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Than yours fo branchless. But, as you requested,
Yourself fhall go between's; the mean time, lady,
I'll raise the preparation of a war, (20)

Shall ftrain your brother; make your foonest hafte ;
So, your defires are yours.

O. Thanks to my Lord.

The Jove of Power make me, most weak, most weak,
Your reconciler! wars 'twixt you 'twain would be
As if the world should cleave, and that flain men
Should folder up the rift.

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,
Turn your difpleafure that way; for our faults
Can never be fo equal, that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your Going;
Chufe your own company, and command what coit
Your heart has mind to.

[Exeunt.

Enter Enobarbus and Eros.

Eno. How now,

friend Eros?

(20)

-The mean time, Lady,

I'll raise the Preparation of a War,

Shall ftain your Brother;

Thus the printed Copies unanimoufly. But, fure, Antony, whofe Bufinefs here is to mollify Octavia, does it with a very ill Grace: and 'tis a very odd way of fatisfying her, to tell her, the War, he raifes, fhall flain, i. e. cast an Odium upon her Brother. I have no doubt, but we must read, with the Addition only of a fingle Letter,

Shall ftrain your Brother.

i. e. Shall lay him under Conftraints; fhall put him to fuch Shifts, that he fhall neither be able to make a Progrefs again ft, or to prejudice, me. And this Emendation is precifely confonant to what Plutarch fays; that Octavius, understanding the fudden and wonderful Preparations of Antony, was not a little aftonish'd at it; for he himself was in many Wants; and the People were forely opprefs'd with the great and grievous Exactions of Money. For every Perfon of Condition was oblig'd to furnish the fourth part of his Goods and Revenues; and the very Libertines (i. e. thofe, whofe Fathers had once been Bondmen, and were enfranchifed) were taxed an eighth part of all their Goods to be raised at one Payment.

Eros.

Eros. There's ftrange news, come, Sir.

Eno. What, man?

Eros. Cefar and Lepidus have made war upon Pompey. Eno. This is old; what is the fuccefs?

Eros. Gafar, having made ufe of him in the wars 'gainft Pompey, prefently denied him rivalty, would not let him partake in the glory of the action; and not refting here, accufes him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey. Upon his own appeal, feizes him; fo the poor Third is up, 'till death enlarge his confine.

Eno. Then 'would thou hadit a pair of chaps, no more, and throw between them all the food thou haft, they'll grind the other. Where's Antony?

Eros. He's walking in the garden thus; and fpurns The rush that lies before him. Cries," fool Lepidus !” And threats the throat of that his Officer,

'That murder'd Pompey.

Eno. Our great Navy's rigg'd.

Eros. For Italy and Cæfar; more, Domitius, My Lord defires you prefently; my news

I might have told hereafter.

Eno. "Twill be naught; but let it be; bring me to Antony.

Eros. Come, Sir.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Palace in Rome.

Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, and Mecænas.

Ontemning Rome, he has done all this, and

Caf. Conte

more,

In Alexandria; here's the manner of it:
I'th' market-place on a Tribunal filver'd,
Cleopatra and himfelf in chairs of gold
Were publickly enthron'd; at the feet, fat
Cæfario, whom they call my father's fon;
And all the unlawful iffue, that their luft
Since then hath made between them. Unto her
He gave the 'stablishment of Egypt, made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,
Abfolute Queen.

Mex

Mec. This in the publick eye?

Caf. I'th' common fhew-place, where they exercise. His fons were there proclaim'd the Kings of Kings; Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he affign'd
Syria, Cilicia, and Phanicia: fhe

In the habiliments of the Goddess Ifis

That day appear'd, and oft before gave audience,
As 'tis reported, fo.

Mec. Let Rome be thus inform'd.

Agr. Who, queafy with his infolence already, Will their good thoughts call from him.

Caf. The people know it, and have now receiv'd His accufations.

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Agr. Whom does he accuse ?

Caf Cafar; and that having in Sicily
Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him
His part o'th' Ifle. Then does he fay, he lent me
Some Shipping unreftor'd. Lastly, he frets,
That Lepidus of the Triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain
All his revenue.

Agr. Sir, this fhould be anfwer'd.

Caf. 'Tis done already, and his meffenger gone : I told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deserve his Change. For what I've conquer'd,

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

And other of his conquer'd Kingdoms, I

Demand the like.

Mec. He'll ne'er yield to that.

Caf. Nor must he then be yielded to in this.

Enter Octavia, with Attendants.

Octa. Hail, Cæfar, and my Lord! hail, most dear
Cajar!

Caf. That ever I should call thee Caft-away!
Octa. You have not call'd me fo, nor have you cause.
Caf. Why haft thou stol'n upon us thus? you come not

Like Cæfar's fifter; the Wife of Antony
Should have an army for an ufher, and
The neighs of horfe to tell of her approach,
Long ere fhe did appear. The trees by th' way
Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,
Longing for what it had not. Nay, the duft
Should have afcended to the roof of heav'n,
Rais'd by your populous troops; but you are come (21)
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The oftent of our love; which, left unfhewn,
Is often left unlov'd; we should have met you
By fea 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 grieving ear withal; whereon I begg'd
His pardon for return.

Caf. Which foon he granted, (22)

(21)

but you are come

Being

A Market-maid to Rome; and have prevented The Oftentation of our Love, which left unfhewn,] This dragging, inharmonious Alexandrine, I am perfuaded, is the Manufacture of our Player-Editors. They lov'd a founding Word; and feeing One that did not fo fully answer that End, and one that they, perhaps, were not immediately acquainted with, they, doubtless, took it for an Abbreviation. I dare say, the Poet wrote;

The Oftent of our Love, which, left unshewn,

i. e. the Shewing, Token, Demonftration of our Love: and he ufes it both in thefe Acceptations, and likewise to fignify Oftentation. The Alexandrine therefore is wholly unneceffary.

(22)

Which foon be granted,

Being an Abstract 'tween bis Luft and him.] Antony very foon comply'd to let Octavia go, at her Request, says Cafar; and why? Because she was an abstract between his inordinate Paffion and him. If Mr. Pope, or any other of the Editors understand this, I'll willingly fubmit to be taught the Meaning: but till then, I muft believe, the Poet wrote;

Being an Obitruct 'tween his luft and him.
Octa. Do not fay fo, my Lord.

Caf. I have eyes upon him,

And his affairs come to me on the wind:
Where is he now?

Ota. My Lord, in Athens.

Caf. No, my moft wronged fifter; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore, who now are levying

The Kings o'th' earth for war.

He hath affembled

Bocchus the King of Libya, Archelaus
Of Cappadocia, Philadelphos King

Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian King Adullas,
King Malchus of Arabia, King of Pont,
Herod of Jewry, Mithridates King
Of Comagene, Polemon and Amintas,
The King of Mede, and Lycaonia,
With a more larger lift of fcepters.
Ota. Ay me, most wretched,

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

Caf. Welcome hither;

Your letters did with-hold 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 thefe ftrong neceffities;
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, (23)

Being an Obftruct 'tween his Luft and him.

i. e. His Wife being an Obstruction, a Bar, to the Profecution of his wanton Pleasures with Cleopatra. And I am the rather con vinc'd that this is the true Reading, becaufe Mr. Warburton fstarted the Emendation too, unknowing that I had meddled with the Paffage.

(23)
and the bigh Gods,
To do you juftice, make his Minifters
Of Us, and thofe that love you.]

Why

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