Would have a Queen his beggar, yoù must tell him,
That majefty, to keep' decorum, must
No lefs beg than a kingdom: if he please
To give me conquer'd Egypt for my fon,
He gives me fo much of mine own, and I
'Will kneel to him with thanks.

Pro. Be of good cheer.

You're fall'n into a princely hand. Fear nothing;
Make your full ref'rence freely to my Lord,
Who is fo full of grace, that it flows over
On all that need. Let me report to him
Your sweet dependency, and you fhall find
A conqu'ror that will pray in aid for kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

Cleo. 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' th' face.

Fro. This I'll report, dear lady.

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

[Afide.] You fee how eafily fhe may be furpriz'd. [Here Gallus and Guard afcend the monument by a ladder, and enter at a back window.

Guard her, 'till Cæfar come.

Iras. O Royal Queen!

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

[Drawing a dagger.

[The monument is open'd; Proculeius rushes in,

and difarms the Queen.

Pro. Hold, worthy lady, hold;

Do not vourfelf fuch wrong, who are in this
Reliev but not betray'd.

Cleo What, of death too, that rids our dogs of languifh?

Pro. Do not abufe my mafter's bounty, by Th' undoing of yourself: let the world fee His nobleness well acted, which your death

For languish, I think we may read, anguish, John

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 neceffary †,

I'll not fleep neither. This mortal houfe I'll ruin,
Do Cæfar what he can. Know, Sir, that I
Will not wait pinion'd at your master'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 Ægypt
Be gentle grave unto me! rather on Nilus' mud
Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into ahhorring! rather make
My country's high Pyramides my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!

Pro. You do extend

Thefe thoughts of horror further than you fhall Find cause in Cæfar.

SCENE

Enter Dolabella.

Dol. Proculeius,

III.

What thou haft done thy 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 fpeak what you shall please,

If you'll employ me to him.

Cleo. Say, I would die.

[To Cleopatra

[Exit Proculeius.

Dol. Moft noble Emprefs, you have heard of me. Cleo. I cannot tell.

+ That is, I will not eat; and if it will be necessary now for once to waste a moment in idle talk of my purpose, will not fleep neither. Johnson.

VOL. IX.

I

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 dream'd 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 courfe, and The little O o' th' earth. [lighted

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 spheres, when 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 his back above: The element they liv'd in; in his livery

Walk'd crowns and coronets; realms and islands As plates drop'd from his pocket.

Dol. Cleopatra

[were

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

Dol. Gentle Madam, no.

[măn

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 vie ftrange forms with fancy, yet t' 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 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 in triumph?
Dol. Madam, he will. I know't.

All. Make way there

-Cæfar.

IV.

Enter Cæfar, Gallus, Mecenas, Proculeius, and

Attendants.

Caf. Which is the Queen of Egypt?

Dol. It is the Emperor, Madam. [Cleo. kneels. Caf. Arife, you fhall not kneel.

I pray you, rife. Rife, Ægypt.

Cleo. Sir, the gods

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

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

Cleo. Sole Sir o' th' world,

I cannot project * mine own caufe fo well
To make it clear; but do confels I have
Been laden with like frailties, which before
Have often fham'd our fex.

Cleo. Cleopatra, know

We will extenuate rather than inforce.

If you apply yourself to our intents,

Which tow'rds you are moft gentle, you fhall find
A benefit in this change; but if you feek
To lay on me a cruelty, by taking
Antony's courfe, you fhall bereave yourself
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,

• To project a cause, is to reprefent a caufe; to projet it well, is to plan or contrive a scheme of defence. Johnf.·

Your feutcheons, and your figns of conqueft, fhall Hang in what place you please. 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 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,
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 wisdom in the deed.

Cleo, See, Cæfar! Oh, behold,

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

Ev'n make me wild. Oh flave, of no more trüft
Than love that's hir'd.-

thou fhalt

Go back, I warrant thee; Though they had wings. dog,

O rarely bafe!

-What, goest thou back ?

but I'll catch thine eyes, Slave, foul-lefs villain [Striking him.

Caf. Good Queen, let us entreat you.

Cleo. O Cafar, what a wounding thame 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 Cæfar,
That I fome lady-trifies have referv'd,
Immoment toys. things of fuch dignity
As we greet modern friends withal; and fay,
Some nobler token I have kept apart

Omitted. Theol." Hanm. Warb.