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
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
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
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
grace With Cleopatra and esteem'd in Court As one of Counsell and of chiefest place And euer held my credite in that sort Tyll now in this confusion of our state When thinking to haue vs'd a meane to climbe And fled the wretched flowne vnto the great Follow'ing the fortune of the present time Am come to be cast downe and ruin'd cleene And in the course of mine owne plot vndonne For hauing all the secretes of the Queene Reueal'd to Cesar to haue sauour wonne My trechery is quited with disgrace My falshood loath'd and not without great reason Though good for him yet Princes in this case Doe hate the Traytor though they loue the treason For how could hee imagine I would be Faithfull to him being false vnto mine owne And false to such a bountious Queene as shee That had me rais'd and made mine honor known Hee saw t was not for zeale to him I bare But for base feare or mine owne state to settle Weakenes is false and faith in Cowards rare Feare findes out shyfts timiditie is subtle And therefore scornd of him scornd of mine own Hatefull to all that looke into my state Despis'd Seleucus now is onely growne The marke of infamy that 's pointed at Rod. T is much thou saist and ô too much to feele And I doe grieue and doe lament thy fall But yet all this which thou doost heere reueale Cōpar'd with mine wil make thine seem but smal Although my fault be in the selfe-same kind Yet in degree far greater far more hatefull Mine sprong of myschiefe thine from feeble mind I staind with blood thou onely but' vngratefull For vnto mee did Cleopatra gyue The best and deerest treasure of her blood Louely Casario whom shee would should liue Free from the dangers wherein Egipt stood And vnto mee with him this charge she gaue Heere Rodon take conuay from out thys Coast This precious Gem the chiefest that I haue The iewell of my soule I value most Guide hym to INDIA leade him farre from hence Safeguard him where secure he may remaine Till better fortune call him back from thence And Egipts peace be reconcil'd againe For this is hee that may our hopes bring back The rysing Sunne of our declyning state These be the hands that may restore our wrack And rayse the broken ruines made of late Hee may gyue limmits to the boundles pryde Of fierce Octauius and abate his might Great Iulius of-spring hee may come to guide The Empire of the world as his by right O how hee seemes the modell of his Syre O how I gaze my Caesar in his face Such was his gate so dyd his lookes aspyre Such was his threatning brow such was his grace High shouldred and his forehead euen as hie And ô if hee had not beene borne so late He might haue rul'd the worlds great Monarchy And nowe haue beene the Champion of our state Then vnto him ô my deere Sonne she sayes Sonne of my youth flye hence ô flye be gone Reserue thy selfe ordain'd for better dayes For much thou hast to ground thy hopes vppon Leaue mee thy wofull Mother to endure The fury of thys tempest heere alone Who cares not for herselfe so thou be sure Thou mayst reuenge when others can but mone Rodon will see thee safe Rodon will guide Thee and thy waies thou shalt not need to feare Rodon my faithfull seruaunt will prouide What shall be best for thee take thou no care And ô good Rodon looke well to his youth The wayes are long and daungers eu'ry where I vrge it not that I doe doubt thy truth Mothers will cast the worst and alwaies feare The absent daunger greater still appeares Lesse feares he who is neere the thing he feares And ô I know not what presaging thought My sp'rit suggests of luckles bad euent But yet it may be t is but loue doth dote Or idle shadowes which my feares present But yet the memory of myne owne fate Makes mee feare his And yet why should I feare His fortune may recouer better state And hee may come in pompe to gouerne heere But yet I doubt the Genius of our Race By some malignant spirit comes ouer-throwne Our blood must be extinct in my disgrace Egypt must haue no more Kings of theyr owne Then let him stay and let vs fall together Sith it is fore-decreed that we must fal Yet who knowes what may come let him go thither What Merchaunt in one Vessell venters all Let vs deuide our starrs Goe goe my Sonne Let not the fate of Egypt find thee heere Try if so be thy destiny can shunne The common wracke of vs by beeing there But who is hee found euer yet defence Against the heauens or hyd him any where Then what neede I to send thee so far hence To seeke thy death that mayst as well die heere And heere die with thy mother die in rest Not trauayling to what will come to thee Why should wee leaue our blood vnto the East VVhen Egipt may a Tom be sufficient be O my deuided soule what shall I doe VVhereon shall now my resolution rest What were I best resolue to yeeld vnto When both are bad how shall I know the best Stay I may hap so worke with Caesar now That hee may yeeld him to restore thy right Goe Caesar neuer will consent that thou So neere in blood shalt bee so great in might Then take him Roden goe my sonne fare-well But stay ther 's something els that I would say Yet nothing now but ô God speed thee well Least saying more that more may make thee stay Yet let mee speake It may be t is the last That euer I shall speake to thee my Sonne Doe Mothers vse to parte in such post-hast VVhat must I ende when I haue scarce begun Ah no deere hart t is no such slender twine VVhere-with the knot is tyde twixt thee and mee That blood within thy vaines came out of mine Parting from thee I part from part of mee And therefore I must speake Yet what O sonne Here more she wold whē more she could not say Sorrow rebounding backe whence it begun Fild vp the passage and quite stopt the way VVhen sweet Caesario with a princely sp'rite Though comfortlesse himselfe did comfort giue VVith mildest words perswading her to beare it And as for him shee should not neede to grieue And I with protestations of my part Swore by that faith which sworne I did deceaue That I would vse all care all wit and arte To see hym safe And so we tooke our leaue Scarce had wee trauail'd to our iourneyes end VVhen Caesar hauing knowledge of our way His Agents after vs with speed doth send To labour mee Caesario to betray VVho-with rewards and promises so large Assaild mee then that I grew soone content And backe to Rhodes dyd reconuay my charge Pretending that Octauius for him sent To make hym King of Egipt presently And thither come seeing himselfe betrayd And in the hands
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