Shrewdness of policy too—I grieving grant

Did you too much disquiet, for that you must

But say I could not help it.

CAESAR

I wrote to you

When, rioting in Alexandria, you

Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts

Did gibe my missive out of audience.

ANTONY

Sir, he fell upon me ere admitted, then.

Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want

Of what I was i’th’ morning; but next day

I told him of myself, which was as much

As to have asked him pardon. Let this fellow

Be nothing of our strife. If we contend,

Out of our question wipe him.

CAESAR

You have broken

The article of your oath, which you shall never

Have tongue to charge me with.

LEPIDUS Soft, Caesar.

ANTONY No, Lepidus, let him speak.

The honour is sacred which he talks on now,

Supposing that I lacked it. But on, Caesar:

The article of my oath—

CAESAR

To lend me arms and aid when I required them,

The which you both denied.

ANTONY

Neglected, rather,

And then when poisoned hours had bound me up

From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may

I’ll play the penitent to you, but mine honesty

Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power

Work without it. Truth is that Fulvia,

To have me out of Egypt, made wars here,

For which myself, the ignorant motive, do

So far ask pardon as befits mine honour

To stoop in such a case.

LEPIDUS

’Tis noble spoken.

MAECENAS

If it might please you to enforce no further

The griefs between ye; to forget them quite

Were to remember that the present need

Speaks to atone you.

LEPIDUS

Worthily spoken, Maecenas.

ENOBARBUS Or if you borrow one another’s love for the instant, you may, when you hear no more words of Pompey, return it again. You shall have time to wrangle in when you have nothing else to do.

ANTONY

Thou art a soldier only. Speak no more.

ENOBARBUS That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.

ANTONY

You wrong this presence, therefore speak no more. ENOBARBUS Go to, then; your considerate stone.

CAESAR

I do not much dislike the matter, but

The manner of his speech, for’t cannot be

We shall remain in friendship, our conditions

So diff‘ring in their acts. Yet if I knew

What hoop should hold us staunch, from edge to edge

O’th’ world I would pursue it.

AGRIPPA Give me leave, Caesar.

CAESAR Speak, Agrippa.

AGRIPPA

Thou hast a sister by the mother’s side,

Admired Octavia. Great Mark Antony

Is now a widower.

CAESAR

Say not so, Agrippa.

If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof

Were well deserved of rashness.

ANTONY

I am not married, Caesar. Let me hear

Agrippa further speak.

AGRIPPA

To hold you in perpetual amity,

To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts

With an unslipping knot, take Antony

Octavia to his wife; whose beauty claims

No worse a husband than the best of men;

Whose virtue and whose general graces speak

That which none else can utter. By this marriage

All little jealousies which now seem great,

And all great fears which now import their dangers,

Would then be nothing. Truths would be tales

Where now half-tales be truths. Her love to both

Would each to other and all loves to both

Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke,

For ’tis a studied, not a present thought,

By duty ruminated.

ANTONY

Will Caesar speak?

CAESAR

Not till he hears how Antony is touched

With what is spoke already.

ANTONY What power is in Agrippa,

If I would say ‘Agrippa, be it so’,

To make this good?

CAESAR

The power of Caesar,

And his power unto Octavia.

ANTONY

May I never

To this good purpose, that so fairly shows,

Dream of impediment! Let me have thy hand.

Further this act of grace, and from this hour

The heart of brothers govern in our loves

And sway our great designs.

CAESAR

There’s my hand.

Antony and Caesar clasp hands

A sister I bequeath you whom no brother

Did ever love so dearly. Let her live

To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and never

Fly off our loves again.

LEPIDUS

Happily, amen.

ANTONY

I did not think to draw my sword ’gainst Pompey,

For he hath laid strange courtesies and great

Of late upon me. I must thank him only,

Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;

At heel of that, defy him.

LEPIDUS Time calls upon’s.

Of us must Pompey presently be sought,

Or else he seeks out us.

ANTONY

Where lies he?

CAESAR

About the Mount Misena.

ANTONY

What is his strength By land?

CAESAR

Great and increasing, but by sea

He is an absolute master.

ANTONY So is the fame.

Would we had spoke together. Haste we for it;

Yet ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we

The business we have talked of.

CAESAR

With most gladness, And do invite you to my sister’s view,

Whither straight I’ll lead you.

ANTONY

Let us, Lepidus,

Not lack your company.

LEPIDUS

Noble Antony,

Not sickness should detain me.

Flourish. Exeunt all but Enobarbus, Agrippa, and Maecenas

MAECENAS (to Enobarbus) Welcome from Egypt, sir.

ENOBARBUS Half the heart of Caesar, worthy Maecenas!

My honourable friend, Agrippa!

AGRIPPA Good Enobarbus!

MAECENAS We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. You stayed well by’t in Egypt.