Pom.
Your hostages I have, so have you mine;
And we shall talk before we fight.

Cæs
Most meet
That first we come to words; and therefore have we ^note
Our written purposes before us sent;
Which, if thou hast consider'd ^note, let us know
If 'twill tie up thy discontented sword
And carry back to Sicily ^note much tall youth
That else must ^note perish here.

Pom.
To you all three,
The senators alone of this great world,
Chief factors for the gods, I ^note do not know
Wherefore my father should revengers want,
Having a son and friends; since Julius Cæsar,
Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted,
There saw you labouring for him. What was't ^note
That moved pale Cassius to conspire, and what
Made ^note the ^note all-honour'd honest Roman, Brutus,
With the arm'd rest, courtiers ^note of beauteous freedom,
To drench the Capitol, but that they would

Have one man but a man ^note? And that is ^note it
Hath made me rig my navy, at whose burthen
The anger'd ocean foams; with which I meant ^note
To scourge the ingratitude that despiteful Rome
Cast on my noble father.

Cæs.
Take your time.

Ant.
Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails;
We'll speak with thee at sea: at land, thou know'st
How much we do o'ercount thee.

Pom.
At land indeed
Thou dost o'ercount me of my father's house:
But since the cuckoo builds not for himself,
Remain in't as thou mayst.

Lep.
Be pleased to tell us—
For this is from the present—how you take ^note
The offers ^note we have sent you. ^note

Cæs.
There's the point.

Ant.
Which do not be entreated to, but weigh
What it is worth embraced. ^note

Cæs.
And what may follow,
To try a larger fortune. ^note

Pom.
You have ^note made me offer
Of Sicily ^note, Sardinia ^note; and I must
Rid all the sea of pirates; then, to send
Measures of wheat to Rome; this 'greed ^note upon,
To part with unhack'd edges and bear back
Our ^note targes ^note undinted ^note.

Cæs. Ant. Lep. ^note
That's our offer.

Pom.
Know then,
I came before you here a man prepared ^note
To take this offer: but Mark Antony
Put ^note me to some impatience: though I lose
The praise of it by telling, you ^note must know,
When Cæsar and your brother were at blows,
Your mother came to Sicily ^note and did find
Her welcome friendly.

Ant.
I have heard it, Pompey,
And am well studied for a liberal thanks
Which I do owe you.

Pom.
Let me have your hand:
I did not think, sir, to have met you here.

Ant.
The beds i' the east are soft; and thanks to you,
That call'd me timelier than my purpose hither;
For I have gain'd by't ^note.

Cæs.
Since I saw you last,
There is ^note a change upon you. ^note

Pom.
Well, I know not
What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face;
But in my bosom shall she never come,
To make my heart her ^note vassal.

Lep.
Well met here.

Pom.
I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed:
I crave our composition ^note may be written
And seal'd between us.

Cæs.
That's the next to do.

Pom.
We'll feast each other ere we part, and let's

Draw lots who shall begin.

Ant.
That will I, Pompey.

Pom.
No, Antony ^note, take ^note the lot:
But, first or last, your fine Egyptian cookery
Shall have the fame. I have ^note heard that Julius Cæsar
Grew fat with feasting there. ^note

Ant.
You have heard much.

Pom.
I have fair meanings ^note, sir.

Ant.
And fair words to them ^note.

Pom.
Then so much have I heard:
And I have heard, Apollodorus carried—

Eno.
No more of that ^note: he did so.

Pom.
What, I pray you?

Eno.
A certain queen to Cæsar in a mattress ^note. ^note

Pom.
I know thee now: how farest thou, soldier?

Eno.
Well;
And well am like to do, for I perceive ^note
Four feasts are toward.

Pom.
Let me shake thy hand;
I never hated thee: I have seen thee fight,
When I have envied thy behaviour.

Eno.
Sir,
I never loved you much, but I ha' praised ye ^{note note}
When you have well deserved ten times as much
As I have said you did.

Pom.
Enjoy thy plainness,
It nothing ill becomes thee.
Aboard my galley I invite you all:
Will you lead, lords?

Cæs. Ant. Lep. ^note
Show us ^note the way, sir.

Pom.
Come. [Exeunt ^note all but Menas and Enobarbus.

Men. [Aside ^note]

Thy father, Pompey, would ne'er have ^notemade this ^note treaty. You and I have known, sir.

Eno.

At sea, I think.

Men.

We have, sir.

Eno.

You have done well by water.

Men.

And you by land.

Eno.

I will praise any man that will praise me; though it cannot be denied what I have done by land.

Men.

Nor what I have done by water.

Eno.

Yes, something you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great ^note thief by sea.

Men.

And you by land.

Eno.

There I deny my land service. But give me your hand, Menas: if our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing.

Men.

All men's faces are true, whatsoe'er ^note their hands are.

Eno.

But there is never ^note a fair woman has a true face.

Men.

No slander; they steal hearts.

Eno.

We came hither to fight with you.

Men.

For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking. Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune.

Eno.

If he do, sure he cannot weep't ^note back again.

Men.

You've ^note said, sir. We looked not for Mark Antony here: pray you, is he married to Cleopatra?

Eno.

Cæsar's sister is called Octavia.

Men.

True, sir; she was the wife of Caius Marcellus.

Eno.

But she is now ^note the wife of Marcus Antonius.

Men.

Pray ye, sir? ^note

Eno.

'Tis true.

Men.

Then is Cæsar and he for ever knit together. ^note

Eno.

If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not prophesy so.

Men.

I think the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage than the love of the parties.

Eno.

I think so too. But you shall find, the band that seems to tie their friendship together will be the very strangler ^note of their amity: Octavia is of a holy, cold and still conversation.

Men.

Who would not have his wife so?

Eno.

Not he that himself is not so; which is Mark Antony. He will to his Egyptian dish again: then shall the sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Cæsar; and, as I said before, that which is the strength of their amity shall prove the immediate author of their variance. Antony will use his affection where it is: he married but his occasion here.

Men.

And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard? I have a health for you.

Eno.

I shall take it, sir: we have used our throats in Egypt.

Men.

Come, let's away.