To soft and gentle speech.

Eno. I shall entreat him

To answer like himself: if Caesar move him,
Let Antony look over Caesar's head,
And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were 1 the wearer of Antonius' beard,
I would not shav't to-day.

Lep. 'Tis not a time
For private stomaching.

Eno. Every time nov

Serves for the matter that is then born in it.
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

18 The noble Antony.

Shop bobosol Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS.
Eno. And yonder, Caesar.

Enter CAESAR,
AR, MECAENAS, and Agrippa.
His Ant. If we compose well here, to Parthia:
Hark you, Ventidins.

Caes. I do not know, i
Mecaenas; ask Agrippa.

Lep. Noble friends,

"That which combin'd us was most great, and le

A leaner action rend us.

not

What's amiss,

May it be gently heard: When we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit
Murder 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.

Caes. Welcome to Rome,

Ant. Thank you.

Caes. Sit.

Ant. Sit, Sir!

Caes. Nay, Then

Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are

Or, being, concern you not.

not so;

Caes. 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

Once name you derogately, when to sound your

It not concern'd me.

name

Ant. My heing in Egypt, Caesar, What was't to you?

Caes. No more than my residing here at Rome Might be to you in Egypt: Yet, if you there Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt Might be my question.

Ant. How intend you, practis'd?

Caes. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine in

tent,

By what did here befal me. Your wife, and bro-,

ther,

Made wars upon me; and their contestation
Was theme for you, you were the word of war.
Ant. You do mistake your business; my bro-
ther never

Did urge me in his act: I did enquire it;

And have my learning from some true reports, That drew their swords with you. Did he not

16

rather

Discredit my authority with yours;

And make the wars alike against my stomach,
Having alike your cause? Of this, my letters

A

matteatisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,

whole you have not to make-it with,

It must not be with this.

Caes. You praise yourself

By laying defects of judgement to me; but
You patch'd up your excuses.

Ant. Not so, not so:..

I know you could not lack, I am certain on't,
Very pecessity of this thought, that I,

Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,
Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars
Which 'fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,
I would you had hier spirit in such another:
The third o' the world is yours; which with a

Suaffle

You may pace easy, but not such a wife.

Eno. Would, we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women!

Ant. So much uncurbable, her garboils, Caesar, Made out of her impatience, (which not wanted Shrewdness of policy too,) I grieving grant, Did you too much disquiet: for that, you must But say, I could not help it.

Caes. I wrote to you,

When rioting in Alexandria; you

Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my missive out of audience,

Ant. Sir,

He fell upon me, ere admitted; then

Three Kings I had newly feasted, and did want

Of what I was the morning: but, next day,
I told him of myself; which was as much
As to have ask'd him pardon: Let this fellow
Be nothing of our strife: if we coutead,
Out of our question wipe him.

Caes. You have broken

The article of your oath; which you shall never
Have tongue to charge me with.

Lep. Soft, Caesar.

Ant. No.

Lepidus, let him speak;

The honour's sacred which he talk on now,
Supposing that I lack'd it: But ou, Caesar;

The article of my oath,

Caes. To lend me arms, and aid, when I requir'd them; The which you both dený’d.

Ant. Neglected, rather;

And then, when poison'd hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may,
I'll play the penitent to you but mine honesty
Shall not make poor my greatness, or my power
-Work without it: Truth is, that Fulvia,

To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do
So far ask pardon, as befits mine honour
To stoop in such a case.

Lep. 'Tis nobly spoken.

Mec. If it might please you, to enforce no fur

ther

The griefs between ye: to forget them quite,
Were to remember that the present need

Speaks to atone you.

Lep. Worthily spoke, Mecaenas.

Eno. Or, if you borrow one another's love for

the instant, you may, when you hear no more

な

words of Pompey, return it again: you shall have time to wrangle in, when you have nothing else' to do.

Ant. Thou art a soldier only; speak no more. Eno. That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot.

Ant. You wrong this presence therefore speak

no more.

Eno. Go to then; your considerate stone.

Caes. I do not much dislike the matter, but
The manner of his speech for it cannot be,
We shall remain in friendship, our conditions
So differing in their acts. Yet, if I knew

What hoop should hold us staunch, from edge to

1

edge

O' the world I would pursue it.

Agr. Give me leave, Caesar,
Caes. Speak, Agrippa.

Agr. Thou hast a sister by the mother's side,
Admir'd Octavia: great Mark Antony

Is now a widower.

Caes. Say not so, Agrippa;

If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof
Were well deserv'd of rashness.

Ant. I am not married, Caesar: let me hear
Agrippa further speak.

Agr. To hold you in perpetual amity,

To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts
With an unslipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his wife whose beauty claims
No worse a husband than the best of men;
Whose virtue, and whose general graces, speak
That which none else can utter. By this marriage,
All little jealousies, which now seem great,
And all great fears, which now import their dan-
gers,