Ven.
Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck^{1 note}; and now
Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death
Make me revenger.—Bear the king's son's body
Before our army:—Thy Pacorus, Orodes^{2 note},
Pays this for Marcus Crassus.

Sil.
Noble Ventidius,
Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm,
The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media,
Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither
The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony
Shall set thee on triumphant chariots, and
Put garlands on thy head.

Ven.
O Silius, Silius,
I have done enough: A lower place, note well,
May make too great an act: For learn this, Silius;
Better to leave undone^{3 note}

Sil.
Thou hast, Ventidius, that

Without the which^{5 note}

Ven.
I'll humbly signify what in his name,
That magical word of war, we have effected;
How, with his banners, and his well-paid ranks,
The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia
We have jaded out o' the field.

Sil.
Where is he now?

Ven.
He purposeth to Athens: whither with what haste
The weight we must convey with us will permit,
We shall appear before him.—On, there; pass along. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Rome. An Ante-Chamber in Cæsar's House. Enter Agrippa, and Enobarbus, meeting.

Agr.
What, are the brothers parted?

Eno.
They have despatch'd with Pompey, he is gone;

The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps
To part from Rome: Cæsar is sad; and Lepidus,
Since Pompey's feast, as Menas says, is troubled
With the green sickness.

Agr.
'Tis a noble Lepidus.

Eno.
A very fine one: O, how he loves Cæsar!

Agr.
Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!

Eno.
Cæsar? Why, he's the Jupiter of men.

Agr.
What's Antony? The god of Jupiter.

Eno.
Spake you of Cæsar? How? the nonpareil!

Agr.
O Antony! O thou Arabian bird^{7 note}

Eno.
Would you praise Cæsar, say,—Cæsar;—go no further^{8 note}
.

Agr.
Indeed, he ply'd them both with excellent praises.

Eno.
But he loves Cæsar best;—Yet he loves Antony:
Ho! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets^{9 note}

Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number, ho, his love
To Antony. But as for Cæsar,
Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.

Agr.
Both he loves.

Eno.
They are his shards, and he their beetle^{2 note}

Agr.
Good fortune, worthy soldier; and farewell. Enter Cæsar, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavia.

Ant.
No further, sir.

Cæs.
You take from me a great part of myself^{3 note}

Ant.
Make me not offended
In your distrust.

Cæs.
I have said.

Ant.
You shall not find,
Though you be therein curious^{7 note}

Cæs.
Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well;

The elements be kind to thee^{8 note}

Octa.
My noble brother!—

Ant.
The April's in her eyes: It is love's spring,
And these the showers to bring it on.—Be cheerful.

Octa.
Sir, look well to my husband's house; and—

Cæs.
What,
Octavia?

Octa.
I'll tell you in your ear.

Ant.
Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can
Her heart inform her tongue: the swan's down feather,
That stands upon the swell at full of tide,
And neither way inclines^{9 note}


.

Eno.
Will Cæsar weep? [Aside to Agrippa.

Agr.
He has a cloud in's face.

Eno.
He were the worse for that, were he a horse^{1 note}

Agr.
Why, Enobarbus?
When Antony found Julius Cæsar dead,

He cried almost to roaring: and he wept,
When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.

Eno.
That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum;
What willingly he did confound, he wail'd^{2 note}

Cæs.
No, sweet Octavia,
You shall hear from me still; the time shall not
Out-go my thinking on you.

Ant.
Come, sir, come;
I'll wrestle with you in my strength of love:
Look, here I have you; thus I let you go,
And give you to the gods.

Cæs.
Adieu; be happy!

Lep.
Let all the number of the stars give light
To thy fair way!

Cæs.
Farewell, farewell! [Kisses Octavia.

Ant.
Farewell! [Trumpets sound. Exeunt.

SCENE III. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas.

Cleo.
Where is the fellow?

Alex.
Half afeard to come.

Cleo.
Go to, go to:—Come hither, sir. Enter a Messenger.

Alex.
Good majesty,
Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you,
But when you are well pleas'd.

Cleo.
That Herod's head
I'll have: But how? when Antony is gone
Through whom I might command it.—Come thou near.

Mess.
Most gracious majesty,—

Cleo.
Didst thou behold
Octavia?

Mess.
Ay, dread queen.

Cleo.
Where?

Mess.
Madam, in Rome
I look'd her in the face; and saw her led
Between her brother and Mark Antony.

Cleo.
Is she as tall as me^{4 note}

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 low-voic'd.

Cleo.
That's not so good:—he cannot like her long^{5 note}

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^{6 note}
are as one:
She shows a body rather than a life:
A statue, than a breather.

Cleo.
Is this certain?

Mess.
Or I have no observance.

Char.
Three in Egypt
Cannot make better note.

Cleo.
He's very knowing,
I do perceiv't:—There's nothing in her yet:—
The fellow has good judgment.

Char.
Excellent.

Cleo.
Guess at her years, I pr'ythee.

Mess.
Madam,
She was a widow.

Cleo.
Widow?—Charmian, hark^{7 note}.

Mess.
And I do think, she's thirty.

Cleo.
Bear'st thou her face in mind? is't long, or round?

Mess.
Round even to faultiness.

Cleo.
For the most part too, they are foolish that are so^{8 note}
.—
Her hair, what colour?

Mess.
Brown, madam: And her forehead
As low^{9 note}

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. [Exit Messenger.

Char.
A proper man.

