Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite,

That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour

Even till a Lethe’d dullness—

Enter Varrius

How now, Varrius?

VARRIUS

This is most certain that I shall deliver:

Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected. Since he went from Egypt, ’tis

A space for farther travel.

POMPEY

I could have given less matter

A better ear. Menas, I did not think

This amorous surfeiter would have donned his helm

For such a petty war. His soldiership

Is twice the other twain. But let us rear

The higher our opinion, that our stirring

Can from the lap of Egypt’s widow pluck

The ne’er lust-wearied Antony.

MENAS

I cannot hope

Caesar and Antony shall well greet together.

His wife that’s dead did trespasses to Caesar,

His brother warred upon him, although, I think,

Not moved by Antony.

POMPEY

I know not, Menas,

How lesser enmities may give way to greater.

Were’t not that we stand up against them all,

’Twere pregnant they should square between

themselves,

For they have entertained cause enough

To draw their swords. But how the fear of us

May cement their divisions, and bind up

The petty difference, we yet not know.

Be’t as our gods will have’t; it only stands

Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.

Come, Menas.

Exeunt

2.2 Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus

LEPIDUS

Good Enobarbus, ’tis a worthy deed,

And shall become you well, to entreat your captain

To soft and gentle speech.

ENOBARBUS

I shall entreat him To answer like himself. If Caesar move him,

Let Antony look over Caesar’s head

And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,

Were I the wearer of Antonio’s beard

I would not shave’t today.

LEPIDUS

’Tis not a time

For private stomaching.

ENOBARBUS

Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in’t.

LEPIDUS

But small to greater matters must give way.

ENOBARBUS

Not if the small come first.

LEPIDUS Your speech is passion.

But pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes

The noble Antony.

Enter at one door Antony and Ventidius

ENOBARBUS

And yonder Caesar.

Enter at another door Caesar, Maecenas, and Agrippa

ANTONY (to Ventidius)

If we compose well here, to Parthia.

Hark, Ventidius.

CAESAR

I do not know,

Maecenas; ask Agrippa.

LEPIDUS (to Caesar and Antony) Noble friends,

That which combined us was most great; and let not

A leaner action rend us. What’s amiss,

May it be gently heard. When we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds. Then, noble partners,

The rather for I earnestly beseech,

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,

Nor curstness grow to th’ matter.

ANTONY

’Tis spoken well.

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

I should do thus.

⌈Antony and Caesar embrace.⌉ Flourish

CAESAR Welcome to Rome.

ANTONY Thank you.

CAESAR Sit.

ANTONY Sit, sir.

CAESAR Nay then.

They sit

ANTONY

I learn you take things ill which are not so,

Or being, concern you not.

CAESAR

I must be laughed at

If or for nothing or a little I

Should say myself offended, and with you

Chiefly i’th’ world; more laughed at that I should

Once name you derogately, when to sound your name

It not concerned me.

ANTONY

My being in Egypt, Caesar, what was’t to you?

CAESAR

No more than my residing here at Rome

Might be to you in Egypt. Yet if you there

Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt

Might be my question.

ANTONY

How intend you ‘practised’?

CAESAR

You may be pleased to catch at mine intent

By what did here befall me. Your wife and brother

Made wars upon me, and their contestation

Was theme for you. You were the word of war.

ANTONY

You do mistake the business. My brother never

Did urge me in his act. I did enquire it,

And have my learning from some true reports

That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather

Discredit my authority with yours,

And make the wars alike against my stomach,

Having alike your cause? Of this, my letters

Before did satisfy you. If you’ll patch a quarrel,

As matter whole you have to make it with,

It must not be with this.

CAESAR

You praise yourself

By laying defects of judgement to me, but

You patched up your excuses.

ANTONY

Not so, not so.

I know you could not lack, I am certain on’t,

Very necessity of this thought, that I,

Your partner in the cause ’gainst which he fought,

Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars

Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,

I would you had her spirit in such another.

The third o’th’ world is yours, which with a snaffle

You may pace easy, but not such a wife.

ENOBARBUS Would we had all such wives, that the men might go to wars with the women.

ANTONY

So much uncurbable, her garboils, Caesar,

Made out of her impatience—which not wanted