Confin'd in all she has, her monument,
Of thy intents desires instruction;
That she preparedly may frame herself
To the

way

she's forc'd to.
Oct. Bid her have good heart;
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourably and how kindly we
Determin'd for her; for Cæsar cannot live
To be ungentle.
Mar. So the gods preserve thee!

[Erit.
Oct. 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 eternaling our triumph: Go;
And, with your speediest, bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.
Proc. Cæsar, I shall.

[Exit. Oct. Gallus, go you along. [Exit GALLUS. Where's

Dolabella,
To second Proculeius

Agrip. Dolabella!

Oct. Let him alone; for I remember now
How he's employ'd; he shall in time be ready.
Go with me to my tent: where you shall see,
How hardly I was drawn into this war;
How calm and gentle I proceeded still
In all my writings: Go with me, and see
What I can show in this.

[Ereunt.

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.

Proculeius and Gallus, with SOLDIERS,

at the Door of the Monument, without.
Proc. Cæsar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt;
And bids thee study on what fair demands
Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.

Cleo. What's thy name?
Proc. My name is Proculeius.

Cleo. Antony
Did tell me of

but I do not greatly care to be deceivd, That have no use for trusting. If your master Would have a queen his beggar, you inust tell him, That majesty, to keep decorum, must No less beg than a kingdom: it he please To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son, He gives me so much of my own, as I Will kneel to him with thanks.

Fare you

Proc. Be of good cheer;
You are fallen 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 kneeld to.

Cleo. 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.

Proc. This I'll report, dear lady.
Have comfort; for, 'I know, your plight is pity'd
Of him that caus'd it.

well. Enter into the Monument, from behind, PROCULEIUS

and SOLDIERS, hastily.
Iras. O, royal queen!
Char. O Cleopatra ! thou art taken, queen!
Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands.

[Drawing a Dagger.
Proc. Hold, worthy lady, hold : (Staying her.
Do not yourself such wrong; who are in this
Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

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

Proc. 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
Worth many babes and beggars !

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

a

If idle talk will once be necessary,
I'll not speak 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 chastis'd 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
Lay me stark 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,

Proc, You do extend
These thoughts of horror farther than

you

shall Find cause for it in Cæsar.

Enter DOLABELLA.
Dol. Proculeius,
What thou hast done, thy master Cæsar knows,
And he hath sent for thee: as for the queen,
I'll take her to my guard.

Proc. So, Dolabella,
It shall content me best: be gentle to her.
To Cæsar I will speak what you shall please,
If you'll employ me to him.
Cleo, Say, I would die.

[Exeunt PROCULEIUS, and SOLDIERS.
Dol. Most noble empress, you have heard of me?
Cleo. I cannot tell.
Dol. Assuredly you have.

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 Emperor Antony !
Oh! such another sleep! that I might see
But such another man !

Dol. If it might please you, -
Cleo. His face was as the heavens: and therein

stuck A sun and moon; which kept their course, and

lighted The little O o'the earth.

Dol. Most sovereign creature,

Cleo. His legs bestrid the ocean; his rear'd arm Crested 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 show'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.

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 hcaring of the gods.
But, if there be, or ever were, one such,
It's past the size of dreaming: Nature wants stuff
To vie strange forms with fancy; yet to imagine
An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy,
Condemning shadows quite.

Dol. Hear me, good madam:
Your loss is as yourself, great;

and
you

bear it
As answering to the weight: 'Would I might never
O’ertake pursu'd success, but I do feel,
By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites
My very heart al root.

"Cleo. I thank you, sir., Know you, what Cæsar means to do with me?