My man of men.

CHAR. By your most gracious pardon,

I fing but after you.

CLEO. My fallad days;

When I was green in judgment. Cold in blood!

To fay as I faid then,-But come away,

Get me ink and paper;

He fhall have every day a several greeting,
Or I'll unpeople Ægypt.

ACT II SCENE I

SICILY.

Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas.

POMPEY.

If the he juff, the

the great Gods be juft, they shall affist

MEN. Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

[Exeunt.

POMP. While we are fuitors to their throne, decays'

The thing we fue for.

MEN. We, ignorant of ourselves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wife powers

Deny us for our good; fo find we profit

By lofing of our prayers.

POMP. I fhall do well?

The people love me, and the fea is mine;
My pow'r's a crefcent, and my auguring hope
Says, it will come to th' full. Mark Antony

In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make

No wars without doors. Cæfar gets money, where
He lofes hearts; Lepidus flatters both,

Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.

MEN. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field,
A mighty ftrength they carry.

POMP. Where have you this? 'tis falfe.

MEN. From Silvius, Sir.

POMP. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome together, Looking for Antony; but all the charms of love,

Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty; luft with both.
Tie up the libertine in a field of feafts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloylefs fawce his appetite;

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even 'till a Lethe'd dulnefs-

How now,

Varrius?

VAR. This is moft certain, that I shall deliver.

Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected; fince he went from Ægypt, 'tis
A space for farther travel.

POMP. I could have given less matter

A better ear. Menas, I did not think,

This am'rous furfeiter would have donn'd his helm
For fuch a petty war; his foldiership

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 luft-wearied Antony.

MEN. I cannot hope,

Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together.
His wife, who's dead, did trefpaffes to Cæfar;
His brother warr'd upon him, although I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Poм. I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater.
Wer't not that we ftand up against them all,
'Twere pregnant, they should square between themselves,
For they have entertained cause enough

To draw their fwords, but how the fear of us
May cement their divifions, and bind up

The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be't, as our Gods will have't! it only stands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Changes to Rome. Enter Enobarbus and

Lepidus.

LEP. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,

And fhall become you well, t' entreat your captain

To foft and gentle speech.

ENO. I fhall entreat him

To answer like himself; if Cæfar move him,

Let Antony look over Cæfar's head,

And fpeak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,

Were I the wearer of Antonio's beard,

I would not fhave't to-day.

LEP. 'Tis not a time for private ftomaching.

ENO. Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in't

LEP. But small to greater matters must give way.
ENO. Not, if the small come first.

LEP. Your freech is paffion;

But pray you stir no embers up. Here comes

The noble Antony.

Enter Antony and Ventidius.

ENO. And yonder Cæfar.

Enter Cæfar, Mecænas, and Agrippa.

ANT. If we compofe well here, to Parthia.

-Hark, Ventidius.

CAS. I do not know; Mecanas, afk Agrippa.
LEP. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was moft great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amifs,

May it be gently heard.

When we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds. Thén, noble partners,
The rather, for I earnestly beseech,

Touch

you the fowreft points with sweetest terms,

Nor curftness grow to th' matter.

ANT. 'Tis spoken well;

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

I fhould do thus.

CES. Welcome to Rome.

ANT. Thank you.

CAS. Sit.

ANT. Sit, Sir.

CES. Nay, then

[Flourish.

ANT. I learn, you take things ill, which are not fo; Or, being, concern you not.

CAS. I must be laught at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should fay myself offended, and with you

Chiefly i'th' world; More laught at, that I should
Once name you derogately, when to found

Your name it not concern'd me.

ANT. My being in Egypt, Cæfar, what was't to you? CAS. No more than my refiding here at Rome

Might be to you in Ægypt; yet, if you there

Did practise on my state, your being in Ægypt

Might be my question.

ANT. How intend you, practis'd?

CES. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, By what did here befal. Your wife and brother

Made wars upon me; and their conteftation

Was theme for you, you were the word of war.

ANT. You do mistake your business: my brother never

Did urge me in his act: I did enquire it,

And have my learning from fome true reports

That drew their fwords with you. Did he not rather

Difcredit my authority with yours,

And make the wars alike against my stomach,

Having alike your caufe? Of this, my letters
Before did fatisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,
As matter whole you've not to make it with,
It must not be with this.

CAS. You praise yourself,

By laying defects of judgment to me, but
You patch up your excuses.