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,nor 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. LEPIDUS 'Tis noble spoken. MECAENAS If it might please you,to enforce no further The griefs between ye:to forget them quite Were to remember that the present need Speaks to atone you. LEPIDUS Worthily spoken,Mecaenas. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Or,if you borrow one another's love for the instant,you may,when you hear no more words of Pompey,return it again:you shall have time to wrangle in when you have nothing else to do MARK ANTONY Thou art a soldier only:speak no more. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS That truth should be silent I had almost forgot. MARK ANTONY You wrong this presence;therefore speak no more. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Go to,then;your considerate stone. OCTAVIUS CAESAR I do not much dislike the matter,but The manner of his speech;for't cannot be We shall remain in friendship,our conditions So differing in their acts.Yet if I knew What hoop should hold us stanch,from edge to edge O'the world I would pursue it. AGRIPPA Give me leave,Caesar,-- OCTAVIUS CAESAR Speak,Agrippa. AGRIPPA
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, nor 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. LEPIDUS 'Tis noble spoken. MECAENAS If it might please you, to enforce no further The griefs between ye: to forget them quite Were to remember that the present need Speaks to atone you. LEPIDUS Worthily spoken, Mecaenas. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Or, if you borrow one another's love for the instant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again: you shall have time to wrangle in when you have nothing else to do. MARK ANTONY Thou art a soldier only: speak no more. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS That truth should be silent I had almost forgot. MARK ANTONY You wrong this presence; therefore speak no more. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Go to, then; your considerate stone. OCTAVIUS CAESAR I do not much dislike the matter, but The manner of his speech; for't cannot be We shall remain in friendship, our conditions So differing in their acts. Yet if I knew What hoop should hold us stanch, from edge to edge O' the world I would pursue it. AGRIPPA Give me leave, Caesar,-- OCTAVIUS CAESAR Speak, Agrippa. AGRIPPA
Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Admired Octavia:great Mark Antony Is now a widower. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Say not so,Agrippa: If Cleopatra heard you,your reproof Were well deserved of rashness. MARK ANTONY I am not married,Caesar:let me hear Agrippa further speak. AGRIPPA 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 dangers, Would then be nothing:truths would be tales, Where now half tales be truths:her love to both Would,each to other and all loves to both, Draw after her.Pardon what I have spoke; For 'tis a studied,not a present thought, By duty ruminated. MARK ANTONY Will Caesar speak? OCTAVIUS CAESAR Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is spoke already MARK ANTONY What power is in Agrippa, If I would say,'Agrippa,be it so,'" To make this good? OCTAVIUS CAESAR The power of Caesar,and His power unto Octavia. MARK ANTONY May I never To this good purpose,that so fairly shows, Dream of impediment!Let me have thy hand: Further this act of grace:and from this hour
Thou hast a sister by the mother's side, Admired Octavia: great Mark Antony Is now a widower. OCTAVIUS CAESAR Say not so, Agrippa: If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof Were well deserved of rashness. MARK ANTONY I am not married, Caesar: let me hear Agrippa further speak. AGRIPPA 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 dangers, Would then be nothing: truths would be tales, Where now half tales be truths: her love to both Would, each to other and all loves to both, Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke; For 'tis a studied, not a present thought, By duty ruminated. MARK ANTONY Will Caesar speak? OCTAVIUS CAESAR Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd With what is spoke already. MARK ANTONY What power is in Agrippa, If I would say, 'Agrippa, be it so,' To make this good? OCTAVIUS CAESAR The power of Caesar, and His power unto Octavia. MARK ANTONY May I never To this good purpose, that so fairly shows, Dream of impediment! Let me have thy hand: Further this act of grace: and from this hour
The heart of brothers govern in our loves And sway our great designs! OCTAVIUS CAESAR There is my hand. A sister I bequeath you,whom no brother Did ever love so dearly:let her live To join our kingdoms and our hearts;and never Fly off our loves again! LEPIDUS Happily,amen! MARK ANTONY I did not think to draw my sword'gainst Pompey; For he hath laid strange courtesies and great Of late upon me:I must thank him only, Lest my remembrance suffer ill report; At heel of that,defy him. LEPIDUS Time calls upon's: Of us must Pompey presently be sought, Or else he seeks out us. MARK ANTONY Where lies he? OCTAVIUS CAESAR About the mount Misenum. MARK ANTONY What is his strength by land? OCTAVIUS CAESAR Great and increasing:but by sea He is an absolute master. MARK ANTONY So is the fame. Would we had spoke together!Haste we for it: Yet,ere we put ourselves in arms,dispatch we The business we have talk'd of. OCTAVIUS CAESAR With most gladness: And do invite you to my sister's view, Whither straight I'll lead you. MARK ANTONY Let us,Lepidus, Not lack your company. LEPIDUS Noble Antony, Not sickness should detain me
