had by Iulius Caesar conuaied before vnto India out of the danger of the warrs was about the same time of her death murthered at Rhodes trained thether by the falshood of his Tutor corrupted by Caesar And so heereby came the race of the Ptolomies to be wholy extinct the florishing ritch Kingdome of Egipt vtterly ouer-throwne and subdued The Scaene supposed Alexandria THE ACTORS CLEOPATRA OCTAVIVS CAESAR PROCVLEIVS DOLABELLA TITIVS seruant to DOLABELLA ARIVS two Philosophers PHILOSTRATVS SELEVCVS Secretary to CLEOPATRA RODON Tutor to CAESARIO NVNTIVS The CHORVS all Egiptians ACTVS PRIMVS CLEOPATRA YET doe I liue and yet doth breath possesse This hatefull prison of a loathsome soule Can no calamitie nor no distresse Breake hart and all and end a life so soule Can Cleopatra liue and with these eyes Behold the deerest of her life bereft her Ah can shee entertaine the least surmise Of any hope that hath but horror left her Why should I linger longer griefes to try These eyes that sawe what honor earth could giue mee Doe now behold the worst of misery The greatest wrack wherto Fortune could driue mee Hee on whose shoulders all my rest relyde On whom the burthen of my ambition lay The Atlas and the Champion of my pride That did the world of my whole fortune sway Lyes falne confounded dead in shame and dolors Following th' vnlucky party of my loue Th' Ensigne of mine eyes th' vnhappy collours That him to mischiefe mee to ruine droue And now the modell made of misery Scorne to the world borne but for Fortunes foile My lusts haue fram'd a Tombe for mee to lie Euen in the ashes of my Countries spoyle Ah who would think that I were shee who late Clad with the glory of the worlds chiefe ritches Admir'd of all the earth and wondred at Glittring in pompe that hart and eye bewitches Should thus distress'd cast down from of that heigth Leuell'd with low disgrac'd calamitie Vnder the waight of such affliction sigh Reduc'd vnto th' extreamest misery Am I the woman whose inuentiue pride Adorn'd like Isis scornd mortalitie I st I that left my sence so without guide That flattery would not let him know t was I Ah now I see they scarce tell truth that praise vs Crownes are beguild prosperity betraies vs VVhat is become of all that statelie traine Those troopes that wont attend prosperitie See what is left what number doth remaine A tombe two maydes and miserable I And I t' adorne their tryumphes am reseru'd A captiue kept to beautifie their spoyles VVhom Caesar labours so to haue preseru'd And seekes to entertaine my life with wiles No Caesar no it is not thou canst doe it Promise flatter threaten extreamitie Imploy thy wits and all thy force vnto it I haue both hands and will and I can die Though thou of Country kingdom my Crowne Though thou of all my glory dost bereaue me Though thou hast all my Egipt as thine owne Yet hast thou left me that which will deceiue thee That courage with my blood and birth innated Admir'd of all the earth as thou art now Cannot by threates be vulgarly abated To be thy slaue that rul'd as good as thou Consider Caesar that I am a Queene And scorne the basenes of a seruile thought The world and thou dost know what I haue beene And neuer thinke I can be so low brought The Rome should see my scepter-bearing hands Behinde mee bounde and glory in my teares That I should passe whereas Octauia stands To view my misery that purchast hers No I disdaine that head that wore a Crowne Should stoope to take vp that which others giue I must not be vnlesse I be mine owne T is sweet to die when we are forst to liue Nor had I troubled now the world thus long And beene indebted for this little breath But that I feare Caesar would offer wrong To my distressed seede after my death T is that which dooth my deerest blood controule T is that alas detaines mee from my Tombe Whilst Nature brings to contradict my soule The argument of mine vnhappy wombe O lucklesse issue of a wofull Mother Th' vngodly pledges of a wanton bed You Kings design'd must now be slaues to other Or els not bee I feare when I am dead It is for you I temporise with Caesar And liue this while for to procure your safetie For you I fayne content and soothe his pleasure Calamitie heerein hath made me crafty But t is not long I le see what may be done And come what will this stands I must die free I le be my selfe my thoughts doe rest thereon Blood chyldren nature all must pardon mee My soule yeelds honour vp the victory And I must bee a Queene forget a mother Yet mother would I be were I not I And Queene would I not now be were I other But what know I if th' heauens haue decreed And that the sinnes of Egipt haue deseru'd The Ptolomeyes should faile and none succeed And that my weakenes was