heart :

Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women?
What, what? good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian?
My noble girls! Ah, women, women, look!
Our lamp is spent, it's out: Good sirs, take
[To the Guard below.
We'll bury him: and then what's brave, what's noble,
Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
And make death proud to take us.
Come away:
This case of that huge spirit now is cold.
Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend
But resolution, and the briefest end.

[Exeunt; those above bearing off ANTONY's Body.

What is't thou say'st? Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead. Caes. The breaking of so great a thing should make A greater crack: The round world should have shook Lions into civil streets,

The gods rebuke me, but it is a tidings To wash the eyes of kings.

Agr.

And strange it is, That nature must compel us to lament Our most persisted deeds.

Mec.

His taints and honours

Waged equal with him.
Agr.
A rarer spirit never
Did steer humanity: but you gods will give us
Some faults to make us mend. Cæsar is touch'd.
Mec. When such a spacious mirror's set before him,
He needs must see himself.

I have follow'd thee to this: But we do lance
Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce
Have shown to thee such a declining day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world: but yet let me lament,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle,

stars,

A moiety of the world.

Der.

He is dead, Cæsar;
Not by a public minister of justice,
Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,
Which writ his honour in the acts it did,
Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,
Splitted the heart. — This is his sword,

I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd
With his most noble blood.

Hear me, good friends, But I will tell you at some meeter season;

Enter a Messenger. The business of this man looks out of him, We'll hear him what he says. Whence are you Mess. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress,

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.
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.

Agr. Mec.

Dolabella!

Cæs. Let him alone, for I remember now How he's employed; 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.

SCENE II.

;

[Exeunt.

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 9,
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.
Cleo. [Within.]

Pro. My name is Proculeius.
Cleo. [Within.]

What's thy name?

Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but
I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,

That have no use for trusting. If your master
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
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.

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 caus'd it.

Gal. You see how easily she may be surpris'd; [Here 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.

Guard her till Cæsar come.

[TO PROCULEIUS and the Guard. Erit GALLUS.

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 pinion'd at your master's court:
Nor once be chástis'd with the sober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,
And show me to the shouting varletry 1
Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave to 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!

Pro. 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

It shall content me best: be gentle to her. To Cæsar I will speak what you shall please,

[To CLEOPATRA.

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.

Cleo. [Within.]

Pray you, tell him

I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him The greatness he has got. I hourly learn

9 Servant.