Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us Some faults to make us men. Cæsar is touch'd. Mac. When such a spacious mirror's set before him,

He needs must see himself.

Cas.

O Antony!

I have follow'd thee to this;-But we do lance.
Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce
Have shown to thee such a declining day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world: But yet let me lament,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competiter
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the 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 equalness to this.-Hear me, good friends,-
But I will tell you at some meeter season;

Enter a Messenger.

The business of this man looks out of him,
We'll hear him what he says.-Whence are you?
Mess. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mis-

tress,

Confin'd in all she has, her monument,
Of thy intents desires instruction;

That she preparedly may frame herself
To the way she's forced to.

Cæs.
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we
Determine for her: for Cæsar cannot live
To be ungentle.

Bid her have good heart;

Mess.

So the gods preserve thee! [Exit.

* Its.

Cas. Come bither, 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.

Cas. Gallus, go you along.-Where's Dolabella,

[Exit Gallus.

Dolabella!

To second Proculeius?

Agr. Mac.

Cas. 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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Alexandria. A room in the monument.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmiau, 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.

⚫ Servant.

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
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; aud 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 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 surpris'd; [Here Proculeius, and two of the guard, ascend

the monument by a ladder placed against a 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.

Iras. Royal queen!

Exit Gal.

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

[Drawing a dagger.

Pro.

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

Cleo.

What, of death too

Cleopatra,

That rids our dogs of languish?

Pro.

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!

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!

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. 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* He was as rattling thunder.

and shake the orb,
For his bounty,

There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas,
That grew the more by reaping: His delights

• Crush.