That thou, my brother, my competitor
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 an Egyptian.

The business of this man looks out of him;

50

We'll hear him what he says. Whence are you? Egyp. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress,

Confined 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

Bid her have good heart:

Determine for her; for Cæsar cannot live
To be ungentle.

Egyp. So the gods preserve thee!

[Exit. 60

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.

Cæs. Gallus, go you along.
Where's Dolabella,

To second Proculeius?

All.

[Exit.

Cæsar, I shall.

[Exit Gallus.]

70

Dolabella!

Cas. 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 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 monu

ment.

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 dug,
The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's.

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.

Pro. My name is Proculeius.

Cleo.

ΙΟ

What's thy name?

Antony

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

I do not greatly care to be deceived,

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.

Be of good cheer;

Pro. You're fall'n 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 dependency; and you shall find A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness, Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

Cleo.

20

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 caused it.

330

Gal. You see how easily she may be surprised: [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.

[To Proculeius and the Guard] Guard her till Cæsar come.

Iras. Royal queen!

[Exit.

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

Pro.

[Drawing a dagger.

Hold, worthy lady, hold:

[Seizes and disarms her.

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

Cleo.

What, of death, too,

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.

40

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 chastised with the sober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up
And show me to the shouting varletry*

50

*Rabble

Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave unto 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!
You do extend

Pro.

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

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

Pro.

So, Dolabella,

It shall content me best: be gentle to her.

60

[To Cleo.] To Cæsar I will speak what you shall

please,

If you'll employ me to him.

Cleo.

70

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!

If it might please ye,

Dol. 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.

80

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 quailt 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 lived: in his livery
Walk'd crowns and crownets; ‡ realms and islands
*Endowed with properties.

were

As plates? dropp'd from his pocket.

Dol.

90

†Cause to quail.

Coronets.

Cleopatra!

Cleo. Think you there was, or might be, such a

man

As this I dream'd of?

Dol.

Gentle madam, no.

¿Silver money.

Cleo. You lie, up to the hearing of the gods. But, if there be, or ever were, one such, It's past the size of dreaming: nature wants stuff

To vie* strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, Condemning shadows quite.

*Challenge.

Dǝl.-
Hear me, good madam. 100
Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it
As answering to the weight: would I might never
O'ertake pursued success, but I do feel,

By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites
My very heart at root.

Cleo.

I thank you, sir.

Know you what Cæsar means to do with me? Dol. I am loath to tell you what I would you knew.

Cleo. Nay, pray you, sir,

Dol.
Cleo. He'll lead me, then, in triumph?

Though he be honourable,

IIO

Dol. Madam, he will; I know 't.

[Flourish, and shout within, 'Make way there:

Cæsar!

Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECÆNAS, SELEUCUS, and others of his Train.

Cæs. Which is the Queen of Egypt?

Dol. It is the emperor, madam.

[Cleopatra kneels.