He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia: she In the habiliments of the goddess Isis That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience, As 'tis reported, so. MECAENAS Let Rome be thus Inform'd. AGRIPPA Who, queasy with his insolence Already, will their good thoughts call from him. OCTAVIUS CAESAR The people know it; and have now received His accusations. AGRIPPA Who does he accuse? OCTAVIUS CAESAR Caesar: and that, having in Sicily Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him His part o' the isle: then does he say, he lent me Some shipping unrestored: lastly, he frets That Lepidus of the triumvirate Should be deposed; and, being, that we detain All his revenue. AGRIPPA Sir, this should be answer'd. OCTAVIUS CAESAR 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone.
I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;That he his high authority abused, And did deserve his change: for what I have conquer'd, I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, IDemand the like. MECAENAS He'll never yield to that. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Nor must not then be yielded to in this.
Enter OCTAVIA with her train OCTAVIA Hail, Caesar, and my lord! hail, most dear Caesar! OCTAVIUS CAESAR That ever I should call thee castaway! OCTAVIA You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Why have you stol'n upon us thus! You come not Like Caesar'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, Raised by your populous troops: but you are come A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented The ostentation of our love, which, left unshown, Is often left unloved; we should have met you By sea and land; supplying every stage With an augmented greeting. OCTAVIA Good my lord, To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony, Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd His pardon for return. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Which soon he granted, Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him. OCTAVIA Do not say so, my lord. OCTAVIUS CAESAR I have eyes upon him, And his affairs come to me on the wind.
Where is he now? OCTAVIA My lord, in Athens. OCTAVIUS CAESAR No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire Up to a whore; who now are levying The kings o' the earth for war; he hath assembled Bocchus, the king of Libya; 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 Amyntas, The kings of Mede and Lycaonia, With a more larger list of sceptres. OCTAVIA Ay me, most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two friends That do afflict each other! OCTAVIUS CAESAR Welcome hither:
Your letters did withhold our breaking forth;Till we perceived, 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 determined things to destiny Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome;Nothing more dear to me. You are abused 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. AGRIPPA Welcome, lady. MECAENAS 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. OCTAVIA Is it so, sir? OCTAVIUS CAESAR Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you, Be ever known to patience: my dear'st sister!
Exeunt SCENE VII. Near Actium. MARK ANTONY's camp. Enter CLEOPATRA and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS CLEOPATRA I will be even with thee, doubt it not. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS But why, why, why? CLEOPATRA Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars, And say'st it is not fit. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Well, is it, is it? CLEOPATRA If not denounced against us, why should not we Be there in person? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS [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. CLEOPATRA What is't you say? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time, What should not then be spared. He is already Traduced for levity; and 'tis said in Rome That Photinus an eunuch and your maids Manage this war. CLEOPATRA 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. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Nay, I have done.
Here comes the emperor.
Enter MARK ANTONY and CANIDIUS MARK ANTONY Is it 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? CLEOPATRA Celerity is never more admired Than by the negligent. MARK ANTONY A good rebuke, Which might have well becomed the best of men, To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we Will fight with him by sea. CLEOPATRA By sea! what else? CANIDIUS Why will my lord do so? MARK ANTONY For that he dares us to't. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS So hath my lord dared him to single fight. CANIDIUS Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia.
Where Caesar fought with Pompey: but these offers, Which serve not for his vantage, be shakes off;And so should you. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Your ships are not well mann'd;Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people Ingross'd by swift impress; in Caesar's fleet Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
