ABSTRACT
Plutarch's Lives of Noble Grecians and Romanes 277 could be, bicause Cleopatra stoode by.l Wherefore he secretly commaunded the fisher men, that when he cast in his line, they should straight dive under the water, and put a fishe on his hooke which they had taken before: and so snatched up his angling rodde, and brought up fish twise or thrise. Cleopatra found it straight, yet she seemed not to see it, but wondred at his excellent fishing: but when she was alone by her selfe among her owne people, she told them howe it was, and bad them the next morning to be on the water to see the fishing. A number of people came to the haven, and got into the fisher boates to see this fishing. Antonius then threw in his line and Cleopatra straight commaunded one of her men to dive under water before Antonius men, and to put some old salte fish upon his baite, like unto those that are brought out of the contrie of Pont. When he had hong the fish on his hooke, Antonius thinking he had taken a fishe in deede, snatched up his line presently. Then they all fell a laughing. Cleopatra laughing also, said unto him: Leave us (my Lord) Mgyptians (which dwell in the contry of Pharus and Canobus) your angling rodde: this is not thy profession: thou must hunt after conquering of realmes and contries.2 Nowe Antonius delighting in these fond and childish pastimes,3 verie ill newes were brought him from two places. The first from Rome, that his brother Lucius, and Fulvia his wife, fell out first betwene them selves, and afterwards fell to open warre with Cresar, and had brought all to nought, that they were both driven to flie out of Italie. The seconde4 newes, as bad as the first: that Labienus conquered all Asia with the armie of the Parthians, from the river of Euphrates, and from Syria, unto the con tries of Lydia and Ionia.5 Then began Antonius with much a doe, a litle to rouse him selfe as ifhe had bene wakened out ofa deepe sleepe, and as a man may say, comming out of a great dronkennes.6 So, first of all he bent him selfe against the Parthians, and went as farre as the contrie of Phcenicia: but there he received lamentable letters from his wife Fulvia.7 Whereuppon he straight returned towards Italie, with two hundred saile: and as he went, tooke up his frends by the way that fled out of Italie, to come to him. By them he was informed, that his wife Fulvia was the only cause of this warre: who being of a peevish, crooked, and troublesome nature,s had purposely raised this uprore in Italie, in hope thereby to withdraw him from Cleopatra. But by
good fortune, his wife Fulvia going to meete with Antonius, sickened by the way, and dyed in the citie ofSicyone1 : and therefore Octavius Cresar, and he were the easelier made frendes together. For when Antonius landed in Italie, and that men saw Cresar asked nothing of him, and that Antonius on the other side layed all the fault and burden on his wife Fulvia: the frendes of both parties would not suffer them to unrippe any olde matters, and to prove or defend who had the wrong or right, and who was the first procurer of this warre, fearing to make matters worse betwene them: but they made them frendes together, and devided the Empire of Rome betwene them,2 making the sea Ionium the bounds of their division. For they gave all the provinces Eastward, unto Antonius: and the contries Westward, unto Cresar: and left Africke unto Lepidus: and made a law, that they three one after an other should make their frendes Consuls, when they would not be them selves. This seemed to be a sound counsell, but yet it was to be confirmed with a straighter bonde, which fortune offered thus. There was Octavia3 the eldest sister of Cresar, not by one mother, for she came of Ancharia, and Cresar him self afterwards of Accia. I t is reported, that he dearly loved his sister Octavia, for in deede she was a noble Ladie, and left the widow of her first husband Caius Marcellus, who dyed not long before: and it seemed also that Antonius had bene widower ever since the death of his wife Fulvia. For he denied not that he kept Cleopatra, but so he did not confesse that he had her as his wife: and so with reason he did defend the love he bare unto this .A<:gyptian Cleopatra. Thereuppon everie man did set forward this mariage, hoping thereby that this Ladie Octavia, having an excellent grace, wisedom, and honestie, joined unto so rare a beawtie, that when she were with Antonius (he loving her as so worthy a Ladie deserveth) she should be a good meane to keepe good love and ami tie betwext her brother and him. So when Cresar and he had made the matche betwene them, they both went to Rome about this mariage, although it was against the law,4 that a widow should be maried within tenne monethes after her husbandes death. Howbeit the Senate dispensed with the law, and so the mariage proceeded accordingly.5 Sextus Pompeius at that time kept in Sicilia, and so made many an inrode into Italie with a great number of pynnasies and other pirates shippes, of the which were Captaines two notable
