Cas.

Welcome hither :

Agr.

Your letters did withhold our breaking forth,
Till we perceived both how you were wrong led 80
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 determined things to destiny

Hold unbewail'd their way.

Nothing more dear to me.

Welcome to Rome;

You are abused

Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,
To do you justice, make them ministers

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

And ever welcome to us.

Mac. Welcome, dear madam.

Octa.

Welcome, lady.

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

And gives his potent regiment to a trull,

That noises it against us.

Is it so, sir?

Cas. Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you,

Be ever known to patience: my dear'st sister !

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,

90

[Exeunt.

Eno.

And say'st it is not fit.

Well, is it, is it?

Cleo. If not denounced against us, why should not we

Eno.

Cleo.

Be there in person ?

[Aside] Well, I could reply:

If we should serve with horse and mares together,
The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear
A soldier and his horse.

What is't you say?
Eno. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;

Cleo.

Take from his heart, take from his brain, from 's time,
What should not then be spared. He is already
Traduced for levity; and 'tis said in Rome

That Photinus, an eunuch and your maids

Manage this war.

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;

That from Tarentum and Brundusium

He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,

And take in Toryne? You have heard on 't, sweet?

Cleo. Celerity is never more admired

Than by the negligent.

Ant.

A good rebuke,

Which might have well becomed the best of men,

Cleo.

To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we

Will fight with him by sea.

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 dared him to single fight.
Can. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,

Eno.

Ant.

Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: but these offers,
Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off,

And so should you.

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, yours heavy: no disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,

Being prepared for land.

By sea, by sea.

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 forgo
The way which promises assurance, and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard
From firm security.

Cleo. I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better.

Ant. Our overplus of shipping will we burn;

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.

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 ?

61

Sold. O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;

Ant.

Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt

This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians

And the Phœnicians go a-ducking: we

Have used to conquer, standing on the earth

And fighting foot to foot.

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

Sold.

Not in the power on 't: so our leader's led,
And we are women's men.

70

You keep by land

The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

Can. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,

Sold.

Publicola and Cælius, are for sea :

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

While he was yet in Rome,

His power went out in such distractions as

Can. With news the time's with labour, and throes forth

Each minute some.

[Exeunt.

Scene VIII.

A plain near Actium.

Enter Casar, Taurus, with his army, marching.

Cas. Taurus!

Taur. My lord?

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

Till we have done at sea. Do not exceed
The prescript of this scroll. our fortune lies
Upon this jump.

Scene IX.

Another part of the plain.
Enter Antony and Enobarbus.

Ant. Set we our squadrons on yond side o' the hill,
In eye of Cæsar's battle; from which place
We may the number of the ships behold,
And so proceed accordingly.

[Exeunt.

[Exeunt.