Let this fellow
        Be nothing97 of our strife: if we contend,
        Out of our question98 wipe him.

CAESAR    You have broken
        The article100 of your oath, which you shall never
        Have tongue to charge me with.

LEPIDUS    Soft102, Caesar!

ANTONY    No, Lepidus, let him speak.
        The honour is sacred which he talks on now,
        Supposing105 that I lacked it. But, on, Caesar:
        The article of my oath—

CAESAR    To lend me arms and aid when I required107 them,
        The which you both denied.

ANTONY    Neglected rather:
        And then when poisoned hours had bound me up
        From mine own knowledge111. 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 it113. Truth is that Fulvia,
        To have me out of Egypt, made wars here,
        For which myself, the ignorant motive116, do
        So far ask pardon as befits mine honour
        To stoop in such a case.

LEPIDUS    ’Tis noble spoken.

MAECENAS    If it might please you to enforce no further
        The griefs121 between ye, to forget them quite
        Were to remember that the present need
        Speaks to atone123 you.

LEPIDUS    Worthily spoken, Maecenas.

ENOBARBUS    Or, if you borrow one another’s love for the
        instant126, 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.

ANTONY    Thou art a soldier only. Speak no more.

ENOBARBUS    That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot.

ANTONY    You wrong this presence131, therefore speak no more.

ENOBARBUS    Go to, then!132 You considerate stone.

CAESAR    I do not much dislike the matter, but
        The manner of his speech: for’t cannot be
        We shall remain in friendship, our conditions135
        So diff’ring in their acts. Yet if I knew
        What hoop should hold us staunch137, from edge to edge
        O’th’world I would pursue it.

AGRIPPA    Give me leave, Caesar.

CAESAR    Speak, Agrippa.

AGRIPPA    Thou hast a sister by the mother’s side141,
        Admired Octavia: great Mark Antony
        Is now a widower.

CAESAR    Say not so, Agrippa:
        If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof
        Were well deserved of rashness145.

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

AGRIPPA    To hold you in perpetual amity149,
        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 utter154. By this marriage
        All little jealousies156 which now seem great,
        And all great fears which now import157 their dangers
        Would then be nothing. Truths158 would be tales,
        Where now half-tales be truths. Her love to both159
        Would each to other, and all loves to both
        Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke,
        For ’tis a studied, not a present162 thought,
        By duty ruminated.

ANTONY    Will Caesar speak?

CAESAR    Not till he hears how Antony is touched
        With165 what is spoke already.

ANTONY    What power167 is in Agrippa,
        If I would168 say, ‘Agrippa, be it so’,
        To make this good?

CAESAR    The power of Caesar, and
        His power unto171 Octavia.

ANTONY    May I never,
        To this good purpose that so fairly shows173,
        Dream of impediment174! Let me have thy hand.
        Further this act of grace175, and from this hour
        The heart of brothers govern in our loves
        And sway our great designs!

They clasp hands

CAESAR    There’s 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 again181!

LEPIDUS    Happily, amen!

ANTONY    I did not think to draw my sword gainst Pompey,
        For he hath laid strange courtesies and great
        Of late upon me185. I must thank him, only
        Lest my remembrance187 suffer ill report:
        At heel of that, defy him188.

LEPIDUS    Time calls upon’s.
        Of190 us must Pompey presently be sought,
        Or else he seeks out us.

ANTONY    Where lies he?

CAESAR    About the Mount Misena193.

ANTONY    What is his strength by land?

CAESAR    Great and increasing, but by sea
        He is an absolute master.

ANTONY    So is the fame197.
        Would we had spoke together!198 Haste we for it.
        Yet, ere199 we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we
        The business we have talked of.

CAESAR    With most gladness,
        And do invite you to my sister’s view202,
        Whither straight I’ll lead you.

ANTONY    Let us, Lepidus, not lack your company.

LEPIDUS    Noble Antony,
        Not206 sickness should detain me.

Flourish. Exeunt all. Enobarbus, Agrippa, Maecenas remain

MAECENAS    Welcome from Egypt, sir.

ENOBARBUS    Half the heart208 of Caesar, worthy Maecenas! My
        honourable friend, Agrippa!

AGRIPPA    Good Enobarbus!

MAECENAS    We have cause to be glad that matters are so well
        digested212. You stayed well by’t in Egypt.

ENOBARBUS    Ay, sir, we did sleep day out of countenance213 and
        made the night light214 with drinking.

MAECENAS    Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, and
        but216 twelve persons there. Is this true?

ENOBARBUS    This was but as a fly by217 an eagle: we had much
        more monstrous matter218 of feast, which worthily deserved
        noting.