Cleo.
Indeed, he is so: I repent me much,
That so I harry'd him^{1 note}

Char.
Nothing^{2 note}, 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.

Antony.
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^{3 note},
Or did it from his teeth^{4 note}

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: the^{5 note}

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^{7 note}. 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^{8 note}

Oct.
Thanks to my lord.
The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak,
Your reconciler^{9 note}! Wars 'twixt you twain would be^{1 note}
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. SCENE V. The Same. 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^{2 note}

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^{4 note}

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^{5 note};
My lord desires you presently: my news
I might have told hereafter.

Eno.
'Twill be naught:
But let it be.—Bring me to Antony.

Eros.
Come, sir. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Rome. A Room in Cæsar's House. Enter Cæsar, Agrippa, and Mecænas.

Cæs.
Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more,
In Alexandria:—here's the manner of it,—
I' the market-place^{6 note}, on a tribunal silver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
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^{7 note}

Mec.
This in the publick eye?

Cæs.
I' the common show-place, where they exercise.
His sons he there^{8 note} proclaim'd, The kings of kings:
Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia,
He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd
Syria, Cilicia, and Phœnicia: She
In the habiliments of the goddess Isis^{9 note}
That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience
As 'tis reported so.

Mec.
Let Rome be thus
Inform'd.

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.

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^{1 note}
, 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.
Which soon he granted,
Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him^{2 note}

Oct.
Do not say so, my lord.

Cæs.
I have eyes upon him,
And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now?

Oct.
My lord, in Athens^{3 note}

Cæs.
No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra
Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire

Up to a whore; who now are levying^{4 note}
The kings o' the earth for war^{5 note}

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^{6 note}

Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort^{7 note}

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^{8 note}

Oct.
Is it so, sir?

Cæs.
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^{1 note}

Eno.
Well, is it, is it?

Cleo.
If not denounc'd against us^{2 note}

Eno. [Aside.]
Well, I could reply:—
If we should serve with horse and mares together,

The horse were merely lost^{3 note}

; 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,
That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids,
Manage this war.

Cleo.
Sink Rome; and their tongues rot,
That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war,
And, as the president of my kingdom, will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
I will not stay behind.

Eno.
Nay, I have done:
Here comes the emperor. Enter Antony and Canidius.

Ant.
Is't not strange, Canidius,
That from Tarentum, and Brundusium,
He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,
And take in Toryne^{4 note}

?—You have heard on't, sweet?

Cleo.
Celerity is never more admir'd,
Than by the negligent.

Ant.
A good rebuke,
Which might have well becom'd the best of men,

To taunt at slackness.—Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo.
By sea! What else?

Can.
Why will my lord do so?

Ant.
For that he dares us^{5 note}

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 muliters, reapers^{6 note}

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^{8 note}
.

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^{9 note}

Sold.
O noble emperor^{2 note}, do not fight by sea;
Trust not to rotten planks: Do you misdoubt
This sword, and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians,
And the Phœnicians, go a ducking; we
Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant.
Well, well, away. [Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus.

Sold.
By Hercules, I think, I am i' the right.

Can.
Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows
Not in the power on't^{3 note}

Sold.
You keep by land
The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

Can.
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea:
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæsar's
Carries beyond belief^{4 note}.

Sold.
While he was^{5 note} yet in Rome,
His power went out in such distractions^{6 note}

Can.
Who's his lieutenant, hear you?

Sold.
They say, one Taurus.

Can.
Well I know the man. Enter a Messenger.

Mess.
The emperor calls Canidius^{7 note}
.

Can.
With news the time's with labour; and throes forth^{8 note}

,
Each minute, some. [Exeunt. SCENE VIII. A Plain near Actium. Enter Cæsar, Taurus, Officers, and Others.

Cæs.
Taurus,—

Taur.
My lord.

Cæs.
Strike not by land; keep whole:
Provoke not battle, till we have done at sea.
Do not exceed the prescript of this scroll:
Our fortune lies upon this jump^{9 note}
. [Exeunt. Enter Antony and Enobarbus.

Ant.
Set we our squadrons on yon' side o' the hill,
In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place
We may the number of the ships behold,
And so proceed accordingly. [Exeunt. Enter Canidius, marching with his Land Army one Way over the Stage; and Taurus, the Lieutenant of Cæsar, the other Way. After their going in, is heard the Noise of a Sea-Fight. Alarum. Re-enter Enobarbus.

Eno.
Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer:
The Antoniad^{1 note}, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To see't, mine eyes are blasted. Enter Scarus.

Scar.
Gods, and goddesses,
All the whole synod of them!

Eno.
What's thy passion?

Scar.
The greater cantle^{2 note}

With very ignorance; we have kiss'd way
Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno.
How appears the fight?

Scar.
On our side the token'd^{3 note}

Whom leprosy o'ertake^{5 note}

The brize upon her^{7 note}

, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails, and flies.

Eno.
That I beheld:
Mine eyes did sicken at the sight^{8 note}

Scar.
She once being loof'd^{9 note}
The noble ruin of her magick, Antony,
Claps on his sea-wing, and like a doting mallard,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:
I never saw an action of such shame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate so itself.

Eno.
Alack, alack! Enter Canidius.

Can.
Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
O, he has given example for our flight,
Most grossly, by his own.

Eno.
Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night
Indeed. [Aside.

Can.
Towards Peloponnesus are they fled.

Scar.
'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend
What further comes.

Can.
To Cæsar will I render
My legions, and my horse; six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.

Eno.
I'll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony^{1 note}