Mess. Madam, I heard her speak; she is lowvoiced.

Cleo. That's not so good. He cannot like her long.

Char. Like her! O Isis! 'tis impossible.

Cleo. I think so, Charmian: dull of tongue, and dwarfish!

What majesty is in her gait? Remember,

If e'er thou look'dst on majesty.

Mess.

She creeps:

Her motion and her station are as one;
She shows a body rather than a life,

A statue than a breather.

Cleo.

Mess. Or I have no observance.
Char.

Cannot make better note.

Cleo.

Is this certain ?

Three in Egypt

He's very knowing;

I do perceive't: there's nothing in her yet:
The fellow has good judgement.

Char.

Cleo. Guess at her years, I prithee.
Mess.

She was a widow,

Cleo.

20

Excellent.

Madam,

Mess. And I do think she's thirty.

Cleo. Bear'st thou her face in mind? is't long

or round?

Mess. Round even to faultiness.

Cleo. For the most part, too, they are foolish

that are so.

Her hair, what colour?

Mess. Brown, madam: and her forehead

As low as she would wish it.

Cleo.

There's gold for thee.

Thou must not take my former sharpness ill:

I will employ thee back again; I find thee
Most fit for business: go make thee ready;
Our letters are prepared.

Char.

[Exit Messenger.

A proper man.

Cleo. Indeed, he is so: I repent me much That so I harried him.

This creature's no such thing.

Char.

Why, methinks, by him,

Nothing, madam.

Cleo. The man hath seen some majesty, and

should know.

Char. Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend, And serving you so long!

Cleo. I have one thing more to ask him yet,
good Charmian :

But 'tis no matter; thou shalt bring him to me
Where I will write. All may be well enough.
Char. I warrant you, madam.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Athens. A room in Antony's house.

Enter ANTONY and OCTAVIA.

Ant. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,— That were excusable, that, and thousands more Of semblable impórt, but he hath waged

New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it

To public ear:

Spoke scantly of me: when perforce he could not
But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly

He vented them; most narrow measure lent me :
When the best hint was given him, he not took 't,
Or did it from his teeth.

46. defend, forbid. 9. hint, occasion.

40

50

10. from his teeth, merely with his lips, as a form.

Oct.

O my good lord,
Believe not all; or, if you must believe,

Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,
If this division chance, ne'er stood between,
Praying for both parts:

The good gods will mock me presently,

When I shall pray, 'O, bless my lord and husband!'
Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,

'O, bless my brother!' Husband win, win brother,
Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway

'Twixt these extremes at all.

Ant.

Gentle Octavia,

Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks
Best to preserve it: if I lose mine honour,

I lose myself: better I were not yours
Than yours so branchless.

But, as you requested,

Yourself shall go between 's: the mean time, lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shall stain your brother: make your soonest haste;
So your desires are yours.

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 solder up the rift.

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.

ΤΟ

20

30

27. stain, eclipse.

SCENE V. The same. Another room.

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 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him rival. ity; would not let him partake in the glory of the action and not resting here, accuses him of 10 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.

Eros. For Italy and Cæsar.

My lord desires you presently: my news

I might have told hereafter.

Eno.

More, Domitius;

'Twill be naught:

[Exeunt.

14. chaps, jaws.

But let it be. Bring me to Antony

Eros. Come, sir.

14. Then, world, thou hast; thou hadst.' 50 Hanmer for Ff Then would

SCENE VI. Rome. 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't:

I' the market-place, on a tribunal silver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publicly enthroned: at the feet sat
Cæsarion, whom they call my father's son,

And all the unlawful issue that their lust
Since then hath made between them. Unto her
He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Absolute queen.

Mec.

This in the public 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
Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia: she

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 received

His accusations.

6. my father's son, i.e. the son of his adoptive father, Julius

Cæsar, and Cleopatra.

ΤΟ

20

20. queasy with, disgusted with.