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Cæs. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say, We purpose her no shame give her what comforts The quality of her passion shall require ; Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke She do defeat us: for her life in Rome Would be eternal in our triumph: Go,

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

Pro.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exit PROCULeius, Cæs. Gallus, go you along.—Where's Dolabella, To second Proculeius? [Exit GALLUS.

Agr. Mec.

Dolabella!

Cæs. Let him alone, for I remember now
How he's employed; 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 see
What I can show in this.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Alexandria. A Room in the Monument.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS.
Cleo. My desolation does begin to make
A better life: 'Tis paltry to be Cæsar;
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 shackles accidents, and bolts up change;
Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung,
The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's.5

5

-fortune's knave,] The servant of fortune.

And it is great, &c.] The difficulty of the passage, if any difficulty there be, arises only from this, that the act of suicide,

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

Pro. Cæsar sends greeting to the queen of Egypt; And bids thee study on what fair demands

Thou mean'st 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 use for trusting. If your master t
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
That majesty, to keep decorum, must

No less beg than a kingdom: if he please
To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son,
He gives me so 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 so 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

and the state which is the effect of suicide, are confounded. Voluntary death, says she, is an act which bolts up change; it produces a state,

Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung,

The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's.

Which has no longer need of the gross and terrene sustenance, in the use of which Cæsar and the beggar are on a level.

The speech is abrupt, but perturbation in such a state is surely natural. JOHNSON.

6 that will pray in aid for kindness,] Praying in aid is a term used for a petition made in a court of justice for the calling in of help from another that hath an interest in the cause in question.

I am his fortune's vassal, and I send 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 pitied Of him that caus'd it.

Gal. You see how easily she may be surpriz'd; [Here PROCULEIUS, and two of the Guard, ascend the Monument by a Ladder placed against á Window, and having descended, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the Guard unbar and open the Gates.

Guard her till Cæsar come.

[TO PROCULEIUS and the Guard. Exit GALLUS. Iras. Royal queen!

Char, O Cleopatra! thou art takèn, queen!-
Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands.

Pro.

[Drawing a Dagger.

Hold, worthy lady, hold: [Seizes and disarms her.

What, of death too

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

Cleo.

That rids our dogs of languish ?

Pro.

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

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

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The greatness he has got.] i. e. her crown which he has won. Worth many babes and beggars !] Why, death, wilt thou not rather seize a queen, than employ thy force upon babes and beggars.

Pro.

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

I'll not sleep neither: This, mortal house I'll ruin,
Do Cæsar what he can. Know, sir, that I
Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court;
Nor once be chástis'd with the sober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,
And show me to the shouting varletry
Of censuring 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

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These thoughts of horror further than
Find cause in Cæsar.

Dol.

Enter DOLABELLA.

Proculeius,

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

Pro.

So, Dolabella,

It shall content me best: be gentle to her.-
To Cæsar I will speak what you shall please,

If you'll employ me to him.

Cleo.

[TO CLEOPATRA,

Say, I would die.

[Exeunt PROCULEIUS, and Soldiers.

Dol. Most noble empress, you have heard of me? Cleo. I cannot tell.

Dol.

Assuredly, you know me.

Cleo. No matter, sir, what I have heard, or known.

9 will once be necessary,] Once may mean sometimes.

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, such another sleep, that I might see

But such another man!

Dol.

If it might please you,

Cleo. His face was as the heavens; and therein

stuck

A sun, and moon; which kept their course, and

lighted

The little O, the earth.

Dol.

Most sovereign creature, Cleo. His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear'd arm Crested the world: his voice was propertied As all the tuned spheres, 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 Were dolphin-like; they show'd his back above The element they liv'd in: In his livery

Walk'd crowns, and crownets; realms and islands

were

As plates2 dropp'd from his pocket.

Dol.

Cleopatra,Cleó. Think you, there was, or might be, such a

man

his rear'd arm

Crested the world:] Alluding to some of the old crests in heraldry, where a raised arm on a wreath was mounted on the helmet.

As plates-] Mr. Steevens justly interprets plates to mean silver money. It is a term in heraldry. The balls or roundels in an escutcheon of arms, according to their different colours, have different names. If gules, or red, they are called torteauxes; if or, or yellow, bezants; if argent, or white, plates, which are buttons of silver without any impression, but only prepared for the stamp.

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