SCENE II. Rome. An Antechamber in Cæsar's House. Enter AGRIPPA and ENOBARBUS, meeting. gone; Agr. What, are the brothers parted? Agr. Eno. Spake you of Cæsar? How? the nonpareil! Eno. Would you praise Cæsar, say,-Cæsar; go no further. Agr. Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises. Eno. But he loves Cæsar best;-yet he loves Antony. Ho! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number, ho, his love To Antony. But as for Cæsar, 2 Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder. Agr. 3 Both he loves. Eno. They are his shards, and he their beetle. So, This is to horse.-Adieu, noble Agrippa. [Trumpets. Agr. Good fortune, worthy soldier; and farewell. 1 The phoenix. 2 This puerile arrangement of words was much affected in the age of Shakspeare, even by the first writers. 3 i. e. they are the wings that raise this heavy, lumpish insect from the ground. Enter CÆSAR, Antony, LepiDUS, and OCTAVIA. Ant. No further, sir. Cæs. You take from me a great part of myself; Have loved without this mean, if on both parts 2 Though you be therein curious, the least cause For what you seem to fear. So, the gods keep you, And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends! We will here part. Cæs. Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well. The elements be kind to thee, and make Thy spirits all of comfort! fare thee well. Octa. My noble brother! Ant. The April's in her eyes; it is love's spring, And these the showers to bring it on.-Be cheerful. Octa. Sir, look well to my husband's house; andCæs. Octavia? Octa. I'll tell you in your ear. What, Ant. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue; the swan's down feather, That stands upon the swell at full of tide, And neither way inclines. Eno. Will Cæsar weep? [Aside to AGRIPpa. 1 Band and bond were once synonymous. 2 i. e. scrupulous, particular. Agr. He has a cloud in's face.1 Eno. He were the worse for that, were he a horse; So is he being a man. Agr. Why, Enobarbus? When Antony found Julius Cæsar dead, He cried almost to roaring; and he wept When at Philippi he found Brutus slain. 1 Eno. That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum; 2 What willingly he did confound, he wailed, Believe it, till I weep3 too. Cas. No, sweet Octavia, You shall hear from me still; the time shall not Come, sir, come ; Ant. Cæs. Adieu! be happy! Lep. Let all the number of the stars give light To thy fair way! Cæs. Ant. Farewell, farewell! [Kisses OCTAVIA. [Trumpets sound. Exeunt. SCENE III. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAs, and ALEXAS. Cleo. Where is the fellow? Alex. Half afeard to come. Cleo. Go to, go to.-Come hither, sir. 1 A horse is said to have a cloud in his face, when he has a dark-colored spot in his forehead between his eyes. This, being supposed to indicate an ill temper, is of course looked upon as a great blemish. 2 To confound is to consume, to destroy. 3 Theobald reads, "till I wept too." Alex. Enter a Messenger. Good majesty, That Herod's head Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you, Cleo. I'll have; but how? when Antony is gone Through whom I might command it.-Come thou near. Mess. Most gracious majesty, Cleo. Octavia? Didst thou behold Where? Madam, in Rome I looked her in the face; and saw her led Cleo. Didst hear her speak? She is not, madam. Is she shrill-tongued Mess. Madam, I heard her speak; she is low-voiced. 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? 1 Remember, She creeps; Mess. A statue, than a breather. Cleo. Mess. Or I have no observance. 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 judgment. VOL. VI. 1 Station here means the act of standing. 19 Char. Excellent. Cleo. Guess at her years, I pr'ythee. Mess. Madam, She was a widow. Cleo. Widow ?-Charmian, hark. 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.1 Her hair, what color? Mess. Brown, madam; and her forehead As low as she would wish it. Cleo. There is 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. Cleo. Indeed, he is so. 2 [Exit Messenger A proper man. I repent me much, That I so harried him. Why, methinks, by him, Char. 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 [Exeunt. 1 This is from the old writers on physiognomy. Thus in Hill's Pleasant History, &c. 1613:-"The head very round, to be forgetful and foolish." 2 To harry is to harass, to worry, to use roughly, to vex, or molest, from the old Norman-French harier, of the same meaning. |