Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy
Best to be serv'd: whilst he stood up and spoke,
He was my master; and I wore my life,
To spend upon his haters: If thou please
To take me to thee, as I was to him
I'll be to Caesar; if thou pleasest not
I yield thee up my life.

Caes. What is't thou say'st?

Der, I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.

Caes, The breaking of so great a thing should

A greater crack: The round world should have

Lions into civil streets,

And citizens to their dens:

make

shook

The death of Antony

Is not a single doom; in the name lay

A moiety of the world.

Der. He is dead, Caesar;

Not by a publick minister of justice,

Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,
Which writ his honour 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 noble blood.

Caes. Look you sad, friends?

The Gods rebuke me, but it is a tidings

To wash the eyes of Kings.

Agr. And strange it is,

That nature must compel us to lament

Our most persisted deeds.

Mec. His taints and honours

Waged equal with him.

Agr. A rarer spirit never

Did steer humanity: but you, Gods, will give us

Some faults to make us men.

Caesar is touch'd.

Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce
Have shown to thee such a declining day,
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;

mistress,

Confin'd in all she has, her monument,

Of thy intents desires instruction ;

That she preparedly may frame herself
To the way she's forc'd to. Dow

Caes. Bid, her have good heart;

She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourably and how kindly we

Determine for her for Caesar cannot live

To be ungentle.

Ms. So the Gods preserve thee! [Exit.

Caes. Come hither Proculeius; Go, and say, We purpose her not 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.

Pro. Caesar, I shall.

Caes, Gallus, go you along.

To second Proculeius?

Agr. Mec. Dolabella!

[Exit PROCULEIUS. Where's Dola

bella,

[Exit GALLUS.

Caes. 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,
What I can show in this.

and see

[Exeunt:

SCENE IIS

Alexandria. A Room in the Monument.

197

Enter CLEOPATRA) CHARMIAN,

and IRAS.

Cleo. My desolation does begin to make witness A better life: 'Tis paltry to be Caesari 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 dung, The beggar's nurse and Caesar's.

95

Enter, to the gates of the Monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS, and Soldiers.

Pro Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt; And bids thee study on what fair demands Thou mean'st to have him grant thee. Cleo. [Within.] What's thy name? Pro. My name is Proouleius.

Cleo. [Within.] Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but
I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,

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.

Pro. Be of good cheer;

You have fallen into a princely hand, fear no

thing;

Make your full reference freely to my lord,
Who is so fall of grace, that it flows over
On all that need: Let me report to him
Your sweet dependancy; and you shall find
A conqueror, that will pray in aid for kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

Cleo. [Within.] 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.

Pro. This I'll report, dear Lady.

Have comfort; for, I know, your plight is pity'd Of him that caus'd it.

Gal. You see how easily she may be surpriz'd; [Here PROCULEIUS, and two of the guard, ascend the monument by a ladder placed against a window, and having descend 'ed, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the guard unbar and open the gates. Guard her till Caesar come.

[TO PROCULETUS and the guard. Exit

CALLUS.

Iras, Royal Queen!

Char. O Cleopatra ! thou art taken, Queen!
Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands.

[drawing a dagger.

Pro. Hold, worthy Lady, hold:

[Seizes and disarms her.

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this
Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

Cleo. What, of death too,

That rids our dogs of languish ?

Pro. 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.

Cleo, Where art thou, death?
Come hither, come! come,

come, and take a

Queen

Worth many babes and beggars!
Pro. O, temperauce, Lady!

Cleo. 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 chástis'd with the sober eye