21.  Were terms of accommodation offered and accepted?

22.  What was the event of the war?

23.  What was Antony’s conduct on the occasion?

24.  Did he approve of his wife’s proceedings?

25.  Were the two armies of nearly equal strength?

26.  What was the consequence?

27.  What further measures were adopted?

SECTION VII.

Octavia. —­You have been his ruin.  Who made him cheap at Rome, but Cleopatra?  Who made him scorned abroad, but Cleopatra?  At Actium who betrayed him?  Cleopatra.—­Dryden.

1.  The only obstacle to the ambition of Augustus was Antony, whom he resolved to remove; and for that purpose rendered his character at Rome as contemptible as he possibly could.  In fact, Antony’s conduct did not a little contribute to promote the endeavours of his ambitious partner. 2.  He had marched against the Parthians with a prodigious army, but was forced to return with the loss of the fourth part of his forces, and all his baggage.

3.  However, Antony seemed quite regardless of contempt:  alive only to pleasure, and totally disregarding the business of the state, he spent his whole time in the company of Cleopatra, who studied every art to increase his passion and vary his entertainments. 4.  Few women have been so much celebrated for the art of giving novelty to pleasure, and making trifles important.  Still ingenious in filling up the time with some new strokes of refinement, she was at one time a queen, then a bac’chanal, and sometimes a huntress. 5.  Not contented with sharing with her all the delights which Egypt could afford, Antony was resolved to enlarge his sphere of luxury, by granting her some of those kingdoms which belonged to the Roman empire.  He gave her all Pheni’cia, Celo-Syria, and Cy’prus, with a great part of Cili’cia, Ara’bia, and Jude’a, gifts which he had no right to bestow, but which he pretended to grant in imitation of Hercules. 6.  This complication of vice and folly at last totally exasperated the Romans, and Augus’tus, willing to take the advantage of their resentment, took care to exaggerate all his defects. 7.  At length, when he found the people sufficiently irritated against him, he resolved to send Octa’via, who was then at Rome, to Antony, as if with a view of reclaiming her husband; but, in fact, to furnish a sufficient pretext for declaring war against him, as he knew she would be dismissed with contempt.

8.  Antony was now in the city of Leucop’olis, revelling with Cleopatra, when he heard that Octa’via was at Athens, upon her journey to visit him.  This was very unwelcome news both to him and Cleopa’tra; the latter, fearing the charms of her rival, endeavoured to convince Antony of the strength of her passion, by her sighs, her looks, and well-feigned melancholy.  He frequently caught her in tears, which she seemingly