be.-Bring me to Antony.

"Twill be naught:

[Exeunt.

Eros. Come, sir.

SCENE VI.

Rome. A Room in Casar's House.

Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECENAS.

Cæs. Contemning Rome, he has done all this: And

more;

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 publickly 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 32,

Absolute queen.

Mec.

This in the publick eye?

Cas. I' the common show-place, where they ex

ercise.

His sons he there proclaim'd, The kings of kings:
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 audience
As 'tis reported, so.

Mec. Inform'd.

Let Rome be thus

Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence

Already, will their good thoughts call from him.
Cas. The people know it; and have now receiv'd
His accusations.

Agr.

Whom does he accuse?

Cas. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him
His part o' the isle: then does he say, he lent me