Let this fellow

Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,

Out of our question wipe him.

CAES.

You have broken

The article of your oath, which you shall never

Have tongue to charge me with.

LEP.

Soft, Caesar!

ANT.

No, Lepidus, let him speak.

The honor is sacred which he talks on now,

Supposing that I lack'd it. But on, Caesar,

The article of my oath.

CAES.

To lend me arms and aid when I requir'd them,

The which you both denied.

ANT.

Neglected, rather;

And then when poisoned 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 honor

To stoop in such a case.

LEP.

'Tis noble spoken.

MAEC.

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.

LEP.

Worthily spoken, Maecenas.

ENO. 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.

ANT.

Thou art a soldier only, speak no more.

ENO. That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.

ANT.

You wrong this presence, therefore speak no more.

ENO.

Go to then – your considerate stone.

CAES.

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 diff'ring in their acts. Yet if I knew

What hoop should hold us staunch from edge to edge

A' th' world, I would pursue it.

AGR.

Give me leave, Caesar –

CAES.

Speak, Agrippa.

AGR.

Thou hast a sister by the mother's side,

Admir'd Octavia. Great Mark Antony

Is now a widower.

CAES.

Say not [so], Agrippa;

If Cleopatra heard you, your [reproof]

Were well deserv'd of rashness.

ANT.

I am not married, Caesar;

Let me hear Agrippa further speak.

AGR.

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.

ANT.

Will Caesar speak?

CAES.

Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd

With what is spoke already.

ANT.

What power is in Agrippa,

If I would say, »Agrippa, be it so,«

To make this good?

CAES.

The power of Caesar, and

His power unto Octavia.

ANT.

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!

CAES.

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 again!

LEP.

Happily, amen!

ANT.

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.

LEP.

Time calls upon 's.

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,

Or else he seeks out us.

ANT.

Where lies he?

CAES.

About the Mount Misena.

ANT.

What is his strength by land?

CAES.

Great, and increasing; but by sea

He is an absolute master.

ANT.

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.

CAES.

With most gladness,

And do invite you to my sister's view,

Whither straight I'll lead you.