Mess. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress,

Confined in all she has (her monument),

Of thy intents desires instruction:

That she preparédly may frame herself
To the way she's forced to.

Cæs.

Bid her have good heart :

She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we
Determine for her: for Cæsar cannot live
To be ungentle.

Mess. So the gods preserve thee! [Exit.
Cæs. Come hither, Proculeius: go, and say
We purpose her no shame: give her what comforts
The quality of her passion shall require;
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
She do defeat us: for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in our triumph. Go;
And, with your speediest, bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.

Pro. Cæsar, I shall. [Exit PROCULEIUS. Cas. Gallus, go you along.-Where's Dolabella, To second Proculeius? [Exit GALLUS.

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.

This I'll report, dear lady. Have comfort; for I know your plight is pitied Of him that caused it.

Gal. You see how easily she may be surprised.— [PROCULEIUS and two of the Guard enter the Monument by a ladder placed against a window, and come behind CLEOPATRA. Others unbar and open the gates. Guard her till Cæsar come. Iras. Royal queen!

[Exit GALLUS.

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

[Draws a dagger. Pro. Hold, worthy lady, hold! [Disarms her. Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this Relieved, but not betrayed. What, of death too, That rids our dogs of languish? Cleopatra,

Cleo.

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 pinioned at your master's court,
Nor once be chastised with the sober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,
And shew me to the shouting varletry

Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt

Dol.

Most sovereign creature,—

Cleo. His legs bestrid the ocean: his reared arm Crested the world: his voice was propertied As all the tunéd spheres, and that to friends; But when he meant to quail and shake the orb, He was a 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 shewed his back above The element they lived in: in his livery Walked crowns and crownets; realms and islands were

As plates dropped from his pocket.

Know you what Cæsar means to do with me? Dol. I am 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 it.
Within. Make way there :-Cæsar!

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

Cæs. Which is the Queen of Egypt?
Dol. It is the emperor, madam.

[CLEOPATRA kneels. Cæs. Arise; you shall not kneel.—

I pray you, rise: rise, Egypt.

Cleo.

Sir, the gods

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,

I am possessed of: 't is 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 reserved

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

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

Cæs.

Good queen, let us entreat you.

Cleo. O Cæsar, what a wounding shame is this,
That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me,
Doing the honour of thy lordliness

To one so meek, that mine own servant should
Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
Addition of his envy! Say, good Cæsar,
That I some lady trifles have reserved,
Immoment toys, things of such dignity

As we greet modern friends withal; and say,
Some nobler token I have kept apart

For Livia and Octavia, to induce
Their mediation; must I be unfolded

With one that I have bred? The gods! it smites

me

Beneath the fall I have.-Pr'y thee, go hence; [TO SELEUCUS.

Or I shall shew the cinders of my spirits Through the ashes of my chance :-wert thou a

man,

Thou wouldst have mercy on me.

Cæs. Forbear, Seleucus. [Exit SELEUCUS. Cleo. Be it known that we, the greatest, are

mis-thought

For things that others do; and when we fall,

Put we i' the roll of conquest: still be it yours,
Bestow it at your pleasure: and believe
Cæsar's no merchant, to make prize with you
Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be
cheered;

Make not your thoughts your prisons; no, dear
queen;
For we intend so to dispose you as
Yourself shall give us counsel.
Feed and sleep:
Our care and pity is so much upon you,
That we remain your friend: and so adieu.
Cleo. My master and my lord!

Cæs. Not so: adieu. [Exeunt CÆSAR and Train.
Cleo. He words me, girls; he words me, that
I should not

Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian.
[Whispers CHARMIAN.
Iras. Finish, good lady: the bright day is done,
And we are for the dark.

I shall remain your debtor.
I your servant.

Dol.
Adieu, good queen: I must attend on Cæsar.
Cleo. Farewell, and thanks. [Exit DOLABELLA.
Now, Iras, what think'st thou?
Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shewn
In Rome, as well as I: mechanic slaves,
With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall
Uplift us to the view: in their thick breaths,
Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded,
And forced to drink their vapour.

Enter one of the Guard.

Guard. Here is a rural fellow

That will not be denied your highness' presence: He brings you figs.

Cleo. Let him come in. [Exit Guard].—How
poor an instrument

May do a noble deed! he brings me liberty.
My resolution's placed, and I have nothing
Of woman in me. Now from head to foot
I am marble-constant: now the fleeting moon
No planet is of mine.

Re-enter Guard, with a Clown bringing a basket.

Guard. This is the man.

Cleo. Avoid, and leave him.- [Exit Guard. Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, That kills and pains not?

Clown. Truly I have him but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal: those that do die of it, do seldom or never recover.

Cleo. Remember'st thou any that have died on't?

Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but something given to lie, as a woman should not do but in the way of honesty how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt; truly she makes a very good report o' the worm: but he that will believe all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do. But this is most fallible,-the worm's an odd worm.

Immortal longings in me: now no more
The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip.-
Yare, yare, good Iras; quick.-Methinks I hear
Antony call: I see him rouse himself

To praise my noble act: I hear him mock
The luck of Cæsar, which the gods give men
To excuse their after-wrath.-Husband, I come:
Now to that name my courage prove my title!
I am fire and air; my other elements

I give to baser life.-So; have you done?
Come, then, and take the last warmth of my lips.
Farewell, kind Charmian :- Iras, long farewell.
[Kisses them. IRAs falls and dies.
Have I the aspick in my lips? Dost fall?
If thou and nature can so gently part,
The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch,
Which hurts and is desired. Dost thou lie still?
If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world
It is not worth leave-taking.

Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain: that I
may say,

The gods themselves do weep!
Cleo. This proves me base :
If she first meet the curléd Antony,'
He'll make demand of her; and spend that kiss
Which is my heaven to have.-Come, thou mortal
wretch,

[To the asp, which she applies to her breast. With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool,

Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle,O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too :

[Applying another asp to her arm. What should I stay- [Falls on a bed, and dies. Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well.Now boast thee, death! in thy possession lies A lass unparalleled.-Downy windows, close; And golden Phoebus never be beheld

Of eyes again so royal!-Your crown's awry: I'll mend it, and then play.

Enter the Guard, rushing in. 1st Guard. Where is the queen? Char. Speak softly; wake her not. 1st Guard. Cæsar hath sent