Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; out
I do not greatly care to be deceived,
That have no use for trusting. If your master
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell
him,

20

Dol.

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

Cleo.

30

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 caused it. [prised: Gal. You see how easily she may be surHere Proculeius and two of the Guard ascend the monument by a ladder placed against a window, and, having descended, come behind Cleopatra. Some of the Guard unbar and open the gates. [To Proculeius and the Guard] Guard_her till Cæsar come. Royal queen!

[Exit.

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

Iras.

Cleo.

Pro.

[Drawing a dagger. Hold, worthy lady, hold: [Seizes and disarms her. Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this Relieved, but not betray'd.

Cleo.

41 What, of death too, That rids our dogs of languish? Pro.

Cleopatra,

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

Worthy many babes and beggars !

Pro.

O, temperance, lady! Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, sir;

50

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 chastised 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 unto me! rather on Nilus' mud

Enter DOLABELLA. Proculeius,

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 Cleo.] To Cæsar I will speak what you
shall please.

If you'll employ me to him.
Cleo.

Say, I would die. 70 [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. [dreams; You laugh when boys or women tell their 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!

The ingratitude of this Seleucus does

Even make me wild: O slave, of no more trust Than love that's hired! What, goest thou back? thou shalt

Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, [lain, dog! Though they had wings: slave, soulless vilO rarely base !

C'œs. Good queen, let us entreat you. Cleo. O Cæsar, what a wounding shame is this,

That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me, 160 Doing the honor 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

170

With one that I have bred? The gods! it

smites me

Beneath the fall I have. [To Seleucus] Prithee,

go hence;

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

man,

Thou wouldst have mercy on me.
C'œs.

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

are misthought

For things that others do; and, when we fall,
We answer others' merits in our name,
Are therefore to be pitied.

Cæs.

Cleopatra,

Not what you have reserved, nor what acknowledged,

180

Put we i' the roll of conquest: still be 't yours, Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe, Cæsar's no merchant, to make prize with you Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be

cheer'd;

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. Avoid, and leave him.

[Exit Guardsman. 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. Rememberest thou any that have died on't? 249

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. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell. Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm. [Setting down his basket.

Cleo. Farewell. Clown. You must think this, look you, the worm will do his kind.

Cleo. Ay, ay; farewell.

260

that

Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm.

Cleo. Take thou no care; it shall be heeded. Clown. Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. Cleo. Will it eat me?

271

Clown. You must not think I am so simple but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five.

Cleo. Well, get thee gone; farewell. 280 Clown. Yes, forsooth; I wish you joy o' the worm. [Exit.

Re-enter IRAS with a robe, crown, &c.
Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown ;
I have

Immortal longings in me now no more
The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip:
Yare, yare, good Iras; quick. Methinks
hear

Antony call; 1 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 aspic 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.

301

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 curled Antony, He'll make demand of her, and spend that kiss Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch,

[To an asp, which she applies to her breast. With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool, Be angry, and dispatch. O, couldst thou speak, That I might hear thee call great Cæsar ass 310 Unpolicied!

Char.

Cleo.

O eastern star!

Peace, peace! Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,

That sucks the nurse asleep?

Char.
O, break! O, break!
Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as
gentle,-

Antony !-Nay, I will take thee too. [Applying another asp to her arm. What should I stay[Dies.

Char. In this vile world? So, fare thee well.

Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies A lass unparallel'd. Downy windows, close; And golden Phoebus never be beheld

320

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

Enter the Guard, rushing in. First Guard. Where is the queen? Char. Speak softly, wake her not. First Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar.

Too slow a messenger. [Applies an asp. , corne apace, dispatch! I partly feel thee. First Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well Cæsar's beguiled.

Dol. How goes it here? Sec. Guard. All dead. Dol. Cæsar, thy thoughts Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming To see perform'd the dreaded act which thou So sought'st to hinder.

[Within 'A way there, a way for Cæsar!' Re-enter CESAR and ali his train marching. Dol. O sir, you are too sure an augurer; That you did fear is done. Cæs. Bravest at the last. She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?

I do not see them bleed.

Dol.

340

Who was last with them? First Guard. A simple countryman, that

This was his basket.

Cæs.

brought her figs :

Poison'd, then.

First Guard.

O Cæsar, This Charmian lived but now; she stood and spake:

I found her trimming up the diadem
On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood
And on the sudden dropp'd.

C'œs.
O noble weakness !
If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear
By external swelling: but she looks like sleep,
As she would catch another Antony
In her strong toil of grace.

350

Dol. Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood and something blown: The like is on her arm.

First Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and

these fig-leaves

Have slime upon them, such as the aspic
leaves
Upon the caves of Nile.
Cæs.

Most probable

That so she died; for her physician tells me
She hath pursued conclusions infinite
Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed;
And bear her women from the monument :
She shall be buried by her Antony:
No grave upon the earth shall clip in it
A pair so famous. High events as these
Strike those that make them; and their story

is

361

No less in pity than his glory which
Brought them to be lamented. Our army

shall

In solemn show attend this funeral;
And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see
High order in this great solemnity. [Exeunt.