thereto reseru'd That I should bring confusion to my state And fill the measure of iniquitie Licentiousnes in mee should end her date Begunne in ill-dispensed libertie If so it be and that my heedles waies Haue this so great a dissolation rais'd Yet let a glorious end conclude my dayes Though life were bad my death may yet be prais'd That I may write in letters of my blood A fit memoriall for the times to come To be example to such Princes good That please themselues and care not what become And Anthony because the world doth know That my mis-fortune hath procured thine And my improuidence brought thee folow To lose thy glory and to ruine mine By grapling in the Ocean of our pride To sinke each others greatnes both together Both equall shipwrack of our states t' abide And like destruction to procure to eyther If I should now our common faulte suruiue Then all the world must hate mee if I doe it Sith both our errors did occasion giue And both our faults haue brought vs both vnto it I beeing first inamour'd with thy greatnes Thou with my vanity bewitched wholy And both betrayd with th' outward pleasant sweetnes The one ambition spoyld th' other folly For which thou hast already duly paid The statute of thy errors dearest forfeit VVhereby thy gotten credite was decayd Procur'd thee by thy wanton deadly surfeit And next is my turne now to sacrifize To Death and thee the life that doth reproue mee Our like distresse I feele doth sympathize And euen affliction makes me truly loue thee VVhich Anthony I must confesse my fault I neuer did sincerely vntill now Now I protest I doe now am I taught In death to loue in life that knew not how For whilst my glory in that greatnes stood And that I saw my state and knew my beauty Saw how the world admir'd mee how they woode I then thought all men must loue me of dutie And I loue none for
my lasciuious Courte Fertile in euer-fresh and new-choyce pleasure Affoorded me so bountiful disport That I to thinke on loue had neuer leysure My vagabond desires no limits found For lust is endlesse pleasure hath no bound Thou comming from the strictnes of thy Citty The wanton pompe of Courts yet neuer learnedst Inur'd to wairs in womans wiles vnwittie Whilst others fayn'd thou fell'st to loue in earnest Not knowing women like them best that houer And make least reckning of a doting Louer And yet thou earn'st but in my beauties waine When new-appearing wrinkles of declining Wrought with the hand of yeeres seem'd to detaine My graces light as now but dimly shining Euen in the confines of mine age when I Fayling of what I was and was but thus VVhen such as wee doe deeme in iealosie That men loue for them-selues and not for vs Then and but thus thou didst loue most sincerely O Anthony that best deseru'dst it better Thys Autumne of my beauty bought so deerely For which in more then death I stand thy debter VVhich I will pay thee with most faithfull zeale And that ere long no Caesar shall detaine me My death my loue and courage shall reueale The which is all the world hath left t' vnstaine me And to the end I may deceiue best Caesar Who dooth so eagerly my life importune I must preuaile mee of this little leisure Seeming to sute my minde vnto my fortune Whereby I may the better mee prouide Of what my death and honor best shall fit A seeming base content must warie hide My last disseigne till I accomplish it That heereby yet the world shall see that I Although vnwise to liue had wit to die Exit CHORVS BEhold what Furies still Torment their tortur'd brest Who by their doing ill Haue wrought the worlds vnrest Which when being most distrest Yet more to vexe their sp'rit The hidious face of sinne In formes they most detest Stands euer in their sight Their Conscience still within Th eternall larum is That euer-barking dog that calls vppon theyr miss No meanes at all to hide Man from himselfe can finde No way to start aside Out from the hell of mind But in himselfe confin'd Hee still sees sinne before And winged-footed paine That swiftly comes behind The which is euer more The sure and certaine gaine Impietie doth get And wanton loose respect that dooth it selfe forget And CLEOPATRA now Well sees the dangerous way Shee tooke and car'd not bow Which led her to decay And likewise makes vs pay For her disordred lust Th' int'rest of our blood Or liue a seruile pray Vnder a band vniust As others shall thinke good This hath her riot wonne And thus shee hath her state her selfe and vs vndunne Now euery mouth can tell What close was muttered How that shee did not well To take the course shee did For now is nothing hid Of what feare did restraine No secrete closely done But now is vttered The text is made most plaine That flattry glos'd vpon The