Some shipping unrestor'd: lastly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain

All his revenue.

Agr.

Sir, this should be answer'd.

Cæs. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone.

I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deserve his change; for what I have con

quer'd,

I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia,

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I

Demand the like.

Мес.

He'll never yield to that.

Cæs. Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter OCTAVIA.

Octa. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear

Cæsar!

Cæs. That ever I should call thee, cast-away!

Octa. You have not call'd me so, nor have you

cause.

Cæs. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You come

not

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.

Octa.

Good my lord,

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.

Octa. 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?

Octa.

My lord, in Athens.

Cæs. No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra

Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire

Up to a whore; who now are levying

33 The kings o' the earth for war: He hath assembled
Bocchus, the king of Lybia; Archelaus,
Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas:
King Malchus of Arabia; king of Pont;
Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king
Of Comagene; Polemon and Amintas,

The kings of Mede, and Lycaonia, with a

More larger list of scepters.
Octa.

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. Welcome to Rome:
Nothing more dear to me. 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 trull,

That noises it against us.

Octa.

Is it so, sir?

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

Be ever known to patience: My dearest sister!

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.

Antony's Camp, near 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.

Ant.

Nay, I have done :

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

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