Ant. I am not married, Cæsar: let me hear Agrippa further speak.

Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity,

To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts
With an unslipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his wife; whose beauty claims
No worse a husband than the best of men;
Whose virtue and whose general graces speak
That which none else can utter. By this marriage,
All little jealousies, which now seem great,

And all great fears, which now import their dangers,
Would then be nothing: truths would then be tales,
Where now half tales be truths: her love to both
Would, each to other and all loves to both,
Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke;
For 'tis a studied, not a present thought,
By duty ruminated.

Ant.

Will Cæsar speak?

Cas. Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is spoke already.

Ant.

What power is in Agrippa,

If I would say, Agrippa, be it so,
To make this good?

Cæs.

The power of Cæsar, and

His power unto Octavia.

To this good purpose, that so fairly shows,

Dream of impediment !-Let me have thy hand:
Further this act of grace; and from this hour
The heart of brothers govern in our loves

And sway our great designs!

Cœs.

There is my hand.

A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother

Did ever love so dearly: let her live

To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and never

Fly off our loves again!

Lep.

Happily, amen!

Ant. I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Pompey; For he hath laid strange courtesies and great

Of late upon me: I must thank him only,

Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;

At heel of that, defy him.

Lep.

Time calls upon 's:

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,

Or else he seeks out us.

Ant.

Where lies he?

What's his strength

Caes. About the Mount Misenum.

Ant. By land?

Cas. Great and increasing: but by sea He is an absolute master.

Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it:
Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, despatch we
The business we have talk'd of.

C'œs.

With most gladness;

And do invite you to my sister's view,
Whither straight I'll lead you.

Ant.

Not lack your company.
Lep.

Let us, Lepidus,

Noble Antony,

Not sickness should detain me.

[Flourish. Exeunt CAS., ANT., and LEP.

Mec. Welcome from Egypt, sir.

Eno. Half the heart of Cæsar, worthy Mecænas!-my honourable friend, Agrippa!—

Agr. Good Enobarbus!

Mec. We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You stay'd well by it in Egypt.

Eno. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking

Mec. Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve persons there; is this true?.

Eno. This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monstrous matter of feasts, which worthily deserved noting.

Mec. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.

Eno. When she first met Mark Antony she pursed up his heart, upon the river of Cydnus.

Agr. There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised well for her.

Eno. I will tell you.

The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,

Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggar'd all description: she did lie
In her pavilion,-cloth-of-gold of tissue,-

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

The fancy out-work nature: on each side her Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids, With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool, And what they undid did.

Agr.

O, rare for Antony! Eno. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereids, So many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes, And made their bends adornings: at the helm A seeming mermaid steers: the silken tackle Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hards That yarely frame the office. From the barge A strange invisible perfume hits the sense Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast Her people out upon her; and Antony, Enthron'd i' the market-place, did sit alone, Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy, Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,

And made a gap in nature.

Agr.

Rare Egyptian!

Eno. Upon her landing, Antony sent to her,
Invited her to supper: she replied

It should be better he became her guest;
Which she entreated: our courteous Antony,
Whom ne'er the word of No woman heard speak,
Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast,
And, for his ordinary, pays his heart

For what his eyes eat only.

Agr.

Royal wench!

She made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed:
He plough'd her, and she cropp'd.

Eno.

I saw her once

Hop forty paces through the public street;

And having lost her breath, she spoke and panted,

That she did make defect perfection,

And, breathless, power breathe forth.

Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly.

Eno. Never; he will not:

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale

Her infinite variety: other women cloy

The appetites they feed; but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies: for vilest things

Become themselves in her; that the holy priests Bless her when she is riggish.

Mec. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle

The heart of Antony, Octavia is

Let us go.

A blessed lottery to him.
Agr.
Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest
Whilst you abide here.

Eno.

Humbly, sir, I thank you. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-ROME. A Room in CÆSAR's House.

Enter CESAR, ANTONY, OCTAVIA between them, and
Attendants.

Ant. The world and my great office will sometimes
Divide me from your bosom.

Octa.
All which time
Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers
To them for you.

Ant.

Good-night, sir.-My Octavia,
Read not my blemishes in the world's report:
I have not kept my square; but that to come

Shall all be done by the rule. Good-night, dear lady.—

Octa. Good-night, sir.

Cas. Good-night.

[Exeunt CES. and OCTA,

Enter Soothsayer.

Ant. Now, sirrah, you do wish yourself in Egypt? Sooth. Would I had never come from thence, nor you Thither!

Ant. If you can, your reason?
Sooth.

I see it in

My motion, have it not in my tongue: but yet

Hie you to Egypt again.

Ant.

Say to me,

Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's or mine?
Sooth. Cæsar's.

Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side:

Thy demon, that's thy spirit which keeps thee, is

Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable,

Where Cæsar's is not; but near him thy angel

Becomes afear'd, as being o'erpower'd: therefore

Make space enough between you.

Ant.

Speak this no more.

Sooth. To none but thee; no more but when to thee..

If thou dost play with him at any game,

Thou art sure to lose; and of that natural luck

He beats thee 'gainst the odds: thy lustre thickens

When he shines by: I say again, thy spirit
Is all afraid to govern thee near him;
But, he away, 'tis noble.

Get thee

gone:

[Exit Sooth.

Ant.
Say to Ventidius I would speak with him:-
He shall to Parthia.-Be it art or hap,
He hath spoken true: the very dice obey him;
And in our sports my better cunning faints
Under his chance: if we draw lots he speeds;
His cocks do win the battle still of mine,
When it is all to naught; and his quails ever
Beat mine, inhoop'd, at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,
I' the east my pleasure lies.

Enter VENTIDIUS.

O, come, Ventidius,

You must to Parthia: your commission's ready;
Follow me and receive it.

SCENE IV.-ROME. A Street.

Enter LEPIDUS, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA.

[Exeunt.

Lep. Trouble yourselves no further: pray you, hasten Your generals after.

Agr.

Sir, Mark Antony

Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow.

Lep. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress, Which will become you both, farewell.

Mec.

We shall,

As I conceive the journey, be at the mount

Before you, Lepidus.

Lep.

Your way is shorter;

My purposes do draw me much about :

You'll win two days upon me.

Mec. and Agr.

Lep. Farewell.

SCENE V.-ALEXANDRIA.

Sir, good success!

[Exeunt.

A Room in the Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and Atten

dants.

Cleo. Give me some music,-music, moody food

Of us that trade in love.