I look'd her in the face; and saw her led
Between her brother and Mark Antony.
Cleo. Is she as tall as me?
Mess.

She is not, madam. Cleo. Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongu'd, or low?

Mess. Madam, I heard her speak; she is lowvoic'd.

Cleo. That's not so good: - he cannot like her long.

Char. Like her? O Isis! 'tis impossible.

Cleo. I think so, Charmian: Dull of tongue, and dwarfish!

What majesty is in her gait? Remember,
If e'er thou look'dst on majesty.

Mess.

She creeps:

Her motion and her station are as one : She shows a body rather than a life;

A statue, than a breather.

Widow? -
Clea.
Mess. And I do think, she's thirty.

Cleo. Bear'st thou her face in mind? is it long,

or round?

Mess. Round even to faultiness.

For the most part too.

Ciao. 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. [Erit Messenger.

Char.

A proper man.
I repent me much,
Why, methinks, by him,

Cleo. Indeed, he is so:
That so I harry'd him.
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

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.

Oct.
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.

Ant.

Gentle Octavia, Let 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

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

Oct.

Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of power make me most weak, most

weak,

Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be

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.

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

Mec. nform'd.

Let Rome be thus

Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Cæs. The people know it; and have now receiv'd His accusations. Agr.

Whom does he accuse?

Cæs. 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
Some shipping unrestor'd: lastly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain
All his revenue.

Agr.
Cæs. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone.
I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;
That he his high authority abus'd,

Sir, this should be answer'd.

And did deserve his change; for what I have con

Oct. Cas. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given mis empire Up to a whore; who now are levying

The kings o' the earth for war: He hath assembled Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus,

Of Cappadocia ; Philadelphos, king

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas.
King Malchus of Arabia; king of Pont;
Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king

Your letters did withhold our breaking forth;
Till we perceiv'd, both how you were wrong led,
And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart:
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these strong necessities;
But let determin'd things to destiny
Hold unbewail'd their way.

Welcome to Rome :
Nothing more dear to me. You are abus'd
Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,
To do you justice, make them ministers
Of us, and those that love you.
And ever welcome to us.

Agr.

Best of comfort;

Welcome, lady.

Which might have well becom'd the best of men,

To taunt at slackness.

Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo.

Canidius, we

By sea! What else?

For he dares us to❜'t.

Can. Why will my lord do so? Ant. Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight. Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia, Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: But these offers, Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off; And so should you.

Eno. Your ships are not well mann'd : Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people Ingross'd by swift impress; in Cæsar's fleet Are those, that often have 'gainst Pompey fought: Their ships are yare: yours, heavy. No disgrace Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

Ant.

By sea, by sea. Eno. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away The absolute soldiership you have by land ; Distract your army, which doth most consist Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego The way which promises assurance; and Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, From firm security.

Ant.

I'll fight at sea.

Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better. Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn; And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of

Actium

Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail, Enter a Messenger.

We then can do't at land. Thy business?
Mess. The news is true, my lord; he is descried;
Cæsar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible; Strange, that his power should be. - Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land, And our twelve thousand horse :-We'll to our ship,

Enter a Soldier.

Approach, and speak. Eup. Such as I am, I come from Antony:

I was of late as petty to his ends,

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf
To his grand sea.

Cæs.

Be it so; Declare thine office.
Eup. Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted,
He lessens his requests; and to thee sues
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens: This for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;
Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.

Cæs.
For Antony,
I have no ears to his request. The queen
Of audience, nor desire, shall fail; so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,

Or take his life there: This if she perform,
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
Eup. Fortune pursue thee!
Cæs.

Bring him through the bands. [Erit EUPHRONIUS. To try thy eloquence, now 'tis time: Despatch; From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,

[To THYREUS. And in our name, what she requires; add more, From thine invention, offers: women are not, In their best fortunes, strong; but want will perjure The ne'er-touch'd vestal: Try thy cunning, Thyreus, Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we Will answer as a law.

Thyr.

Cæsar, I go.

Cæs. Observe how Antony becomes his flaw; And what thou think'st his very action speaks In every power that moves. Thyr.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exeunt

A Room in the

SCENE XI.. Alexandria.
Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and
IRAS.

Cleo. What shall we do, Enobarbus? Eno. Think, and die. Cleo. Is Antony, or we, in fault for this? Eno. Antony only, that would make his will Lord of his reason. What although you fled From that great face of war, whose several ranges Frighted each other? why should he follow? The itch of his affection should not then Have nick'd his captainship; at such a point, When half to half the world oppos'd, he being The mered question: 'Twas a shame no less Than was his loss, to course your flying flags, And leave his navy gazing.

Cleo.

Pr'ythee, peace.

To the boy Cæsar send this grizled head, And he will fill thy wishes to the brim With principalities.

Cleo.

That head, my lord?