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
deere to him made common But that he must in this sort tirannize Th' afflicted body of an wofull woman Tell him my frailty and the Gods haue giuen Sufficient glory if hee could content him And let him now with his desires make euen And leaue mee to this horror to lamenting Now hee hath taken all away from mee What must hee take mee from my selfe by force Ah let him yet in mercie leaue mee free The kingdom of this poore distressed corse No other crowne I seeke no other good Yet wish that Caesar would vouchsafe this grace To fauour the poore of-spring of my blood Confused issue yet of Roman race If blood and name be linkes of loue in Princes Not spurres of hate my poore Caesario may Finde fauour notwithstanding mine offences And Caesars blood may Caesars raging stay But if that with the torrent of my fall All must bee rapt with furious violence And no respect nor no regard at all Can ought with nature or with blood dispence Then be it so if needes it must be so There stayes and shrinkes in horror of her state VVhen I began to mitigate her woe And thy great mercies vnto her relate Wishing her not dispaire but rather come And sue for grace and shake off all vaine feares No doubt shee should obtaine as gentle doome As shee desir'd both for herselfe and hers And so with much a-doe well pacifide Seeming to bee shee shew'd content to lyue Saying shee was resolu'd thy doome t' abide And to accept what fauour thou would'st giue And heere-withall crau'd also that shee might Performe her last rites to her lost belou'd To sacrifize to him that wrought her plight And that shee might not bee by force remou'd I graunting from thy part this her request Left her for then seeming in better rest Caes. But doost thou thinke she will remaine so still Pro. I thinke and doe assure my selfe shee will Caes. Ah priuate men found not the harts of Princes VVhose actions oft beare contrarie pretences Pro. Why t is her safety for to yeeld to thee Caes. But t is more honour for her to die free Pro. Shee may thereby procure her childrens good Caes. Princes respect theyr honour more then blood Pro. Can Princes powre dispence with nature than Caes. To be a Prince is more then be a man Pro. There 's none but haue in time perswaded beene Caes. And so might shee too were shee not a Queene Pro. Diuers respects will force her be reclam'd Caes. Princes like Lyons neuer will be tam'd A priuate man may yeeld and care not how But greater harts will breake before they bow And sure I thinke sh'will neuer condiscend To lyue to grace our spoyles with her disgrace But yet let still a warie watch attend To guard her person and to watch the place And looke that none with her come to confer Shortly my selfe will goe to visite her CHORVS OPINION howe doost thou molest Th affected minde of restles man Who following thee neuer can Nor euer shall attaine to rest For getting what thou saist is best Yet loe that best hee findes farre wide Of what thou promisedst before For in the same hee lookt for more Which proues but small when once t is tride Then something els thou find'st beside To draw him still from thought to thought When in the end all proues but nought Farther from rest hee findes him than Then at the first when he began O malcontent seducing guest Contriuer of our greatest woes Which borne of winde and fed with showes Doost nurse thy selfe in thine vnrest Iudging vngotten things the best Or what thou in conceite design'st And all things in the world doost deeme Not as they are but as they seeme Which shewes their state thou ill defin'st And liu'st to come in present pin'st For what thou hast thou still doost lacke O minde's tormentor bodies wracke Vaine promiser of that sweet rest Which neuer any yet possest If wee vnto ambition tende Then doost thou draw our weakenes on With vaine imagination Of that which neuer hath an end Or if that lust we apprehend How doth that pleasant plague infest O what strange formes of luxurie Thou straight doost cast t' intice vs by And tell'st vs that is euer best Which wee haue neuer yet possest And that more pleasure rests beside In something that we haue not tride And when the same likewise is had Then all is one and all is bad This Anthony can say is true And Cleopatra knowes t is so By th' experience of their woe Shee can say shee neuer knew But that iust found pleasures new And was neuer satis-fide Hee can say by proofe of toyle Ambition is a Vulture vile That feedes vpon the hart of pride And findes no rest when all is tride For worlds cannot confine the one Th' other listes and bounds hath none And both subuert the minde the state Procure destruction enuie hate And now when all this is prou'd vaine Yet Opinion leaues not heere But sticks to