679Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,

680And shall become you well, to intreat your Captaine

681To soft and gentle speech.

682Enob. I shall intreat him

683To answer like himselfe: if Caesar moue him,

684Let Anthony looke ouer Caesars head,

685And speake as lowd as Mars. By Iupiter,

686Were I the wearer of Anthonio's Beard,

687I would not shaue't to day.

688Lep. 'Tis not a time for priuate stomacking.

689Eno. Euery time serues for the matter that is then

690borne in't.

691Lep. But small to greater matters must giue way.

692Eno. Not if the fmall come first.

693Lep. Your speech is passion: but pray you stirre

694No Embers vp. Heere comes the Noble Anthony.

696Eno. And yonder Caesar.

698Ant. If we compose well heere, to Parthia:

699Hearke Ventidius.

700Caesar. I do not know Mecenas, aske Agrippa.

701Lep. Noble Friends:

702That which combin'd vs was most great, and let not

703A leaner action rend vs. What's amisse,

704May it be gently heard. When we debate

705Our triuiall difference loud, we do commit

706Murther in healing wounds. Then Noble Partners,

707The rather for I earnestly beseech,

708Touch you the sowrest points with sweetest tearmes,

709Nor curstnesse grow to'th'matter.

710Ant. 'Tis spoken well:

711Were we before our Armies, and to fight,

712I should do thus. Flourish.

713Caes. Welcome to Rome.

714Ant. Thanke you.

715Caes. Sit.

716Ant, Sit sir.

717Caes. Nay then.

718Ant. I learne, you take things ill, which are not so:

719Or being, concerne you not.

720Caes. I must be laught at, if or for nothing, or a little, I

721Should say my selfe offended, and with you

722Chiefely i'th'world. More laught at, that I should

723Once name you derogately: when to sound your name

724It not concern'd me.

725Ant. My being in Egypt Caesar, what was't to you?

726Caes. No more then my reciding heere at Rome

727Might be to you in Egypt: yet if you there

728Did practise on my State, your being in Egypt

729Might be my question.

730Ant. How intend you, practis'd?

731Caes. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent,

732By what did heere befall me. Your Wife and Brother

733Made warres vpon me, and their contestation

734Was Theame for you, you were the word of warre.

735Ant. You do mistake your busines, my Brother neuer

736Did vrge me in his Act: I did inquire it,

737And haue my Learning from some true reports

738That drew their swords with you, did he not rather

739Discredit my authority with yours,

740And make the warres alike against my stomacke,

741Hauing alike your cause. Of this, my Letters

742Before did satisfie you. If you'l patch a quarrell,

743As matter whole you haue to make it with,

x3 It

744It must not be with this.

745Caes. You praise your selfe, by laying defects of iudge-

746ment to me: but you patcht vp your excuses.

747Anth. Not so, not so:

748I know you could not lacke, I am certaine on't,

749Very necessity of this thought, that I

750Your Partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,

751Could not with gracefull eyes attend those Warres

752Which fronted mine owne peace. As for my wife,

753I would you had her spirit, in such another,

754The third oth'world is yours, which with a Snaffle,

755You may pace easie, but not such a wife.

756Enobar. Would we had all such wiues, that the men

757might go to Warres with the women.

758Anth. So much vncurbable, her Garboiles (Caesar)

759Made out of her impatience: which not wanted

760Shrodenesse of policie to: I greeuing grant,

761Did you too much disquiet, for that you must,

762But say I could not helpe it.

763Caesar. I wrote to you, when rioting in Alexandria you

764Did pocket vp my Letters: and with taunts

765Did gibe my Misiue out of audience.

766Ant. Sir, he fell vpon me, ere admitted, then:

767Three Kings I had newly feasted, and did want

768Of what I was i'th'morning: but next day

769I told him of my selfe, which was as much

770As to haue askt him pardon. Let this Fellow

771Be nothing of our strife: if we contend

772Out of our question wipe him.

773Caesar. You haue broken the Article of your oath,

774which you shall neuer haue tongue to charge me with.

775Lep. Soft Caesar.

