Shakespeare's First Folio Part 649

Caesar. You haue broken the Article of your oath, which you shall neuer haue tongue to charge me with

Lep. Soft Caesar

Ant. No Lepidus, let him speake, The Honour is Sacred which he talks on now, Supposing that I lackt it: but on Caesar, The Article of my oath

Caesar. To lend me Armes, and aide when I requir'd them, the which you both denied

Anth. Neglected rather: And then when poysoned houres had bound me vp From mine owne knowledge, as neerely as I may, Ile play the penitent to you. But mine honesty, Shall not make poore my greatnesse, nor my power Worke without it. Truth is, that Fuluia, To haue me out of Egypt, made Warres heere, For which my selfe, the ignorant motiue, do So farre aske pardon, as befits mine Honour To stoope in such a case

Lep. 'Tis n.o.ble spoken

Mece. If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefes betweene ye: to forget them quite, Were to remember: that the present neede, Speakes to attone you

Lep. Worthily spoken Mecenas

En.o.bar. Or if you borrow one anothers Loue for the instant, you may when you heare no more words of Pompey returne it againe: you shall haue time to wrangle in, when you haue nothing else to do

Anth. Thou art a Souldier, onely speake no more

En.o.b. That trueth should be silent, I had almost forgot

Anth. You wrong this presence, therefore speake no more

En.o.b. Go too then: your Considerate stone

Caesar. I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech: for't cannot be, We shall remaine in friends.h.i.+p, our conditions So diffring in their acts. Yet if I knew, What Hoope should hold vs staunch from edge to edge Ath' world: I would persue it

Agri. Giue me leaue Caesar

Caesar. Speake Agrippa

Agri. Thou hast a Sister by the Mothers side, admir'd Octauia: Great Mark Anthony is now a widdower

Caesar. Say not, say Agrippa; if Cleopater heard you, your proofe were well deserued of rashnesse

Anth. I am not marryed Caesar: let me heere Agrippa further speake

Agri. To hold you in perpetuall amitie, To make you Brothers, and to knit your hearts With an vn-slipping knot, take Anthony, Octauia to his wife: whose beauty claimes No worse a husband then the best of men: whose Vertue, and whose generall graces, speake That which none else can vtter. By this marriage, All little Ielousies which now seeme great, And all great feares, which now import their dangers, Would then be nothing. Truth's would be tales, Where now halfe tales be truth's: her loue to both, Would each to other, and all loues to both Draw after her. Pardon what I haue spoke, For 'tis a studied not a present thought, By duty ruminated

Anth. Will Caesar speake?

Caesar. Not till he heares how Anthony is toucht, With what is spoke already

Anth. What power is in Agrippa, If I would say Agrippa, be it so, To make this good?

Caesar. The power of Caesar, And his power, vnto Octauia

Anth. May I neuer (To this good purpose, that so fairely shewes) Dreame of impediment: let me haue thy hand Further this act of Grace: and from this houre, The heart of Brothers gouerne in our Loues, And sway our great Designes

Caesar. There's my hand: A Sister I bequeath you, whom no Brother Did euer loue so deerely. Let her liue To ioyne our kingdomes, and our hearts, and neuer Flie off our Loues againe

Lepi. Happily, Amen

Ant. I did not think to draw my Sword 'gainst Pompey, For he hath laid strange courtesies, and great Of late vpon me. I must thanke him onely, Least my remembrance, suffer ill report: At heele of that, defie him

Lepi. Time cals vpon's, Of vs must Pompey presently be sought, Or else he seekes out vs

Anth. Where lies he?

Caesar. About the Mount-Mesena

Anth. What is his strength by land?

Caesar. Great, and encreasing: But by Sea he is an absolute Master

Anth. So is the Fame.

Would we had spoke together. Hast we for it, Yet ere we put our selues in Armes, dispatch we The businesse we haue talkt of

Caesar. With most gladnesse, And do inuite you to my Sisters view, Whether straight Ile lead you

Anth. Let vs Lepidus not lacke your companie

Lep. n.o.ble Anthony, not sickenesse should detaine me.

Flourish. Exit omnes. Manet En.o.barbus, Agrippa, Mecenas.

Mec. Welcome from aegypt Sir

Eno. Halfe the heart of Caesar, worthy Mecenas. My honourable Friend Agrippa

Agri. Good En.o.barbus

Mece. We haue cause to be glad, that matters are so well disgested: you staid well by't in Egypt

En.o.b. I Sir, we did sleepe day out of countenaunce: and made the night light with drinking

Mece. Eight Wilde-Boares rosted whole at a breakfast: and but twelue persons there. Is this true?

Eno. This was but as a Flye by an Eagle: we had much more monstrous matter of Feast, which worthily deserued noting

Mecenas. She's a most triumphant Lady, if report be square to her

En.o.b. When she first met Marke Anthony, she purst vp his heart vpon the Riuer of Sidnis

Agri. There she appear'd indeed: or my reporter deuis'd well for her

Eno. I will tell you, The Barge she sat in, like a burnisht Throne Burnt on the water: the p.o.o.pe was beaten Gold, Purple the Sailes: and so perfumed that The Windes were Loue-sicke.

With them the Owers were Siluer, Which to the tune of Flutes kept stroke, and made The water which they beate, to follow faster; As amorous of their strokes. For her owne person, It beggerd all discription, she did lye In her Pauillion, cloth of Gold, of Tissue, O're-picturing that Venus, where we see The fancie out-worke Nature. On each side her, Stood pretty Dimpled Boyes, like smiling Cupids, With diuers coulour'd Fannes whose winde did seeme, To gloue the delicate cheekes which they did coole, And what they vndid did

Agrip. Oh rare for Anthony

Eno. Her Gentlewoman, like the Nereides, So many Mer-maides tended her i'th' eyes, And made their bends adornings. At the Helme, A seeming Mer-maide steeres: The Silken Tackle, Swell with the touches of those Flower-soft hands, That yarely frame the office. From the Barge A strange inuisible perfume hits the sense Of the adiacent Wharfes. The Citty cast Her people out vpon her: and Anthony Enthron'd i'th' Market-place, did sit alone, Whisling to'th' ayre: which but for vacancie, Had gone to gaze on Cleopater too, And made a gap in Nature