[Flourish. Exeunt CESAR, ANTONY, and LEPIDUS. MEC. Welcome from Egypt, sir. ENO. Half the heart of Cæsar, worthy Mecænas!—my honourable friend, Agrippa! AGR. Good Enobarbus! MEC. We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You stayed well by it in Egypt. ENO. Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking. MEC. Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve persons there: Is this true? ENO. This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monstrous matter of feasts, which worthily deserved noting. MEC. She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her. ENO. When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart upon the river of Cydnus. AGR. There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised well for her. ENO. I will tell you: The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, Burnt on the water: the poop was beaten gold; Purple the sails, and so perfumed that The winds were love-sick: with them the oars were silver; As amorous of their strokes. For her own person, In her pavilion, (cloth of gold, of tissue,) And what they undid, did. AGR. O, rare for Antony! ENO. Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides, So many mermaids, tended her i̇' the eyes, And made their bends adornings: at the helm A seeming mermaid steers; the silken tackle Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands, That yarely frame the office. From the barge A strange invisible perfume hits the sense Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast Her people out upon her; and Antony, Enthron'd in the market-place, did sit alone Whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy, Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too, And made a gap in nature. AGR. Rare Egyptian! ENO. Upon her landing, Antony sent to her, Invited her to supper: she replied, It should be better he became her guest, Which she entreated: our courteous Antony, Whom ne'er the word of "No" woman heard speak, Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feast; And, for his ordinary, pays his heart, For what his eyes eat only. AGR. Royal wench! She made great Cæsar lay his sword to bed; He plough'd her, and she cropp'd. ENO. I saw her once Hop forty paces through the public street: And having lost her breath, she spoke, and panted, That she did make defect, perfection, And, breathless, power breathe forth. MEC. Now Antony must leave her utterly. ENO. Never; he will not; Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety: Other women cloy The appetites they feed; but she makes hungry MEC. If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle The heart of Antony, Octavia is A blessed lottery to him. AGR. Let us go. Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest, ENO. Humbly, sir, I thank you. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same. A Room in Cæsar's House. Enter CESAR, ANTONY, OCTAVIA between them, Attendants, and a Soothsayer. ANT. The world, and my great office, will sometimes Divide me from your bosom. ОСТА. All which time Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers To them for you. ANT. OCTA. Good night, sir. CES. Good night. Good night, dear lady.— [Exeunt CESAR and OCTAVIA. ANT. Now, sirrah! you do wish yourself in Egypt? SOOTH. 'Would I had never come from thence, nor you thither! ANT. If you can, your reason? SOOTH. I see it in my motion, have it not in my tongue: But yet hie you to Egypt again. ANT. Say to me, Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Cæsar's or mine? SOOTH. Cæsar's. Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side: Thy dæmon (that thy spirit which keeps thee) is Where Cæsar's is not; but near him thy angel ANT. Speak this no more. SOOTH. To none but thee; no more, but when to thee. If thou dost play with him at any game, Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck, Is all afraid to govern thee near him; But, he away, 't is noble. ANT. Get thee gone: Say to Ventidius I would speak with him:- [Exit Soothsayer. He shall to Parthia.-Be it art, or hap, Enter VENTIDIUS. I' the east my pleasure lies:-0, come, Ventidius, SCENE IV.-The same. A Street. Enter LEPIDUS, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA. [Exeunt. LEP. Trouble yourselves no further: pray you, hasten Your generals after. Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we 'll follow. LEP. Till I shall see you in your soldier's dress, Which will become you both, farewell. MEC. We shall, As I conceive the journey, be at the Mount Before you, Lepidus. LEP. Your way is shorter, My purposes do draw me much about; You'll win two days upon me. MEC., AGR. LEP. Farewell. Sir, good success ' [Exeuni. SCENE V.-Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAs, and Alexas. CLEO. Give me some music; music, moody food Of us that trade in love. ATTENDANT. The music, ho! Enter MARDIAN. CLEO. Let it alone; let us to billiards: Come, Charmian. CHAR. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian. As with a woman:-Come, you'll play with me, sir? 1 CLEO. And when good will is show'd, though't come too short, The actor may plead pardon I'll none now: Give me mine angle,—we 'll to the river: there, My music playing far off, I will betray Tawny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce I'll think them every one an Antony, And say, Ah, ha! you're caught. CHAR. 'T was merry when You wager'd on your angling; when your diver CLEO. That time!-0 times!I laugh'd him out of patience; and that night I laugh'd him into patience; and next morn, Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed; Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst I wore his sword Philippan. O! from Italy; Enter a Messenger. Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears, |