Seems much unequal: He is married to Octavia.

Cleo. O, that his fault fhould make a knave of thee,
That art not what thou'rt fure of !-Get thee hence :
The merchandise, which thou haft brought from Rome,
Are all too dear for me; Lie they upon thy hand,
And be undone by 'em!
[Exit Meffenger..

Char. Good your highnefs, patience.
Cleo. In praifing Antony, I have difprais'd Cæfar.
Char. Many times, madam.

Cleo. I am paid for it now. Lead me from hence,
I faint; O Iras, Charmian,-"Tis no matter
Go to the fellow, good Alexas; bid him
Report the feature of Octavia 9, her years,
Her inclination, let him not leave out

The colour of her hair :-bring me word quickly.
[Exit Alexaa

Let him for ever go':-Let him not-Charmian,
Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon,
The other way he's a Mars :-Bid you Alexas

[To Mardian. Bring me word, how tall fhe is.-Pity me, Charmian, But do not speak to me.-Lead me to my chamber.

SCENE VI.

Near Mifenum.

[Exeunt.

Enter POMPEY, and MENAS, at one fide, with drum and trumpet: at another, CESAR, LEPIDUS, ANTONY, ENOBARBUS, MECENAS, with foldiers marching.

Pom. Your hoftages I have, fo have you mine; And we shall talk before we fight.

Caf. Moft meet,

That first we come to words; and therefore have we
Our written purpofes before us fent:

Which, if thou haft confider'd, let us know

If

9 By feature feems to be meant the caft and make of her face. Fea ture, however, anciently appears to have fignified beauty in general.

She is now talking in broken sentences, not of the meilenger, but Antony.

If 'twill tie up thy discontented sword;
And carry back to Sicily much tall youth,
That else must perish here.

Pom. To you all three,

The fenators alone of this great world,
Chief factors for the gods,-I do not know,
Wherefore my father should revengers want,
Having a fon, and friends; fince Julius Cæfar,
Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted,
There faw you labouring for him. What was it,
That mov'd pale Caffius to conspire? And
What made all-honour'd, honeft, Roman Brutus,
With the arm'd reft, courtiers of beauteous freedom,
To drench the Capitol; but that they would
Have one man but a man? And that is it,
Hath made me rig my navy; at whose burden
The anger'd ocean foams; with which I meant
To fcourge the ingratitude that despightful Rome
Caft on my noble father.

Caf. Take your time.

Ant. Thou canst not fear us", Pompey, with thy fails, We'll speak with thee at sea: at land, thou know'it How much we do o'er-count thee.

Pom. At land, indeed,

Thou doft o'er.count me of my father's houfe:

But, fince the cuckoo builds not for himself3,

Remain in't, as thou may'st.

Lep. Be pleas'd to tell us,

(For this is from the prefent,) how you take

The offers we have fent you.

Caf. There's the point.

Ant. Which do not be entreated to, but weigh What it is worth embrac'd.

Caf. And what may follow,

To try a larger fortune.

Pom. You have made me offer

Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must

2 Thou canst not affright us with thy numerous navý.

Rid

3 Since, like the cuckoo, that feizes the nefts of other birds, you have

invaded a house which you could not build, keep it while you can.

Rid all the fea of pirates: then, to fend
Meafures of wheat to Rome: This 'greed upon,
Το part with unhack'd edges, and bear back

Our targes

undinted.

Caf. Ant. Lep. That's our offer.
Pom. Know then,

I came before you here, a man prepar'd
To take this offer: But Mark Antony
Put me to fome impatience :-Though I lofe
The praise of it by telling, You must know,
When Cæfar and your brother were at blows,
Your mother came to Sicily, and did find
Her welcome friendly.

Ant. I have heard it, Pompey;

And am well ftudied for a liberal thanks,
Which I do owe you.

Pom. Let me have your

hand:

I did not think, fir, to have met you here.

Ant. The beds i' the east are soft; and thanks to you, That call'd me, timelier than my purpose, hither;

For I have gain'd by it.