Cleopatra neere Perswading now how she shall gaine Honour by death and fame attaine And what a shame it were to liue Her kingdome lost her Louer dead And so with this perswasion led Dispayre doth such a courage giue That naught els can her minde relieue Nor yet diuert her from that thought To this conclusion all is brought This is that rest this vaine world lends To end in death that all thing ends ACTVS TERTIVS PHILOSTRATVS ARIVS HOW deepely Arius am I bounde to thee That sau'dst frō death this wretched life of mine Obtayning Caesars gentle grace for mee When I of all helps els dispayr'd but thine Although I see in such a wofull state Life is not that which should be much desir'd Sith all our glories come to end theyr date Our Countries honour and our owne expir'd Now that the hand of wrath hath ouer-gone vs Liuing as 't were in th' armes of our dead mother With blood vnder our feete ruine vpon vs And in a Land most wretched of all other When yet we reckon life our deerest good And so we liue we care not how we liue So deepe we feel impressed in our blood That touch which nature with our breath did giue And yet what blasts of words hath learning found To blow against the feare of death and dying What comforts vnsicke Eloquence can sound And yet all fayles vs in the poynt of trying For whilst we reason with the breath of safety VVithout the compasse of destruction liuing VVhat precepts shew wee then what courage lofty In taxing others feares in counsell giuing VVhen all thys ayre of sweet-contriued words Prooues but weake armour to defend the hart For when this lyfe pale feare and terror boords Where are our precepts then where is our arte O who is he that from himselfe can turne That beares about the body of a man Who doth not toyle and labour to adiorne The day of death by any meanes he can All this I speake to
THE Tragedie of Cleopatra AEtas prima canat veneres postrema tumultus 1594 To the Right Honourable the Lady Marie Countesse of PEMBROOKE LOE heere the worke the which she did impose Who onely doth predominate my Muse The starre of wonder which my labours chose To guide their way in all the course I vse Shee whose cleere brightnes doth alone infuse Strength to my thoughts and makes mee what I am Call'd vp my spirits from out their low repose To sing of state and tragick notes to frame I who contented with an humble song Made musique to my selfe that pleas'd mee best And onely told of DELIA and her wrong And prais'd her eyes and plain'd mine owne vnrest A text from whence my Muse had not degrest Madam had not thy well grac'd Anthony Who all alone hauing remained long Requir'd his Cleopatras company Who if shee heere doe so appeare in act That for his Queene Loue he scarce wil know her Finding how much shee of her selfe hath lackt And mist that glory wherein I should shew her In maiestie debas'd in courage lower Yet lightning thou by thy sweet fauouring eyes My darke defects which from her sp'rit detract Hee yet may gesse it 's shee which will suffise And I heereafter in another kinde More fitting to the nature of my vaine May peraduenture better please thy minde And higher notes in sweeter musique straine Seeing that thou so graciously doost daine To countenaunce my song and cherish mee I must so worke posterity may finde How much I did contend to honour thee Now when so many pennes like Speares are charg'd To chace away this tyrant of the North Gross Barbarism whose powre growne far inlarg'd Was lately by thy valiant Brothers worth First found encountred and prouoked forth Whose onset made the rest audacious Whereby they likewise haue so well discharg'd Vpon that hidious Beast incroching thus And now must I with that poore strength I haue Resist so foule a foe in what I may And arme against obliuion and the graue That els in darknes carries all away And makes of all our honors but a pray So that if by my penne procure I shall But to defend mee and my name to saue Then though I die I cannot yet die all But still the better part of me will liue Deckt and adorned with thy sacred name Although thy selfe dost farre more glory giue Vnto thy selfe then I can by the same Who doost with thine owne hand a Bulwarke frame Against these Monsters enemies of honour VVhich euer-more shall so defend thy Fame That Time nor they shall neuer pray vpon her Those Hymnes that thou doost consecrate to heauen Which Israels Singer to his God did frame Vnto thy voyce eternitie hath giuen And makes thee deere to him frō whence they came In them must rest thy euer reuerent name So long as Syons GOD remaineth honoured And till confusion hath all zeale be-reauen And murthered Fayth and Temples ruined By this Great Lady thou must then be knowne VVhen Wilton lyes low leuel'd with the ground And this is that which thou