SCENE II.

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.

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.

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, and you shall find
A conqueror, that will pray in aid for kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

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.

[PROCULEIUS, and two of the Guard, ascend the
Monument by a Ladder, and come behind CLE-
OPATRA. 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.

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
Th' 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 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 nak'd, and let the water flies
Blow me into abhorring! rather make
My country's high pyramides my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!

These thoughts of horror farther, 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. 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.

Cleo. I dream'd, O, such another sleep, But such another man!

Dol.

I understand not, Madam.
there was an emperor Antony:
that I might see

If it might please you,

Cleo. His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck

VI.

417

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 't was,
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.

Dol.
Cleo.

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

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 your's, a grief that smites
My very heart at root.

Cleo.

Know you,

I thank you, Sir.

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?

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

Cæs. Which is the queen of Egypt?
Dol. It is the emperor, Madam.
Cæs. Arise, you shall not kneel.

I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.

Cleo.

[CLEOPATRA kneels.

Sir, the gods Will have it thus: my master and my lord

I must obey.

Cæs.

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.

Sole Sir o' the world,

Cleo.
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.

Cæs.

Cleopatra, know,

We will extenuate rather than enforce :

If you apply yourself to our intents,

(Which towards you are most gentle) you shall find A 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: 't is yours; and we Your scutcheons, and your signs of conquest, shall Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord. Cæs. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.

Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels,