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Before did satisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,
As matter whole you have not to make it with,
It must not be with this.

Cæs.

You praise yourself
By laying defects of judgment to me; but
You patched up your excuses.

Ant.

Not so, not so;

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

Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,
Could not with graceful eyes' attend those wars
Which 'fronted mine own peace.

As for

my wife, I would you had her spirit in such another.

The third o' the world is yours; which with a snaffle You may pace easy, but not such a wife.

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

Ant. So much uncurable, her garboils, Cæsar,
Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too,) I grieving grant,
Did you too much disquiet: for that, you must
But say, I could not help it.

Cæs.
I wrote to you,
When rioting in Alexandria; you
Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my missive out of audience.

Ant.

Sir,

He fell upon me, ere admitted; then
Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want
Of what I was i' the morning. But, next day,
I told him of myself;3 which was as much,
As to have asked him pardon. Let this fellow
Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,
Out of our question wipe him.

Cæs.

The article of your oath; which
Have tongue to charge me with.

You have broken

you shall never

1 i. e. could not look graciously upon them, could not approve them. 'Fronted is affronted, opposed.

2 Messenger.

3 "I told him the condition I was in when he had his last audience."

Lep.

Soft, Cæsar.

Ant. No, Lepidus, let him speak;

The honor's sacred which he talks on now,
Supposing that I lacked it.' But on, Cæsar;
The article of my oath,-

Cæs. To lend me arms, and aid, when I required them; The which you both denied.

Ant.
Neglected, rather;
And then, when poisoned hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may,
I'll play the penitent to you; but mine honesty
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 ask pardon, as befits mine honor
To stoop in such a case.

Lep.

3

'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 atone you.1

Lep. Worthily spoken, Mecenas.

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

Ant. Thou art a soldier only; speak no more.
Eno. That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot.
Ant. You wrong this presence; therefore speak no

more.

Eno. Go to, then; your considerate stone.5 Cæs. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech; for it cannot be,

1 "The theme of honor which he now speaks of, namely, the religion of an oath, for which he supposes me not to have a due regard, is sacred; it is a tender point, and touches my character nearly."

2" Nor my greatness work without mine honesty.”

3 Grievances.

4 i. e. reconcile you.

5 "Go to, then; henceforward I will be as mute as a marble statue."

We shall remain in friendship, our conditions
So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew

What hoop should hold us stanch, from edge to edge
O' the world I would pursue it.

Agr.

Cæs. Speak, Agrippa.

Give me leave, Cæsar,

Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Admired Octavia. Great Mark Antony

Is now a widower.

Cæs.

Say not so, Agrippa;

If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof

Were well deserved of rashness.1

Ant. I am not married, Cæsar; let me hear Agrippa further speak.

Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity,

To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts
With an unslipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his wife; whose beauty claims
No worse a husband than the best of men ;
Whose virtue, and whose general graces, speak
That which none else can utter. By this marriage,
All little jealousies, which now seem great,

And all great fears, which now import their dangers,
Would then be nothing; truths would be tales,
Where now half-tales be truths; her love to both,
Would each to other, and all loves to both,
Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke;
For 'tis a studied, not a present thought;

By duty ruminated.

Ant.

Will Cæsar speak?

Cæs. Not till he hears how Antony is touched With what is spoke already.

Ant.

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What power is in Agrippa,

The power of Cæsar, and

May I never

His power unto Octavia.

Ant.

1 That is, "You might be reproved for your rashness, and would well deserve it." The old copy reads "proof." Warburton made the emendation.

To this good purpose, that so fairly shows,
Dream of impediment!-Let me have thy hand.
Further this act of grace; and from this hour,
The heart of brothers govern in our loves,

And sway our great designs!

Cæs.

There is my hand.

A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother
Did ever love so dearly. Let her live

To join our kingdoms, and our hearts; and never
Fly off our loves again!

Lep.

Happily, amen!

Ant. I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst

Pompey;

For he hath laid strange courtesies, and great,

Of late upon me.

Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;

At heel of that, defy him.

Lep.

I must thank him only,'

Time calls upon us.

Where lies he?

What's his strength

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,

Or else he seeks out us.

Ant.

Cæs. About the mount Misenum.

Ant.

By land?

Cæs. Great, and increasing; but by sea

He is an absolute master.

Ant.

So is the fame.

'Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it; Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, despatch we The business we have talked of.

Cæs.

And do invite you to my sister's view,
Whither straight I will lead you.

Ant.

Not lack your company.

Lep.

With most gladness;

Let us, Lepidus,

Noble Antony,

Not sickness should detain me.

[Flourish. Exeunt CESAR, ANTONY, and LEPIDUS.

1 "I must barely return him thanks, and then I will defy him."

Mec. Welcome from Egypt, sir.

Eno. Half the heart of Cæsar, worthy Mecænas! -my honorable friend, Agrippa!—

Agr. Good Enobarbus!

Mec. We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You stayed well by it in Egypt.

Eno. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking.

Mec. Eight wild-boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve persons there. Is this true?

Eno. This was but as a fly by an eagle; we had much more monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deserved noting.

Mec. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square1 to her.

up

Eno. When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed his heart upon the river of Cydnus.2

Agr. There she appeared, indeed; or my reporter devised well for her.

Eno. I will tell you:

The barge she sat in like a burnished throne,

Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that

The winds were lovesick with them; the oars were

silver;

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water, which they beat, to follow faster,
As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggared all description; she did lie

In her pavilion, (cloth of gold, of tissue,)
O'er-picturing that Venus, where we see,
The fancy outwork nature; on each side her,
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With diverse-colored fans, whose wind did seem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid, did.

1 i. e. if report quadrates, or suits with her merits.

2 Enobarbus is made to say, that Cleopatra gained Antony's heart on the river Cydnus; but it appears from the conclusion of his own description, that Antony had never seen her there.

VOL. VI.

16

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