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. [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; 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 be hind Cleopatra. Some of the guard unbar and open the gates.

Guard her till Cæsar come.

[To Proculeius and the guard. [Exit Gal Iras. Royal queen!

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

Pro.

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this

[Drawing a dagger.

Hold, worthy lady, hold:

[Seizes and disarms her.

What, of death too,

Cleopatra,

Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

Cleo.

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!

(1) Bound, confined.

(2) Rabble.

Pro.

You do extend

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

Dol.

Enter Dolabella.

Proculeius,

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

Pro.

queen,

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 quaill and shake the orb, He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty,

(1) Crush.

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,

were

and crownets; realms and islands

As plates' dropp'd from his pocket.

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.

Cleo. He'll lead me then in triumph?

Dol.

I know it.

Though he be honourable,—

Madam, he will;

Within. Make way there,-Cæsar.

Enter Cæsar, Gallus, Proculeius, Mæcenas, Seleu

C'œs.

cus, and Attendants.

Which is the queen

(1) Silver money.

Of Egypt?

Dol.

Cœs.

You shall not kneel :

'Tis the emperor, madam. [Cleo. kneels.

I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.

Cleo.

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,

Arise,

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

Cleo. Sole sir o'the world, I cannot project1 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.

Cœs.

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. Caes. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra. Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, 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. (1) Shape or form.