Caf. Since I faw you laft,

There is a change upon you.

Pom. Well, I know not,

What counts harth fortune cafts upon my face;

But in my bofom fhall she never come,

To make my heart her vaffal.

Lep. Well met here.

Pom. I hope fo, Lepidus.-Thus we are agreed: I crave, our compofition may be written,

And feal'd between us.

Cef. That's the next to do.

Pom. We'll feaft each other, ere we part; and let us

Draw lots, who shall begin.

Ant. That will I, Pompey.

Pom. No, Antony, take the lot: but, first,

Or laft, your fine Egyptian cookery

Shall have the fame. I have heard, that Julius Cæfar
Grew fat with feafting there.

♦ Metaphor from making marks or lines in casting accompts,

Ant.

Ant. You have heard much.

Pom. I have fair meanings, fir.

Ant. And fair words to them.

Pom. Then fo much have I heard:-
And I have heard, Apollodorus carried-
Eno. No more of that :-He did fo.

1

Pom. What, I pray you?

Eno. A certain queen to Cæfar'in a mattress.

Pom I know thee now; How far'st thou, soldier?
Eno. Well;

And well am like to do; for, I perceive,

Four feafts are toward.

I

Pom. Let me shake thy hand;

never hated thee: I have feen thee fight, When I have envied thy behaviour.

Eno. Sir,

I never lov'd you much; but I have prais'd you,
When you have well deferv'd ten times as much
As I have faid you did.

Pom. Enjoy thy plainness,

It nothing ill becomes thee.

--

Aboard my galley I invite you all :

Will you lead, lords ?

Caf. Ant. Lep. Shew us the way, fir.

Pom. Come. [Exeunt POMPEY, CESAR, ANTONY,
LEPIDUS, Soldiers, and Attendants.

Men. Thy father, Pompey, would ne'er have made this treaty.-[afide.]-You and I have known, fir.

Eno. At fea, I think.

Men. We have, fir.

Eno. You have done well by water.
Men. And you by land.

Eno. I will praise any man that will praife me': though it cannot be denied what I have done by land.

Men.

5 The poet's art in de livering this humourous fentiment (which gives us fo very true and natural a picture of the commerce of the world) can never be fufficiently admired. The confeffion could come from none but a frank and rough character like the speaker's: and the moral leffon infinuated under it, that flattery can make its way through the mos ftubborn manners, deferves our serious reflection.

Men. Nor what I have done by water.

Eno. Yes, fomething you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great thief by fea.

Men. And you by land.

Eno. There I deny my land fervice. But give me your hand, Menas: If our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing.

Men. All men's faces are true, whatfoe'er their hands

are.

Eno. But there is never a fair woman has a true face. Men. No flander; they fteal hearts.

Eno. We came hither to fight with you,"

Men. For my part, I am forry it is turn'd to a drink. ing. Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune. Eno. If he do, fure, he cannot weep it back again. Men. You have faid, fir. We look'd not for Mark Antony here; Pray you, is he married to Cleopatra ? Eno. Cæfar's fifter is call'd Octavia.

Men. True, fir; fhe was the wife of Caius Marcellus. Eno. But the is now the wife of Marcus Antonius. Men. Pray you, fir?

Eno. 'Tis true.

Men. Then is Cæfar, and he, for ever knit together. Eno. If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not prophefy fo.

Men. I think, the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage, than the love of the parties.

Eno. I think fo too. But you shall find, the band that feems to tie their friendship together, will be the very ftrangler of their amity: Octavia is of a holy, cold, and ftill converfation..

Men. Who would not have his wife fo?

Eno. Not he, that himself is not fo; which is Mark Antony. He will to his Egyptian difh again: then fhall the fighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Cæfar; and, as I faid before, that which is the ftrength of their amity, fhall prove the immediate author of their variance. Antony will ufe his affection where it is; he marry'd but his occafion here.

Men. And thus it may be. Come, fir, will you aboard ?