The heart of brothers govern in our loves And sway our great designs! OCTAVIUS CAESAR There is my hand. A sister I bequeath you, whom no brother Did ever love so dearly: let her live To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and never Fly off our loves again! LEPIDUS Happily, amen! MARK ANTONY I did not think to draw my sword 'gainst Pompey; For he hath laid strange courtesies and great Of late upon me: I must thank him only, Lest my remembrance suffer ill report; At heel of that, defy him. LEPIDUS Time calls upon's: Of us must Pompey presently be sought, Or else he seeks out us. MARK ANTONY Where lies he? OCTAVIUS CAESAR About the mount Misenum. MARK ANTONY What is his strength by land? OCTAVIUS CAESAR Great and increasing: but by sea He is an absolute master. MARK ANTONY So is the fame. Would we had spoke together! Haste we for it: Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we The business we have talk'd of. OCTAVIUS CAESAR With most gladness: And do invite you to my sister's view, Whither straight I'll lead you. MARK ANTONY Let us, Lepidus, Not lack your company. LEPIDUS Noble Antony, Not sickness should detain me
Flourish.Exeunt OCTAVIUS CAESAR,MARK ANTONY,and LEPIDUS MECAENAS Welcome from Egypt,sir. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Half the heart of Caesar,worthy Mecaenas!My honourable friend,Agrippa! AGRIPPA Good Enobarbus！ MECAENAS We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested.You stayed well by 't in Egypt. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Ay,sir;we did sleep day out of countenance,and made the night light with drinking. MECAENAS Eight wild-boars roasted whole at a breakfast,and but twelve persons there;is this true? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS This was but as a fly by an eagle:we had much more monstrous matter of feast,which worthily deserved noting. MECAENAS She's a most triumphant lady,if report be square to her. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS When she first met Mark Antony,she pursed up his heart,upon the river of Cydnus. AGRIPPA There she appeared indeed;or my reporter devised well for her. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS I will tell you. The barge she sat in,like a burnish'd throne, Burn'd 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, Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke,and made The water which they beat to follow faster, As amorous of their strokes.For her own person, It beggar'd all description:she did lie In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue-- O'er-picturing that Venus where we see The fancy outwork nature:on each side her Stood pretty dimpled boys,like smiling Cupids
Flourish. Exeunt OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MARK ANTONY, and LEPIDUS MECAENAS Welcome from Egypt, sir. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Half the heart of Caesar, worthy Mecaenas! My honourable friend, Agrippa! AGRIPPA Good Enobarbus! MECAENAS We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You stayed well by 't in Egypt. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Ay, sir; we did sleep day out of countenance, and made the night light with drinking. MECAENAS Eight wild-boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and but twelve persons there; is this true? DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS This was but as a fly by an eagle: we had much more monstrous matter of feast, which worthily deserved noting. MECAENAS She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed up his heart, upon the river of Cydnus. AGRIPPA There she appeared indeed; or my reporter devised well for her. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS I will tell you. The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, Burn'd 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, Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made The water which they beat to follow faster, As amorous of their strokes. For her own person, It beggar'd all description: she did lie In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue-- O'er-picturing that Venus where we see The fancy outwork nature: on each side her Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids
With divers-colour'd fans,whose wind did seem To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool, And what they undid did. AGRIPPA O,rare for Antony! DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Her gentlewomen,like the Nereides, So many mermaids,tended her i'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, Enthroned i'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. AGRIPPA Rare Egyptian! DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS 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. AGRIPPA Royal wench! She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed: He plough'd her,and she cropp'd. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS 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. MECAENAS Now Antony must leave her utterly DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool, And what they undid did. AGRIPPA O, rare for Antony! DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides, So many mermaids, tended her i' 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, Enthroned i' 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. AGRIPPA Rare Egyptian! DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS 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. AGRIPPA Royal wench! She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed: He plough'd her, and she cropp'd. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS 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. MECAENAS Now Antony must leave her utterly. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS