Caf. Welcome hither;

Your letters did with-hold 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 thefe ftrong neceffities;
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 minifters

Of us, and thofe that love you, Be of comfort; And ever welcome to us.

Agr. Welcome, Lady.

Mec. Welcome, dear Madam :

Each heart in Rome does love and pity you ;
Only th' adulterous Antony, moft_large
In his abominations, turns you off,

And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
That noifes it against us.

Octa. Is it fo, Sir?

Caf. It is most certain. Sifter, welcome.

Be ever known to patience, my dear'ft fifter! [you,

Pray

[Exeunt.

Near the Promontory of Actium,

Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus.

Cleo. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
Eno. But why, why, why?

Cleo. Thou haft forespoke my being in thefe

And fay'ft it is not fit.

Eno. Well, is it, is it?

[wars;

Cleo. Is't not denounc'd against us? why should not we be there in perfon?

Eno. afide.] Well, I could reply; if we fhould ferve with horfe and mares together, the horse were merely loft; the mares would bear a foldier and his horfe.

Cleo. What is't you say?

Eno. Your prefence needs must puzzle Antony; Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time,

What should not then be fpar'd. He is already
Traduc'd for levity, and 'tis faid 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' th' war;'
And, as the prefident of my kingdom, will

Appear there for a man. Speak not against it,
I will not stay behind.

Enter Antony and Canidius.

Eno. Nay, I have done here comes the Emperor. Ant. Is it not ftrange, Canidius,

That from Tarentum and Brundulium

He could fo quickly cut th' fonian sea,

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

Than by the negligent.

Ant. A good rebuke,

Which might have well become the best of men
To taunt at flackness.

Canidius, we

Will fight with him by fea.

Cleo. By fea, what else?

Can. Why will my Lord do fo?

Ant. For that he dares us to't.

Eno. So hath my Lord dar'd him to fingle fight. Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharfalia, Where Cæfar fought with Pompey: but thefe offers, Which ferve not for his vantage, he fhakes off; And fo fhould you.

Eno. Your fhips are not well mann'd,

Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Ingrofs'd by fwift imprefs. In Cafar's fleet
Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought
Their fhips are yare, yours heavy: no difgrace
Shall fall you for refufing him at fea,
Being prepar'd for land.

Ant. By fea, by fea.

Eno. Moft worthy Sir, you therein throw away

The abfolute soldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most confift
Of war-mark'd footmen: leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo
The way which promises affurance, and
Give up yourself meerly to chance and hazard,
From firm fecurity.

Ant. I'll fight at fea.

Cleo. I have fixty fails, Cæfar none better.

Ant. Our overplus of thipping will we burn,
And, with the rest full-man'd, from th' head of
Actium

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

Thy business?

Enter a Meffenger.

Melf. The news is true, my Lord; he is descry'd; Cæfar has taken Toryne.

Aut. Can be be there in perfon? 'tis impoflible. Strange that his power fhould be fo. Canidius, Our nineteen legions thou halt hold by land, And our twelve thoufand horfe. We'll to our fhip: Away, my Thetis!

Enter a Soldier.

How now, worthy foldier?

Sold. Oh, noble Emperor, do not fight by fea,
Truft not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt
This fword, and thefe my wounds? let the Ægyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking: we

Have us'd to conquer ftanding on the earth,
And fighting foot to foot.

Ant. Well, well, away.

[Exeunt Ant. Cleo. and Enob.

Sold. By Hercules, I think I am i' th' right. Can. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows Not in the power on't * fo our leader's led,

And we are women's men.

Sold. You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Jufteius,

Publicola and Cælius are for fea:

But we keep whole by land. This fpeed of Cæfar's Carries beyond belief.

Sold. While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in fuch distractions as
Beguil'd all fpies.

Can. Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
Sold. They fay one Taurus.

Can. Well; I know the man.

Enter a Meffenger.

Me. The Emperor calls Canidius.

Can. With news the time's in labour, and throws

not battle,

"Till we have done at fea. Do not exceed The prefcript of this fcroul; our fortune lyes

Upon this jump.

Enter Antony and Enobarbus.

[Exeunt.

Ant. Set we our fquadrons on yond side o' th' hill, In eye of Cæfar's battle; from which place We may the number of the hips behold, And fo proceed accordingly.

[Exeunt.

Canidius marching with his land-army one way over the ftage; and Taurus, the lieutenant of Cæfar, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noife of a fea-fight. Alarm. Enter Enobarbus. Eno. Naught, naught, all naught. I can behold no longer :

1

Th' Antonias, the Egyptian admiral,

With all their fizty, fly, and turn the rudder;
To fee't mine eyes are blafted.

Enter Scarus.

Scar. Gods and goddeffes,
All the whole fynod of them!
Ene. What's thy paffion?

Scar. The greater cantle † of the world is loft
With very ignorance; we have kifs'd away
Kingdoms and provinces.

Eno. How appears the fight?

Scar. On our fide like the token'd ‡ peftilence,
Where death is fure. Yon ribauld nag of Egypt,
Whom leprofy o'ertake! i' th' midst o' th' fight,
When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd
Both as the fame, or rather ours the elder,
The brieze || upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoifts fails, and flies

Eno. That I beheld:

Mine eyes did ficken at the fight, and could not
Endure a further view.

Scar. She once being looft,

The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,

Claps on his fea-wing, like a coating mallard,
Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:
I never faw an action of fuch thame;
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
Did violate fo itself.

Eno. Alack, alack!

Enter Canidius.

Can. Our fortune on the fea is out of breatlı,
And finks moft lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himfelf, it had gone well:
Oh, he has given example for our flight,

Which, Plutarch fays, was the name of Cleopatra's hip. Pope.

+ Cantle is corner. Johnson.

Spotted. Ib.

The brieze is the gad-fly. Ib.