bed of sinne reueal'd And all the luxurie that shame would haue concealed The scene is broken downe And all vncou'red lyes The purple Actors knowne Scarce men whom men despise The complots of the wise Proue imperfections smoake And all what wonder gaue To pleasure-gazing eyes Lyes scattered dasht all broke Thus much beguiled haue Poore vnconsider at wights These momentary pleasures fugitiue delights ACTVS SECVNDVS CAESAR PROCVLEIVS KIngdoms I see we winne we conquere Climates Yet cannot vanquish harts nor force obedience Affections kept in close-concealed limits Stand farre without the reach of sword or violence Who forc'd doe pay vs duety pay not loue Free is the hart the temple of the minde The Sanctuarie sacred from aboue Where nature keepes the keyes that loose and bind No mortall hand force open can that doore So close shut vp and lockt to all mankind I see mens bodies onely ours no more The rest anothers right that rules the minde Behold my forces vanquisht haue this Land Subdu'de that strong Competitor of mine All Egipt yeelds to my all-conquering hand And all theyr treasure and themselues resigne Onely this Queene that hath lost all this all To whom is nothing left except a minde Cannot into a thought of yeelding fall To be dispos'd as chaunce hath her assign'd But Proculei what hope doth shee now giue Will shee be brought to condiscend to liue Proc. My Lord what time being sent from you to try To win her foorth aliue if that I might From out the Monument where wofully Shee liues inclos'd in most afflicted plight No way I found no meanes how to surprize her But through a Grate at th' entry of the place Standing to treate I labour'd to aduise her To come to Caesar and to sue for grace Shee saide shee crau'd not life but leaue to die Yet for her children prayd they might inherite That Caesar would vouchsafe in clemency To pitty them though shee deseru'd no merite So leauing her for then and since of late With Gallus sent to try another time The whilst hee entertaines her at the grate I found the meanes vp to the Tombe to climbe Where in discending in the closest wise And silent manner as I could contriue Her woman mee descri'd and out shee cryes Poore Cleopatra thou art tane aliue With that the Queene raught frō her side her knife And euen in acte to stab her martred brest I stept with speed and held and sau'd her life And forth her trembling hand the blade did wrest Ah Cleopatra why should'st thou said I Both iniurie thy selfe and Caesar so Barre him the honour of his victory VVho euer deales most mildly with his foe Liue and relye on him whose mercy will To thy submission alwaies ready be With that as all amaz'd shee held her still Twixt maiestie confus'd and miserie Her proud grieu'd eyes held sorrow and disdaine State and distresse warring within her soule Dying ambition dispossest her raigne So base affliction seemed to controule Like as a burning Lampe whose liquor spent With intermitted flames when dead you deeme it Sendes foorth a dying flash as discontent That so the matter failes that should redeeme it So shee in spight to see her low-brought state When all her hopes were now consum'd to nought Scornes yet to make an abiect league with Fate Or once discend into a seruile thought Th' imperious tongue vnused to beseech Authority confounds with prayers so Words of commaund conioyn'd wish humble speech Shew'd shee would liue yet scorn'd to pray her foe Ah what hath Caesar heere to doe said shee In confines of the dead in darknes liuing Will hee not graunt our Sepulchers be free But violate the priuiledge of dying What must hee stretch forth his ambitious hand Into the right of Death and force vs heere Hath misery no couert where to stand Free from the storme of pryde i st safe no where Cannot my land my gold my Crowne suffise And all what I held
Victors lenitie Th' inheritaunce of mercy from him take Of whom thou hast thy fortune and thy name Great Caesar mee a Queene at first did make And let not Caesar now confound the same Reade heere these lines which still I keep with me The witnes of his loue and fauours euer And God forbid this should be said of thee That Caesar wrong'd the fauoured of Caesar For looke what I haue beene to Anthony Thinke thou the same I might haue been to thee And heere I doe present thee with the note Of all the treasure all the Iewels rare That Egipt hath in many ages got And looke what Cleopatra hath is there Seleu. Nay there 's not all set down within that roule I know some things shee hath reseru'd a part Cle. What vile vngreateful wretch dar'st thou cōtroule Thy Queene soueraine caitiue as thou art Caes. Hold holde a poore reuenge can worke so feeble Cle. Ah Caesar what a great indignitie hands Is this