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:

The good gods will mock me presently,

When I shall pray, "O, 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 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.

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.

The Same.

SCENE V.

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. Eno. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, no more; And throw between them all the food thou hast,

They'll grind each other. Where is Antony?

Eros. He's walking in the garden - thus; and spurns 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.

Eros. For Italy, and Cæsar. More, Domitius; My lord desires you presently: my news

I might have told hereafter.

Rome. A Room in CESAR'S House.

Enter CÆSAR, Agrippa, and Mecœnas.

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 publicly 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,

Absolute queen.

Mec.

This in the public eye?

Cæs. I' the common show-place, where they exercise. 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 't is reported, so.

Mec. Inform'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.

Sir, this should be answer'd.

Cæs. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone.

I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deserve his change for what I have conquer'd, I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia,

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I

Demand the like.

Mec.

He 'll never yield to that.

Cæs. Nor must not, then, be yielded to in this.

Enter OCTAVIA, with her Train.

Oct. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear Cæsar! Cæs. That ever I should call thee cast-away!

Oct.

You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause. Cæs. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You come not Like Cæsar's sister: the wife of Antony

Should have an army for an usher, and

The neighs of horse to tell of her approach,

Long ere she did appear; the trees by the way,
Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not; nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Rais'd by your populous troops. But you are come
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The ostentation of our love, which, left unshown
Is often left unlov'd: we should have met you
By sea and land, supplying every stage

With an augmented greeting.

Oct.

Good my lord,

To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it
On my free-will. My lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Cæs. No, my mos. wronged sister; Cleopatra

Hath nodded him to her: he hath given his 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
Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas,
The kings of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a more larger list of sceptres.

Oct.

Ah me, most wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do afflict each other!

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.

Nothing more dear to me.

Welcome to Rome;
You are abus'd

Beyond the mark of thought; and the high gods,
To do you justice, make his ministers

Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort;
And ever welcome to us.

Mer. Welcome, dear Madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you :
Only the adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off,
And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
That noises it against us.

Oct.

Cæs. Most certain.

Is it so,

Sir?

Sister, welcome: pray you,

Be ever known to patience. My dearest sister!

[Exeunt.