Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath
With his tinct gilded thee.-

How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?

Aler. Last thing he did, dear queen,

He kiss'd, the last of many doubled kisses,This orient pearl;-His speech sticks in my heart. Cleo. Mine ear must pluck it thence.

Alex.
Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot
To mend the petty present, I will piece

Good friend, quoth he,

Her opulent throne with kingdoms; All the east, Say thou, shall call her mistress. So he nodded, And soberly did mount a termagant steed,

Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke Was beastly dumb'd by him.

Cleo.

What, was he sad, or merry? Alex. Like to the time o'the year between the ex

tremes

Of hot and cold; he was nor sad, nor merry.

Cleo. O well-divided disposition!-Note him, Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him:

He was not sad; for he would shine on those
That make their looks by his he was not merry;
Which seem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay
In Egypt with his joy: but between both;

O heavenly mingle!-Be'st thou sad, or merry,
The violence of either thee becomes;

So does it no man else.-Met'st thou my posts?
Alex. Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
Why do you send so thick?

Cleo.

Who's born that day

When I forget to send to Antony,

Shall die a beggar.-Ink and paper, Charmian.-
Welcome, my good Alexas.-Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Cæsar so?

Chur.

O that brave Cæsar!

* Furious.

Cleo. Be chok'd with such another emphasis ! Say, the brave Antony.

Char.

The valiant Cæsar!

Cleo. By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Cæsar paragon again

When I was green in judgement:-Cold in blood,
To say, as I said then!-But, come, away:
Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day
A several greeting, or I'll unpeople Egypt.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I. Messina. A room in Pompey's house.

Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas.

Pom. If the great gods be just, they shall assist The deeds of justest men.

Mene.

Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

Pom. Whiles we are suitors to their throne, de

cays

The thing we sue for.

Mene.

We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit,

By losing of our prayers.

Pom.

I shall do well:

The people love me, and the sea is mine;
My power's a crescent, and my auguring hope
Says, it will come to the full. Mark Antony
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors: Cæsar gets money, where He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,

Nor either cares for him.

Men.

Cæsar and Lepidus

Are in the field; a mighty strength they carry.
Pom. Where have you this? 'tis false.

Men.

From Silvius, sir.

Pom. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome to

gether,

Looking for Antony: But all charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan'd* lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;
That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even tillta Lethe'd dulness.-How now, Varrius ?

Enter Varrius.

Var. This is most certain that I shall deliver: Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected; since he went from Egypt, 'tis

A space for further travel.

Pom.

I could have given less matter

A better ear.-Menas, I did not think,

This amorous surfeiter would have don'd ‡ his helm§
For such a petty war: his soldiership

Is twice the other twain: But let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
The ne'er lust-wearied Antony.

Men.

I cannot hope,

Cæsar and Antony shall well greet together:
His wife, that's dead, did trespasses to Cæsar;

*Declined, faded.

Done on; i. e. put on.

+ To.

§ Helmet.

His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom.

I know not, Menas,

How lesser enmities may give way to greater.

Were't not that we stand up against them all,
'Twere pregnant they should square between them-
selves;

For they have entertained cause enough
To draw their swords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divisions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be it as our gods will have it! It only stands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Rome. A room in the house of Lepidus.

Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain To soft and gentle speech.

Eno.

I shall entreat him

To auswer like himself: if Cæsar move him,

Let Antony look over Cæsar's head,

And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,

Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

I would not shave to-day.

Lep.

For private stomaching.

Eno.

'Tis not a time

Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in it.

Lep. But small to greater matters must give way.

• Quarrel.

Eno. Not if the small come first.

Lep.

Your speech is passion: But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes

The noble Antony.

Enter Antony and Ventidius.

Eno.

And yonder, Cæsar.

Enter Cæsar, Mæcenas, and Agrippa.

Ant. If we compose* well here, to Parthia: Hark you, Ventidius.

Cas.

Mæcenas; ask Agrippa.

Lep.

I do not know,

Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was most great, and let not A leaner action rend us.

What's amiss,

May it be gently heard: When we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners, (The rather, for I earnestly beseech),

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, Nor curstnesst grow to the matter.

Ant.

'Tis spoken well:

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not so;

Or, being, concern you not.

Cæs.

I must be laugh'd at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I
Should say myself offended; and with you

* Agree.

+ Let not ill-humour be added.