that heere my vassale subiect stands T' accuse mee to my Lord of trechery If I reseru'd some certaine womens toyes Alas it was not for my selfe God knowes Poore miserable soule that little ioyes In trifling ornaments in outward showes But what I kept I kept to make my way Vnto thy Liuia and Octauias grace That thereby in compassion mooued they Might mediat thy fauour in my case Caes. Well Cleopatra feare not thou shalt finde What fauour thou desir'st or canst expect For Caesar neuer yet was found but kinde To such as yeeld and can themselues subiect And therefore giue thou comfort to thy minde Relieue thy soule thus ouer-charg'd with care How well I will intreate thee thou shalt find So soone as some affayres dispatched are Til whē farewel Cl. Thanks thrise-renowned Caesar Poore Cleopatra rests thine owne for euer Dol. No meruaile Caesar though our greatest sp'rits Haue to the powre of such a charming beautie Beene brought to yeeld the honour of their merits Forgetting all respect of other dutie Then whilst the glory of her youth remain'd The wondring obiect to each wanton eye Before her full of sweet with sorrow wain'd Came to the period of this misery If still euen in the midst of death and horror Such beauty shines thorow clowds of age sorow If euen those sweet decayes seeme to plead for her Which from affliction mouing graces borrow If in calamity shee could thus moue What could she do adorn'd with youth loue VVhat could she do then when as spreading wide The pompe of beauty in her glory dight When arm'd with wonder shee could vse beside Th' engines of her loue Hope and Delight Beauty daughter of Meruaile ô see how Thou canst disgracing sorrowes sweetly grace VVhat power thou shew'st in a distressed brow That mak'st affliction faire giu'st teares their grace VVhat can vntressed locks can torne rent haire A weeping eye a wailing face be faire I see then artlesse feature can content And that true beauty needes no ornament Caes. What in a passion Dolabella what take heede Let others fresh examples be thy warning What mischiefes these so idle humors breed VVhilst error keepes vs from a true discerning Indeed I saw shee labour'd to impart Her sweetest graces in her saddest cheere Presuming on the face that knew the arte To moue with what aspect so eu'r it were But all in vaine shee takes her ayme amisse The ground and marke her leuel much deceiues Time now hath altred all for neither is Shee as shee was nor wee as shee conceiues And therefore now t were best she left such badnes Folly in youth is sinne in age t is madnes And for my part I seeke but t' entertaine In her some feeding hope to draw her forth The greatest Trophey that my trauailes gaine Is to bring home a prizall of such worth And now sith that shee seemes so well content To be dispos'd by vs without more stay Shee with her chyldren shall to Rome be sent Whilst I by Syria thither take my way CHORVS O Fearefull frowning NEMESIS Daughter of IVSTICE most seuere That art the worlds great Arbitresse And Queene of causes raigning heere Whose swift-sure hand is euer neere Eternill iustice righting wrong Who neuer yet-deserrest long The proudes decay the weakes redresse But through thy powre euery where Doost raze the great and raise the lesse The lesse made great doost ruine to To shew the earth what heauen can doe Thou from dark-clos'd eternitie From thy black clowdy hidden seate The worlds disorders doost discry Which when they swell so proudly great Reuersing th' order nature set Thou giu'st thy all-confounding doome Which none can know before it come Th' ineuitable destinie Which neyther wit nor strength can let Fast chayn'd vnto necessitie In mortall things doth order so Th' alternate course of weale or wo O low the powres of heauen do play With trauailed mortalitie And doth their weakenes still betray In theyr best prosperitie When beeing listed vp so hie They looke beyond themselues so farre That to themselues they take no care Whilst swift confusion downe doth lay Theyr late proude mounting vanitie Bringing theyr glory to decay And with the ruine of theyr fall Extinguish people state and all But is it iustice that all wee Th' innocent poore multitude For great mens faults should punisht be And to destruction thus pursude O why should th' heauens vs include Within the compasse of theyr sall Who of themselues procured all Or doe the Gods in close decree Occasion take how to extrude Man from the earth with crueltie Ah no the Gods are euer iust Our faults excuse theyr rigor must This is the period Fate set downe To Egipts fat prosperity Which now vnto her greatest growne Must perrish thus by course must die And some must be the causers why This reuolution must be wrought As borne