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 the way,
Should have borne men; and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not: nay, the dust
Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
Rais'd by your populous troops: But you are come
A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented
The ostent of our love, which, left unshown,
Is often left unlov'd: we should have met you
By sea, and land; supplying every stage
With an augmented greeting.

Good my lord,

Oct.
To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did it
On my free-will. My lord, Mark Antony,
Hearing that you prepar'd for war, acquainted
My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Cæs.

Which soon he granted,

Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.

Oct. Do not say so, my lord.

Cæs.

I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind.

Where is he now?

Oct.

My lord, in Athens.

Caes. 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;
King Malchus of Arabia; king of Pont;

Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king

The ostent of our love,] for-ostentation, which Mr. Malone

Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas,
The kings of Mede, and Lycaonia, with a
More larger list of scepters.

Oct.

Ah me, most wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends,
That do afflict each other!

Cæs.
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:
Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
O'er your content these strong necessities;
But let determin'd things to destiny

Hold unbewail'd their way.

Nothing more dear to me.

Welcome to Rome:
You are abus'd

Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,
To do you justice, make them ministers

Of us, and those that love you. Best of comfort;
And ever welcome to us.

Agr.

Welcome, lady.

Mec. Welcome, dear madam.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you:

Only the adulterous Antony, most large

In his abominations, turns you off;

And gives his potent regiment' to a trul!.
That noises it against us.

Oct. Is it so, sir?

1

Caes. Most certain. Sister, welcome: Pray you,

Be ever known to patience: My dearest sister!

[Exeunt.

7

· potent regiment —]. Regiment, is government, authority ; he puts his power and his empire into the hands of a false woman.

SCENE VII.

Antony's Camp, near to the Promontory of Actium.

Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.

Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Eno. But why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars ; And say'st, it is not fit.

Eno.

Well, is it, is it?

Cleo. Is't not? Denounce against us †, why should

not we

Be there in person?

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.

What is't you say?

Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from his 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 i'the war,
And, as the president of my kingdom, will

Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
I will not stay behind.

Eno.

Here comes the emperor.

Nay, I have done:

forspoke my being ] To forspeak, is to contradict,

speak against, as forbid is to order negatively.

+ "if not denounced against us," &c.—MALONE.

merely lost;] i. e. entirely, absolutely lost.

Ant.

Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.

Is't not strange, Canidius,

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,

Which might have well becom'd the best of men,

To taunt at slackness.-Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

Cleo.

By sea! What else?

For he dares us' to't.

Can. Why will my lord do so?
Ant.

Eno. So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight.
Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,
Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: But these offers,
Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.

Eno.
Your ships are not well mann'd:
Your mariners are muleteers †, reapers, people
Ingross'd by swift impress; in Cæsar's fleet

Are those, that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
Their ships are yare: yours, heavy. No disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

Ant.

By sea, by sea.

Eno. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
The absolute soldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most consist
Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego

And take in Toryne?] To take in, is to gain by conquest. 2 For he dares us] i. e. because he dares us. Mr. Malone reads “For that he dares us.

+ "muliters,"-MALONE, the old spelling of muleteers.

The way which promises assurance; and

Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.

Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better.

Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn;

And with the rest full mann'd, from the head of Actium Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail,

Enter a Messenger.

We then can do't at land.-Thy business?
Mess. The news is true, my lord; he is descried;
Cæsar has taken Toryne.

Ant. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;
Strange, that his power should be.-Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse:-We'll to our ship;

Enter a Soldier.

Away, my Thetis !- How now, worthy soldier?
Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
Trust not to rotten planks: Do you misdoubt
This sword, and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians,
And the Phoenicians, go a ducking; we

Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,

And fighting foot to foot.

Ant.

Well, well, away.

[Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENOBARBUS.

Sold. By Hercules, I think, I am i'the right.

3 Strange, that his power should be.] It is strange that his forces should be there.

my Thetis !] Antony may address Cleopatra by the name of this sea-nymph, because she had just promised him assistance in his naval expedition; or perhaps in allusion to her voyage down the Cydnus, when she appeared like Thetis surrounded by the Nereids.