Cleo.

I thank you, sir.

Know you, what Cæsar means 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. He'll lead me, then, in triumph?

Dol. Madam, he will; I know't.

Within. Make way there!-Cæsar!

Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECENAS, SeleuCUS, and Attendants.

Cas. Which is the queen of Egypt?

Dol. It is the emperor, madam. [CLEOPATRA kneels. Cæs. Arise, you shall not kneel.

I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.

Cleo.

Sir, the gods

Will have it thus: my master and my lord

I must obey.

Cæs.

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.

Cleo.

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 sham'd our sex.

Cæs.

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

surely, as Mr. Barron Field observes, it is much more likely to have been a misprint for "smites," which only varies in a single letter. The expression is then more natural, and it avoids the clash of shoots and "root."

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.

Cleo. 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.
Cæs. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.
Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels,
I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued;

Not petty things admitted.-Where's Seleucus?
Sel. Here, madam.

Cleo. This is my treasurer: let him speak, my lord, Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd

To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.
Sel. Madam,

I had rather seal my lips, than to my peril
Speak that which is not.

Cleo.

What have I kept back?

Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made known. Cæs. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve Your wisdom in the deed.

See, Cæsar! O, behold,

Cleo.
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 hir'd!-What! goest thou back? thou

shalt

Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, Though they had wings. Slave, soul-less villain, dog! O rarely base!

Cæs.

Good queen, let us entreat you.

I had rather SEAL my lips,] This again is one of the instances in which the commentators have understood an allusion to seeling the eyes of a hawk; but the common expression of sealing the lips requires no such explanation,

Cleo. O Cæsar! 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 Cæsar,
That I some lady trifles have reserv'd,
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. Pr'ythee, go hence;

[To SELEUCUs.

Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits
Through th' ashes of my chance.-Wert thou a man,
Thou would'st have mercy on me.

Cæs.

Forbear, Seleucus.

[Exit SELEUCUS.

Cleo. 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.

Cæs.

Cleopatra,

Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledg'd,
Put we i' the roll of conquest: still be it yours,
Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe,
Cæsar'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:

7 - MODERN friends-] i. e. common friends; a use of the word of which we have had various previous examples. See Vol. vi. p. 443, &c.

* WITH one that I have bred?] We should now say, " By one," &c. : another instance of licence in the old use of prepositions.

Our care and pity is so much upon you,
That we remain your friend; and so, adieu.
Cleo. My master, and my lord!

Cæs.

Not so.

Adieu.

[Flourish. Exeunt CESAR, and his Train.

Cleo. 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.

Cleo.

Hie thee again:

I have spoken already, and it is provided;
Go, put it to the haste.

Dol. Madam, as thereto sworn by your command,

Which my love makes religion to obey,

I tell you this: Cæsar 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.

Cleo.

I shall remain your debtor.

Dol.

Dolabella,

I

your servant.

Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cæsar.

Cleo. Farewell, and thanks. [Exit DOL.] 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 we be enclouded,
And forc'd to drink their vapour.

Iras.

The gods forbid!

Cleo. 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' the posture of a whore.

Iras.

Cleo. Nay, that is certain.

O, the good gods!

Iras. I'll never see it; for, I am sure, my nails Are stronger than mine eyes.

Cleo.

Why, that's the way

To fool their preparation, and to conquer

Their most absurd intents.-Now, Charmian?

Re-enter CHARMIAN.

Show me, my women, like a queen :-go fetch
My best attires;-I am again for Cydnus,
To meet Mark Antony.-Sirrah, Iras, go'.-
Now, noble Charmian, we'll despatch indeed;

And, when thou hast done this chare, I'll give thee leave

To play till dooms-day.-Bring our crown and all.
Wherefore's this noise?

Guard.

[Exit IRAS. A noise within.

Here is a rural fellow,

Enter one of the Guard.

SIRRAH, Iras, go.] In Vol. iv. p. 236, we have seen "sirrah" used otherwise than derogatorily: here we find it also applied to a woman, but of course as a mere expletive. Steevens produced an instance from Arthur Hall's translation of Homer (from the French) where Hector addresses the "maids" of Andromache as Sirs.