maist call thine owne VVhich sacriligious time cannot confound Heere thou suruiu'st thy selfe heere thou are found Of late succeeding ages fresh in fame This Monument cannot be ouer-throwne Where in eternall Brasse remaines thy Name O that the Ocean did not bound our stile VVithin these strict and narrow limmits so But that the melody of our sweet I le Might now be heard to Tyber Arne and Po That they might know how far Thames doth out-go The musique of Declyned Italie And listning to our songs another while Might learne of thee their notes to purifie O why may not some after-comming hand Vnlock these limits open our confines And breake a sunder this imprisoning band T' inlarge our spirits and publish our dissignes Planting our Roses on the Apenines And teach to Rhene to Loyre and Rhodanus Our accents and the wonders of our Land That they might all admire and honour vs Wherby great SYDNEY our SPENCER might VVith those Po-singers beeing equalled Enchaunt the world with such a sweet delight That theyr eternall songs for euer read May shew what great ELIZAS raigne hath bred VVhat musique in the kingdome of her peace Hath now beene made to her and by her might VVhereby her glorious fame shall neuer cease But if that Fortune doth deny vs this Then Neptune lock vp with thy Ocean key This treasure to our selues and let them misse Of so sweet ritches as vnworthy they To taste the great delights that we inioy And let our harmony so pleasing growne Content our selues whose errour euer is Strange notes to like and disesteeme our owne But whither doe my vowes transport me now VVithout the compasse of my course inioynd Alas what honour can a voyce so low As this of mine expect heereby to find But Madam this doth animate my mind That fauored by the Worthyes of our Land My lynes are lik'd the which may make me grow In time to take a greater taske in hand THE ARGVMENT AFter the death of Antonius Cleopatra liuing still in the Monument shee had caused to be built could not by any means be drawne forth although Octauius Caesar verie earnestly laboured it sent Proculeius to vse all diligence to bring her vnto him For that hee though it woulde be a great ornament to his Tryumphes to get her aliue to Rome But neuer woulde shee put herselfe into the hands of Proculeius although on a time he found the meanes by a window that was at the top of the Monument to come downe vnto her where hee perswaded her all hee might to yeeld herselfe to Caesars mercie Which shee to be ridd of him cunningly seemed to grant vnto After that Octauius in person went to visite her to whom shee excus'd her offence laying all the fault vpon the greatnes and feare shee had of Antonius and withall seemed verie tractable and willing to be disposed of by him Where-vpon Octauius thinking himselfe sure resolu'd presently to send her away to Rome Whereof Dolabella a fauorite of Caesars and one that was grown into some good liking of her hauing certified her shee makes her humble peticion to Caesar that he would suffer her to sacrifize to the ghost of Antonius which being granted her shee was brought vnto his Sepulcher where after her rites performed shee returned to the Monument and there dined with great magnificence And in dinner time came there one in the habite of a Countriman with a basket of figgs vnto her who vnsuspected was suffered to carry them in And in that basket among the figges were conuaid the Aspicks wherewith shee did herselfe to death Dinner beeing ended shee dispatched Letters to Caesar contayning great lamentations with an earnest supplication that shee might be entomb'd with Antonius Wherevpon Caesar knowing what shee intended sent presently with all speed messengers to haue preuented her death which notwithstanding before they came was dispatched Cesario her sonne which shee
th' end my selfe t' excuse For my base begging of a seruile breath Wherein I graunt my selfe much t' abuse So shamefully to seeke t' auoyd my death Arius Philostratus that selfe same care to liue Possesseth all alike and grieue not then Nature dooth vs no more then others giue Though we speak more then men we are but men And yet in truth these miseries to see VVherein we stand in most extreame distresse Might to our selues sufficient motiues be To loathe this life and weigh our death the lesse For neuer any age hath better taught VVhat feeble footing pride and greatnes hath How improuident prosperity is caught And cleane confounded in the day of wrath See how dismaid Confusion keepes those streetes That nought but mirth Musique late resounded How nothing with our eye but horror meetes Our state our wealth our pride all confounded Yet what weake sight did not discerne from far This black-arysing tempest all confounding Who did not see we should be what we