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,— that our stars,
Unreconciliable, should divide
Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends —
But I will tell you at some meeter season:
Enter an Egyptian
The business of this man looks out of him;
We’ll hear him what he says. Whence are you?
Egyptian
A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress,
Confined in all she has, her monument,
Of thy intents desires instruction,
That she preparedly may frame herself
To the way she’s forced to.
Octavius Caesar
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 Caesar cannot live
To be ungentle.
Egyptian
So the gods preserve thee!
Exit
Octavius Caesar
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.
Proculeius
Caesar, I shall.
Exit
Octavius Caesar
Gallus, go you along.
Exit Gallus
Where’s Dolabella,
To second Proculeius?
All
Dolabella!
Octavius Caesar
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.
Exeunt
SCENE II. ALEXANDRIA. A ROOM IN THE MONUMENT.
Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras
Cleopatra
My desolation does begin to make
A better life. ’Tis paltry to be Caesar;
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 dug,
The beggar’s nurse and Caesar’s.
Enter, to the gates of the monument, Proculeius, Gallus and Soldiers
Proculeius
Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt;
And bids thee study on what fair demands
Thou mean’st to have him grant thee.
Cleopatra
What’s thy name?
Proculeius
My name is Proculeius.
Cleopatra
Antony
Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but
I do not greatly care to be deceived,
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.
Proculeius
Be of good cheer;
You’re fall’n 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 kneel’d to.
Cleopatra
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.
Proculeius
This I’ll report, dear lady.
Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied
Of him that caused it.
Gallus
You see how easily she may be surprised:
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
To Proculeius and the Guard
Guard her till Caesar come.
Exit
Iras
Royal queen!
Charmian
O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen:
Cleopatra
Quick, quick, good hands.
Drawing a dagger
Proculeius
Hold, worthy lady, hold:
Seizes and disarms her
Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this
Relieved, but not betray’d.
Cleopatra
What, of death too,
That rids our dogs of languish?
Proculeius
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.
Cleopatra
Where art thou, death?
Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen
Worthy many babes and beggars!
Proculeius
O, temperance, lady!
Cleopatra
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 Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I
Will not wait pinion’d at your master’s court;
Nor once be chastised 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!
Proculeius
You do extend
These thoughts of horror further than you shall
Find cause in Caesar.
Enter Dolabella
Dolabella
Proculeius,
What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows,
And he hath sent for thee: for the queen,
I’ll take her to my guard.
Proculeius
So, Dolabella,
It shall content me best: be gentle to her.
To Cleopatra
To Caesar I will speak what you shall please,
If you’ll employ me to him.
Cleopatra
Say, I would die.
Exeunt Proculeius and Soldiers
Dolabella
Most noble empress, you have heard of me?
Cleopatra
I cannot tell.
Dolabella
Assuredly you know me.
> Cleopatra
No matter, sir, what I have heard or known.
You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams;
Is’t not your trick?
Dolabella
I understand not, madam.
Cleopatra
I dream’d there was an Emperor Antony:
O, such another sleep, that I might see
But such another man!
Dolabella
If it might please ye,—
Cleopatra
His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck
A sun and moon, which kept their course, and lighted
The little O, the earth.
Dolabella
Most sovereign creature,—
Cleopatra
His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear’d arm
Crested the world: his voice was propertied
As all the tuned spheres, and 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 lived in: in his livery
Walk’d crowns and crownets; realms and islands were
As plates dropp’d from his pocket.
Dolabella
Cleopatra!
Cleopatra
Think you there was, or might be, such a man
As this I dream’d of?
Dolabella
Gentle madam, no.
Cleopatra
You lie, up to the hearing 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
And Antony, were nature’s piece ’gainst fancy,
Condemning shadows quite.
Dolabella
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 pursued success, but I do feel,
By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites
My very heart at root.
Cleopatra
I thank you, sir,
Know you what Caesar means to do with me?
Dolabella
I am loath to tell you what I would you knew.
Cleopatra
Nay, pray you, sir,—
Dolabella
Though he be honourable,—
Cleopatra
He’ll lead me, then, in triumph?
Dolabella
Madam, he will; I know’t.
Flourish, and shout within, ‘Make way there: Octavius Caesar!’
Enter Octavius Caesar, Gallus, Proculeius, Mecaenas, Seleucus, and others of his Train
Octavius Caesar
Which is the Queen of Egypt?
Dolabella
It is the emperor, madam.
Cleopatra kneels
Octavius Caesar
Arise, you shall not kneel:
I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.
Cleopatra
Sir, the gods
Will have it thus; my master and my lord
I must obey.
Octavius Caesar
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.
Cleopatra
Sole sir o’ the world,
I cannot project mine own cause so well
To make it clear; but do confess I have
Been laden with like frailties which before
Have often shamed our sex.
