That thou, vouchfafing here to visit me, To one fo meek, that mine own fervant fhould Addition of his envy! Say, good Cæfar, Their mediation; must I be unfolded With one that I have bred? The gods! It fmites me Beneath the fall I have. Pr'ythee, go hence; [To SELEUC. Or I shall show the cinders of my fpirits Through the ashes of my chance :-Wert thou a man, Thou would't have mercy on me. CES. Forbear, Seleucus. [Exit SELEUCUs. CLEO. Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misFor things that others do; and, when we fall, [thought We answer others' merits in our name, Are therefore to be pitied. CAS. Cleopatra, Not what you have referv'd, nor what acknowledg'd, Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe, Cæfar's no merchant, to make prize with you Of things that merchants fold. Therefore be cheer'd; Yourself fhall give us counfel. Feed, and fleep: friend; And fo adieu. That we remain your friend; CLEO. My matter, and my lord! C c iij CES. Not fo: Adieu. Exeunt CESAR and his train. CLEO. He words me, girls, he words me, that I fhould Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian. [not [Whispers CHARMIAN, IRAS. Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, And we are for the dark. CLEO. Hie thee again : I have spoke already, and it is provided; Go, put it to the haste. DOL. Madam, as thereto fworn by your command, Which my love makes religion to obey, I tell you this Cæfar through Syria I fhall remain your debtor. DOL. I your fervant. Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cæfar. CLEO. Farewell, and thanks. [Exit DOLA.] Now, Iras, what think'st thou? Thou, an Egyptian puppet, fhalt be shown In Rome, as well as I mechanick flaves IRAS. The gods forbid ! CLEO. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: Saucy lictors Will catch at us, like ftrumpets; and scald rhymers Ballad us out o' tune: the quick comedians Extemporally will stage us, and present Our Alexandrian fevels; Antony Shall be brought drunken forth, and I fhall fee IRAS. O the good gods! CLEO. Nay, that is certain. IRAS. I'll never fee it; for, I am fure, my nails Are ftronger than mine eyes. CLEO. Why, that's the way To fool their preparation, and to conquer Enter CHARMIAN. Show me, my women, like a queen ;-Go fetch And, when thou haft done this chare, I'll give thee leave To play till dooms-day.—Bring our crown and all. Wherefore's this noife? [Exit IRAS. A noife within. Enter one of the GUARD. GUARD. Here is a rural fellow, That will not be deny'd your highness' prefence; CLEO. Let him come in. How poor an inftrument Cc iiij I am marble-conftant: now the fleeting moon No planet is of mine. Re-enter GUARD, with a CLOWN bringing a basket. GUARD. This is the man. CLEO. Avoid, and leave him. Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, That kills and pains not? [Exit GUARD. CLOWN. Truly I have him: but I would not be the party that should defire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those, that do die of it, do seldom or never recover. CLEO. Remember'ft thou any that have died on't? CLOWN. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but fomething given to lie; as a woman fhould not do, but in the way of honesty: how she died of the biting of it, what pain fhe felt, Truly, fhe makes a very good report o' the worm: But he that will believe all that they say, fhall never be faved 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. CLEO. Farewell. [CLOWN fets down the basket. CLOWN. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind. CLEO. Ay, ay; farewell. CLOWN. Look you, the worm is not to be trufted, but in the keeping of wife people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm. CLEO. Take thou no care; it fhall be heeded. CLOWN. Very good; give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. CLEO. Will it eat me? CLOWN. You must not think I am fo fimple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a difh for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, these fame whorefon 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. CLOWN. Yes, forfooth; I wish you joy of 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 fhall moist this lip To praise my noble act; I hear him mock [Kifles them. IRAS falls and dies, Have I the afpick in my lips? Doft fall? If thou and nature can fo gently part, The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, Which hurts, and is defir'd. Doft thou lie ftill? If thus thou vanisheft, thou tell'ft the world It is not worth leave-taking. CHAR. Diffolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may fay, The gods themselves do weep! CLEO. This proves me base : If the first meet the curled Antony, |