776Ant. No Lepidus, let him speake,

777The Honour is Sacred which he talks on now,

778Supposing that I lackt it: but on Caesar,

779The Article of my oath.

780Caesar. To lend me Armes, and aide when I requir'd

781them, the which you both denied.

782Anth. Neglected rather:

783And then when poysoned houres had bound me vp

784From mine owne knowledge, as neerely as I may,

785Ile play the penitent to you. But mine honesty,

786Shall not make poore my greatnesse, nor my power

787Worke without it. Truth is, that Fuluia,

788To haue me out of Egypt, made Warres heere,

789For which my selfe, the ignorant motiue, do

790So farre aske pardon, as befits mine Honour

791To stoope in such a case.

792Lep. 'Tis Noble spoken.

793Mece. If it might please you, to enforce no further

794The griefes betweene ye: to forget them quite,

795Were to remember: that the present neede,

796Speakes to attone you.

797Lep. Worthily spoken Mecenas.

798Enobar. Or if you borrow one anothers Loue for the

799instant, you may when you heare no more words of

800Pompey returne it againe: you shall haue time to wrangle

801in, when you haue nothing else to do.

802Anth. Thou art a Souldier, onely speake no more.

803Enob. That trueth should be silent, I had almost for-

804got.

805Anth. You wrong this presence, therefore speake no

806more.

807Enob. Go too then: your Considerate stone.

808Caesar. I do not much dislike the matter, but

809The manner of his speech: for't cannot be,

810We shall remaine in friendship, our conditions

811So diffring in their acts. Yet if I knew,

812What Hoope should hold vs staunch from edge to edge

813Ath'world: I would persue it.

814Agri. Giue me leaue Caesar.

815Caesar. Speake Agrippa.

816Agri. Thou hast a Sister by the Mothers side, admir'd

817Octauia: Great Mark Anthony is now a widdower.

818Caesar. Say not, say Agrippa; if Cleopater heard you, your

819proofe were well deserued of rashnesse.

820Anth. I am not marryed Caesar: let me heere Agrippa

821further speake.

822Agri. To hold you in perpetuall amitie,

823To make you Brothers, and to knit your hearts

824With an vn-slipping knot, take Anthony,

825Octauia to his wife: whose beauty claimes

826No worse a husband then the best of men: whose

827Vertue, and whose generall graces, speake

828That which none else can vtter. By this marriage,

829All little Ielousies which now seeme great,

830And all great feares, which now import their dangers,

831Would then be nothing. Truth's would be tales,

832Where now halfe tales be truth's: her loue to both,

833Would each to other, and all loues to both

834Draw after her. Pardon what I haue spoke,

835For 'tis a studied not a present thought,

836By duty ruminated.

837Anth. Will Caesar speake?

838Caesar. Not till he heares how Anthony is toucht,

839With what is spoke already.

840Anth. What power is in Agrippa,

841If I would say Agrippa, be it so,

842To make this good?

843Caesar. The power of Caesar,

844And his power, vnto Octauia.

845Anth. May I neuer

846(To this good purpose, that so fairely shewes)

847Dreame of impediment: let me haue thy hand

848Further this act of Grace: and from this houre,

849The heart of Brothers gouerne in our Loues,

850And sway our great Designes.

851Caesar. There's my hand:

852A Sister I bequeath you, whom no Brother

853Did euer loue so deerely. Let her liue

854To ioyne our kingdomes, and our hearts, and neuer

855Flie off our Loues againe.

856Lepi. Happily, Amen.

857Ant. I did not think to draw my Sword 'gainst Pompey,

858For he hath laid strange courtesies, and great

859Of late vpon me. I must thanke him onely,

860Least my remembrance, suffer ill report:

861At heele of that, defie him.

862Lepi. Time cals vpon's,

863Of vs must Pompey presently be sought,

864Or else he seekes out vs.

865Anth. Where lies he?

866Caesar. About the Mount-Mesena.

867Anth. What is his strength by land?

868Caesar. Great, and encreasing:

869But by Sea he is an absolute Master.

870Anth. So is the Fame,

871Would we had spoke together. Hast we for it.

