diately fent for the foldier, and in the presence of the people prefented him with a fuit of armour of pure gold; which he accepting with great proteftations of gratitude and loyalty, deferted that very night to the enemy, Autony made another fally, but was repulfed with great lofs, the Egyptians having, by Cleopatra's private orders, abandoned him in the heat of the engagement. His friends, who had more narrowly watched Cleopatra's conduct, now told him in plain terms, that the betrayed him, and maintained a correfpondence with the enemy. This charge Antony was fo far from believing, that he expreffed great wrath against those who seemed to fufpect her, telling him that he might put a fpeedy end to the war, if thofe, who affected to be his friends, proved as faithful as his dear Cleopatra.

Early next morning he went down to the harbour, and who is ahaving embarked, failed out with a design to attack the bandoned enemy's fleet. But the fignal was no fooner given for the by the Eengagement, than Cleopatra's admiral, followed by all gyptians in a feathe Egyptian fhips, in obedience to her orders, went fight, over to Octavianus. Thus betrayed, Antony haftened and by his back to his land army, which he had drawn up on an land eminence within the city; but was greatly furprised, forces. when he found that they had all to a man, both horse and foot, deferted to the enemy. In this extremity, not knowing whom to confide in, and having no forces to oppose the enemy, he fent to challenge Octavianus to fingle combat; but he, fmiling at this new propofal, anfwered, that if Antony was tired of his life, there were halters and daggers in Alexandria. The brave Romans looked upon fuch challenges as the effects of despair, and not of va lour. Antony feeing himself thus ridiculed by his enemy, abandoned by his friends, and, what most of all grieved him, betrayed by his beloved Cleopatra, flew, full of rage and defpair, to the palace, with a defign to kill the perfidious queen. But fhe, by a timely flight, efcaped his fury, retiring to the above mentioned monument, with two of her maids, and one of her eunuchs. There the fhut herself up, and caufed it to be reported, that fhe had killed herself, to avoid falling into the enemy's hands. Antony, too credulous, did not allow himself time to examine a report, which he ought not to have eafily credited after Cleopatra's late behaviour; but paffing from an excefs of rage to the most violent tranfports

His defperate condi

tion.

Antony gives himjelf a mortal wound.

Antony

conveyed to Cleopatra.

of grief, thought of nothing but following her, by putting a speedy end to his own unhappy life'.

Having taken this defperate refolution, he fhut himself up in his apartment with a faithful flave called Eros, who had long before promised to kill him when the state of his affairs fhould require that mournful office at his hands. Taking therefore his armour off, he put Eros in mind of his promife, and turning his back to him, commanded him to run him through with the fword, which he put into his hand for this purpose. But the flave, full of affection, refpect, and fidelity for his mafter, ftabbed himself, and fell dead at his feet. Antony, encouraged by his example, fell upon his fword; but as he did not expire immediately, he begged some of his friends, who had broke into his apartment, to give him the last instance of their friendship and affection by completing what he had begun. But they all fled out of the room, leaving him wal lowing in his blood. Dercetæus, one of Antony's guards, concealing under his garment the fword, with which he had given himself the mortal wound, haftened to Octavianus, and fhewing him the weapon, acquainted him with the death of his rival. Octavianus at the fight of the sword withdrew, without uttering a fingle word, to the innermost parts of his tent, and there, with many tears, lamented the unhappy fate of his colleague and relation. Having thus given, or pretended to give, vent to his grief, he called in his friends, and read to them the imperious and threatening letters, which he had received from Antony. He then fent Proculeius into the city, ordering him to use his utmost endeavours to get Cleopatra alive into his power 3.

In the mean time the tumult and noife, which the news of Antony's death occafioned all over the city, alarming Cleopatra; fhe looked from the top of the monument, and hearing that Antony had wounded himself, but was not yet dead, fhe commanded Diomedes, her fecretary, to bring him to her into the monument. Diomedes entering his room, found him expiring by the dead flave; but he no fooner pronounced the name of Cleopatra, than he opened his dying eyes. Being informed that she was ftill alive, and defired to fee him, he fuffered his wound to be dreffed, and caufed himself to be carried to the gate of

r Plut. & Dio. ibid. Dio. Caff. p. 449, 450. Liv. lib. cxxxiii. Flor. lib. iv. cap. 11. lib. xvii. p. 793. Sueton. in Octav. cap. 17. Eutrop. lib. vii. Velleius Patercul. lib. ii. cap. 87. Strab.

Orof. lib. vi, cap. 19.

the

the monument, which Cleopatra would not fuffer to be opened for fear of fome furprize. However, the ordered her fervants below to faften him to the ropes, which hung from the top of the monument, and were made use of to pull up ftones, that part not being yet finifhed. They obeyed her orders, and Cleopatra, affifted by her two women, with much difficulty drew him up, her fervants below raising him till he was out of their reach. As foon as he had taken him in, the laid him on a bed; and there, after having expreffed her grief and concern in the most tender and affecting terms, fhe cut off his hair, according to the fuperftition of the pagans, who looked npon this as a relief to thofe who died a violent death.

