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.