MAECENAS    She’s a most triumphant220 lady, if report be square to
        her.

ENOBARBUS    When she first met Mark Antony, she pursed222 up
        his heart upon the river of Cydnus223.

AGRIPPA    There she appeared indeed, or my reporter devised
        well for her224.

ENOBARBUS    I will tell you
        The barge she sat in, like a burnished227 throne,
        Burned228 on the water: the poop was beaten gold,
        Purple the sails, and so perfumèd that
        The winds were lovesick 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 strokes233. For her own person,
        It beggared all description: she did lie
        In her pavilion, cloth-of-gold of tissue235,
        O’er-picturing that Venus where we see
        The fancy out-work nature236: on each side her237
        Stood pretty dimpled boys, like238 smiling Cupids,
        With divers-coloured239 fans whose wind did seem
        To glow240 the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
        And what they undid did.

AGRIPPA    O, rare242 for Antony!

ENOBARBUS    Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides243,
        So many mermaids, tended her i’th’eyes244,
        And made their bends adornings245. At the helm
        A seeming mermaid steers: the silken tackle246
        Swell247 with the touches of those flower-soft hands
        That yarely frame the office248. From the barge
        A strange invisible perfume hits the sense
        Of the adjacent wharfs250. The city cast
        Her people out upon her, and Antony,
        Enthroned i’th’market-place, did sit alone,
        Whistling to th’air, which, but for vacancy253,
        Had254 gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,
        And made a gap in nature.

AGRIPPA    Rare Egyptian256!

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 barbered262 ten times o’er, goes to the feast,
        And for his ordinary263, pays his heart
        For what his eyes eat only264.

AGRIPPA    Royal wench265!
        She made great Caesar266 lay his sword to bed.
        He ploughed her, and she cropped267.

ENOBARBUS    I saw her once
        Hop forty paces through the public street
        And, having lost her breath, she spoke and panted,
        That271 she did make defect perfection,
        And, breathless, pour breath forth.

MAECENAS    Now Antony must leave her utterly.

ENOBARBUS    Never! He will not.
        Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale275
        Her infinite variety: other women cloy
        The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
        Where most she satisfies. For vilest things
        Become themselves278 in her, that the holy priests
        Bless her when she is riggish280.

MAECENAS    If beauty, wisdom, modesty, can settle
        The heart of Antony, Octavia is
        A blessèd lottery283 to him.

AGRIPPA    Let us go.
        Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest
        Whilst you abide here.

ENOBARBUS    Humbly, sir, I thank you.
Exeunt

[Act 2 Scene 3]                               
running scene 5 continues

Enter Antony, Caesar, Octavia between them

ANTONY    The world and my great office1 will sometimes
        Divide me from your bosom.

OCTAVIA    All which time
        Before the gods my knee shall bow my prayers
        To them for you.

ANTONY    Goodnight, sir. My Octavia,
        Read not my blemishes in the world’s report7:
        I have not kept my square8, but that to come
        Shall all be done by th’rule9. Goodnight, dear lady.

OCTAVIA    Goodnight, sir.

CAESAR    Goodnight.
Exeunt [Caesar and Octavia]

Enter Soothsayer

ANTONY    Now, sirrah12: you do wish yourself in Egypt?

SOOTHSAYER    Would I had never come from thence, nor you
        thither13.

ANTONY    If you can14, your reason?

SOOTHSAYER    I see it in my motion15, have it not in my tongue.
        But yet hie you16 to Egypt again.

ANTONY    Say to me, whose fortunes shall rise higher,
        Caesar’s or mine?

SOOTHSAYER    Caesar’s.
        Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side:
        Thy demon21, that thy spirit which keeps thee, is
        Noble, courageous, high unmatchable,
        Where Caesar’s is not. But near him, thy angel23
        Becomes afeared, as24 being o’erpowered: therefore
        Make space enough between you.

ANTONY    Speak this no more.

SOOTHSAYER    To none but thee27, no more but when to thee.
        If thou dost play with him at any game,
        Thou art sure to lose, and of that natural luck
        He beats thee gainst the odds. Thy lustre thickens30
        When he shines by: I say again, thy spirit
        Is all afraid to govern thee near him,
        But, he33 away, ’tis noble.

ANTONY    Get thee gone.
        Say to Ventidius I would speak with him:
Exit [Soothsayer]

        He shall to Parthia. Be it art or hap36,
        He hath spoken true: the very dice obey him,
        And in our sports my better cunning faints
        Under his chance38. If we draw lots, he speeds39:
        His cocks do win the battle still of mine
        When it41 is all to nought, and his quails ever
        Beat mine, inhooped42, at odds.