The Argument.
After the death of Iulius Cæsar, &
the ouerthrow of Brutus and
Cassius the chiefe conspirators: the gouernment of the Romain
Empire, remained vnto Octauius Cæsar,
Marke Antony, and (at that time) Sextus
Pompeius. Marke Antony, to confirme an
inuiolable league of amitie, betweene Cæsar
and himselfe: tooke to wife Octauia, the
sister of Cæsar. Antony and Cæsar falling at
debate, met at Tarentum with their armies,
and had bin the cause of much bloudshed: but that they were appeased, by the wisdome
of Octauia. Not long after, Antony
going to make warre with the Parthians,
and comming into Syria: the place renewed
the memory, and the memory reuiued
the long intermitted loue, he once bare to
Cleopatra the Queene of
Ægipt: he therefore
wholy subiecting himselfe to the desire of this
Cleopatra: forsaketh his vertuous
wife
Octauia. Wherevpon, hir brother
Cæsar
disdaining that she should suffer so great an indignitie: maketh warre vpon
Antony,
and ouercometh him, first at
Actium, and
then at
Pelusium, to the vtter ruine and destruction,
both of
Antony and
Cleopatra.
