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 the one the other. Where's 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 rigged. Eros. For Italy, and Cæsar. More, Domitius; My lord desires you presently: my news

I might have told hereafter.

Eno.

But let it be.-Bring me to Antony.

"Twill be naught:

[Exeunt.

Eros. Come, sir.

SCENE VI.

Rome. A Room in Cæsar's House.

Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECENAS.

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

upon his own appeal,] To appeal, in Shakspeare, is to accuse; Cæsar seized Lepidus without any other proof than Cæsar's

accusation.

5

More, Domitius;] I have something more to tell you, which I might have told at first, and delayed my news. Antony requires your presence.

Were publickly 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 publick 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
As 'tis reported, so.

Mee.

Inform'd.

gave

Let Rome be thus

audience

Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence

Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Cas. 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.
Ces. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter OCTAVIA.

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. Cas. 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 ostent 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.

Good my lord,

Oct.
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.
Which soon he granted,
Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.

The ostent of our love,] for--ostentation.

I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.

Where is he now?

Oct.

My lord, in Athens.

Ces. No, my most 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 scepters.

Oct.

Ah me, most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends, That do afflict each other!

Cæs.

Welcome hither:

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. Best of comfort; And ever welcome to us.

Agr.

Welcome, lady.

Mec. 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.

Is it so, sir?

Ces. Most certain. Sister, welcome: Pray you, Be ever known to patience: My dearest sister!

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.

Antony's Camp, near the Promontory of Actium.

Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.

Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Eno. But, why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars; And say'st, it is not fit.

Eno.

Well, is it, is it?

Cleo. Is't not? Denounce against us, why should

not we

Be there in person ? ·

Eno. [Aside.] Well, I could reply:

If we should serve with horse and mares together, The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear A soldier, and his horse.

Cleo.

What is't you say?

Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his

time,

What should not then be spar'd. He is already
Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis said in Rome,

he puts

his

potent regiment-] Regiment, is government, authority; power and his empire into the hands of a false woman. forspoke my being] To forspeak, is to contradict, to speak against, as forbid is to order negatively.

merely lost;] i. e. entirely, absolutely lost.