Antony, feeing Cleopatra's affliction, called for fome Expires in wine, and having by that cordial fomewhat raised his Cleopatra's drooping fpirits, he endeavoured to comfort her in her arms. affliction. He told her, that he thought himself happy as he died in her arms; that as to his defeat, he was not afhamed of it, fince it was no dishonour for a Roman to be overcome by a Roman; he advised her to confult her own intereft, to fave her life and kingdom, provided she could do it with honour; and lastly, to truft none of the friends of Octavianus except Proculeius. With these words he expired, and the fame moment Proculeius arrived from Octavianus's camp. But the queen remained in the monument, refufing to furrender herself to him, unless he would promife her, in the name of Octavianus, both the kingdom of Egypt and her liberty. These were terms which Proculeius could not grant; for Octavianus, having a great defire to carry her in triumph, had ordered him not to promise her any thing that could prevent him from treating her as a captive. However, they had a long conference, Cleopatra ftanding within, and Proculeius close to the gate without. In this conference fhe begged the kingdom of Egypt for her children, and infifted on having her liberty. On these two conditions she offered to deliver into his hands both her person and her treasures. But Proculeius exhorting her only in general terms to confide in Octavianus, and refer all things to his generofity and good-nature, fhe broke off the conference, and retired. Proculeius made his report to Octavianus, who immediately fent Cornelius Gallus to confer with her, being greatly afraid that he would be driven by defpair to lay violent hands on herself, and to deftroy her treafures. While Gallus amufed her with flattering speeches taken

A a 3

at

Cleopatra

Octavianus enters Alexandria.

Antony magnificently in terred by Cleopatra.

at the gate of the monument, Proculeius, having caufed a ladder to be brought, fcaled the wall, and entering, with two attendants, at the fame place where Antony had been taken in, haftened down to the gate, where fhe was conferring with Gallus. When Cleopatra faw him unexpectedly appear, fhe drew a dagger, which fhe always carried about her, with a defign to ftab herself. But Proculeius flying to her, took her in his arms, and forced the dagger out of her hands. He afterwards fearched her and fhook her robes, left fhe fhould have any weapon or poison concealed in them; and having exhorted her to confide in the goodness and clemency of the conqueror, he fent a meffenger to acquaint Octavianus that the queen of Egypt was his prifoner. Octavianus, overjoyed at these tidings, fent Epaphroditus, one of his freedmen, to guard her carefully, and prevent her from making any attempt upon her own life, enjoining him ftrictly at the fame time to treat her with all poffible complaifance and refpect.

In the mean time Octavianus leaving his camp, drew near the city of Alexandria, and finding the gates open entered, it talking with Arius, a native of the place, who had been his preceptor, and leaning upon him with an air of familiarity, that his countrymen might honour him the more in feeing him thus favoured by their conqueror. He went directly to the gymnafium, and having afcended a tribunal, which he had caufed to be erected there, he firft commanded the inhabitants, who had fallen proftrate on the ground before him, to rife; and then in an elegant harangue told the multitude, that he freely pardoned them, in regard to their god Serapis, on account of the beauty and greatnefs of their city, and for the fake of Arius their fellow-citizen, for whom had a great efteem ".

Octavianus, being now in poffeffion of Alexandria, fent Proculeius to comfort the queen, and afk her, in his name, whether he had any request to make? Cleopatra received him with great kindnefs, and returning many thanks to Octavianus, faid, that he had but one favour to beg of him, which was, that he would give her leave to bury Antony. This he willingly granted, allowing her to perform the funeral obfequies with all poffible fplendor. And indeed the fpared no coft to render the interment magnificent, according to the Egyptian cuftom; fhe cauf ed his body to be embalmed with the beft perfumes of the Dio. lib. ii. p. 450, 451. u Plut. in Anton. Julian.

Epift. 51. ad Alexand. Sueton. in Octav. cap. 89. Orof. lib. vi.

cap. 19.

Eaft,

Eaft, and placed it in the burying-place of the kings of Egypt. As this mournful ceremony renewed her grief, fhe was feized with a fever, which the with great joy laid hold of as a pretence to abftain from all food, and fo put an end to her life. This her defign fhe imparted to Olympus her phyfician, who approved of it, and promised to bring her foon inte a confumption. But Octavianus being informed of her indifpofition, fent phyficians to her, whom he could confide in, and by uttering threats against her children, prevailed upon her to follow their prefcriptions. When he was pretty well recovered, Octavianus fent Proculeius to acquaint her, that he fhould be glad to wait upon her, provided the gave him leave; for he treated her with the utmost complaifance, the better to conceal his defign, which was to adorn his triumph with fo noble and famous a captive. Though fhe was greatly altered by her illness and grief, yet fhe did not defpair of infpiring the young conqueror with fentiments of tendernefs and love, as the formerly had captivated Cæfar and Antony. She was therefore overjoyed to hear that he intended to pay her a vifit. As foon as he entered her room, the threw herself at his feet, and afterwards in laying before him the state of her affairs, exerted all her arts in hopes of conquering her conqueror. But whether her charms had no longer the fame power, or that ambition was Octavianus's ruling paffion, he was not affected either with her perfon or converfation; the whole time the fpoke he kept his eyes fixed on the ground; and when the had done speaking, he returned her the following laconic answer: "Woman, be of good chear; no harm fhall be done you w."

She was far from being infenfible of this coldnefs and Delivers indifference, which he looked upon as no good omen; up her but diffembling her concern, the thanked him for the ho- treasures. nour he had done her, and told him, that, in token of her gratitude, the defigned to deliver up to him all the treasures of the kings of Egypt. Accordingly the put an inventory into his hands of all her moveables, jewels, and revenues. Seleucus, one of her treasurers then present, accused her to Octavianus of having concealed part of her moft valuable effects; which imputation provoked her to fuch a degree, that he flew at him in a violent paffion, and taking hold of him by the hair, gave him several blows in the face; then turning to Octavianus, who could

w Plut. ibid. Dio. lib. v. p. 451. Flor. lib. iv. cap. 11.