We will here part.

Caf. Farewel, my dearest fifter, fare thee well The elements be kind to thee, and make

Thy fpirits all of comfort; fare thee well.

Of My noble brother!

Ant. The April's in her eyes; it is love's Spring, And these the showers to bring it on; be chearful. Oa. Sir, look well to my husband's houfe; and. Caf. What, Octavia?

O. I'll tell you in your ear.

Ant. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue; the swan's down feather,

That stands upon the fwell at full of tide,

And neither way inclines.

Eno. Will Caefar weep?

Agr. He has a cloud in's face.

Eno. He were the worfe for that, were be a horfe; So is he, being a man.

Agr. Why, Enobarbus?

When Antony found Julius Cafar dead,

He cried almost to roaring; and he wept,
When at Philippi he found Brutus flain.

Eno. That year, indeed, he was troubled with
rheum ;

What willingly he did confound, he wail'd;
Believe't, 'till I wept too. (18)

Caf. No, fweet OЯavia,

You fhall hear from me still; the time fhall not
Out go my thinking on you.

(18) Believe't, 'til I weep too. I have ventur'd to alter the Tenfe of the Verb here, against the Authority of all the Copies. There was no Senfe in it, I think, as it food before. Enobarbus would fay, "Indeed Antony feem'd very free of his "Tears that Year; and believe me, bewail'd all the Mischiefs " he did, 'till I myself wept too." This appears to me very farcastical. Antony's Tears, he would infer, were diffembled s but Enobarbus wept in real Compaffion of the Havock and Slaughters committed on kis Countrymen,

Ant

Ant. Come, Sir, come,

I'll wrestle with you in my ftrength of love.
Look, here I have you; thus I let you go,
And give you to the Gods.

Caf. Adieu, be happy!

Lep. Let all the number of the Stars give light

To thy fair way!

Caf. Farewel, farewel!

Ant. Farewel!

[Kiffes Octavia. [Trumpets found. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Palace in Alexandria. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas.

Cleo.

WHERE is the fellow?

Alex. Half afraid to come.

Cleo. Go to, go to: come hither, Sir.

Enter the Meffenger as before.

Alex. Good Majefty!

Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you,
But when you are well pleas'd.

Cleo. That Herod's head

I'll have; but how? when Antony is gone,

Through whom I might command it :

near.

Mef. Moft gracious Majefty,-
Cleo. Didft thou behold

Octavia?

Mef. Ay, dread Queen.
Cleo. Where?

Mef. In Rome, Madam.

I lookt her in the face; and faw her led

Between her brother and Mark Antony.

Cleo. Is fhe as tall as me?

Mef. She is not, Madam.

Come Thou

Cleo. Didit hear her fpeak? is the fhrill-tongu'd, or low?

Mef. Madam, I heard her fpeak, fhe is low-voic'd. Cleo. That's not fo good; he cannot like her long. Char. Like her? oh Ifis! 'tis impoffible.

Clean

Cleo. I think fo, Charmian; dull of tongue and! dwarfish.

What Majefty is in her gate? remember,
If e'er thou look'dft on Majefty.
Mef. She creeps;

Her motion and her ftation are as one ::
She fhews a body rather than a life,
A ftatue than a breather,

Cleo. Is this certain ?

Mef. Or I have no obfervance.
Char. Three in Ægypt
Cannot make better note.

Cleo. He's very knowing,

I do perceive't; there's nothing in her yet..
The fellow has good judgment.

Char. Excellent.

Cleo. Guefs at her years, I pr'ythee.

Mef. Madam, fhe was a widow.
Cleo. Widow? Charmian, hark..
Mef. And I do think, fhe's thirty.

Cleo. Bear'st thou her face in mind? is't long, orr

round ?

Mef. Round even to faultinefs.

Cleo. For th' most part too!

They're foolish that are so.

Her hair, what colour?

Mef. Brown, Madam; and her forehead

As low as the would with it.

