I lose myself: better I were not yours, Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested, Yourself shall go between us: The mean time, lady, I'll raise the preparation of a war Shall stain 2 your brother; Make your soonest haste; your desires are yours. So Oct. Thanks to my lord. The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak, Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be As if the world should cleave, and that slain men Should solder3 up the rift.4 Ant. When it appears to you where this begins, Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults Can never be so equal, that your love Can equally move with them. Provide your going; Choose your own company, and command what cost Your heart has mind to. [Exeunt. The same SCENE V. Another Room in the same. Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting. Eno. How now, friend Eros? Eros. There's strange news come, sir. Eno. What, man? Eros. Cæsar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey. Eno. This is old; What is the success? Eros. Cæsar, having made use of him in the wars 4 2 Disgrace. 3 Cement, close. Opening. 5 What follows ❝ i. e. Lepidus. 8 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him rivality;7 would not let him partake in the glory of the action: and not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal, seizes him: So the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine. Eno. Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps, no more; And throw between them all the food thou hast, They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony? Eros. He's walking in the garden-thus; and spurns The rush that lies before him; cries, Fool, Lepidus! And threats the throat of that his officer, That murder'd Pompey. Eno. Our great navy's rigged. Eros. For Italy, and Cæsar. More, Domitius; My lord desires you presently: my news I might have told hereafter. Eno. "Twill be naught: [Exeunt. But let it be.-Bring me to Antony. Eros. Come, sir. SCENE VI. Rome. A Room in Cæsar's House. Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECENAS. Cas. Contemning Rome, he has done all this: And more; In Alexandria,-here's the manner of it, I' the market place, on a tribunal silver'd, Cæsarion, whom they call my father's son; Absolute queen. Mec. This in the publick eye! Cas. I' the common show-place, where they exercise. His sons he there proclaim'd, The kings of kings: Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia, He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd In the habiliments of the goddess Isis That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience As 'tis reported, so. Mec. Inform'd. Let Rome be thus Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Cas. The people know it; and have now receiv'd His accusations. Agr. Whom does he accuse? Cas. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated' him Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain Agr. Sir, this should be answer'd. Cas, 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone. I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; And did deserve his change; for what I have conquer'd, I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I Demand the like. Mec. He'll never yield to that. Cæs. Nor must not then be yielded to in this. Enter OCTAVIA, Oct. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear Cæs. That ever I should call thee, cast-away! not way, Like Cæsar's sister: The wife of Antony With an augmented greeting. Oct. Good my lord, To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it 2 Show, token. 1 On my free-will. My lord, Mark Antony Cæs. Which soon he granted, Being an obstruct' 'tween his lust and him. Oct. Do not say so, my lord. Cæs. I have eyes upon him, And his affairs come to me on the wind. Where is he now? Oct. My lord, in Athens. Cas. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore; who now are levying The kings o'the earth for war: He hath assembled Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus, Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas: Oct. Ah me, most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends, That do afflict each other! Cæs. Welcome hither: Your letters did withhold our breaking forth; Till we perceiv'd, both how you were wrong led, And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart: Be you not troubled with the time, which drives 3 Obstruction.. |