Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, luft with both;
Tie up the libertine in a field of feafts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloylefs fawce his appetite;

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour.
Evento a Lethe'd dulnefs!

How now, Varrius?

Enter Varrius.

Var. This is most certain, that I fhall deliver:
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

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

Pom, I could have given lefs matter

A better ear. Menas, I did not think

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
The 'ne'er luft-wearied Antony.

Men. I cannot hope,

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

Pomp. I know not, Menas,

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

'Twere pregnant they fhould fquare between themselves; For they have entertained cause enough

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 stands

'till

2 near ...old edit. Theob. emend.

Our

Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

[Exeunt.

CEN E II.

ROME.

Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,

[tain

And shall become you well, t'entreat your cap

To foft and gentle speech.

Eno. I fhall entreat him

To answer like himself; if Cafar move him,

Let Antony look over Cafar's head,

And fpeak as loud as Mars.

By Jupiter,

Were I 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 Cafar.

Enter Cæfar, Mecenas, and Agrippa.

Ant. If we compofe well here, to Parthia.

Hark thee, Ventidius.

Caf. I do not know, Mecanas; ask Agrippa.

Lep. Noble friends,

3 Hark, Ventidius.

That

That which combin'd us was moft great, and let not A leaner action rend us. What's amifs,

May it be gently heard! When we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit
Murther in healing wounds. Then, noble partners,
(The rather for I earnestly befeech)

Touch thou the fowreft points with sweetest terms,
Nor curftnefs grow to th' matter.

Ant. 'Tis fpoken well;

Were we before our armies and to fight,

I should do thus.

Caf. Welcome to Rome.

Ant. Thank you.

Caf. Sit.

Ant. Sit, Sir.

Caf. Nay, then

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

Caf. I must be laught at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should fay my felf offended, and with you

Chiefly i' th' world: more laught at, that I fhould
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: if you there

Did practife on my state, 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 befall. Your wife and brother

Made wars upon me, and their conteftation

Was 'theam'd' for you, you were the word of war. Ant. You do miftake 'the' bufinefs: my brother never Did urge me in this act: I did enquire it,

And have my learning from fome true reporters

4 theam ... old edit. Warb. emend.

That

5 your

That drew their fwords with you.
Difcredit my authority with yours,

Did he not rather

And make the wars alike against my ftomach,
Having alike your caufe? of this my letters
Before did fatisfie 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 praise your self,

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

Ant. Not fo, not fo;

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

Your partner in the caufe 'gainft 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 fpirit in fuch another;
The third o' th' world is yours, which with a fnaffle
You may pace eafie, but not fuch a wife.

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

Ant. So much uncurbable her garboils, Cafar,
Made out of her impatience, which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too, I grieving grant,
Did you too much difquiet; 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 miffive 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 my felf, which was as much
As to have askt him pardon. Let this fellow
Be nothing of our ftrife: if we contend,
Out of our question wipe him.

Caf. You have broken

The

The article of your oath, which you fhall never
Have tongue to charge me with.
Lep. Soft, Cafar.

Ant. No,

Lepidus, let him speak,

The honour's facred which he talks on now,
Suppofing that I lackt it: but on, Cæfar,
The article of my oath.

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

Ant. Neglected rather;

And then when poifon'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 greatnefs, nor my power
Work without it. Truth is, that Fulvia,
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;
For which my felf, the ignorant motive, do
So far ask pardon, as befits mine honour
To stoop in fuch a cafe.

Lep. 'Tis nobly spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite,

Were to remember, that the present need

Speaks to attone you.

Lep. Worthily fpoken, Mecanas.

Eno. Or if you borrow one anothers love for the inftant, you may when you hear no more words of Pompey return it again: you fhall 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. Eno. Go to then: your confiderate ftone. Caf. I do not much diflike the matter, but The manner of his fpeech: for't cannot be We shall remain in friendship, our conditions So differing in their acts. Yet if I knew

What