&blquo;1. S.

&blquo;Here they'll be, man: Some o' their plants are ill-rooted already, the least wind i'the world will blow them down.&brquo;

&blquo;2. S.

&blquo;Lepidus is high-colour'd.&brquo;

&blquo;1. S.

&blquo;They have made him drink alms-drink.&brquo;

&blquo;2. S.

&blquo;As they pinch one another by the disposition, he cries out, no more; reconciles them to his entreaty, and himself to the drink.&brquo;

&blquo;1. S.

&blquo;But it raises the greater war between him and his discretion.&brquo;

&blquo;2. S.

&blquo;Why, this it is to have a name in great men's fellowship: I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service, as a partizan I could not heave.&brquo;

&blquo;1. S.

&blquo;To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in't, are the holes where eyes should be, which pitifully disaster the cheeks.&brquo;

&blquo;Music plays. Enter Cæsar, Antony, Lepidus* ^note, Pompey, Menas, Enobarbus, and others.

&blquo;Ant.
&blquo;Thus do they, sir; [to Cæsar.] They take the flow o'the Nile,
&blquo;By certain scales i'the pyramid; they know,
&blquo;By the height, the lowness, or the mean, if dearth,
&blquo;Or foizon, follow: the higher Nilus swells,
&blquo;The more it promises: as it ebbs, the seedsman
&blquo;Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain,
&blquo;And shortly comes to harvest.

&blquo;Lep.

&blquo;You've strange serpents there.&brquo;

&blquo;Ant.

&blquo;Ay, Lepidus.&brquo;

&blquo;Lep.

&blquo;Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of the sun: so is your crocodile.&brquo;

&blquo;Ant.

&blquo;They are so.&brquo;

Pom.

Sit,—and some wine.—A health to Lepidus.

&blquo;Lep.

&blquo;I am not so well as I should be, but I'll ne'er out.&brquo;

&blquo;Eno.

&blquo;Not 'till you have slept; I fear me, you'll be in 'till them.&brquo;

&blquo;Lep.

&blquo;Nay, certainly, I have heard, the Ptolemies' pyramises are very goodly things; without contradiction, I have heard that.&brquo;

&blquo;Men.

&blquo;Pompey, a word.&brquo;

&blquo;Pom.

&blquo;Say in mine ear; what is't?&brquo;

&blquo;Men.

&blquo;Forsake thy seat, I do beseech thee, captain, And hear me speak a word.&brquo;

&blquo;Pom.

&blquo;Forbear me 'till anon.—This wine for Lepidus.&brquo;

&blquo;Lep.

&blquo;What manner o'thing is your crocodile?&brquo;

&blquo;Ant.

&blquo;It is shap'd, sir, like itself; and it is as broad as it hath breadth: it is just so high as it is, and moves with it's own organs: it lives by that which nourisheth it; and, the elements once out of it, it transmigrates.&brquo;

&blquo;Lep.

&blquo;What colour is it of?&brquo;

&blquo;Ant.

&blquo;Of it's own colour too.&brquo;

&blquo;Lep.

&blquo;'Tis a strange serpent.&brquo;

&blquo;Ant.

&blquo;'Tis so, and the tears of it are wet.&brquo;

&blquo;Cæs.

&blquo;Will this description satisfy him?&brquo;

&blquo;Ant.

&blquo;With the health that Pompey gives him, else he is a very epicure.&brquo;

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;Go, hang, sir, hang: [to Men.] Tell me of that! Away:
&blquo;Do as I bid you.—Where's this cup I call'd for?

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me,
&blquo;Rise from thy stool.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;I think thou'rt mad. [rising and stepping aside.] The matter?

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;Thou hast serv'd me with much faith: what's else to say?—
&blquo;Be jolly, lords.

&blquo;Ant.
&blquo;These quicksands, Lepidus,
&blquo;Keep off them, for you sink.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;Wilt thou be lord of all the world?

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;What say'st thou?

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That's twice.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;How should that be?

