Not being fortune, he's but fortune's knave,
A minifter of her will; and it is great

To do that thing that ends all other deeds;
Which fhackles accidents, and bolts up change;
Which fleeps, and never palates more the dung,
The beggar's nurfe and Cæfar's.

Enter Proculeius, and Gallus, with Soldiers, to the Door of the Monument, without.

Pro. Cafar fends greeting to the queen of Egypt; And bids thee ftudy on what fair demands

Thou mean'ft to have him grant thee.

Cle. What's thy name?

Pro. My name is Proculeius.

Cle. Antony

Did tell me of you, bad me truft you; but

I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,

That have no use for trufting. If your mafter
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
That majefty, to keep decorum, muft

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, as I
Will kneel to him with thanks.

Pro. Be of good cheer;

You are fall'n into a princely hand, fear nothing a
Make your full reference 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 dependancy; and you shall find
A conqueror, that will pray in aid for kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

Cle. 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'the face.

Pro. This I'll report, dear lady.

Have comfort; for, I know, your plight is pity'd

Of him that caus'd it. Fare you well. Hark, Gallus!

You fee, how easily she may be furpriz'd;

Guard her 'till Cæfar come.

[Exit Procule ius..

Gallus maintains Converfe with Cleopatra. Re-enter, into the Monument, from behind, Proculeius, and Soldiers, baftily.

Ira. O royal queen!

Cha. O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen!

Cle. Quick, quick, good hands. [drawing a Dagger.
Pro. Hold, worthy lady, hold:

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

Cle. What, of death too,

That rids our dogs of languifh?

Pro. Cleopatra,

Do not abufe my master's bounty, by

The undoing of yourself: let the world fee

His nobleness well acted, which your death

Will never let come forth.

Cle. Where art thou, death?

Aaying ber

Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen-
Worth many babes and beggars!

Pro. O, temperance, lady.

Cle. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, fir;
If idle talk will once be neceffary,

I'll not speak neither: this mortal houfe I'll ruin,
Do Cæfar what he can. Know, fir, that I
Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court;
Nor once be cháftis'd with the fober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoift me up,
And fhew me to the fhouting varletry
Of cenfuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave unto me; rather on Nilus" mud.
Lay me ftark 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 *.

Pro. You do extend

Thefe thoughts of horror farther than you fhall
Find caufe for it in Cafar.

Cleopatra, in this fpeech, difplays great and becoming magnanimity of fpirit, finely oppofed to the equivocal treacherous behaviour of Octavius.

Dol. Proculeius,

Enter Dolabella,

What thou haft done thy master Cafar knows,
And he hath fent for thee: as for the

I'll take her to my guard.

Pro. So, Dolabella,

queen,

It shall content me beft: be gentle to her.-
To Cæfar I will speak what you shall please,
If you'll employ me to him.

Cle. Say, I would die.

[Exeunt Proculeius and Soldiers. Dol. Most noble emprefs, you have heard of me ? Cle. I cannot tell.

Dol. Affuredly, you know me.

Cle. No matter, fir, 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.

Cle. I dreamt there was an emperor Antony ;— O, fuch another fleep! that I might fee

But fuch another man.

Dol. If it might please you,

Cle. His face was as the heavens; and therein ftuck A fun and moon: which kept their course, and lighted The little O o'the earth.

Dol. Moft fovereign creature,

Cle. His legs beltrid the ocean; his rear'd arm
Crefted the world; his voice was property'd
As all the tuned spheres, when that to friends;
But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,
He was as rattling 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 crownets; realms and islands were
As plates dropt from his pocket .

This panegyric upon fallen Antony is liberal and affectionate; the fancy and imagery are exquifite, nor does the expreffion fall short of them.

Dol. Cleopatra,

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

Dol. Gentle madam, no.

Cle. You lye, up to the hearing of the gods.
But, if there be, or ever were, one fuch,

Its paft the fize of dreaming: Nature wants stuff
To vye ftrange forms with fancy; yet, to 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 anfwering 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 smites
My very heart at root.

Cle. I thank you, fir.

Know you, what Cæfar means to do with me?
Dol. I am loth to tell you what I would you knew.
Cle. Nay, pray you, fir:

Dol. Though he be honourable,—

Cle. He'll lead me in triumph :

Dol. Madam, he will; I know it.

Within. Make way there,-Cafar.

Enter Cæfar, and Train of Romans, and Seleucus.

Caf. Which is the queen of Egypt?

Dol. It is the emperor, madam.

Caf. Arife, you shall not kneel: [To Cle. raifing her. I pray you, rife; rife, Egypt.

Cle. 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 flesh, we shall remember
As things but done by chance.

Cle. Sole fir o'the world,

I cannot project mine own caufe fo well
To make it clear; but do confefs I have

Been

Been laden with like frailties, which before
Have often fham'd our fex,

Caf. Cleopatra, know,

We will extenuate rather than enforce:
If you apply yourself to our intents,

(Which towards 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 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.

Cle. 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 advise me in all for Cleopatra.

Cle. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, I am poffeft of: 'tis exactly valu'd;

Not petty things omitted.Where's Seleucus?

Sel. Here, madam.

Cle. This is my treasurer; let him fpeak, my lord, Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd

To myfelf nothing.-Speak the truth, Seleucus.

Sel. Madam,

I had rather feal my lips, than, to my peril,

Speak that which is not.

Cle. 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.

Cle. See, Cafar! O, behold,

How

pomp

is follow'd! mine will now be yours; And, fhould we shift eftates, yours would be mine. The ingratitude of this Seleucus does

"Even make me wild :-O flave, of no more trust "Than love that's hir'd! What, go'ft thou back?

"thou shalt

"Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, "Though they had wings: Slave foul-lefs villain, dog! "O rarely base! [Flying at him.