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 eafily fhe may be furpriz'd;

[Here PROCULEIUS, and two of the guard, afcend the monument by a ladder placed against a window, and having defcended, came behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the guard unbar and open the gates.

Guard her till Cæfar 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: [feizes and difarms her. 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 languish?

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?

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

4 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.

5 Why, death, wilt thou not rather seize a queen, than employ thy force upon babes and beggars.

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 mafter'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 pyramides my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!

Pro. You do extend

The thoughts of horror further than

Find caufe in Cæfar.

Dol. Proculeius,

Enter DOLABELLA.

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

Cleo. Say, I would die.

[Exeunt PROCULEIUS, and Soldiers.

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; 1s'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.

6 I will not eat, and if it will be necessary now for once to waste a moment in idle talk of my purpose, I will not fleep neither. In common conversation we often ufe will be, with as little relation to futurity. As, 、 Now I am going, it will be fit for me to dine first.

Dol. If it might please you,

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

Dol. Most fovereign creature,

Cleo, His legs beftrid the ocean: his rear'd arm
Crefted the world: his voice was property'd
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 fhew'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.

7

Dol. Cleopatra,

Cled. Think you, there was, or might be, fuch 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 paft the fize of dreaming: Nature wants stuff
To vie ftrange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine
An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy,
Condemning fhadows quite.

Dol. Hear me, good madam:

Your lofs is as yourself, great; and you bear it
As answering to the weight: 'Would I might never
O'ertake purfu'd fuccefs, but I do feel,

By the rebound of yours, a grief that shoots

My very heart at root.

Cleo. I thank you, fir

Know you, what Cæfar means to do with me?
Dol. I am loth to tell you what I would you knew.

Cleo. Nay, pray you, fir,

Dol. Though he be honourable,

Cleo. He'll lead me then in triumph?

7 As Plates

Dol.

Plates mean, in this place, filver money.

8 To vie was a term at cards.

Dol. Madam, he will; I know it.

Within. Make way there,-Cæsar.

Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECENAS,
SELEUCUS, and Attendants.

Caf. Which is the queen of Egypt?
Dol. It is the emperor, madam.
Caf. Arife, you shall not kneel:

I pray you, rife; rife, Egypt.
Cleo. Sir, the gods

Will have it thus; my mafter and my lord
I must obey.

[CLEO, kneels.

Caf. Take to you no hard thoughts:
The record of what injuries you did us,
Though written in our flesh, we shall remember
As things but done by chance.

Cleo. Sole fir o' the world,

I cannot project mine own cause so well 9
To make it clear; but do confess, I have
Been laden with like frailties, which before
Have often fham'd our sex.

Caf. Cleopatra, know,

We will extenuate rather than enforce:

If you apply yourself to our intents,

(Which towards you are moft gentle) you shall find A benefit in this change; but if you feek

To lay on me a cruelty, by taking

Antony's courfe, you shall bereave yourself
Of my good purpofes, and put your children.
To that deftruction 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 'fcutcheons, and your figns of conquest, shall
Hang in what place you pleafe. Here, my good lord.
Caf. You fhall advise me in all for Cleopatra'.
Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels,

I am poffefs'd of: 'tis exactly valued;

Not

9 To project a caufe is to reprefent a caufe; to project it well, is to plan or contrive a scheme of defence.

You fhall yourself be my counsellor, and suggest whatever you wish to be done for your relief.

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 referv'd

To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.
Sel. Madam,

I had rather feel my lips 3, than, to my peril,.
Speak that which is not.

Cleo. What have I kept back?

Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made known. Caf. Nay, blufh not, Cleopatra ; I approve Your wifdom in the deed.

Cleo. See, Cæfar! O, behold,

How pomp is follow'd! mine will now be yours;
And, fhould we shift eftates, yours would be mine.
The ingratitude of this Seleucus does

Even make me wild:-O flave, of no more truft

Than love that's hir'd!-What, goeft thou back? thou fhalt

Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, Though they had wings: Slave, foul-less villain, dog! O rarely bafe 4!

Caf. Good queen, let us entreat you.

Cleo. O Cæfar, what a wounding fhame is this; That thou, vouchfafing here to visit me,

Doing the honour of thy lordliness

To one fo meek 5, that mine own fervant should
Parcel the fum of my difgraces by

Addition of his envy! Say, good Cæfar,
That I fome lady trifles have referv'd,
Immoment toys, things of fuch dignity
As we greet modern friends withal; and fay,
Some nobler token I have kept apart
For Livia, and Octavia, to induce

Their

2 i. e. petty things not being included. She is angry afterwards that fhe is accufed of having referved more than petty things.

3-feel my lips-] Sew up my mouth; clofe up my lips as effect. ually as the eyes of a hawk are clofed. To feel hawks was the technical

term.

4 i. e. bafe in an uncommon degree.

5 To one fo meek,-] Meek, means here, tame, fubdued by adverfity.