ACT III. SCENE I.

A Plain in Syria.

Enter VENTIDIUS, as after conquest, with SILIUS and other Romans, officers, and foldiers; the dead body of Pacorus borne before him.

Ven. Now, darting Parthia, art thou ftruck; and now Pleas'd fortune does of Marcus Craffus' death

Make me revenger.—Bear the king's fon's body

Before our army :-Thy Pacorus, Orodes,

Pays this for Marcus Crassus.

Sil.

Noble Ventidius,

Whilft yet with Parthian blood thy fword is warm,`
The fugitive Parthians follow; fpur through Media,
Mefopotamia, and the shelters whither

The routed fly fo thy grand captain Antony

Shall fet thee on triumphant chariots, and

Put garlands on thy head.

O Silius, Silius,

Ven.
I have done enough: A lower place, note well,
May make too great an act: For learn this, Silius;
Better leave undone, than by our deed acquire
Too high a fame, when him we serve's away.
Cæfar, and Antony, have ever won
More in their officer, than perfon: Soffius,
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
For quick accumulation of renown,

Which he achiev'd by the minute, loft his favour.
Who does i' the wars more than his captain can,
Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition,

The foldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss,
Than gain, which darkens him.

I could do more to do Antonius good,

But 'twould offend him; and in his offence
Should my performance perish.

Sil.

Thou haft, Ventidius,

That without which a foldier, and his fword,

Grants scarce diftinction. Thou wilt write to Antony?
Ven. I'll humbly fignify what in his name,
That magical word of war, we have effected;
How, with his banners, and his well-paid ranks,
The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia

We have jaded out o' the field.

Sil.

Where is he now?

Ven. He purpofeth to Athens: whither, with what haste The weight we must convey with us will permit, We shall appear before him.-On, there; pass along.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Rome. An Ante-chamber in Cæfar's Houfe.

Enter AGRIPPA, and ENOBARBUS, meeting.

Agr. What, are the brothers parted?

Eno. They have despatch'd with Pompey, he is gone; The other three are fealing. Octavia weeps

To part from Rome: Cæfar is fad; and Lepidus,
Since Pompey's feast, as Menas fays, is troubled
With the green fickness.

'Tis a noble Lepidus.

Agr.
Eno. A very fine one: O, how he loves Cæfar!

Agr. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!

Eng.

Eno. Cæfar? Why, he's the Jupiter of men.
Agr. What's Antony? The god of Jupiter.
Eno. Spake you of Cæfar? How? the nonpareil!
Agr. O Antony! O thou Arabian bird!

Eno. Would you praise Cæfar, fay,-Cæfar;-go no further.

Agr. Indeed, he ply'd them both with excellent praises. Eno. But he loves Cæfar beft;-Yet he loves Antony: Ho! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot Think, speak, caft, write, fing, number, ho, his love To Antony. But as for Cæsar,

Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.

Both he loves.

Agr.
Eno. They are his shards, and he their beetle. So,-

This is to horse.-Adieu, noble Agrippa.

[Trumpets.

Agr. Good fortune, worthy foldier; and farewell.

Enter CESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, and OCTAVIA.

Ant. No further, fir.

Caf. You take from me a great part of myself;
Use me well in it.-Sifter, prove such a wife
As my thoughts make thee, and as my furthest band
Shall pass on thy approof.-Moft noble Antony,
Let not the piece of virtue, which is fet
Betwixt us, as the cement of our love,
To keep it builded, be the ram, to batter
The fortress of it: for better might we

Have lov'd without this mean, if on both parts
This be not cherish'd.

Ant.

You fhall not find,

Though you be therein curious, the least cause
For what you feem to fear: So, the gods keep you,
And make the hearts of Romans ferve your ends!
We will here part.

Caf. Farewell, my dearest fifter, fare thee well;
The elements be kind to thee, and make
Thy fpirits all of comfort! fare thee well.
Octa. My noble brother!—

Ant. The April's in her eyes: It is love's spring,
And these the showers to bring it on.-Be cheerful.
Octa. Sir, look well to my husband's house; and-
Caf.
Octavia ?

Octa. I'll tell you in your ear.

What,

Ant. Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue: the swan's down feather, That stands upon the swell at full of tide,

And neither way inclines.

Eno. Will Cæfar weep?

Agr.

[Afide to AGRIPPA,

He has a cloud in 's face.

Eno. He were the worfe for that, were he a horse;

So is he, being a man.

Agr:
Why, Enobarbus ?
When Antony found Julius Cæfar dead,
He cried almost to roaring: and he wept,
When at Philippi he found Brutus flain.

Eno. That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum; What willingly he did confound, he wail'd:

Believe it, till I weep too.

Caf.

No, fweet Octavia,

You fhall hear from me ftill; the time fhall not

Out-go my thinking on you.

Ant.

Coine, fir, come;

I'l

I'll wrestle with you in my strength of love:
Look, here I have you; thus I let you go,

And give you to the gods.

Caf.

Adieu; be happy!

Lep. Let all the number of the stars give light

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS.

Cleo. Where is the fellow ?

Alex.

Half afeard to come.

Cleo. Go to, go to:-Come hither, fir.

Alex.

Enter a Meffenger.

Good majesty,

Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you,
But when you are well pleas'd.

Cleo.

That Herod's head

I'll have: But how? when Antony is gone

Through whom I might command it.-Come thou near.

Mef. Moft gracious majesty,