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To reel the streets at noon; say this becomes him
(As his composure must be rare, indeed,
Whom these things cannot blemish ;) yet is Antony
No way excused; for to confound such time,
That drums him from his sport, and speaks as loud
As our state, with his own,-'tis to be chid
As we rate boys, who, ripening into knowledge,
Pawn their experience to their present pleasure,
And so rebel to judgment.

Enter a MESsenger.

Lep. Here's more news.

Mess. Pompey is strong at sea;
And, it appears, he is beloved of those
That only have fear'd Cæsar: to the ports
The discontents repair, and men's opinions
Give him much wrong'd.

Enter another MESSENGER,

Mess. Cæsar, I bring thee word,
Menacrates and Menas, famous pirates,
Make the sea serve them:

No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as soon
Taken as seen; for Pompey's name strikes more
Than could his war resisted.

Cæs. Antony,

Leave thy lascivious wassels: when thou once
From Mutina wert beaten, at thy heel

Did Famine follow; whom thou fought'st against,
Though daintily brought up, with patience more
Than savages could suffer; nor disdain'd
The roughest berry on the rudest hedge;
Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets,
The bark of trees thou browsed'st-and all this
Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek
So much as lank'd not.

Lep. It is pity of him.

Gees. Let his shame quickly

Drive him to Rome. Time is it that we twain
Did shew ourselves i' th' field'; and, to that end,
Assemble we immediate council: Pompey
Thrives in our idleness.

Lep. To-morrow, Cæsar,

I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly,
Both what by sea and land I can be able,
To front this present time.

Cæs. Till which encounter
It is my business too. Farewell.

Lep. Farewell, my lord. What you shall know, meantime,

Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir,

To let me be partaker.
Cas. Doubt not, sir,
I knew it for my bond.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Enter CLEOPATRA, supporting herself on IRAS; CHARMION and MARDION following.

Cle. Charmion

Char. Madam.

Cle. That I might sleep out this great gap of time

My Antony is away!

Char. You think of him

Too much.

Cle. O, Charmion!

Where think'st thou he is now?

Or does he walk, or is he on his horse?

O, happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!

Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou

movest?

The demy-Atlas of the earth, the arm,

And burgonet of man.-He's speaking now,
Or murmuring,-"Where's my serpent of old Nile ?"
Enter ALEXAS.

Alex. Sovereign of Egypt, hail!

Cle. How much art thou unlike Mark Antony! Yet, coming from him, that great med'cine hath With its tinct gilded thee.

What tidings of my brave Mark Antony?
Alex. Last thing he did, dear queen,
He kiss'd, the last of many double kisses,
This orient pearl ;-his speech sticks in my heart.
Cle. Mine ear must pluck it thence.
Alex. Good friend, quoth he,

Say-the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
This-

[Giving a pearl.
To mend the petty present, I will piece
Her opulent throne with kingdoms: all the East
Say thou, shall call her mistress. So he nodded,
And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed,

That neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoken Was dumb'd by him.

Cle. What, was he sad or merry?

Alex. Like to the time o' the year, between the

extremes

Of hot and cold; he was nor sad nor merry.

Cle. O, well-directed disposition! note him, Note him, good Charmion, 'tis the man; but note him:

He was not sad, for he would shine on those
'That make their looks by his; he was not merry,
Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay
In Egypt, with his joy; but between both.
O, heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad, or merry,

The violence of either thee becomes,

So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts?
Alex. Ay, madam, twenty several messengers.
Why do
you send so thick?

Cle. Who's born that day

When I forget to send to Antony,

Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmion
He shall have every day a several greeting,
Or I'll unpeople Egypt.

[Exeunt.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

A Room in LEPIDUS' House, at Rome.

Enter LEPIDUS and ENOBArbus.

Lep. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain To soft and gentle speech.

Eno. I shall entreat him

To answer like himself; if Cæsar move him,

Let Antony look over Cæsar's head,

And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,
I would not shave't to-day.

Lep. 'Tis not time

For private stomaching.

Eno. Every time

Serves for the matter that's then born in't.

Lep. But small to greater matters must give way. Eno. Not if the small come first.

Lep. Your speech is passion :

But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes
The noble Antony.

Enter ANTONY and CANIDius.

Eno. And yonder Cæsar.

Enter CæsAR, AGRIPPA, and MæCENAS. Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia: Hark you, Canidius! [Speaking aside to CANIDIUS. Cæs. I do not know, Mæcenas; ask Agrippa. Welcome to Rome.

Ant. Thank you.

Cæs. Sit.

Ant. Sit, sir!

Cæs. Nay, then

Lep. Noble friends,

That which convened us, was most great; and let not
A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,

May it be gently heard: when we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit
Murther in healing wounds: then, noble partners,
(The rather, for I earnestly beseech,)

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,
Nor curstness grow to the matter.

Ant. 'Tis spoken well:

Were we before our armies, and to fight,
I should do thus

[They sit-LEPIDUS in the middle-ANTONY, ENOBARBUS, and CANIDIUS, on one sideCESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA on the other. [TO CESAR.] I learn you take things ill, which are

not so;

Or, being, concern you not.

Cæs. I must be laugh'd at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should say myself offended; and with

you

Chiefly i' the world; more laugh'd at, that I should

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