are When pride and ryot grew to such abounding When dissolute impiety possest Th' vnrespectiue mindes of such a people VVhen insolent Security found rest In wanton thoughts with lust and ease made feeble Then when vnwary peace with fat-fed pleasure New-fresh inuented ryots still detected Purchac'd with all the Ptolomies ritch treasure Our lawes our Gods our misteries neglected Who saw not how this confluence of vice This innondation of disorders must At length of force pay back the bloody price Of sad destruction a reward for lust O thou and I haue heard and read and knowne Of lyke proude states as wofully incombred And fram'd by them examples for our owne Which now among examples must be numbred For this decree a law from high is giuen An auncient Canon of eternall date In Consistorie of the starres of heauen Entred the booke of vnauoyded Fate That no state can in heigth of happines In th' exaltation of theyr glory stand But thither once ariu'd declyning lesse Ruine themselues or fall by others hand Thus doth the euer-changing course of things Runne a perpetuall circle euer turning And that same day that highest glory brings Brings vs vnto the poynt of back-returning For senceles sensualitie doth euer Accompany felicity and greatnes A fatall witch whose charmes do leaue vs neuer Till we leaue all in sorrow for our sweetnes When yet our selues must be the cause we fall Although the same be first decreed on hie Our errors still must beare the blame of all This must it be earth aske not heauen why Yet mighty men with wary iealous hand Striue to cut off all obstacles of feare All whatsoeuer seemes but to withstand Theyr least conceite of quiet held so deere And so intrench themselues with blood with crymes With all iniustice as theyr feares dispose Yet for all thys wee see how oftentimes The meanes they worke to keep are means to lose And sure I cannot see how this can stand With great Augustus safety and his honor To cut off all succession from our land For her offence that puld the warrs vpon her Phi. Why must her issue pay the price of that Ari. The price is life that they are rated at Phi. Caesario to issued of Caesars blood Ari. Pluralitie of Caesars are not good Phi. Alas what hurt procures his feeble arme Ari. Not for it dooth but that it may doe harme Phi. Then when it offers hurt represse the same Ari. T is best to quench a sparke before it flame Phi. T is in humane an innocent to kill Ari. Such innocents sildome remaine so still And sure his death may best procure our peace Competitors the subiect deerely buies And so that our affliction may surcease Let geat men be the peoples sacrifice But see where Caesar comes himselfe to try And worke the mind of our distressed Queene To apprehend some falsed hope whereby Shee might be drawne to haue her fortune seene But yet I thinke Rome will not see that face That quel her chāpions blush in base disgrace SCENA SECVNDA CAESAR CLEOPATRA SELEVCVS DOLABELLA Caes. WHat Cleopatrae doost thou doubt so much Of Caesars mercy that thou hid'st thy face Or doost thou think thy offences can be such That they surmount the measure of our grace Cleo. O Caesar not for that I flye thy fight My soule this sad retyre of sorrow chose But that my oppressed thoughts abhorring light Like best in darknes my disgrace t' inclose And heere to these close limmits of dispaire This solitary horror where I bide Caesar I thought no Roman should repaire More after him who heere oppressed dyde Yet now heere at thy conquering feete I lye Poore captiue soule that neuer thought to bow VVhose happy foote of rule and maiestie Stoode late on that same ground thou standest now Caes. Rise Queene none but thy selfe is cause of all And yet would all were but thyne owne alone That others ruine had not with thy fall Brought Rome her sorowes to my tryumphs mone For breaking off the league of loue and blood Thou mak'st my winning ioy a gaine vnpleasing Sith th' eye of griefe must looke into our good Thorow the horror of our owne blood-shedding And all we must attribute vnto thee Cleo. To mee Caesar what should a woman doe Opprest with greatnes What was it for mee To contradict my Lord beeing bent thereto I was by loue by feare by weakenes made An instrument to such disseignes as these For when the Lord of all the Orient bade Who but obeyd who was not glad to please And how could I with-draw my succouring hand From him that had my hart or what was mine Th' intrest of my faith in straightest band My loue to his most firmely did combine Caes. Loue alas no it was th' innated hatred That thou and thine hast euer borne our people That made thee seeke al meanes to haue vs scattred To disvnite our strength and makers feeble And therefore did that brest nurse our dissention VVith hope t' exalt thy