"We bid a loud farewel to thefe great fellows : "Sound, and be hang'd, found out. "[Flourish of loud Mufie. "Eno. Ho, fays' a !-There's my cap. "Men. Ho, noble captain! Come. [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I. A Plain in Syria. Enter, as from Conqueft, Ventidius, with Silius, and other Romans, Officers and Soldiers, the dead Body of Pacorus borne before him. VENTIDIUS. OW, darting Parthia, art thou ftruck; and now NOW Make me revenger.-Bear the king's fon's body Pays this for Marcus Craffus. Sil. Noble Ventidius, Whilft yet with Parthian blood thy fword is warm, The routed fly: fo thy grand captain Antony Ven. O Silius, Šilius, I have done enough: a lower place, note well, Acquire too high a fame, when he we ferve's away. More in their officer, than perfon: Soffius, This fecond Act does not contain much matter for reprefentaion, any more than the former; but the defcription of Cleopatra by Enebarbus will, to a judicious reader, atone for greater deficiencies. For For quick accumulation of renown, Which he atchiev'd by the minute, loft his favour. I could do more to do Antonius good, But 'twould offend him; and in his offence Sil. Thou haft, Ventidius, that, Without the which a foldier, and his fword, Grants fcarce diftinction. Thou wilt write to Antony ? Ven. I'll humbly fignify what in his name, We have jaded out o' the field. Sil. Where is he now ? Ven. He purposeth to Athens; where, with what hafte The weight we must convey with us will permit, We shall appear before him.-On, there; pafs along. SCENE II. Rome. An Anti-room in Cæfar's House. "Enter Agrippa, and Enobarbus, meeting. Agr. What are the brothers parted ? "Eno. They have difpatch'd with Pompey, he is gone; "The other three are fealing. Octavia weeps "To part from Rome: Cafar is fad; and Lepidus, "Since Pompey's feast, as Menas fays, is troubl'd "With the green fickness. "Agr. 'Tis a noble Lepidus. 66 "Eno. A very fine one: O, how he loves Cafar! Agr. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony ! "Eno. Cæfar? Why, he's the Jupiter of men. "Agr. What's Antony? The god of Jupiter. "Eno. Spake you of Cæfar? O, the non-pareil! The greatest and most ambitious fpirits are extremely apt to envy competitors in glory; therefore Ventidius justly remarks, that under a warlike employer, it is rather hazardous to gain too great a portion of glory. "Agr. O Antony! O thou Arabian bird! "Eno. Would you praise Cafar, fay,-Cefar;-go 66 no farther. 16 Agr. Indeed, he ply'd them both with excellent "praifes. "Eno. But he loves Cafar beft ;-yet he loves Antony: "Ho! hearts, tongues, figures, fcribes, bards, poets, 66 cannot "Think, fpeak, caft, write, fing, number, ho, his love "To Antony. But as for Cafar, kneel, "Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder. Agr. Both he loves. "Eno. They are his fhards, and he their beetle : [Trumpet within.] So, "This is to horfe:-Adieu, noble Agrippa. "Agr. Good fortune, worthy foldier; and farewel! Enter Cæfar, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavia *. Ant. No farther, fir. [to Cæfar. Caf. You take from me a great part of myself; Ufe me well in't. Sifter, prove fuch a wife As my thoughts make thee, and as my fartheft bond To keep it builded, be the ram, to batter Ant. Make me not offended In your diftruft. Caf. I have faid. Ant. You fhall not find, Though you be therein curious, the leaft caufe The fcene would certainly begin here with more advantage than where it does. Caf. Farewel, my dearest fifter, fare thee well; The elements be kind to thee, and make Thy fpirits all of comfort! fare thee well. Oa. My noble brother, Ant. The April's in her eyes; it is love's fpring, And these the fhowers to bring it on :-be chearful. O7. Sir, look well to my husband's house; andCef. What, Octavia? Oa. I'll tell you in your ear. [taking him afide. Ant. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue; the fwan's down feather, That ftands upon the fwell at full of tide, And neither way inclines. "Eno. Will Cafar weep? 66 Agr. He has a cloud in's face. "Eno. He were the worse for that, were he a horse; "So is he, being a man. "Agr. Why, Enobarbus? "When Antony found Julius Cafar dead, "He cry'd almoft to roaring: and he wept, When at Philippi he found Brutus flain. "Eno. That year, indeed, he was troubl'd with "rheum; "What willingly he did confound, he wail'd : "Believ't, 'till I weep too. Caf. No, fweet O&avia, [coming forward. You shall hear from me ftill; the time fhall not Out-go my thinking on you. Ant. Come, fir, 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. Caf. Adieu; be happy! Lep. Let all the number of the ftars give light To thy fair way! Caf. Farewel.-Farewel. Ant. Farewel. [kiffes Octavia. [Flourish. Exeunt. This is a most beautiful fimile, the fwan's feather being deliately adapted to the lady's foftnefs, and the fwell of the tide to a fagnation of paffions. SCENE III. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas. Cle. Where is the fellow ? Ale. Half afeard to come. Cle. Go to, go to :-Come hither, fir. Enter Meffenger. Ale. Good majesty, Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you, Cle. That Herod's head I'll have but how? when Antony is gone, : Through whom I might command it.-Come thou near. Mef. Moft gracious majesty, Cle. Did'st thou behold Octavia ? Mef. Ay, dread queen. Mes. Madam, in Rome I look'd her in the face; and faw her led Between her brother and Mark Antony. Cle. Is the as tall as me? Mef. She is not, madam. Cle. Did't hear her fpeak? Is the fhrill-tongu'd, or low? Mef. Madam, I heard her fpeak; fhe is low-voic❜d. Cle. That's not fo good:-he cannot like her long. Cha. Like her? O Ifis! 'tis impoffible. Ch. I think fo, Charmian: Dull of tongue, and dwarfish! What majefty is in her gait? Remember; Mef. She creeps; Her motion and her station are as one: She fhews a body, rather than a life; A ftatue, than a breather. Cle. Is this certain ? Mef. Or I have no obfervance. Cha. Three in Egypt Cannot make better note. |