POMPEY                     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.   (2.1.27-32)

Hello Varrius, what’s new? (And, what’s the news from Rome?) This is most certain that I shall deliver, the latest, gospel-truth, comes the reply. (The urgency and accuracy will be reinforced, probably, if Varrius is out of breath, and especially by the fact that there’s no formal salutation; he’s bursting to tell.) Mark Antony is every hour in Rome expected. He’s known to be on his way, it’s certain that he’s almost there, and, moreover, since he went from Egypt, ’tis a space for farther travel—he could have travelled much further than to Rome in the time since he left Egypt. This is not what Pompey wanted to hear, not at all: I could have given less matter a better ear, he says, I’d have listened to news of less import and significance more positively. That’s a spanner in the works, definitely—apparently there’s life in old dog Antony yet, and the old campaigner is on the move.