to bring theyr state to nought To change the people and the crowne And purge the worlds iniquitie Which vice so farre hath ouer-growne As wee so they that treate vs thus Must one day perrish like to vs ACTVS QVARTVS SELEVCVS RODON Sel. NEuer friend Rodon in a better howre Could I haue met thee then eu'en now I do Hauing affliction in the greatest powre Vpon my soule and none to tell it to For t is some ease our sorrowes to reueale If they to whom wee shall impart our woes Seeme but to feele a part of what wee feele And meete vs with a sigh but at a cloze Rod. And neuer friend Seleucus found'st thou one That better could beare such a part with thee Who by his owne knowes others cares to mone And can in like accord of griefe agree And therefore tell th' oppression of thy hart Tell to an eare prepar'd and tun'd to care And I will likewise vnto thee impart As sad a tale as what thou shalt declare So shal we both our mournful plaints combine I le waile thy state and thou shalt pitty mine Sel. Well then thou know'st how I haue liu'd in
Sith our owne Country Gods betray our case O worke they may theyr gracious helpe impart To saue thy wofull wife from such disgrace Doe not permit shee should in tryumph shew The blush of her reproch ioyn'd with thy shame But rather let that hatefull Tyrant know That thou and I had powre t' auoyde the same But what doe I spend breath and idle winde In vaine invoking a conceiued ayde Why doe I not my selfe occasion find To breake the bounds wherein my selfe am stayd VVords are for them that can complaine and lyue VVhose melting harts compos'd of baser frame Can to theyr sorrowes time and leysure gyue But Cleopatra may not doe the same No Anthony thy loue requireth more A lingring death with thee deserues no merit I must my selfe force open wide a dore To let out life and so vnhouse my spirit These hands must breake the prison of my soule To come to thee there to enioy like state As doth the long-pent solitary Foule That hath escapt her cage and found her mate This Sacrifice to sacrifize my life Is that true incense that doth best beseeme These rites may serue a life-desiring wife Who dooing them t' haue done enough doth deeme My hart blood should the purple flowers haue beene Which heere vpon thy Tombe to thee are offred No smoake but dying breath should heere been seene And this it had beene to had I beene suffred But what haue I saue these bare hands to doe it And these weake fingers are not yron-poynted They cannot peirce the flesh be'ing put vnto it And I of all meanes els am disapoynted But yet I must a way and meanes seeke how To come vnto thee what so ere I doo O Death art thou so hard to come by now That wee must pray intreate and seeke thee too But I will finde thee where so ere thou lye For who can stay a minde resolu'd to die And now I goe to worke th' effect in deede I le neuer send more words or sighes to thee I le bring my soule my selfe and that with speed My selfe will bring my soule to Anthony Come goe my Maydes my fortunes sole attenders That minister to misery and sorrow Your Mistres you vnto your freedom renders And quits you from all charge yet ere to morrow And now by this I thinke the man I sent Is neere return'd that brings mee my dispatch God graunt his cunning sort to good euent And that his skill may well beguile my watch So shall I shun disgrace leaue to be sorie Fly to my loue scape my foe free my soule So shall I act the last act of my glory Dye like a Queene and rest without controule Exit CHORVS MIsterious Egipt wonder breeder strict religions strange obseruer State-ordrer Zeale the best rule-keeper fostring still in feruor O how cam'st thou to lose so wholy all religion law and order And thus become the most vnholy of all Lands that Nylus border How could confus'd Disorder enter where sterne Law sate so seuerely How durst weake lust and ryot venter th' eye of Iustice looking neerely Could not those means that made thee great Be still the meanes to keepe thy state Ah no the course of things requireth change and alteration euer That same continuaunce man desireth th vnconstant world yeeldeth neuer Wee in our counsels must be blinded and not see what dooth import vs And often-times the thing least minded is the thing that most must hurt vs Yet they that haue the stearne in guiding t is their fault that should preuent it For oft they seeing their Country slyding take their ease as though contented Wee imitate the greater powres The Princes manners fashion ours Th' example of their light regarding vulgar loosenes much incences Vice vncontrould growes wide inlarging Kings small faults be great offences And this hath set the window open vnto lycence lust and ryot This way Confusion first found