selfe t' augment thy state To pray vpon the wrack of our contention And with the rest our foes to ioy thereat Cleo. O Caesar see how easie t is t' accuse Whom fortune hath made faultie by their fall The wretched conquered may not refuse The titles of reproch he 's charg'd withall The conquering cause hath right wherein thou art The vanquisht still is iudg'd the worser part Which part is mine because I lost my part No lesser then the portion of a Crowne Enough for mee alas what needed arte To gaine by others but to keepe mine owne But heere let weaker powers note what it is To neighbour great Competitors too neere If we take part we oft doe perrish thus If neutrall bide both parties we must feare Alas what shall the forst partakers doe When following none yet must they perrish to But CAESAR sith thy right and cause is such Bee not a heauie weight vpon calamitie Depresse not the afflicted ouer-much The chiefest glory is the
of death through trecherie VVayling his state thus to himselfe he sayd Loe heere brought back by subtile traine to death Betrayde by Tutors fayth or Traytors rather My faulte my blood and mine offence my birth For beeing sonne of such a mightie Father From INDIA whither sent by Mothers care To be reseru'd from Egypts common wracke To Rhodes so long the armes of Tyrants are I am by Caesars subtile reach brought back Heere to be made th' oblation for his feares him Who doubts the poore reuenge these handes may doe Respecting neyther blood nor youth nor yeeres Or how small safety can my death be to him And is this all the good of beeing borne great Then wretched greatnes proud ritch misery Pompous distresse glittering calamity Is it for this th' ambitious Fathers sweat To purchase blood and death for them and theirs Is this the issue that theyr glories get To leaue a sure destruction to theyr heyres O how farre better had it beene for mee From low discent deriu'd of humble birth To' haue eate the sweet-sowre bread of pouerty And drunke of Nilus streame in Nilus earth Vnder the cou'ring of some quiet Cottage Free from the wrath of heauen secure in minde Vntoucht when sad euents of Princes dotage Confounds what euer mighty it dooth find And not t' haue stoode in theyr way whose condition Is to haue all made deere and all thing plaine Betweene them and the marke of theyr ambition That nothing let the full sight of theyr raigne Where nothing stands that stands not in submission Where greatnes must all in it selfe containe Kings will be alone Competitors must downe Neere death he stands that stands too neer a Crowne Such is my case for Caesar will haue all My blood must seale th' assurance of his state Yet ah weake state that blood assure him shall Whose wrongfull shedding Gods and men do hate Iniustice neuer scapes vnpunisht still Though men reuenge not yet the heauens will And thou Augustus that with bloody hand Curt'st off succession from anothers race Maist find the heauens thy vowes so to withstand That others may depriue thine in like case When thou maist see thy proude contentious bed Yeelding thee none of thine that may inherite Subuert thy blood place others in theyr sted To pay this thy iniustice her due merite If it be true as who can that deny VVhich sacred Priests of Memphis doe fore-say Some of the of-spring yet of Anthony Shall all the rule of this whole Empire sway And then Augustus what is it thou gainest By poore Antillus blood or this of mine Nothing but thys thy victory thou stainest And pull'st the wrath of heauen on thee and thine In vaine doth man contende against the starrs For what hee seekes to make his wisdom marrs Yet in the mean-time we whom Fates reserue The bloody sacrifices of ambition VVe feele the smart what euer they deserue And wee indure the present times condition The iustice of the heauens reuenging thus Doth onely sacrifice it selfe not vs Yet t is a pleasing comfort that dooth ease Affliction in so great extreamitie To thinke theyr like destruction shall appease Our ghostes who did procure our misery But dead we are vncertaine what shall bee And lyuing wee are sure to feele the wrong Our certaine ruine wee our selues doe see They ioy the while and wee know not how long But yet Caesario thou must die content For men will mone God reuenge th' innocent Thus he cōplain'd thus thou hear'st my shame Sel. But how hath Caesar now rewarded thee Rod. As hee hath thee And I expect the same As fell to Theodor to fall to mee For he one of my coate hauing betrayd The young Antillus sonne of Anthony And at his death from of his necke conuayd A iewell which be'ing askt he did deny Caesar occasion tooke to hang him straight Such instruments with Princes liue not long Although they neede vs actors of deceit Yet still our sight seemes to vpbrayd their wrong And