CAS. 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.

ОСТА.

Ay me, most wretched,

That have my heart parted betwixt two friends

That do afflict each other!

CÆS.
Welcome hither:
Your letters did withhold our breaking forth,
Till we perceiv'd 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 determin'd things to destiny

Hold unbewail'd their way.

Nothing more dear to me.

Welcome to Rome;
You are abus'd

Beyond the mark of thought; and the high Gods,
To do you justice, make their ministers

Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort;

And ever welcome to us.

AGR.

MEC. Welcome, dear Madam.

Welcome, Lady.

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you :
Only the adulterous Antony, most large
In his abominations, turns you off;

70

80

90

Be ever known to patience. My dear'st Sister!

[exeunt.

SCENE VII. Near Actium. ANTONY'S Camp.

Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.

CLEO. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

ENO. But why, why, why?

CLEO. Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,

CLEO. If not, denounce 't against us, why should not we

If we should serve with horse and mares together,

The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear
A soldier and his horse.

CLEO.

What is 't you say?

ENO. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;

ΤΟ

Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's

time,

What should not then be spar'd. He is already

Traduc'd for levity; and 'tis said in Rome

That Photinus an eunuch and your maids

Manage this war.

CLEO.

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;

He could so quickly cut the Ionian Sea,

And take in Toryne? You have heard on 't, Sweet? CLEO. Celerity is never more admir'd

Which might have well becom❜d the best of men,

To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

CLEO.

CAN. Why will my Lord do so?
ANT.

By sea! what else?

For that he dares us to 't.

30

ENO. So hath my Lord dar'd him to single fight.

CAN. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,

Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: but these
offers,

Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
And so should you.

ENO.

Your ships are not well mann'd;

Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people
Ingross'd by swift impress; in Cæsar's fleet

Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
Their ships are yare; your's, heavy. No disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepar'd for land.

ENO. Most worthy Sir, you therein throw away
The absolute soldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most consist
Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
From firm security.

40

50

And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of

Actium

Beat the approaching Cæsar. But, if we fail,
We then can do 't at land.

ACT III

Sc. VII

T

ACT III
Sc. VII

Enter a Messenger.

Thy business?

MESS. The news is true, my Lord; he is descried;
Cæsar has taken Toryne.

ANT. Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;
Strange that his power should be. Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship:
Away, my Thetis !

Enter a Soldier.

How now, worthy Soldier!

SOLD. O noble Emperor, do not fight by sea;

Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt

60

This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we

Have us'd to conquer, standing on the earth,

And fighting foot to foot.

ANT.

Well, well. Away!

[Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENOBARBUS.

SOLD. By Hercules, I think I am i' the right.

CAN. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows

Not in the power on 't: so our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

SOLD.

You keep by land

70

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

CAN. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Publicola, and Cælius, are for sea;

But we keep whole by land. This speed of Cæsar's
Carries beyond belief.

CAN. With news the time's with labour, and throes forth ACT III Each minute some.

SCENE VIII. A Plain near Actium.

[exeunt. Sc. VII

Enter CESAR, and TAURUS, with his Army, marching.

CES. Taurus———

TAUR. My Lord?

CES. Strike not by land; keep whole: provoke not battle,

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

ANT. Set we our squadrons on yond side o' the hill,
of Cæsar's battle; from which place

In eye
We may the number of the ships behold,

And so proceed accordingly.

SCENE X. Another Part of the Plain.

[exeunt.

CANIDIUS marcheth with his land Army one way over the Stage; and TAURUS, the Lieutenant of Cæsar, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight.

Alarum. Enter ENOBArbus.

ENO. Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer:

The Antoniad,1 the Egyptian admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:

To see 't mine eyes are blasted.