[Flourish. Enter POMPEY and MENAS at one door,]
[p]with drum and trumpet: at another, OCTAVIUS CAESAR,
[p]MARK ANTONY, LEPIDUS, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, MECAENAS,
[p]with Soldiers marching]
- Pompey. Your hostages I have, so have you mine;
And we shall talk before we fight.
- Octavius. Most meet
That first we come to words; and therefore have we
1215 Our written purposes before us sent;
Which, if thou hast consider'd, let us know
If 'twill tie up thy discontented sword,
And carry back to Sicily much tall youth
That else must perish here.
1220
- Pompey. To you all three,
The senators alone of this great world,
Chief factors for the gods, I do not know
Wherefore my father should revengers want,
Having a son and friends; since Julius Caesar,
1225 Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted,
There saw you labouring for him. What was't
That moved pale Cassius to conspire; and what
Made the all-honour'd, honest Roman, Brutus,
With the arm'd rest, courtiers and beauteous freedom,
1230 To drench the Capitol; but that they would
Have one man but a man? And that is it
Hath made me rig my navy; at whose burthen
The anger'd ocean foams; with which I meant
To scourge the ingratitude that despiteful Rome
1235 Cast on my noble father.
- Octavius. Take your time.
- Antony. Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails;
We'll speak with thee at sea: at land, thou know'st
How much we do o'er-count thee.
1240
- Pompey. At land, indeed,
Thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house:
But, since the cuckoo builds not for himself,
Remain in't as thou mayst.
- Lepidus. Be pleased to tell us—
1245
For this is from the present—how you take
The offers we have sent you.
- Octavius. There's the point.
- Antony. Which do not be entreated to, but weigh
What it is worth embraced.
1250
- Octavius. And what may follow,
To try a larger fortune.
- Pompey. You have made me offer
Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must
Rid all the sea of pirates; then, to send
1255 Measures of wheat to Rome; this 'greed upon
To part with unhack'd edges, and bear back
Our targes undinted.
- Octavius. [with Antony and Lepidus] That's our offer.
- Pompey. Know, then,
1260
I came before you here a man prepared
To take this offer: but Mark Antony
Put me to some impatience: though I lose
The praise of it by telling, you must know,
When Caesar and your brother were at blows,
1265 Your mother came to Sicily and did find
Her welcome friendly.
- Antony. I have heard it, Pompey;
And am well studied for a liberal thanks
Which I do owe you.
1270
- Pompey. Let me have your hand:
I did not think, sir, to have met you here.
- Antony. The beds i' the east are soft; and thanks to you,
That call'd me timelier than my purpose hither;
For I have gain'd by 't.
1275
- Octavius. Since I saw you last,
There is a change upon you.
- Pompey. Well, I know not
What counts harsh fortune casts upon my face;
But in my bosom shall she never come,
1280 To make my heart her vassal.
- Pompey. I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed:
I crave our composition may be written,
And seal'd between us.
1285
- Octavius. That's the next to do.
- Pompey. We'll feast each other ere we part; and let's
Draw lots who shall begin.
- Antony. That will I, Pompey.
- Pompey. No, Antony, take the lot: but, first
1290
Or last, your fine Egyptian cookery
Shall have the fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar
Grew fat with feasting there.
- Antony. You have heard much.
- Pompey. I have fair meanings, sir.
1295
- Antony. And fair words to them.
- Pompey. Then so much have I heard:
And I have heard, Apollodorus carried—
- Domitius Enobarus. No more of that: he did so.
- Pompey. What, I pray you?
1300
- Domitius Enobarus. A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.
- Pompey. I know thee now: how farest thou, soldier?
- Domitius Enobarus. Well;
And well am like to do; for, I perceive,
Four feasts are toward.
1305
- Pompey. Let me shake thy hand;
I never hated thee: I have seen thee fight,
When I have envied thy behavior.
- Domitius Enobarus. Sir,
I never loved you much; but I ha' praised ye,
1310 When you have well deserved ten times as much
As I have said you did.
- Pompey. Enjoy thy plainness,
It nothing ill becomes thee.
Aboard my galley I invite you all:
1315 Will you lead, lords?
- Octavius. [with Antony and Lepidus]
[Exeunt all but MENAS and ENOBARBUS]
- Menas. [Aside] Thy father, Pompey, would ne'er have
1320
made this treaty.—You and I have known, sir.
- Domitius Enobarus. At sea, I think.
- Domitius Enobarus. You have done well by water.
- Menas. And you by land.
1325
- Domitius Enobarus. I will praise any man that will praise me; though it
cannot be denied what I have done by land.
- Menas. Nor what I have done by water.
- Domitius Enobarus. Yes, something you can deny for your own
safety: you have been a great thief by sea.
1330
- Domitius Enobarus. There I deny my land service. But give me your
hand, Menas: if our eyes had authority, here they
might take two thieves kissing.
- Menas. All men's faces are true, whatsome'er their hands are.
1335
- Domitius Enobarus. But there is never a fair woman has a true face.
- Menas. No slander; they steal hearts.
- Domitius Enobarus. We came hither to fight with you.
- Menas. For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking.
Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune.
1340
- Domitius Enobarus. If he do, sure, he cannot weep't back again.
- Menas. You've said, sir. We looked not for Mark Antony
here: pray you, is he married to Cleopatra?
- Domitius Enobarus. Caesar's sister is called Octavia.
- Menas. True, sir; she was the wife of Caius Marcellus.
1345
- Domitius Enobarus. But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius.
- Domitius Enobarus. 'Tis true.
- Menas. Then is Caesar and he for ever knit together.
- Domitius Enobarus. If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would
1350
not prophesy so.
- Menas. I think the policy of that purpose made more in the
marriage than the love of the parties.
- Domitius Enobarus. I think so too. But you shall find, the band that
seems to tie their friendship together will be the
1355 very strangler of their amity: Octavia is of a
holy, cold, and still conversation.
- Menas. Who would not have his wife so?
- Domitius Enobarus. Not he that himself is not so; which is Mark Antony.
He will to his Egyptian dish again: then shall the
1360 sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Caesar; and, as
I said before, that which is the strength of their
amity shall prove the immediate author of their
variance. Antony will use his affection where it is:
he married but his occasion here.
1365
- Menas. And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard?
I have a health for you.
- Domitius Enobarus. I shall take it, sir: we have used our throats in Egypt.
[Exeunt]
|