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 us: 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 soldert up the riftt. 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. SCENE V. The same. Another room in the same. Enter Enobarbus and Eros, meeting. Eno. How now, friend Eros? Eros. There's strange news come, sir. Eros. Cæsar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey. • Disgrace. + Cement, close. + Opening. Eno. This is old; What is the success? Eros. Cæsar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him rivality; 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 ý, seizes him: So the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confiue. 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 Cæsar, Agrippa, and Mæcenas. Cæs. Contemning Rome, he has done all this: And more; In Alexandria,-here's the manner of it, What follows. ti. e. Lepidus. $ Accusation. I' the market-place, on a tribunal silver'd, Absolute queen. Mac. This in the publick eye? Cæs. I' the common show-place, where they exer cise. His sons he there proclaim'd, The kings of kings: 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. Mac. 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? Cæs. 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. : Caes. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone. I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; That he his high authority abus'd, Sick, disgusted. + Assigned. And did deserve his change; for what I have con quer'd, I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, Demand the like. Mæc. 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 Cæsar! Cæs. That ever I should call thee, cast away! Oct. You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause. Cas. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You come not Like Cæsar's sister: The wife of Antony Should have an army for an usher, and come A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented Good my lord, Oct. Sick, disgusted. † Assigned. Cas. Which soon he granted, Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him. Oct. Do not say so, my lord. Cas. 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 Libya; 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! Cas. Welcome hither: Your letters did withhold our breaking forth; Hold unbewail'd their way. Nothing more dear to me. Welcome to Rome: Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods, Of us, and those that love you. Best of comfort; Agr. Welcome, lady. Mac. Welcome, dear madam, Each heart in Rome does love and pity you: • Obstruction. |