Caf. O Antony!

I have follow'd thee to this ;-But we do lance
Difeafes in our bodies: I muft perforce
Have fhewn 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 front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle,-that our stars,
Unreconciliable, should divide

Our equalnefs to this.-Hear me, good friends,→→
But I will tell you at fome meeter season ;

Enter a Messenger.

The bufinefs of this man looks out of him,
We'll hear him what he fays. Whence are you?

Mef. A poor gyptian yet. The queen my mistress, Confin'd in all fhe has, her monument,

Of thy intents defires inftruction

;

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

Caf. Bid her have good heart;

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

Determine for her: for Cæfar cannot live

To be ungentle.

Mef. So the gods preferve thee!

[Exit.

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

Left, in her greatnefs, by fome mortal ftroke.

K

She

She do defeat us: for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in her triumph: Go,

And, with your speedieft, bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.

Pro. Cæfar, I fhall.

[Exit.

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

Agr. Mec. Dolabella!

[Exit GALLUS.

Caf. Let him alone, for I remember now
How he's employ'd; he shall in time be ready.
Go with me to my tent; where you shall fee
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 fhew in this.

SCENE II. The monument.

[Exeunt.

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 minifter 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 nurfe and Cæfar's.-

Enter, below, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS, &c.
Pro. Cæfar fends greeting to the queen of Egypt;
And bids thee ftudy on what fair demands

Thou mean'ft to have him grant thee.
Cleo. [Within.] What's thy name?

Pro. My name is Proculeius.

Cleo. [Within.] Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me truft

you; but

I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,

That have no ufe for trusting. If your master
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
That majefty, to keep decorum, muft

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 dependency; and you fhall 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 greatness 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 fhe may be furpris'd;
[Here PROCULEIUS and Guard afcend the
monument, and enter behind.

Guard her, 'till Cæfar come.

Iras. Royal queen!

Char. O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen !

Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands.

[Exit.

K 2

[Drawing a dagger.

PROCULEIUS

PROCULEIUS rushes in, and difarms the Queen.

Pro. Hold, worthy lady, hold:

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
Pro. Cleopatra,

Do not abuse my mafter's bounty, by

The undoing of yourfelf: let the world fee
His nobleness well acted, which your death
Will never let come forth.

Cleo. Where art thou, death?

[languish?

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 house 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 chaftis'd with the fober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoift me up,
And fhew me to the fhouting varletry

Of cenfuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave unto me! rather on Nilus' mud
Lay me ftark naked, and let the water flies
Blow me into abhorring! rather make
My country's high pyramids my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!

Pro. You do extend

The thoughts of horror further than you fhall
Find caufe in Cæfar.

Enter

What thou hast done thy master Cæfar knows,
And he hath fent for thee: for the queen,
I'll take her to my guard.

Pro. So, Dolabella,

It fhall content me beft: be gentle to her.-
To Cæfar I will speak what you fhall please,

If you'll employ me to him.

Cleo. Say, I would die.

[To CLEOPATRA,

[Exit PROCULEIUS.

Dol. Moft noble emprefs, you have heard of me? Cleo. I cannot tell.

Dol. Affuredly, you know me.

Cleo. No matter, fir, what I have heard, or known. You laugh, when boys, or women, tell their dreams; Is't not your trick?

Dol. I understand not, madam.

Cleo. I dream'd, there was an emperor Antony;→→→ O, fuch another fleep, that I might fee

But fuch another man!

Dol. If it might please you,

Cleo. His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck A fun, and moon; which kept their courfe, and lighted The little O, the earth.

Dol. Moft fovereign creature,―

Cleo. His legs beftrid the ocean: his rear'd arm Crefted the world: his voice was property'd As all the tuned fpheres, and that to friends; But when he meant to quail and shake the orb, He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty, There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas, That grew the more by reaping: His delights K 3

Were