therefore we must needes this danger runne And in the net of our owne guile be caught Wee must not liue to bray what we haue done For what is done must not appeare theyr fault But heere comes Cleopatra wofull Queene And our shame will not that we should be seene Exeunt CLEOPATRA WHat hath my face yet powre to win a Louer Can this torne remnant serue to grace me so That it can Caesars secrete plots discouer What he intends with mee and mine to do VVhy then poore Beautie thou hast doone thy last And best good seruice thou could'st doe vnto mee For now the time of death reueal'd thou hast Which in my life didst serue but to vndoe mee Heere Dolabella far forsooth in loue Writes how that Caesar meanes forthwith to send Both mee and mine th' ayre of Rome to proue There his Tryumphant Chariot to attend I thanke the man both for his loue and letter Th' one comes fit to warne mee thus before But for th' other I must die his debter For Cleopatra now can loue no more But hauing leaue I must goe take my leaue And last farewell of my dead Anthony Whose deerely honour'd Tom be must heere receaue This sacrifice the last before I dye O sacred euer-memorable Stone That hast without my teares within my flame Receiue th' oblation of the wofull'st mone That euer yet from sad affliction came And you deere reliques of my Lord and Loue The sweetest parcells of the faithfull'st liuer O let no impious hand dare to remoue You out from hence but rest you heere for euer Let Egypt now giue peace vnto you dead That lyuing gaue you trouble and turmoyle Sleepe quiet in this euer-lasting bed In forraine land preferr'd before your soyle And ô if that the sp'rits of men remaine After their bodies and doe neuer die Then heare thy Ghost thy captiue Spouse complaine And be attentiue to her misery But if that laborsome mortalitie Found this sweet error onely to confine The curious search of idle vanity That would the deapth of darknes vndermine Or rather to giue rest vnto the thought Of wretched man with th' after-comming ioy Of those conceiued fieldes whereon we dote To pacifie the present worlds anoy If it be so why speake I then to th' ayre But t is not so my Anthony doth heare His euer-liuing ghost attends my prayer And I doe know his houering sp'rite is neere And I will speake and pray and mourne to thee O pure immortall loue that daign'st to heare I feele thou aunswer'st my credulitie VVith touch of comfort finding none elswhere Thou know'st these hands entomb'd thee heer of late Free and vnforst which now must seruile be Reseru'd for bands to grace proude Caesars state Who seekes in mee to tryumph ouer thee O if in life we could not seuerd be Shall Death deuide our bodies now a sunder Must thine in Egypt mine in Italie Be kept the Monuments of Fortunes wonder If any powres be there where as thou art
good and pleasant No no sayd they goe beare them to thy Queene Thinking mee some poore man that brought a Present Well in I went where brighter then the Sunne Glittering in all her pompous ritch aray Great Cleopatra sate as if she' had wonne Caesar and all the world beside this day Euen as shee was when on thy cristall streames O CYDNOS shee did shew what earth could shew VVhen Asia all amaz'd in wonder deemes VENVS from heauen was come on earth below Euen as shee went at first to meete her Loue So goes shee now at last againe to finde him But that first did her greatnes onely proue This last her loue that could not liue behind him Yet as shee sate the doubt of my good speed Detracts much from the sweetnes of her looke Cheere-marrer Care did then such passions breed That made her eye bewray the care shee tooke But shee no sooner sees mee in the place But straight her sorrow-clowded brow shee cleeres Lightning a smile from out a stormy face Which all her tempest-beaten sences cheeres Looke how a stray'd perplexed trauailer When chas'd by thieues and euen at poynt of taking Discrying suddainly some towne not far Or some vnlookt-for ayde to him-ward making Cheeres vp his tired sp'rits thrusts forth his strength To meete that good that comes in so good houre Such was her ioy perceiuing now at length Her honor was t' escape so proude a powre Foorth from her seate shee hastes to meet the present And as one ouer-ioyd shee caught it straight And with a smyling cheere in action pleasant Looking among the figges findes the deceite And seeing there the vgly venemous beast Nothing dismayde shee stayes and viewes it well At length th' extreamest of her passion ceast VVhen shee began with words her ioy to tell O rarest Beast sayth shee that Affrick breedes How deerely welcome art thou vnto mee The fayrest creature that faire Nylus feedes Mee thinks I see in now beholding thee VVhat though the euer-erring world doth deeme That angred Nature