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A sennet sounded. Enter Cæsar, Antony, Pompey, Lepidus, Agrippa, Maecenas, Enobarbus, Menas, with other captains.

Ant. Thus do they, sir: [To Cæsar.] They take the flow o'the Nile

By certain scales i' the pyramid; they know,
By the height, the lowness, or the mean, if dearth,
Or foizont, follow: The higher Nilus swells,
The more it promises: as it ebbs, the seedsman
Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain,
And shortly comes to harvest.

Lep. You have strange serpents there.
Ant. Ay, Lepidus.

Lep. Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud, by the operation of your sun: so is your crocodile.

Ant. They are so.

Pom. Sit,-and some wine.-A health to Lepidus. Lep. I am not so well as I should be, but I'll ne'er

out.

Eno. Not till you have slept; I fear me, you'll be in, till then.

Lep. Nay, certainly, I have heard, the Ptolemies' pyramises are very goodly things; without contradiction, I have heard that.

Men. Pompey, a word.

Pom.

[Aside.

Say in mine ear: What is't? Men. Forsake thy seat, I do beseech thee, captain,

And hear me speak a word.

Pom.

This wine for Lepidus.

[Aside.

Forbear me till anon.

Lep. What manner o' thing is your crocodile?
Ant. It is shaped, sir, like itself;

broad as it hath breadth: it is just so

and it is as

high as it is,

and moves with its own organs it lives by that

*Middle.

2

+ Plenty.

+ Pyramids.

which nourisheth it; and the elements once out of

it, it transmigrates.

Lep. What colour is it of?

Ant. Of its own colour too.
Lep. 'Tis a strange serpent.

Ant. 'Tis so. And the tears of it are wet.

Cæs. Will this description satisfy him?

Ant. With the health that Pompey gives him, else he is a very epicure.

Pom. [To Menas aside.] Go, hang, sir, hang! Tell me of that? away!

Do as I bid you. Where's this cup I call'd for?
Men. If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me,
Rise from thy stool.
Pom.

[Aside. I think, thou'rt mad. The matter? [Rises, and walks aside. Men. I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes. Pom. Thou hast serv'd me with much faith: What's else to say?

Be jolly, lords.

Ant.

Keep off them, for you sink.

These quick-sands, Lepidus,

What say'st thou ?

Men. Wilt thou be lord of all the world?

Pom.

Men. Wilt thou be lord of the whole world? That's

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Men. No, Pompey, I have kept me from the cup. Thou art, if thou dar'st be, the earthly Jove:

Whate'er the ocean pales*, or sky inclips t,

Is thine, if thou wilt have 't.

Pom.

Show me which way.

Men. These three world-sharers, these competi

torst,

• Encompasses.

+ Embraces.

Confederates.

Are in thy vessel: Let me cut the cable;
And, when we are put off, fall to their throats:
All there is thine.

Pom.

Ah, this thou should'st have done, And not have spoke on't! In me, 'tis villainy; In thee, it had been good service. Thou must know, "Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour; Mine honour, it. Repent, that e'er thy tongue Hath so betray'd thine act: Being done unknown, I should have found it afterwards well done; But must condemn it now. Desist, and drink. Men. For this,

[Aside.

I'll never follow thy pall'd fortunes more.-
Who seeks, and will not take, when once 'tis offer'd,
Shall never find it more.

Pom.

This health to Lepidus.

Ant. Bear him ashore.-I'll pledge it for him,

[blocks in formation]

Men.

Enobarbus, welcome.

Pom. Fill, till the cup be hid.

Eno. There's a strong fellow, Menas.

[Pointing to the attendant who carries off Lepidus.

Men.

Eno.

Why?

He bears

The third part of the world, man; See'st not?

Men. The third part then is drunk: 'Would it were all,

That it might go on wheels!

Eno. Drink thou; increase the reels.

Men. Come.

Pom. This is not yet an Alexandrian feast.

Ant. It ripens towards it.-Strike the vesselst, ho! Here is to Cæsar.

Cas.

I could well forbear it.

It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain,
And it grows fouler.

Ant.

* Cloyed.

Be a child o'the time.

+ Kettle-drums.

. Cæs. Possess* it, I'll make answer: but I had ra

ther fast

From all, four days, than drink so much in one.

Eno. Ha, my brave emperor!

Shall we dance now the Egyptian Bacchanals,
And celebrate our drink?

Pom.

[To Antony.

Let's ha't, good soldier.

Ant. Come, let us all take hands;

Till that the conquering wine hath steep'd our sense In soft and delicate Lethe.

Eno.

All take hands.

Make battery to our ears with the loud musick:-
The while, I'll place you: Then the boy shall sing;
The holding+ every man shall bear, as loud
As his strong sides can volley.

[Musick plays. Enobarbus places them hand
in hand.

SONG.

Come, thou monarch of the vine,
Plumpy Bacchus, with pink eyne‡:
In thy vats our cares be drown'd;
With thy grapes our hairs be crown'd;
Cup us, till the world go round;

Cup us, till the world go round!

Cæs. What would you more?-Pompey, good night. Good brother,

Let me request you off: our graver business
Frowns at this levity.-Gentle lords, let's part;
You see, we have burnt our cheeks: strong Eno-
barbe

Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue
Splits what it speaks; the wild disguise hath almost
Antick'd us all. What needs more words? Good

night.

Good Antony, your hand. '

Understand.

Burden, chorus.

Red eyes.

Pom.

I'll try you o'the shore.

Ant. And shall, sir: give's your hand.

Pom.

O, Antony,

You have my father's house,-But what? we are

friends:

Come, down into the boat.

Eno.

Take heed you fall not.

[Exeunt Pompey, Cæsar, Antony, and Attendants.

Menas, I'll not on shore.

Men.

No, to my cabin.

These drums!-these trumpets, flutes! what!—
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell

To these great féllows: Sound, and be hang'd, sound

out.

[A flourish of trumpets, with drums.

Eno. Ho, says 'a!-There's my cap.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Ventidius, as after conquest, with Silius, and other Romans, Officers, and Soldiers; the dead body of Pacorus borne before him.

Ven. Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and

now

Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death
Make me revenger.-Bear the king's son's body
Before our army:-Thy Pacorus, Orodes*,
Pays this for Marcus Crassus.

Noble Ventidius,

Sil. Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm,

• Pacorus was the son of Orodes, king of Parthia.

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