872Yet ere we put our selues in Armes, dispatch we

873The businesse we haue talkt of.

874Caesar. With most gladnesse,

875And do inuite you to my Sisters view,

876Whether straight Ile lead you.

877Anth. Let vs Lepidus not lacke your companie.

878Lep. Noble Anthony, not sickenesse should detaine

879me.

882Mec. Welcome from AEgypt Sir.

883Eno. Halfe the heart of Caesar, worthy Mecenas. My

884honourable Friend Agrippa.

885Agri. Good Enobarbus.

886Mece. We haue cause to be glad, that matters are so

887well disgested: you staid well by't in Egypt.

888Enob. I Sir, we did sleepe day out of countenaunce:

889and made the night light with drinking.

890Mece. Eight Wilde-Boares rosted whole at a break-

891fast: and but twelue persons there. Is this true?

892Eno. This was but as a Flye by an Eagle: we had much

893more monstrous matter of Feast, which worthily deser-

894ued noting.

895Mecenas. She's a most triumphant Lady, if report be

896square to her.

897Enob. When she first met Marke Anthony, she purst

898vp his heart vpon the Riuer of Sidnis.

899Agri. There she appear'd indeed: or my reporter de-

900uis'd well for her.

901Eno. I will tell you,

902The Barge she sat in, like a burnisht Throne

903Burnt on the water: the Poope was beaten Gold,

904Purple the Sailes: and so perfumed that

905The Windes were Loue-sicke.

906With them the Owers were Siluer,

907Which to the tune of Flutes kept stroke, and made

908The water which they beate, to follow faster;

909As amorous of their strokes. For her owne person,

910It beggerd all discription, she did lye

911In her Pauillion, cloth of Gold, of Tissue,

912O're-picturing that Venns, where we see

913The fancie out-worke Nature. On each side her,

914Stood pretty Dimpled Boyes, like smiling Cupids,

915With diuers coulour'd Fannes whose winde did seeme,

916To gloue the delicate cheekes which they did coole,

917And what they vndid did.

918Agrip. Oh rare for Anthony.

919Eno. Her Gentlewoman, like the Nereides,

920So many Mer-maides tended her i'th'eyes,

921And made their bends adornings. At the Helme.

922A seeming Mer-maide steeres: The Silken Tackle,

923Swell with the touches of those Flower-soft hands,

924That yarely frame the office. From the Barge

925A strange inuisible perfume hits the sense

926Of the adiacent Wharfes. The Citty cast

927Her people out vpon her: and Anthony

928Enthron'd i'th'Market-place, did sit alone,

929Whisling to'th'ayre: which but for vacancie,

930Had gone to gaze on Cleopater too,

931And made a gap in Nature.

932Agri. Rare Egiptian.

933Eno. Vpon her landing, Anthony sent to her,

934Inuited her to Supper: she replyed,

935It should be better, he became her guest:

936Which she entreated, our Courteous Anthony,

937Whom nere the word of no woman hard speake,

938Being barber'd ten times o're, goes to the Feast;

939And for his ordinary, paies his heart,

940For what his eyes eate onely.

941Agri. Royall Wench:

942She made great Caesar lay his Sword to bed,

943He ploughed her, and she cropt.

944Eno. I saw her once

945Hop forty Paces through the publicke streete,

946And hauing lost her breath, she spoke, and panted,

947That she did make defect, perfection,

948And breathlesse powre breath forth.

949Mece. Now Anthony, must leaue her vtterly.

950Eno. Neuer he will not:

951Age cannot wither her, nor custome stale

952Her infinite variety: other women cloy

953The appetites they feede, but she makes hungry,

954Where most she satisfies. For vildest things

955Become themselues in her, that the holy Priests

956Blesse her, when she is Riggish.

957Mece If Beauty, Wisedome, Modesty, can settle

958The heart of Anthony: Octauia is

959A blessed Lottery to him.

960Agrip. Let vs go. Good Enobarbus, make your selfe

961my guest, whilst you abide heere.

962Eno. Humbly Sir I thanke you. Exeunt