broken whereby entred our disquiet Those lawes that Zoroaster founded and the Ptolomies obserued Heereby first came to be confounded which our state so long preserued The wanton luxurie of Court Dyd forme the people of like sort For all respecting priuate pleasure vniuersally consenting To abuse theyr time theyr treasure in theyr owne delights contenting And future dangers nought respecting whereby O howe easie matter Made this so generall neglecting Confus'd weakenes to disaster Caesar found th' effect true tryed in his easie entrance making Who at the sight of armes discryed all our people all forsaking For ryot worse then warre so sore Had wasted all our strength before And thus is Egipt seruile rendred to the insolent destroyer And all their sumptuous treasure tendred all her wealth that did betray her Which poyson O if heauens be rightfull may so far infect their sences That Egipts pleasures so delightfull may breed them the like offences And Romans learne our way of weaknes be instructed in our vices That our spoyles may spoyle your greatnes ouercome with our deuises Fill full your hands and carry home Inough from vs to ruine Rome ACTVS QVINTVS DOLABELLA TITIVS Dol. COme tell mee Titius eu'ry circumstaunce How Cleopatra did receiue my newes Tell eu'ry looke each gesture countenaunce That shee did in my Letters reading vse Tit. I shall my Lord so farre as I could note Or my conceite obserue in any wise It was the time when as shee hauing got Leaue to her Deerest dead to sacrifize And now was issuing out the Monument With Odors Incense Garlands in her hand When I approcht as one from Caesar sent And did her close thy message t' vnderstand Shee turnes her backe and with her takes mee in Reades in thy lynes thy strange vnlookt for tale And reades and smyles and stayes and doth begin Againe to reade then blusht and then was pale And hauing ended with a sigh refoldes Thy Letter vp and with a fixed eye Which stedfast her imagination holds Shee mus'd a while standing confusedly At length Ah friend saith shee tell thy good Lord How deere I hold his pittying of my case That out of his sweet nature can afford A miserable woman so much grace Tell him how much my heauy soule doth grieue Mercilesse Caesar should so deale with mee Pray him that he would all the counsell giue That might diuert him from such crueltie As for my loue say Anthony hath all Say that my hart is gone into the graue With him in whom it rests and euer shall I haue it not my selfe nor cannot haue Yet tell him he shall more commaund of mee Then any whosoeuer lyuing can Hee that so friendly shewes himselfe to be A right kind Roman and a Gentleman Although his Nation fatall vnto mee Haue had mine age a spoyle my youth a pray Yet his affection must accepted be That fauours one distrest in such decay Ah hee was worthy then to haue been lou'd Of Cleopatra whiles her glory lasted Before shee had declyning fortune prou'd Or scene her honor wrackt her flower blasted Now there is nothing left her
but disgrace Nothing but her affliction that can moue Tell Dolabella one that 's in her case Poore soule needes rather pitty now then loue But shortly shall thy Lord heare more of mee And ending so her speech no longer stayd But hasted to the Tombe of Anthony And this was all shee did and all shee said Dol. Ah sweet distressed Lady What hard hart Could chuse but pitty thee and loue thee too Thy worthines the state wherein thou art Requireth both and both I vow to doo Although ambition lets not Caesar see The wrong hee doth thy Maiestie and sweetnes VVhich makes him now exact so much of thee To add vnto his pride to grace his greatnes Hee knowes thou canst no hurt procure vs now Sith all thy strength is ceaz'd into our hands Nor feares hee that but rather labours how Hee might shew Rome so great a Queene in bands That our great Ladies enuying thee so much That stain'd thē all hell'd them in such wonder Might ioy to see thee and thy fortune such Thereby extolling him that brought thee vnder But I will seeke to stay it what I may I am but one yet one that Caesar loues And ô if now I could doe more then pray Then should'st thou know how far affection moues But what my powre and prayer may preuaile I le ioyne them both to hinder thy disgrace And euen this present day I will not fayle To doe my best with Caesar in this case Tit. And Sir euen now her selfe hath Letters sent I met her messenger as I came hither With a dispatch as hee to Caesar went But knowes not what imports her sending thither Yet this hee told how Cleopatra late Was come from sacrifice How ritchly clad VVas seru'd to dinner in most sumptuous state VVith all the brauest ornaments shee had How hauing dyn'd shee writes and sends away Him