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ACT II.

SCENE

1.

Sicily.

Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas.

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F the great gods be juft, they fhall affift
The deeds of justest men.

Mene. Know, worthy Pompex,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

Pom. While we are fuitors to their throne, delay's

The thing we fue for.

Men. We, ignorant of ourfelves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wife powers
Deny us for our good; fo find we profit

By lofing of our prayers.

Pom. I fhall do well:

The people love me, and the fea is mine;
My pow'r's a crefcent, and my auguring hope
Says, it will come to th' full. Mark Antony
In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors. Cæfar gets money, where
He lofes hearts. Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,

Nor either cares for him.

Mene. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field,

A mighty ftrength they carry.

Pom. Where have you this? 'tis falfe.

Mene. From Silvius, Sir.

Pom. He dreams; I know they are in Rome together.
Looking for Antony: but all the charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty; left with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,

Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloylefs fauce his appetite;

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honcur,
Ev'n till a lethe'd dulnefs.

How now, Varrius?

Enter Varrius.

Var. This is moft certain that I fhall deliver,

Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected. Since he went from Egypt, 'tis
A fpace for farther travel.

Pom. I could have given lefs matter

A better ear. Menas, I did not think,

1

This am'rous furfeiter would have donn'd his helm
For fuch a petty war; his foldiership

Is twice the other twain; but let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
1 be ne'er-luft-wearied Antony.

Men. I cannot hope

Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together.
His wife, who's dead, did trefpaffes to Cæfar ;
His brother warr'd upon him, although I think
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom. I know not, Menas,.

How leffer enmities may give way to greater.
Were't not that we ftand up against them all,

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'Twere pregnant they thould fquare between them. For they have entertained caufe enough

[felves: To draw their fwords; but how the fear of us May cement their divifions, and bind up The petty difference, we yet not know. Be't as our gods will have't! it only ftands Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands. Come, Menas.

SCENE II. Changes to Rome.

Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus.

[Exeunt

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And thall become you well, t'intreat your CaptainTo foft and gentle fpeech.

Eno. 1 fhall intreat him

To answer, like himfelf; if Cæfar move him,

Let Antony look over Cæfar's head,

And fpeak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were the wearer of Antonio's beard,

I would not fhave't to-day.

Lep. 'Tis not a time for private ftomaching.
Eno. Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in't:

Lep. But fmall to greater matters must give way. Eno. Not, if the fmall come first.

Lep. Your fpeech is paffion;

But, pray you, ftir no embers up. Here comes
The Noble Antony,

Enter Antony and Ventidius.

Eno. And yonder Cæfar.

Enter Cæfar, Mecenas, and Agrippa.

Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia
Hark, Vertidius.

Caf. I do not know; Mecænas, ask Agrippa.
Lep. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was moft great, and let not

A leaner action rend us.

May it be gently heard.

What's amifs,

When we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murther in healing wounds.

Then, noble partners,

(The rather, for I earnestly befeech),

Touch you the fourest points with sweetest terms,

Nor curftness grow to th' matter.

Ant. 'Tis fpoken well;

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

I fhould do thus.

Caf. Welcome to Rome.

Ant. Thank you.

Caf. Sit.

Ant. Sit, Sir..

Caf. Nay, then

[Flourish.

Ant. I learn you take things ill, which are not fo: Or being, concern you not.

Caf. I must be laugh'd at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should fay myself offended, and with you

Chiefly i' th' world; more laugh'd at, that I should Once name you derogately, when to found

Your name it not concern'd me.

Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæfar, what was't to you?? Caf. No more than my refiding here at Rome Might be to you in Egypt; yet, if you there

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Did practife on my flate, your being in Ægypt
Might be my question.

Ant. How intend you, practis'd ?

Caf. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent,
By what did here befal. Your wife and brother
Made wars upon me: and their contestation
Was them'd for you, you were the word of war.

Ant. You do mistake the bufinefs: my brother neDid urge me in his act. I did inquire it,

[ver And have my learning from fome true reporters, That drew their fwords with you. Did he not rather Difcredit my authority with your's,

And make the wars alike against my

ftomach, Having alike your caufe? Of this my letters Before did fatisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel, (As matter whole you've not to make it with), It must not be with this.

Caf. You praife yourself,

By laying defects of judgment to me: but
You patch up your excufes..

Ant. Not fo, not so;

I know you could not lack, I'm certain on't,
Very neceffity of this thought, that 1,

Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,.
Could not with grateful eyes attend those wars,
Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,
I would you had her spirit in fuch another;

The third of the world is your's, which with a fnaffle
You may pace eafy; but not fuch a wife,

Eno Would we had all fuch wives, that the men might go to wars with the women!

Ant. So much uncurbable her garboils, Cæfar,,
Made out of her impatience, which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too, I grieving grant,
Did you too much disquiét: for that you must
But fay, I could not help it.

Caf. I wrote to you;

When rioting in Alexandria, you

Did pocket up my letters; and with taunts
Did gibe my millive out of audience.

Ant. Sir, he fell on me ere admitted: then
Three kings I had newly feafted, and did want.

Of what I was i' th' morning; but, next day,
I told him of myself; which was as much
As to have afk'd him pardon. Let this fellow
Be nothing of our ftrife: if we contend,
Out of our question wipe him.

Caf. You have broken

The article of your oath, which you shall never
Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep. Soft, Cæfar,

Ant. No, Lepidus, let him fpeak;

The honour's facred

which he talks on now,

Suppofing that I lack'd it.

The article of

my oath.

But on, Cæfar,

Caf. To lend me arms and aid, when I requir'd them, The which you both deny'd.

Ant. Neglected rather;

And then when poison'd hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may,
I'll play the penitent to you. But mine honefty
Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power
Work without it. Truth is, that Fulvia,
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do
So far afk pardon, as belits mine honour
To stoop in fuch a cafe,

Lep. 'Tis nobly spoken,

Mec. If it might pleafe you, to inforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite, Were to remember, that the prefent need

Speaks to atone you.

Lep. Worthily ipoken, Mecenas.

Eno. Or if you borrow one another's love for the inftant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you thall have time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else to do.

Ant, Thou art a foldier only, fpeak no more.
Eno. That truth fhould be filent, I had almoft forgot..
Ant. You wrong this prefence, therefore fpeak no

more.

no. Go to then: your confiderate ftone.Caf. I do not much diflike the manner, but • facred for unbroken, unviolated......

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