Is not a fingle doom; in the name lay

A moiety of the world.

Der.

He is dead, Cæfar; Not by a publick minister of justice,

Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,

Which writ his honour in the acts it did,

Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it
Splitted the heart.—This is his sword,

I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd

With his most noble blood.

Caf.

The gods rebuke me, but it is a tidings

To wash the eyes of kings.

Agr.

Look you fad, friends?

And strange it is,

That nature must compel us to lament
Our most persisted deeds.

Mec.

Waged equal with him.

Agr.

His taints and honours

A rarer fpirit never

Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us

Some faults to make us men.

Cæfar is touch'd.

Mec. When fuch a fpacious mirror's fet before him,

He needs muft fee himself.

I have follow'd thee to this ;-But we do lance
Diseases in our bodies: I muft perforce
Have shown to thee fuch a declining day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world: But yet let me lament,
With tears as fovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all defign, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart

Where

Where mine his thoughts did kindle,—that our stars,
Unreconciliable, should divide

Our equalness to this.-Hear me, good friends,-
But I will tell you at fome meeter feason;

Enter a Meffenger.

The business of this man looks out of him,
We'll hear him what he fays.-Whence are you?
Mef. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress,
Confin'd in all fhe has, her monument,

Of thy intents defires instruction;

That the preparedly may frame herself
To the way he's forc'd to.

Caf.

Bid her have good heart;

She foon fhall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we

Determine for her: for Cæfar cannot live

To be ungentle.

Mef.

So the gods preserve thee !

Caf. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say,
We purpose her no fhame: give her what comforts
The quality of her paffion fhall require ;

Left, in her greatnefs, by fome mortal stroke
She do defeat us: for her life in Rome

Would be eternal in our triumph: Go,

And, with your speedieft, bring us what the fays,
And how you find of her.

Pro.

[Exit.

Cæfar, I fhall.

[Exit PROCULEIUS.

[Exit GALLUS.

Caf. Gallus, go you along.-Where's Dolabella, To fecond Proculeius?

Caf. Let him alone, for I remember now

How

How he's employ'd; he shall in time be ready.
Go with me to my tent, where you shall see
How hardly I was drawn into this war;
How calm and gentle I proceeded still
In all my writings: Go with me, and fee
What I can fhow in this.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Alexandria. A Room in the Monument.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS.

Cleo. My defolation does begin to make
A better life: 'Tis paltry to be Cæfar;
Not being fortune, he's but fortune's knave,
A minister of her will; And it is great
To do that thing that ends all other deeds;
Which fhackles accidents, and bolts up change;
Which fleeps, and never palates more the dung,
The beggar's nurse and Cæfar's.

Enter, to the gates of the Monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS, and Soldiers.

Pro. Cæfar fends greeting to the queen of Egypt;

And bids thee study on what fair demands

Thou mean't to have him grant thee.

Cleo. [Within.]

Pro. My name is Proculeius.

Cleo. [Within.]

What's thy name?

Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but

I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,

That have no ufe for trufting. If your master

Would

Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
That majefty, to keep decorum, must
No lefs beg than a kingdom: if he please
To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son,
He gives me fo much of mine own, as I
Will kneel to him with thanks.

Pro.

Be of good cheer;

You are fallen into a princely hand, fear nothing:
Make your full reference freely to my lord,
Who is fo full of grace, that it flows over
On all that need: Let me report to him
Your sweet dependancy; and you shall find
A conqueror, that will pray in aid for kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

Cleo. [Within.]

Pray you, tell him
I am his fortune's vaffal, and I fend him
The greatnefs he has got. I hourly learn
A doctrine of obedience; and would gladly
Look him i' the face.

Pro.

This I'll report, dear lady. Have comfort; for, I know, your plight is pity'd Of him that caus'd it.

Gal. You fee how easily she may be surpriz'd;

[Here PROCULEIUS, and two of the guard, afcend the monument by a ladder placed against a window, and baving defcended, come behind CLEOPATRA.

of the guard unbar and open the gates.

Guard her till Cæfar come.

Some

[TO PROCULEIUS and the guard. Exit GALLUS.

Iras. Royal queen!

Char. O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen!—

Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands. [Drawing a dagger.

Pro.

Hold, worthy lady, hold,

[Seizes, and difarms her.

Do

Do not yourself fuch wrong, who are in this
Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

Cleo.

What, of death too,

That rids our dogs of languish?

Pro.

Cleopatra,

Do not abuse my mafter's bounty, by
The undoing of yourself: let the world fee
His nobleness well acted, which your death
Will never let come forth.

Gleo.

Where art thou, death? Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen Worth many babes and beggars!

Pro.

O, temperance, lady!
Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, fir;
If idle talk will once be neceffary,

I'll not fleep neither: This mortal houfe I'll ruin,
Do Cæfar what he can. Know, fir, that I
Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court;
Nor once be cháftis'd with the fober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,
And show me to the shouting varletry
Of cenfuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave to me! rather on Nilus' mud
Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring! rather make
My country's high pyramides my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!

Pro.

You do extend

These thoughts of horror further than you shall
Find cause in Cæfar.