Octavius Caesar
Cleopatra, know,
We will extenuate rather than enforce:
If you apply yourself to our intents,
Which towards you are most gentle, you shall find
A benefit in this change; but if you seek
To lay on me a cruelty, by taking
Antony’s course, you shall bereave yourself
Of my good purposes, and put your children
To that destruction which I’ll guard them from,
If thereon you rely. I’ll take my leave.
Cleopatra
And may, through all the world: ’tis yours; and we,
Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall
Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord.
Octavius Caesar
You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.
Cleopatra
This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels,
I am possess’d of: ’tis exactly valued;
Not petty things admitted. Where’s Seleucus?
Seleucus
Here, madam.
Cleopatra
This is my treasurer: let him speak, my lord,
Upon his peril, that I have reserved
To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.
Seleucus
Madam,
I had rather seal my lips, than, to my peril,
Speak that which is not.
Cleopatra
What have I kept back?
Seleucus
Enough to purchase what you have made known.
Octavius Caesar
Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve
Your wisdom in the deed.
Cleopatra
See, Caesar! O, behold,
How pomp is follow’d! mine will now be yours;
And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine.
The ingratitude of this Seleucus does
Even make me wild: O slave, of no more trust
Than love that’s hired! What, goest thou back? thou shalt
Go back, I warrant thee; but I’ll catch thine eyes,
Though they had wings: slave, soulless villain, dog!
O rarely base!
Octavius Caesar
Good queen, let us entreat you.
Cleopatra
O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this,
That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me,
Doing the honour of thy lordliness
To one so meek, that mine own servant should
Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
Addition of his envy! Say, good Caesar,
That I some lady trifles have reserved,
Immoment toys, things of such dignity
As we greet modern friends withal; and say,
Some nobler token I have kept apart
For Livia and Octavia, to induce
Their mediation; must I be unfolded
With one that I have bred? The gods! it smites me
Beneath the fall I have.
To Seleucus
Prithee, go hence;
Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits
Through the ashes of my chance: wert thou a man,
Thou wouldst have mercy on me.
Octavius Caesar
Forbear, Seleucus.
Exit Seleucus
Cleopatra
Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought
For things that others do; and, when we fall,
We answer others’ merits in our name,
Are therefore to be pitied.
Octavius Caesar
Cleopatra,
Not what you have reserved, nor what acknowledged,
Put we i’ the roll of conquest: still be’t yours,
Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe,
Caesar’s no merchant, to make prize with you
Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer’d;
Make not your thoughts your prisons: no, dear queen;
For we intend so to dispose you as
Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep:
Our care and pity is so much upon you,
That we remain your friend; and so, adieu.
Cleopatra
My master, and my lord!
Octavius Caesar
Not so. Adieu.
Flourish. Exeunt Octavius Caesar and his train
Cleopatra
He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not
Be noble to myself: but, hark thee, Charmian.
Whispers Charmian
Iras
Finish, good lady; the bright day is done,
And we are for the dark.
Cleopatra
Hie thee again:
I have spoke already, and it is provided;
Go put it to the haste.
Charmian
Madam, I will.
Re-enter Dolabella
Dolabella
Where is the queen?
Charmian
Behold, sir.
Exit
Cleopatra
Dolabella!
Dolabella
Madam, as thereto sworn by your command,
Which my love makes religion to obey,
I tell you this: Caesar through Syria
Intends his journey; and within three days
You with your children will he send before:
Make your best use of this: I have perform’d
Your pleasure and my promise.
Cleopatra
Dolabella,
I shall remain your debtor.
Dolabella
I your servant,
Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Caesar.
Cleopatra
Farewell, and thanks.
Exit Dolabella
Now, Iras, what think’st thou?
Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shown
In Rome, as well as I mechanic slaves
With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall
Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths,
Rank of gross diet, shall be enclouded,
And forced to drink their vapour.
Iras
The gods forbid!
Cleopatra
Nay, ’tis most certain, Iras: saucy lictors
Will catch at us, like strumpets; and scald rhymers
Ballad us out o’ tune: the quick comedians
Extemporally will stage us, and present
Our Alexandrian revels; Antony
Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see
Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness
I’ the posture of a whore.
Iras
O the good gods!
Cleopatra
Nay, that’s certain.
Iras
I’ll never see ’t; for, I am sure, my nails
Are stronger than mine eyes.
Cleopatra
Why, that’s the way
To fool their preparation, and to conquer
Their most absurd intents.
Re-enter Charmian
Now, Charmian!
Show me, my women, like a queen: go fetch
My best attires: I am again for Cydnus,
To meet Mark Antony: sirrah Iras, go.
Now, noble Charmian, we’ll dispatch indeed;
And, when thou hast done this chare, I’ll give thee leave
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