Shakespeare's First Folio Part 667

Caes Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar'st Appeare thus to vs?

Dec. I am call'd Decretas, Marke Anthony I seru'd, who best was worthie Best to be seru'd: whil'st he stood vp, and spoke He was my Master, and I wore my life To spend vpon his haters. If thou please To take me to thee, as I was to him, Ile be to Caesar: if y pleasest not, I yeild thee vp my life

Caesar. What is't thou say'st?

Dec. I say (Oh Caesar) Anthony is dead

Caesar. The breaking of so great a thing, should make A greater cracke. The round World Should haue shooke Lyons into ciuill streets, And Cittizens to their dennes. The death of Anthony Is not a single doome, in the name lay A moity of the world

Dec. He is dead Caesar, Not by a publike minister of Iustice, Nor by a hyred Knife, but that selfe-hand Which writ his Honor in the Acts it did, Hath with the Courage which the heart did lend it, Splitted the heart. This is his Sword, I robb'd his wound of it: behold it stain'd With his most n.o.ble blood

Caes Looke you sad Friends, The G.o.ds rebuke me, but it is Tydings To wash the eyes of Kings

Dol. And strange it is, That Nature must compell vs to lament Our most persisted deeds

Mec. His taints and Honours, wag'd equal with him

Dola. A Rarer spirit neuer Did steere humanity: but you G.o.ds will giue vs Some faults to make vs men. Caesar is touch'd

Mec. When such a s.p.a.cious Mirror's set before him, He needes must see him selfe

Caesar. Oh Anthony, I haue followed thee to this, but we do launch Diseases in our Bodies. I must perforce Haue shewne to thee such a declining day, Or looke on thine: we could not stall together, In the whole world. But yet let me lament With teares as Soueraigne as the blood of hearts, That thou my Brother, my Compet.i.tor, In top of all designe; my Mate in Empire, Friend and Companion in the front of Warre, The Arme of mine owne Body, and the Heart Where mine his thoughts did kindle; that our Starres Vnreconciliable, should diuide our equalnesse to this.

Heare me good Friends, But I will tell you at some meeter Season, The businesse of this man lookes out of him, Wee'l heare him what he sayes.

Enter an aegyptian.

Whence are you?

aegyp. A poore Egyptian yet, the Queen my mistris Confin'd in all, she has her Monument Of thy intents, desires, instruction, That she preparedly may frame her selfe To'th' way shee's forc'd too

Caesar. Bid her haue good heart, She soone shall know of vs, by some of ours, How honourable, and how kindely Wee Determine for her. For Caesar cannot leaue to be vngentle aegypt. So the G.o.ds preserue thee.

Enter.

Caes Come hither Proculeius. Go and say We purpose her no shame: giue her what comforts The quality of her pa.s.sion shall require; Least in her greatnesse, by some mortall stroke She do defeate vs. For her life in Rome, Would be eternall in our Triumph: Go, And with your speediest bring vs what she sayes, And how you finde of her

Pro. Caesar I shall.

Exit Proculeius.

Caes Gallus, go you along: where's Dolabella, to second Proculeius?

All. Dolabella

Caes Let him alone: for I remember now How hee's imployd: he shall in time be ready.

Go with me to my Tent, where you shall see How hardly I was drawne into this Warre, How calme and gentle I proceeded still In all my Writings. Go with me, and see What I can shew in this.

Exeunt.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian.

Cleo. My desolation does begin to make A better life: Tis paltry to be Caesar: Not being Fortune, hee's but Fortunes knaue, A minister of her will: and it is great To do that thing that ends all other deeds, Which shackles accedents, and bolts vp change; Which sleepes, and neuer pallates more the dung, The beggers Nurse, and Caesars.

Enter Proculeius.

Pro. Caesar sends greeting to the Queene of Egypt, And bids thee study on what faire demands Thou mean'st to haue him grant thee

Cleo. What's thy name?

Pro. My name is Proculeius

Cleo. Anthony Did tell me of you, bad me trust you, but I do not greatly care to be deceiu'd That haue no vse for trusting. If your Master Would haue a Queene his begger, you must tell him, That Maiesty to keepe decorum, must No lesse begge then a Kingdome: If he please To giue me conquer'd Egypt for my Sonne, He giues me so much of mine owne, as I Will kneele to him with thankes

Pro. Be of good cheere: Y'are falne into a Princely hand, feare nothing, Make your full reference freely to my Lord, Who is so full of Grace, that it flowes ouer On all that neede. Let me report to him Your sweet dependancie, and you shall finde A Conqueror that will pray in ayde for kindnesse, Where he for grace is kneel'd too

Cleo. Pray you tell him, I am his Fortunes Va.s.sall, and I send him The Greatnesse he has got. I hourely learne A Doctrine of Obedience, and would gladly Looke him i'th' Face

Pro. This Ile report (deere Lady) Haue comfort, for I know your plight is pittied Of him that caus'd it

Pro. You see how easily she may be surpriz'd: Guard her till Caesar come

Iras. Royall Queene

Char. Oh Cleopatra, thou art taken Queene

Cleo. Quicke, quicke, good hands

Pro. Hold worthy Lady, hold: Doe not your selfe such wrong, who are in this Releeu'd, but not betraid

Cleo. What of death too that rids our dogs of languish Pro. Cleopatra, do not abuse my Masters bounty, by Th' vndoing of your selfe: Let the World see His n.o.blenesse well acted, which your death Will neuer let come forth

Cleo. Where art thou Death?

Come hither come; Come, come, and take a Queene Worth many Babes and Beggers

Pro. Oh temperance Lady

Cleo. Sir, I will eate no meate, Ile not drinke sir, If idle talke will once be necessary Ile not sleepe neither. This mortall house Ile ruine, Do Caesar what he can. Know sir, that I Will not waite pinnion'd at your Masters Court, Nor once be chastic'd with the sober eye Of dull Octauia. Shall they hoyst me vp, And shew me to the showting Varlotarie Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt.

Be gentle graue vnto me, rather on Nylus mudde Lay me starke-nak'd, and let the water-Flies Blow me into abhorring; rather make My Countries high pyramides my Gibbet, And hang me vp in Chaines

Pro. You do extend These thoughts of horror further then you shall Finde cause in Caesar.

Enter Dolabella.

Dol. Proculeius, What thou hast done, thy Master Caesar knowes, And he hath sent for thee: for the Queene, Ile take her to my Guard

Pro. So Dolabella, It shall content me best: Be gentle to her, To Caesar I will speake, what you shall please, If you'l imploy me to him.

Exit Proculeius

Cleo. Say, I would dye

Dol. Most n.o.ble Empresse, you haue heard of me

Cleo. I cannot tell

Dol. a.s.suredly you know me