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'Twixt these extremes at all.

ANTONY.

Gentle Octavia,

Let your best love draw to that point which seeks

Best to preserve it. If I lose mine honour,

I lose myself; better I were not yours

Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested,

Yourself shall go between's. The meantime, lady,

I'll raise the preparation of a war

Shall stain your brother. Make your soonest haste;

So your desires are yours.

OCTAVIA.

Thanks to my lord.

The Jove of power make me, most weak, most weak,

Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be

As if the world should cleave, and that slain men

Should solder up the rift.

ANTONY.

When it appears to you where this begins,

Turn your displeasure that way, for our faults

Can never be so equal that your love

Can equally move with them. Provide your going;

Choose your own company, and command what cost

Your heart has mind to. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_5

SCENE V.

Athens. ANTONY'S house

Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS, meeting

ENOBARBUS.

How now, friend Eros!

EROS.

There's strange news come, sir.

ENOBARBUS.

What, man?

EROS.

Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.

ENOBARBUS.

This is old. What is the success?

EROS.

Caesar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey,

presently denied him rivality, would not let him partake in the

glory of the action; and not resting here, accuses him of letters

he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal, seizes him.

So the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.

ENOBARBUS.

Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps- no more;

And throw between them all the food thou hast,

They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony?

EROS.

He's walking in the garden- thus, and spurns

The rush that lies before him; cries 'Fool Lepidus!'

And threats the throat of that his officer

That murd'red Pompey.

ENOBARBUS.

Our great navy's rigg'd.

EROS.

For Italy and Caesar. More, Domitius:

My lord desires you presently; my news

I might have told hereafter.

ENOBARBUS.

'Twill be naught;

But let it be. Bring me to Antony.

EROS.

Come, sir. Exeunt

ACT_3|SC_6

SCENE VI.

Rome. CAESAR'S house

Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MAECENAS

CAESAR.

Contemning Rome, he has done all this and more

In Alexandria. Here's the manner of't:

I' th' market-place, on a tribunal silver'd,

Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold

Were publicly enthron'd; at the feet sat

Caesarion, whom they call my father's son,

And all the unlawful issue that their lust

Since then hath made between them. Unto her

He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her

Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,

Absolute queen.

MAECENAS.

This in the public eye?

CAESAR.

I' th' common show-place, where they exercise.

His sons he there proclaim'd the kings of kings:

Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia,

He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd

Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia. She

In th' habiliments of the goddess Isis

That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience,

As 'tis reported, so.

MAECENAS.

Let Rome be thus

Inform'd.

AGRIPPA.

Who, queasy with his insolence

Already, will their good thoughts call from him.

CAESAR.

The people knows it, and have now receiv'd

His accusations.

AGRIPPA.

Who does he accuse?

CAESAR.

Caesar; and that, having in Sicily

Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him

His part o' th' isle. Then does he say he lent me

Some shipping, unrestor'd. Lastly, he frets

That Lepidus of the triumvirate

Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain

All his revenue.

AGRIPPA.

Sir, this should be answer'd.

CAESAR.

'Tis done already, and messenger gone.

I have told him Lepidus was grown too cruel,

That he his high authority abus'd,

And did deserve his change. For what I have conquer'd

I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia

And other of his conquer'd kingdoms,

Demand the like.

MAECENAS.

He'll never yield to that.

CAESAR.

Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter OCTAVIA, with her train

OCTAVIA.

Hail, Caesar, and my lord!