fram'd thee but in spight Little they know what they so light esteeme That neuer learn'd the wonder of thy might Better then Death Deathes office thou dischargest That with one gentle touch canst free our breath And in a pleasing sleepe our soule inlargest Making our selues not priuie to our death If Nature err'd ô then how happy error Thinking to make thee worst shee made thee best Sith thou best freest vs from our liues worst terror In sweetly bringing soules to quiet rest VVhen that inexorable Monster Death That followes Fortune flyes the poore distressed Tortures our bodies ere hee takes our breath And loades with paines th'already weake oppressed How oft haue I begg'd prayd intreated him To take my life and yet could neuer get him And when he comes he comes so vgly grim That who is he if he could chuse would let him Therefore come thou of wonders wonder chiefe That open canst with such an easie key The dore of life come gentle cunning thiefe That from our selues so steal'st our selues away VVell did our Priests discerne something diuine Shadow'd in thee and therefore first they did Offrings and worshyps due to thee assigne In whom they found such misteries were hid Comparing thy sweet motion to the Sunne That mou'st without the instruments that moue And neuer waxing old but alwaies one Doost sure thy strange diuinitie approue And therefore to the rather vnto thee In zeale I make the offring of my blood Calamitie confirming now in mee A sure beliefe that pietie makes good Which happy men neglect or hold ambiguous And onely the afflicted are religious And heere I sacrifize these armes to Death That Lust late dedicated to Delights Offring vp for my last this last of breath The complement of my loues deerest rites With that shee bares her arme and offer makes To touch her death yet at the touch with-drawes And seeming more to speake occasion takes Willing to die and willing to to pause Looke how a Mother at her sonnes departing For some far voyage bent to get him fame Doth intertaine him with an idle parling And still doth speake and still speakes but the same Now bids farewell and now recalls him back Tells what was told and bids againe fare-well And yet againe recalls for still doth lack Something that loue would faine and cannot tell Pleas'd hee should goe yet cannot let him goe So shee although shee knew there was no way But this yet this shee could not handle so But shee must shew that life desir'd delay Faine would shee entertaine the time as now And now would faine that Death would seaze vpō her Whilst I might see presented in her brow The doubtfull combat tryde twixt Life and Honor Life bringing Legions of fresh hopes with her Arm'd with the proose of Time which yeelds we say Comfort and Help to such as doe refer All vnto him and can admit delay But Honor scorning Life loe forth leades he Bright Immortalitie in shyning armour Thorow the rayes of whose cleere glory shee Might see Lifes basenes how much it might harm her Besides shee saw whole Armies of Reproches And base Disgraces Furies fearefull sad Marching with Life and Shame that still incroches Vppon her face in bloody collours clad Which representments seeing worse then death Shee deem'd to yeeld to Life and therfore chose To render all to Honour hart and breath And that with speede least that her inward foes False flesh and blood ioyning with lyfe and hope Should mutinie against resolution And to the end shee would not giue them scope Shee presently proceeds to th' execution And sharply blaming of her rebell powres False flesh sayth shee and what dost thou cōspire With Caesar to as thou wert none of ours To worke my shame and hinder my desire Wilt thou retaine in closure of thy vaines That enemy Base life to let my good No know there is a greater powre constraines Then can be countercheckt with fearefull blood For to the minde that 's great nothing seemes great And seeing death to be the last of woes And life lasting disgrace which I shall get What doe I lose that haue but life to lose This hauing said strengthned in her owne hart And vnion of her selfe sences in one Charging together shee performes that part That hath so great a part of glory wonne And so receiues the deadly poysning touch That touch that tryde the gold of her loue pure And hath confirm'd her honor to be such As must a wonder to all worlds endure Now not an yeelding shrinke or touch of feare Consented to bewray least sence of paine But still in one same sweete vnaltred cheere Her honor did her dying thoughts retaine Well now this work is done saith she here ends This act of life that part of Fates assign'd mee What glory or disgrace heere this world lends Both haue I had and both I leaue behinde mee And now ô Earth the Theater where I Haue acted this witnes I