ACT II.

SCENE I.-MESSINA. A Room in POMPEY'S House.

Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS.

Pom. If the great gods be just, they shall assist

The deeds of justest men.

Mene.

Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay they not deny.

Pom. Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays The thing we sue for.

Mene.

We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit

By losing of our prayers.

Pom.

I shall do well:

The people love me, and the sea is mine;

My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope
Says it will come to the full. Mark Antony
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money where
He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd ; but he neither loves
Nor either cares for him.

Men.

Cæsar and Lepidus Are in the field: a mighty strength they carry. Pom. Where have you this? 'tis false.

From Silvius, sir.

Men. Pom. He dreams: I know they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love,

Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,

Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;

That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour
Even till a Lethe'd dullness.

How now, Varrius!

Enter VARRIUS.

Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver :-
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected: since he went from Egypt 'tis
A space for further travel.

Pom.

I could have given less matter

A better ear.-Menas, I did not think
This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm
For such a petty war: his soldiership

Is twice the other twain: but let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er lust-wearied Antony.

Men.
I cannot hope
Cæsar and Antony shall well greet together:
His wife that's dead did trespasses to Cæsar;
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom.

I know not, Menas,

How lesser enmities may give way to greater. Were't not that we stand up against them all, "Twere pregnant they should square between themselves;

For they have entertained cause enough

To draw their swords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divisions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.

Be't as our gods will have't! It only stands
Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-ROME. A Room in the House of LEPIDUS.

Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,

And shall become you well, to entreat your captain

To soft and gentle speech.

Eno.

I shall entreat him

To answer like himself: if Cæsar move him,
Let Antony look over Cæsar's head,

And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

I would not shave't to-day.

Lep.

Eno.

For private stomaching.

"Tis not a time

Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in't.

Lep. But small to greater matters must give way.
Eno. Not if the small come first.

Lep.

But, pray you, stir no embers up.

The noble Antony.

Eno.

Your speech is passion:
Here comes

Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS.

And yonder Cæsar.

Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia:

Hark, Ventidius.

Cæs.

I do not know,

Noble friends,

Mecænas; ask Agrippa.

Lep.

That which combin'd us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,
May it be gently heard: when we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds: then, noble partners,—
The rather for I earnestly beseech,-

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,
Nor curstness grow to the matter.

Ant.

'Tis spoken well.

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

Nay, then.

Ant. I learn, you take things ill which are not so,

Or being, concern you not.

Cæs.

I must be laugh'd at

If, or for nothing or a little, I

Should say myself offended, and with you

Chiefly i' the world; more laugh'd at that I should
Once name you derogately, when to sound your name
It not concern'd me.

Ant.

What was't to you?

My being in Egypt, Cæsar,

Cas. No more than my residing here at Rome
Might be to you in Egypt: yet, if you there
Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt
Might be my question.

Ant.

Cæs. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent

How intend you, practis'd?

By what did here befall me.

Your wife and brother

Made wars upon me; and their contestation

Was theme for you, you were the word of war.

Ant. You do mistake your business; my brother never Did urge me in his act: I did inquire it;

And have my learning from some true reports

That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather
Discredit my authority with yours;

And make the wars alike against my stomach,
Having alike your cause? Of this my letters
Before did satisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,
As matter whole you have not to make it with,
It must not be with this.

Cœs.
You praise yourself
By laying defects of judgment to me; but
You patch'd up your excuses.

Ant.
Not so, not so;
I know you could not lack, I am certain on't,
Very necessity of this thought, that I,

Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,
Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars
Which 'fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,
I would you had her spirit in such another:

The third o' the world is yours; which with a snaffle
You may pace easy, but not such a wife.

Eno. Would we had all such wives, that the men
Might go to wars with the women!

Ant. So much uncurbable, her garboils, Cæsar,
Made out of her impatience,-which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too,-I grieving grant
Did you too much disquiet: for that you must
But say I could not help it.

C'œs.

I wrote to you
When rioting in Alexandria; you
Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my missive out of audience.

Ant.

He fell upon me ere admitted: then

Sir,

Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want
Of what I was i' the morning: but next day
I told him of myself; which was as much
As to have ask'd him pardon. Let this fellow
Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,

Out of our question wipe him.

C'œs.

You have broken

The article of your oath; which you shall never
Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep.

Soft, Cæsar!

Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak:

The honour is sacred which he talks on now,
Supposing that I lack'd it. But on, Cæsar;
The article of my oath.

Cas. To lend me arms and aid when I requir'd them;
The which you both denied.

Ant.

Neglected, rather;
And then when poison'd hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may,
I'll play the penitent to you: but mine honesty
Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power
Work without it. Truth is, that Fulvia,
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do
So far ask pardon as befits mine honour
To stoop in such a case.

Lep.

'Tis noble spoken.

Mec. If it might please you to enforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite

Were to remember that the present need

Speaks to atone you.

Lep.

Worthily spoken, Mecænas.

Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you shall have time to wrangle in when you have nothing else to do.

Ant. Thou art a soldier only: speak no more.

Eno. That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.
Ant. You wrong this presence; therefore speak no

more.

Eno. Go to, then; your considerate stone.

Cæs. I do not much dislike the matter, but
The manner of his speech; for't cannot be
We shall remain in friendship, our conditions
So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew

What hoop should hold us stanch, from edge to edge.
O' the world I would pursue it.

Agr.

Cues. Speak, Agrippa.

Give me leave, Cæsar,

Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Admir'd Octavia: great Mark Antony

Is now a widower.

Cæs.

Say not so, Agrippa:

If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof
Were well deserv'd of rashness.