straight to Caesar and commaunded than All should depart the Tombe and none to stay But her two maides and one poore Countryman Dol. Why then I know she sends t' haue audience now And meanes t' experience what her state can doe To see if Maiestie will make him bow To what affliction could not moue him to And ô if now shee could but bring a view Of that fresh beauty shee in youth possest The argument where-with shee ouer-threw The wit of Iulius Caesar and the rest Then happily Augustus might relent Whilst powrefull Loue far stronger thē ambition Might worke in him a mind to be content To graunt her asking in the best condition But beeing as shee is yet doth she merite To be respected for what shee hath been The wonder of her kinde of rarest spirit A glorious Lady and a mighty Queene And now but by a little weakenes falling To doe that which perhaps sh'was forst to doe Alas an error past is past recalling Take away weakenes and take wemen too But now I goe to be thy Aduocate Sweet Cleopatra now I le vse mine arte Thy presence will mee greatly animate Thy face will teach my tongue thy loue my hart SCENA SECVNDA NVNTIVS AM I ordaind the carefull Messenger And sad newes-bringer of the strangest death VVhich selfe hand did vpon it selfe infer To free a captiue soule from seruile breath Must I the lamentable wonder shew VVhich all the world must grieue and meruaile at The rarest forme of death in earth below That euer pitty glory wonder gat Chor. What newes bring'st thou can Egipt yet yeeld more Of sorrow then it hath what can it add To th'already ouer-flowing store Of sad affliction matter yet more sad Haue wee not seene the worst of our calamitie Is there behind yet something of distresse Vnseene vnknowne Tell if that greater misery There be that we waile not that which is lesse Tell vs what so it be and tell at fyrst For sorrow euer longs to heare her worst Nun. VVell then the strangest thing relate I will That euer eye of mortall man hath seene I as you know euen from my youth haue stil Attended on the person of the Queene And euer in all fortunes good or ill With her as one of chiefest trust haue beene And now in these so great extreamities That euer could to Maiestie befall I did my best in what I could deuise And left her not till now shee left vs all Chor. VVhat is shee gone Hath Caesar forst her so Nun. Yea shee is gone and hath deceiu'd him to Chor. What fled to INDIA to goe find her sonne Nun. No not to INDIA but to find her sonne Chor. Why thē there 's hope she may her state recouer Nun. Her state nay rather honor and her Louer Chor. Her Louer him shee cannot haue againe Nun. VVell him shee hath with him she doth remaine Cho. Why thē she 's dead I st so why speak'st not thou Nun. You gesse aright and I will tell you how Whē she perceiu'd al hope was cleane bereft her That Caesar meant to send her straight away And saw no meanes of reconcilement left her VVork what she could she could not work to stay Shee calls mee to her and she thus began O thou whose trust hath euer beene the same And one in all my fortunes faithfull man Alone content t' attend disgrace and shame Thou whom the fearefull ruine of my fall Neuer deterrd to leaue calamitie As did those other smooth state-pleasers all VVho followed but my fortune and not me T is thou must doe a seruice for thy Queene VVherein thy faith and skill must doe their best Thy honest care and duty shall be seene Performing this more then in all the rest For all what thou hast done may die with thee Although t is pitty that such faith should die But this shall euer-more remembred be A rare example to posterity And looke how long as Cleopatra shall In after ages liue in memory So long shall thy cleere fame endure withall And therefore thou must not my sute deny Nor contradict my will For what I will I am resolu'd and this t is thou must doe mee Goe finde mee out with all thy arte and skill To Aspicqs and conuay them close vnto mee I haue a worke to doe with them in hand Enquire not what for thou shalt soone see what If the heauens doe not my disseignes withstand But doe thy charge and let mee shyft with that Beeing thus coniur'd by her t' whom I 'had vow'd My true perpetuall seruice forth I went Deuising how my close attempt to shrowde So that there might no arte my arte preuent And so disguis'd in habite as you see Hauing foūnd out the thing for which I went I soone return'd againe and brought with mee The Aspicqs in a basket closely pent Which I had fill'd with figges and leaues vpon And comming to the Guarde that kept the dore What hast thou there said they and lookt thereon Seeing the figgs they deem'd of nothing more But sayd they were the fairest they had seene Taste some said I for they are