Agr.

Cæs. Speak, Agrippa.

Give me leave, Cæsar,

Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Admired Octavia. Great Mark Antony

Is now a widower.

Cæs.

Say not so, Agrippa;

If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof

Were well deserved of rashness.

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 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?

Cæs. Not till he hears how Antony is touched With what is spoke already.

Ant.

What power is in Agrippa,

The power of Cæsar, and

May I never

His power unto Octavia.

Ant.

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!

Cæs.

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.

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,

Or else he seeks out us.

Ant.

Time calls upon us.

Where lies he?

What's his strength

Cæs. About the mount Misenum.

Ant.

By land?

Cas. Great, and increasing; but by sea

He is an absolute master.

Ant.

So is the fame.

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

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

Ant.

Not lack your company.

Lep.

With most gladness;

Let us, Lepidus,

Noble Antony,

Not sickness should detain me.

[Flourish. Exeunt CÆSAR, ANTONY, and LEPIDUS. Mec. Welcome from Egypt, sir.

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

Agr. Good Enobarbus!

Mec. We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You stayed 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 burnished throne,

Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that

The winds were lovesick 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 beggared all description; she did lie

In her pavilion, (cloth of gold, of tissue,)
O'er-picturing that Venus, where we see,
The fancy outwork nature; on each side her,
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With diverse-colored 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 Nereides,
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 hands,
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,
Enthroned in 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 barbered 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 ploughed her, and she cropped.

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.

Fo. 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

A blessed lottery to him.

Agr. Let us go.—

Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest,

Whilst you abide here.

Eno.

Humbly, sir, I thank you. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same.

A Room in Cæsar's House.

Enter CESAR, ANTONY, OCTAVIA between them; Attendants,

and a Soothsayer.

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.

Cæs. Good night. [Exeunt CESAR, and OCTAVIA. Ant. Now, sirrah! you do wish yourself in Egypt? Sooth. 'Would I had never come from thence, nor you Thither!

Ant. If
Sooth.

you can, your reason

?

I see't in

My motion, have it not in my tongue. But yet

Hie you again to Egypt.

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 a fear, as being overpowered: 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.

Ant.

Get thee gone;

Say to Ventidius, I would speak with him.

[Exit Soothsayer.

He shall to Parthia.- Be it art, or hap,
He hath spoke 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 nought; and his quails ever
Beat mine, inhooped, at odds. I will to Egypt:
And though I make this marriage for my peace,

Enter VENTIDIUS.

I'the East my pleasure lies.-O come, Ventidius,
You must to Parthia: your commission's ready:
Follow me, and receive it.

SCENE IV. The same. 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.

As I conceive the journey, be at mount
Before you, Lepidus.

Lep.

We shall,

Your way is shorter;

Sir, good success!

[Exeunt.

My purposes do draw me much about;
You'll win two days upon me.

Mec. Agr.
Lep. Farewell.