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;But entertain it,
&blquo;And, though thou think me poor, I am the man
&blquo;Will give thee all the world.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;Thou hast drunk well.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;No, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup.
&blquo;Thou art, if thou dar'st be, the earthly Jove:
&blquo;Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips,
&blquo;Is thine, if thou wilt ha't.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;Shew me which way.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;These three world-sharers, these competitors,
&blquo;Are in thy vessel: let me cut the cable;
&blquo;And, when we are put off, fall to their throats:
&blquo;All then is thine.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;Ah, this thou should'st have done,
&blquo;And not have spoke of it! In me, 'tis villany;
&blquo;In thee, 't had been good service. Thou must know,
&blquo;'Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour;

&blquo;Mine honour, it. Repent, that e'er thy tongue &blquo;Hath so betray'd thine act: being done unknown,
&blquo;I should have found it afterwards well done;
&blquo;But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink* ^note.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;For this, [looking contemptibly after him.
&blquo;I'll never follow thy pall'd fortunes more.—
&blquo;Who seeks, and will not take, when once 'tis offer'd,
&blquo;Shall never find it more. [joins the company.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;This health to Lepidus.

&blquo;Ant.
&blquo;Bear him ashore.— [to an attendant.
&blquo;I'll pledge it for him, Pompey.

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;Here's to thee, Menas.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;Enobarbus, welcome.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;Fill, 'till the cup be hid. [Lepidus borne off.

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;There's a strong fellow, Menas.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;Why?

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;He bears
&blquo;The third part of the world, man; seest not?

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;The third part then is drunk: 'would it were all,
&blquo;That it might go on wheels.

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;Drink thou, encrease the reels.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;Come.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.

&blquo;Ant.
&blquo;It ripens towards it.—Strike the vessels, ho!
&blquo;Here is to Cæsar.

&blquo;Cæs.
&blquo;I could well forbear't.
&blquo;It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain,
&blquo;And it grows fouler.

&blquo;Ant.
&blquo;Be a child o'the time.

&blquo;Cæs.
&blquo;Possess it, I'll make answer: but I had rather
&blquo;Fast from all four days, than drink so much in one.

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;Ha, my brave emperor! [to Ant.] shall we dance now
&blquo;The Egyptian bacchanals, and celebrate our drink?

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;Let's ha't, good soldier. [they rise.

&blquo;Ant.
&blquo;Come, let's all take hands;
&blquo;'Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense
&blquo;In soft and delicate lethe.

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;All take hands.—
&blquo;Make battery to our ears with the loud music:—
&blquo;The while, I'll place you: then the boy shall sing;
&blquo;The holding every man shall bear, as loud
&blquo;As his strong sides can volly. &blquo;[Music plays. Enobarbus places them hand in hand.
&blquo;SONG.
&blquo;Come, thou monarch of the vine,
&blquo;Plumpy Bacchus, with pink eyne:
&blquo;In thy vats our cares be drown'd;
&blquo;With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd;
  &blquo;Cup us, 'till the world go round,
  &blquo;Cup us, 'till the world go round.

&blquo;Cæs.
&blquo;What would you more?—Pompey, good night.—Good brother,
&blquo;Let me request you, off: our graver business
&blquo;Frowns at this levity.—Gentle lords, let's part;
&blquo;You see, we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarbe
&blquo;Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue
&blquo;Splits what it speaks; the wild disguise hath almost
&blquo;Antickt us all. What needs more words? Good night.—
&blquo;Good Antony, your hand.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;I'll try you on the shore.

&blquo;Ant.
&blquo;And shall, sir: give's your hand.

&blquo;Pom.
&blquo;O Antony,
&blquo;You have my father's house;—but what? we are friends:
&blquo;Come, down into the boat.

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;Take heed you fall not.— &blquo;[Exeunt Pom. Cæs. Ant. and Attendants.
&blquo;Menas, I'll not on shore.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;No, to my cabin.—
&blquo;These drums, these trumpets, flutes, what—let Neptune hear,

&blquo;We bid a loud farewel to these great fellows:
&blquo;Sound, and be hang'd, sound out. &blquo;[Flourish of loud Music.

&blquo;Eno.
&blquo;Ho, says' a!—There's my cap.

&blquo;Men.
&blquo;Ho, noble captain! Come. [Exeunt* ^note.

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