Cleo. There's gold for thee.

Thou must not take my former sharpness ill,
I will employ thee back again; I find thee
Moft fit for bufinefs. Go, make thee ready;-
Our letters are prepar'd.

Char. A proper man.

Cleo. Indeed, he is fo; I repent me much, That I fo harried him. Why, methinks, by him,.

This creature's no fuch thing.

Char. O, nothing, madam.

Cleo. The man hath feen fome Majefty, and fhould s

know.

Cher. Hath he feen Majefty? Is elfe defend!

And

And ferving you so long?

Cleo.. I've one thing more to ask him yet, good.

Charmian:

But 'tis no matter, thou fhalt bring him to me
Where I will write: all may be well enough.
Char. I warrant you, Madam.

Ant.

SCENE changes to Athens.

N

Enter Antony and Octavia.

[Exeum

AY, nay, Ottavia, not only That,
That were excufable, That and thousands

more

Of femblable import, but he hath wag'd

New wars 'gainst Pompey'; made his Will and read it
To publick ear; fpoke fcantily of me;

When perforce he could not

But pay me terms of honour, cold and fickly

He vented them; moft narrow measure lent me ;
When the best hint was given him, he not took't, (19)
Or did it from his teeth.

Oa. Oh, my good lord,

Believe not all; or, if you

muft believe,

Stomach not all. A more unhappy lady,

If this divifion chance, ne'er ftood between,
Praying for both parts: the good Gods will mock me,

When I shall pray,

"oh, blefs my lord and husband ?”

Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud,

"Oh, blefs my brother!" Husband win, win brother, Prays, and deftroys the prayer; no midway

'Twixt these extreams at all.

Ant. Gentle Octavia,

Let your beft love draw to that point, which feeks
Beft to preferve it; if I lofe mine honour,

I lose my felf; better I were not yours,

(19) When the best Hint was giv'n him, he o'erlook'd,

Or did it from bis Teeth.]

The first Folio reads, not look'd. Dr. Thirlby advis'd the Emen-. dation which I have inferted in the Text.

Than

Than yours fo branchlefs. But as you requested,
Your felf fhall go between's; the mean time, lady,
I'll raife the preparation of a war, (20)

Shall ftrain your brother; make your fooneft hafte;
So, your defires are yours.

Oct. Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of Power make me, most weak, most weak,
Your reconciler! wars 'twixt you 'twain would be
As if the world fhould cleave, and that flain men
Should folder up the rift.

Ant. When it appears to you where this begins,
Turn your displeasure that way; for our faults
Can never be fo equal, that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your Going;
Chufe your own company, and command what coft
Your heart has mind to.

Eno. How now, friend Eros?

(20)

Enter Enobarbus and Eros.

-The mean time, Lady,

I'll raise the Preparation of a War,
Shall ftain your Brother ;]

[Exeunt.

Thus the printed Copies unanimoufly. But, fure, Antany, whose Business here is to mollify Octavia, does it with a very ill Grace and 'tis a very odd way of fatisfying her, to tell her, the War, he raifes, fhall fain, i. e. cast an Odium upon her Brother, I have no Doubt, but we must read, with the Addition only of a fingle Letter,

Shall ftrain your Brother.

i. e. Shall lay him under Constraints; fhall put him to fuck Shifts, that he fhall neither be able to make a Progress against, or to prejudice, Me. And this Emendation is precifely confonant to what Plutarch fays; that Octavius, understanding the fudden and wonderful Preparations of Antony, was not a little aftonish'd at it, for he himfelf was in many Wants; and the People were forely opprefs'd with the great and grievous Exaetions of Money. For every Perfon, of Condition was oblig'd to furnish the fourth part of his Goods and Revenues; and the very Libertines fi. e. thofe, whofe Fathers had once been Bondmen, and were enfranchifed) were taxed an eighth part of all their Goods to be raised at one Payment.

Eros.