Cæs.
You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know,
It is not Cæsar's natural vice to hate
One great competitor. From Alexandria
This is the news; he fishes, drinks, and wastes
The lamps of night in revel; is not more manly
Than Cleopatra; nor the Queen of Ptolemy
More womanly than he. Hardly gave audience,
Or did vouchsafe to think that he had partners.
You shall there find a man, who is the abstract
Of all faults all men follow.

Lep.
I must not think,
They're evils enough to darken all his goodness;
His faults in him seem as the spots of heav'n,
More fiery by night's blackness: hereditary,
Rather than purchast; what he cannot change,
Than what he chuses.

Cæs.
You're too indulgent. Let us grant, it is not
Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy,
To give a kingdom for a mirth, to sit
And keep the turn of tipling with a slave,
To reel the streets at noon; and stand the buffet
With knaves that smell of sweat; say, this becomes him;
(As his composure must be rare, indeed,
Whom these things cannot blemish;) yet must Antony
No way excuse his foils, when we do bear
So great weight in his lightness. If he fill'd

His vacancy with his voluptuousness;
Full surfeits, and the driness of his bones,
Call on him for't. But to confound such time,
That drums him from his sport, and speaks as loud
As his own state, and ours; 'tis to be chid,
As we rate boys, who, (a) ^note immature in knowledge,
Pawn their experience to their present pleasure,
And so rebel to judgment. Enter a Messenger.

Lep.
Here's more news.

Mes.
Thy biddings have been done; and every hour,
Most noble Cæsar, shalt thou have report
How 'tis abroad. Pompey is strong at Sea,
And, it appears, he is belov'd of those
That only have fear'd Cæsar: to the ports
The Discontents repair, and mens' reports
Give him much wrong'd.

Cæs.
I should have known no less;
^{2 note}

Comes dear'd, by being lack'd. This common body,
Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream,
Goes to, and back, lacquying the varying tide,
To rot itself with motion.

Mes.
Cæsar, I bring thee word,
Menecrates and Menas, famous pirates,
Make the sea serve them; which they ear and wound
With keels of every kind. Many hot inrodes
They make in Italy, the borders maritime
Lack blood to think on't, and flush youth revolt:
No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as soon
Taken as seen: for Pompey's name strikes more,
Than could his war resisted.

Cæs.
Antony,
Leave thy lascivious wassails;—When thou once
Wert beaten from Mutina, where thou slew'st
Hirtius and Pansa Consuls, at thy heel
Did famine follow, whom thou fought'st against
(Though daintily brought up) with patience more
Than Savages could suffer. Thou didst drink
The stale of horses, and the gilded puddle
Which beasts would cough at. Thy Palate then did deign
The roughest berry on the rudest hedge:
Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets,
The barks of trees thou browsed'st. On the Alps,
It is reported, thou didst eat strange flesh,
Which some did die to look on; and all this,
(It wounds thine honour, that I speak it now)
Was bore so like a soldier, that thy cheek
So much as lank'd not.

Lep.
'Tis pity of him.

Cæs.
Let his shames quickly
Drive him to Rome; time is it, that we twain
Did shew ourselves i'th' field; and to that end
Assemble we immediate council; Pompey
Thrives in our idleness.

Lep.
To morrow, Cæsar.
I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly,
Both what by sea and land I can be able,
To front this present time.

Cæs.
'Till which encounter,
It is my business too. Farewel.

Lep.
Farewel, my lord:
What you shall know mean time of stirs abroad,
I shall beseech you, let me be partaker.

Cæs.
Doubt it not, Sir; I knew it for my bond. Farewel. [Exeunt.

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