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 dependency; 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 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. 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 disarms her. Do not yourself such 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 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:

[5] I allow him to be my conqueror; I own his superiority with complete submission. JOH. [6] For languish, I think we may read anguish. JOH.

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 chastis'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

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

Enter DOLABELLA.

Dol. 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, [To CLEO. If you'll employ me to him.

Cleo. Say, I would die. [Exe. PROCUL. 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 and shake the orb,
[8] The little orb or circle. THEO.

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 plates dropp'd from his pocket.9

Dol. Cleopatra,

Cleo. Think you, there was, or might be, such a man As this I dream'd of?

Dol. Gentle madam, no.

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.

Dol. Hear me, good madam :

Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it

As answering to the weight: 'Would I might never
O'ertake pursu'd success, but I do feel,

By the rebound of yours, a grief that shoots

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. Though he be honourable,—

Cleo. He'll lead me then in triumph?

Dol. Madam he will;

I know it.

Within. Make way there,-Cæsar.

Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECENAS, SELEUCUS,

Dol. 'Tis the emperor, madam.
Cas. Arise,

You shall not kneel:

I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.

Cleo. Sir, the gods

[CLEO. kneels

Will have it thus; my master and my lord.

I must obey.

Cas. Take to you no hard thoughts-:

[9] Plates mean, I believe, siiver money.

STEEY.

33*

VOL. VI.

The record of what injuries you did us,

Though written in our flesh, we shall remember
As things but done by chance.

Cleo. Sole sir o'the world,

I cannot project mine own cause so well
To make it clear; but do confess, I have
Been laden with like frailties, which before
Have often sham'd our sex.

Cas. Cleopatra, know,

We will extenuate rather than enforce :
If you apply yourself to our intents,

(Which towards you are most gentle) you shall find
À benefit in this change: but if you seek

To lay on me a cruelty, by taking

Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself
Of my good purposes, and put your children

To that destruction which I'll guard them from,

If thereon you rely. I'll take my leave.

Cleo. And may, through all the world: 'tis yours;

and we

Your 'scutcheons, and your signs of conquest, shall Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord. Cas. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.

Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued;

Not petty things admitted.-Where's Seleucus ?
Sel. Here, madam.

Cleo. This is my treasurer; let him speak, my lord,, Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd

To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.

Sel. Madam,

I had rather seel my lips, than, to my peril,

Speak that which is not.

Cleo. What have I kept back?

Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made known.
Cas. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra ; I approve

Your wisdom in the deed.

Cleo. See, Cæsar! O, behold,

How pomp is follow'd! mine will now be yours;
And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine.

The ingratitude of this Seleucus does

Even make me wild :-O slave, of no more trust
Than love that's hir'd-What, goest thou back? thou

shalt

Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, Though they had wings: Slave, soul-less villain, dog!

O rarely base !*

Cas. Good queen, let us entreat you.

Cleo. O Cæsar, what a wounding shame is this; That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me,

Doing the honour of thy lordliness

To one so meek, that mine own servant should
Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
Addition of his envy! Say, good Cæsar,
That I some lady trifles have reserv'd,
Immoment toys, things of such dignity
As we greet modern friends withal; and say,
Some nobler token I have kept apart
For Livia, and Octavia, to induce

Their mediation; must I be unfolded

With one that I have bred? The gods! It smites me Beneath the fall I have. Pr'ythee, go hence; [To SEL. Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits

Through the ashes of my chance :-Wert thou a man, Thou wouldst have mercy on me.

Cas. Forbear, Seleucus.

[Exit SELEUCUS.

Cleo. Be it known, that we,the greatest, are misthought

For things that others do; and, when we fall,

We answer others' merits in our name,

Are therefore to be pitied.2

Cas. Cleopatra,

Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledg'd, Put we i'the roll of conquest: still be it yours,

Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe,

Cæsar's no merchant, to make prize with you

Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd ;
Make not your thoughts your prisons, 3 no, dear queen ;
For we intend so to dispose you, as

Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep :
Our care and pity is so much upon you,

That we remain your friend; And so adieu.

Cleo. My master, and my lord!

Cas. Not so: Adieu. [Exe. CESAR, and his Train.
Cleo. He words me,girls,he words me,that I should not

Be noble to myself: But hark thee, Charmian.

[Whispers CHARMIAN. Iras. Finish, good lady; the bright day is done,

[1] Base in an uncommon degree. STEEV.

[2]We suffer at our highest state of elevation in the thoughts of mankind for that which others do, and when we fall, those that contented themselves only to think ill before, call us to answer in our own names for the merits of others. We are therefore to be pitied.' Merits is in this place taken in an ill sense, for actions meriting censure. JOHNS

[3] Be not a prisoner in imagination, when in reality you are free. JOH.