Which writ his honour in the acts it did

Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,

Splitted the heart. This is his sword;

I robbed his wound of it. Behold it stained

With his most noble blood.

CAESAR (weeping)

Look you, sad friends, The gods rebuke me; but it is a tidings

To wash the eyes of kings.

⌈AGRIPPA⌉

And strange it is

That nature must compel us to lament

Our most persisted deeds.

MAECENAS

His taints and honours

Waged equal with him.

⌈AGRIPPA⌉

A rarer spirit never

Did steer humanity; but you gods will give us

Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touched.

MAECENAS

When such a spacious mirror’s set before him

He needs must see himself.

CAESAR

O Antony, I have followed thee to this. But we do lance

Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce

Have shown to thee such a declining day,

Or look on thine. We could not stall together

In the whole world. But yet let me lament,

With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,

That thou, my brother, my competitor

In top of all design, my mate in empire,

Friend and companion in the front of war,

The arm of mine own body, and the heart

Where mine his thoughts did kindle—that our stars,

Unreconciliable, should divide

Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends—

Enter an Egyptian

But I will tell you at some meeter season.

The business of this man looks out of him;

We’ll hear him what he says.—Whence are you?

EGYPTIAN

A poor Egyptian, yet the Queen my mistress,

Confined in all she has, her monument,

Of thy intents desires instruction,

That she preparèdly may frame herself

To th’ way she’s forced to.

CAESAR

Bid her have good heart.

She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,

How honourable and how kindly we

Determine for her. For Caesar cannot live

To be ungentle.

EGYPTIAN

So; the gods preserve thee! Exit

CAESAR

Come hither, Proculeius. Go, and say

We purpose her no shame. Give her what comforts

The quality of her passion shall require,

Lest in her greatness, by some mortal stroke,

She do defeat us; for her life in Rome

Would be eternal in our triumph. Go,

And with your speediest bring us what she says

And how you find of her.

PROCULEIUS

Caesar, I shall. Exit

CAESAR

Gallus, go you along.

Exit Gallus

Where’s Dolabella,

To second Proculeius?

ALL BUT CAESAR

Dolabella!

CAESAR

Let him alone; for I remember now

How he’s employed. He shall in time be ready.

Go with me to my tent, where you shall see

How hardly I was drawn into this war,

How calm and gentle I proceeded still

In all my writings. Go with me, and see

What I can show in this.

Exeunt

5.2 Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian

CLEOPATRA

My desolation does begin to make

A better life. ’Tis paltry to be Caesar.

Not being Fortune, he’s but Fortune’s knave,

A minister of her will. And it is great

To do that thing that ends all other deeds,

Which shackles accidents and bolts up change,

Which sleeps and never palates more the dung,

The beggar’s nurse, and Caesar’s.

Enter Proculeius

PROCULEIUS

Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt,

And bids thee study on what fair demands

Thou mean’st to have him grant thee.

CLEOPATRA What’s thy name?

PROCULEIUS

My name is Proculeius.

CLEOPATRA

Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but

I do not greatly care to be deceived,

That have no use for trusting. If your master

Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him

That majesty, to keep decorum, must

No less beg than a kingdom. If he please

To give me conquered Egypt for my son,

He gives me so much of mine own as I

Will kneel to him with thanks.

PROCULEIUS

Be of good cheer.

You’re fall’n into a princely hand; fear nothing.

Make your full reference freely to my lord,

Who is so full of grace that it flows over

On all that need. Let me report to him

Your sweet dependency, and you shall find

A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness,

Where he for grace is kneeled to.

CLEOPATRA

Pray you, tell him

I am his fortune’s vassal, and I send him

The greatness he has got. I hourly learn

A doctrine of obedience, and would gladly

Look him i’th’ face.

PROCULEIUS

This I’ll report, dear lady;

Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied

Of him that caused it.

⌈Enter Roman soldiers from behind⌉

PROCULEIUS (to the soldiers)

You see how easily she may be surprised.

Guard her till Caesar come.

IRAS

Royal Queen-

CHARMIAN

O Cleopatra, thou art taken, Queen!

CLEOPATRA (drawing a dagger)

Quick, quick, good hands!

PROCULEIUS (disarming Cleopatra)

Hold, worthy lady, hold!

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this

Relieved but not betrayed.

CLEOPATRA

What, of death too,

That rids our dogs of languish?