Cleo. Pray you tell him,

I am his fortunes vaffal, and I bend to
The greatness he has got. I hourly learn
A doctrine of obedience, and would gladly
Look him i' th' face.

Pro. This I'll report, dear Lady.

Have comfort, for I know your plight is pity'd
Of him that caus'd it.

Gall. You fee how eafily the may be furpriz'd.

[They enter the Monument by a ladder

Pro. Guard her 'till Cæfar come.

Iras. Oh royal Queen,

Char. Oh Cleopatra, thou art taken, Queen.
Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands.

Pro. Hold, worthy Lady,

hold:

[Drawing a dagger?

Do not your felf fuch wrong, who are in this

Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

Cleo. What, of death too, that rids our dogs of languish
Pre. Do not abuse my master's bounty, by

Th' undoing of your felf: let the world fee
His nobleness well acted, which your death
Will never let come forth.

Cleo. Where art thou, death?

Come hither, come: oh come, and take a Queen
Worth many babes and beggars.

Pro. Oh, temperance, Lady!

Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, Sir:
If idle talk will once be acceffary,

I'll not fleep neither. This mortal houfe I'll ruin,
Do Cæfar what he can. Know, Sir, that I
Will not wait pin'on'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 cens'ring Rome? rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave to me! rather on Nilus' mud
Lay me ftark-naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring! rather make
My country's higheft Pyramid my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!

Ee 3

Pro

Pro. You do extend

These thoughts of horrour further than you shall
Find caufe in Cafar.

Dol. Proculeius,

Enter Dolabella.

What thou hast done my mafter Cæfar knows,
And he hath fent for thee: as 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 shall please, [To Cleopatra. If you'll employ me to him.

Cleo. Say, I would die.

[Exeunt Proculeius and Gallus. Dol. Moft noble Empress, you have heard of me.

Cleo. I cannot tell.

Dol. Affuredly 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 dreamt there was an Emp'ror Antony ; Oh fuch another fleep, that I might fee

But fuch another man!

Dol. If it might please ye

Cleo. His face was as the heav'ns, and therein stuck A fun and moon, which kept their course, and lighted The little orb o' th' earth.

Dol. Moft fovereign creature

Cleo. His legs beftrid the ocean, his rear'd arm
Crefted the world: his voice was propertied
As all the tuned fpheres, and that to friends:
But when he meant to quail, and shake the orb,
He was as ratling 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 their back above
The element they liv'd in; in his livery

Walk'd crowns and coronets, realms and islands were
As plates dropt from his pocket.

Del

Dol. Cleopatra

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

Dol. Gentle Madam, no.

Cleo. You lie, up to the hearing of the Gods But if there be, or ever were one fuch,

It's paft the fize of dreaming: nature wants stuff
To vye ftrange forms with fancy; yet to form
An Antony, were nature's prize 'gainst fancy,
Condemning fhadows quite.

Dol, Hear me, good Madam:
Your lofs is as your felf, great;

and you bear it

As anfw'ring to the weight: would I might never

O'er-take 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, Sir.

Know you what Cæfar means to do with me?

Dol. I'm loth 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't.

Enter Cæfar, Gallus, Mecænas, Proculeius, 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

I must obey,

[Cleo, kneels

my lord

Caf. Take to you no hard thoughts:

The record of what injuries you did us,

Though written in our flesh, we fhall remember

As things but done by chance.

Cleo, Sole Sir o' th' world,

I cannot parget mine own cause so well
To make it clear, but do confefs I have
Been laden with like frailties which before
Have often fham'd our fex.
Caf. Cleopatra, know,

We will extenuate rather than inforce:
If you apply your felf to our intents,

(Which tow'rds you are moft gentle) you fhall find
A benefit in this change; but if you seek
To lay on me a cruelty by taking

Antony's courfe, you fhall bereave your felf
Of my good purposes, 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 conqueft, fhall

Hang in what place you please.

Here, my good Lord,

Caf. You fhall advife me in all for Cleopatra.

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

I am poffeft of 'tis exactly valued,

Not petty things omitted-where's Saleucus ?

Sel. Here, Madam.

Cleo. This is my treasurer, let him speak, my Lord,
Upon his peril, that I have referv'd

To my felf nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.
Sel. I had rather feal 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
Caf. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra ; I approve/

Your wifdom in the deed.

Cleo. Cæfar! behold

How pomp is follow'd: mine will now be yours,
And fhould we shift eftates, yours would be mine.
Th' ingratitude of this Seleucus do's

Ev'n make me wild. O flave, of no more truft

Than love that's hir'd. What, goeft thou back? thou shalt
Go back, I warrant thee: but I'll catch thine eyes.
Though they had wings, Slave, foul-lefs villain, dog,
rarely bafe!

Caf.

Caf. Good Queen, let us intreat you.

Cleo. O Cafar, what a wounding shame is this, That thou vouchfafing here to vifit me,

Doing the honour of thy lordliness

To one fo weak, that mine own fervant fhould
Parcel the fum of my difgraces by
Addition of his envy! Say, good Cafar,
That I fome lady-trifles have referv'd,
Immoment toys, things of fuch dignity
As we greet modern friends withal; and say
Some nobler token I have kept apart
For Livia and Octavia, to induce
Their mediation, muft I be unfolded

By one that I have bred? the Gods! it fmites me

Beneath the fall I have.

Pr'ythee go hence,

Or I fhall fhew the cinders of my spirits

Through th' afhes of mifchance: wert thou a man,
Thou would't have mercy on me.

Caf. Forbear, Seleucus.

Cleo. Be't known, that we the greatest are mis-thought For things that others do; and when we fall,

We pander others merits with our names,

Are therefore to be pitied.

Caf. Cleopatra,

Not what you have referv'd, nor what acknowledg'd,
Put we i' th' roll of conqueft, ftill be't yours:

Beftow it at your pleasure, and believe

Cafar's no merchant to make prize with you

Of things that merchants fold. Therefore be cheer'd,

Make not your thoughts your poifon; no, dear Queen,

For we intend fo to difpofe you, as

Your felf fhall give us counfel: feed, and fleep.
Our care and pity is fo much upon you,

That we remain your friend, and fo adieu.

Cleo. My mafter, and my Lord!

Caf. Not fo: adieu. [Exeunt Cæfar, and bis Train.
SCENE IV.

Cleo. He words me, girls, he words me, that I fhould not Be noble to my felf. But hark thee, Charmian. [Whispers.