The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 42

GALLUS. 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 come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the guard unbar and open the gates

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, [Disarms her]

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this Reliev'd, 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 Th' undoing of yourself. Let the world see His n.o.bleness well acted, which your death Will never let come forth.

CLEOPATRA. Where art thou, death?

Come hither, come! Come, come, and take a queen Worth 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 chastis'd 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-nak'd, 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 n.o.ble Empress, you have heard of me?

CLEOPATRA. I cannot tell.

DOLABELLA. a.s.suredly 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 dreamt 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 heav'ns, 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 liv'd 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 dreamt of?

DOLABELLA. Gentle madam, no.

CLEOPATRA. You lie, up to the hearing of the G.o.ds.

But if there be nor ever were one such, It's past the size of drearning. Nature wants stuff To vie strange forms with fancy; yet t' imagine An 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 pursu'd 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]

[Within: 'Make way there-Caesar!']

Enter CAESAR; GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MAECENAS, SELEUCUS, and others of his train

CAESAR. Which is the Queen of Egypt?

DOLABELLA. It is the Emperor, madam. [CLEOPATPA kneels]

CAESAR. Arise, you shall not kneel.

I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.

CLEOPATRA. Sir, the G.o.ds Will have it thus; my master and my lord I must obey.

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' th' 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 sham'd our s.e.x.

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.

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 reserv'd 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.

CAESAR. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve Your wisdom in the deed.

CLEOPATRA. See, Caesar! O, behold, How pomp is followed! Mine will now be yours; And, should we s.h.i.+ft estates, yours would be mine.

The ingrat.i.tude of this Seleucus does Even make me wild. O slave, of no more trust Than love that's hir'd! 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!

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 reserv'd, Immoment toys, things of such dignity As we greet modern friends withal; and say Some n.o.bler token I have kept apart For Livia and Octavia, to induce Their mediation- must I be unfolded With one that I have bred? The G.o.ds! It smites me Beneath the fall I have. [To SELEUCUS] Prithee go hence; Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits Through th' ashes of my chance. Wert thou a man, Thou wouldst have mercy on me.

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.

CAESAR. Cleopatra, Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledg'd, Put we i' th' 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!

CAESAR. Not so. Adieu.

Flourish. Exeunt CAESAR and his train CLEOPATRA. He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not Be n.o.ble 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's 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 shall be shown In Rome as well as I. Mechanic slaves, With greasy ap.r.o.ns, rules, and hammers, shall Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths, Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded, And forc'd to drink their vapour.

IRAS. The G.o.ds 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' th' posture of a wh.o.r.e.

IRAS. O the good G.o.ds!

CLEOPATRA. Nay, that's certain.

IRAS. I'll never see't, for I am sure mine nails Are stronger than mine eyes.