Antony and Cleopatra Part 24

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

Cleo. No matter sir, what I haue heard or knowne: You laugh when Boyes or Women tell their Dreames, Is't not your tricke?

Dol. I vnderstand not, Madam

Cleo. I dreampt there was an Emperor Anthony.

Oh such another sleepe, that I might see But such another man

Dol. If it might please ye

Cleo. His face was as the Heau'ns, and therein stucke A Sunne and Moone, which kept their course, & lighted The little o'th' earth

Dol. Most Soueraigne Creature

Cleo. His legges bestrid the Ocean, his rear'd arme Crested the world: His voyce was propertied As all the tuned Spheres, and that to Friends: But when he meant to quaile, and shake the Orbe, He was as ratling Thunder. For his Bounty, There was no winter in't. An Anthony it was, That grew the more by reaping: His delights Were Dolphin-like, they shew'd his backe aboue The Element they liu'd in: In his Liuery Walk'd Crownes and Crownets: Realms & Islands were As plates dropt from his pocket

Dol. Cleopatra

Cleo. Thinke you there was, or might be such a man As this I dreampt of?

Dol. Gentle Madam, no

Cleo. You Lye vp to the hearing of the G.o.ds: But if there be, not euer were one such It's past the size of dreaming: Nature wants stuffe To vie strange formes with fancie, yet t' imagine An Anthony were Natures peece, 'gainst Fancie, Condemning shadowes quite

Dol. Heare me, good Madam: Your losse is as your selfe, great; and you beare it As answering to the waight, would I might neuer Ore-take pursu'de successe: But I do feele By the rebound of yours, a greefe that suites My very heart at roote

Cleo. I thanke you sir: Know you what Caesar meanes to do with me?

Dol. I am loath to tell you what, I would you knew

Cleo. Nay pray you sir

Dol. Though he be Honourable

Cleo. Hee'l leade me then in Triumph

Dol. Madam he will, I know't.

Flourish.

Enter Proculeius, Caesar, Gallus, Mecenas, and others of his Traine.

All. Make way there Caesar

Caes Which is the Queene of Egypt

Dol. It is the Emperor Madam.

Cleo. kneeles.

Caesar. Arise, you shall not kneele: I pray you rise, rise Egypt

Cleo. Sir, the G.o.ds will haue it thus, My Master and my Lord I must obey, Caesar. Take to you no hard thoughts, The Record of what iniuries you did vs, Though written in our flesh, we shall remember As things but done by chance

Cleo. Sole Sir o'th' World, I cannot proiect mine owne cause so well To make it cleare, but do confesse I haue Bene laden with like frailties, which before Haue often sham'd our s.e.x

Caesar. Cleopatra know, We will extenuate rather then inforce: If you apply your selfe to our intents, Which towards you are most gentle, you shall finde A benefit in this change: but if you seeke To lay on me a Cruelty, by taking Anthonies course, you shall bereaue your selfe Of my good purposes, and put your children To that destruction which Ile guard them from, If thereon you relye. Ile take my leaue

Cleo. And may through all the world: tis yours, & we your Scutcheons, and your signes of Conquest shall Hang in what place you please. Here my good Lord

Caesar. You shall aduise me in all for Cleopatra

Cleo. This is the breefe: of Money, Plate, & Iewels I am possest of, 'tis exactly valewed, Not petty things admitted. Where's Seleucus?

Seleu. Heere Madam