SCENE VI. Rome. A Room in CÆSAR'S House. Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECENAS. Cæs. Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more, In Alexandria: here's the manner of it. Absolute queen. Mec. This in the public eye? Cæs. I' th' common shew-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 th' habiliments of the goddess Isis That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience, Mec. Inform'd. Let Rome be thus Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence Already, will their good thoughts call from him. Cæs. The people know it; and have now receiv'd His accusations. Agr. Whom does he accuse? Cæs. Cæsar; and that, having in Sicily Should be depos'd; and, being that, we detain Agr. Sir, this should be answer'd. Cæs. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone. I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; That he his high authority abus'd, 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 Mec. He'll never yield to that. Cæs. Nor must not, then, be yielded to in this. Enter OCTAVIA, with a few Attendants. Octa. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear Cæsar ! Cæs. That ever I should call thee cast-away! Octa. You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause. Cæs. 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 The neighs of horse to tell of her approach, Long ere she did appear; the trees by th' way The ostentation of our love, which, left unshewn, With an augmented greeting. Octa. Good my lord, To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it Cas. Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him. Which soon he granted, I have eyes upon him, Octa. Do not say so, my lord. Cæs. And his affairs come to me on the wind. Where is he now? Octa. My lord, in Athens. Cæs. 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' th' earth for war. He hath assembled Bocchus, the King of Lybia; Archelaus, Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, King Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian King, Adallas : Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas, Ay me, most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends Cas. 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 Hold unbewail'd their way. Nothing more dear to me. Welcome to Rome You are abus'd ୨ Beyond the mark of thought; and the high gods, Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort; Agr. Welcome, lady. Mec. Welcome, dear madam. Each heart in Rome does love and pity you: In his abominations, turns you off, And gives his potent regiment to a trull, Octa. Is it so, sir? Cæs. Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you, Be ever known to patience. My dearest sister! [Exeunt. SCENE VII. ANTONY'S Camp, near the Promontory of Actium. Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS. Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not. Cleo. Thou hast forespoke my being in these wars, And say'st, it is not fit. Eno. Well, is it, is it? Cleo. If not, denounce 't against us, why should Eno. [Aside.] Well, I could reply: If we should serve with horse and mares together, The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear A soldier and his horse. Cleo. Eno. What is 't you say? Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from 's time, What should not then be spar'd. He is already Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis said in Rome That Photinus an eunuch, and your maids, Manage this war. Cleo. Sink Rome; and their tongues rot That speak against us! A charge we bear i̇' th' war, And as the president of my kingdom will That from Tarentum, and Brundusium, He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea, And take in Toryne? - You have heard on 't, sweet? Cleo. Celerity is never more admir'd Than by the negligent. Ant. A good rebuke, become the best of men, Which might have well By sea! What else? Canidius. Why will my lord do so? Ant. Eno. For that he dares us to 't. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight. Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia, |