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and come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the guard

unbar and open the gates

Guard her till Caesar come. Exit

IRAS. Royal Queen!

CHARMIAN.

O Cleopatra! thou art taken, Queen!

CLEOPATRA.

Quick, quick, good hands. [Drawing a dagger]

PROCULEIUS.

Hold, worthy lady, hold, [Disarms her]

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this

Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

CLEOPATRA.

What, of death too,

That rids our dogs of languish?

PROCULEIUS.

Cleopatra,

Do not abuse my master's bounty by

Th' undoing of yourself. Let the world see

His nobleness well acted, which your death

Will never let come forth.

CLEOPATRA.

Where art thou, death?

Come hither, come! Come, come, and take a queen

Worth many babes and beggars!

PROCULEIUS.

O, temperance, lady!

CLEOPATRA.

Sir, I will eat no meat; I'll not drink, sir;

If idle talk will once be necessary,

I'll not sleep neither. This mortal house I'll ruin,

Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I

Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court,

Nor once be chastis'd with the sober eye

Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,

And show me to the shouting varletry

Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt

Be gentle grave unto me! Rather on Nilus' mud

Lay me stark-nak'd, and let the water-flies

Blow me into abhorring! Rather make

My country's high pyramides my gibbet,

And hang me up in chains!

PROCULEIUS.

You do extend

These thoughts of horror further than you shall

Find cause in Caesar.

Enter DOLABELLA

DOLABELLA.

Proculeius,

What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows,

And he hath sent for thee. For the Queen,

I'll take her to my guard.

PROCULEIUS.

So, Dolabella,

It shall content me best. Be gentle to her.

[To CLEOPATRA] To Caesar I will speak what you shall please,

If you'll employ me to him.

CLEOPATRA.

Say I would die.

Exeunt PROCULEIUS and soldiers

DOLABELLA.

Most noble Empress, you have heard of me?

CLEOPATRA.

I cannot tell.

DOLABELLA.

Assuredly you know me.

CLEOPATRA.

No matter, sir, what I have heard or known.

You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams;

Is't not your trick?

DOLABELLA.

I understand not, madam.

CLEOPATRA.

I dreamt there was an Emperor Antony-

O, such another sleep, that I might see

But such another man!

DOLABELLA.

If it might please ye-

CLEOPATRA.

His face was as the heav'ns, and therein stuck

A sun and moon, which kept their course and lighted

The little O, the earth.

DOLABELLA.

Most sovereign creature-

CLEOPATRA.

His legs bestrid the ocean; his rear'd arm

Crested the world. His voice was propertied

As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends;

But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,

He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty,

There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas

That grew the more by reaping. His delights

Were dolphin-like: they show'd his back above

The element they liv'd in. In his livery

Walk'd crowns and crownets; realms and islands were

As plates dropp'd from his pocket.

DOLABELLA.

Cleopatra-

CLEOPATRA.

Think you there was or might be such a man

As this I dreamt of?

DOLABELLA.

Gentle madam, no.

CLEOPATRA.

You lie, up to the hearing of the gods.

But if there be nor ever were one such,

It's past the size of drearning. Nature wants stuff

To vie strange forms with fancy; yet t' imagine

An Antony were nature's piece 'gainst fancy,

Condemning shadows quite.

DOLABELLA.

Hear me, good madam.

Your loss is, as yourself, great; and you bear it

As answering to the weight. Would I might never

O'ertake pursu'd success, but I do feel,

By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites

My very heart at root.

CLEOPATRA.

I thank you, sir.

Know you what Caesar means to do with me?

DOLABELLA.

I am loath to tell you what I would you knew.

CLEOPATRA.

Nay, pray you, sir.

DOLABELLA.

Though he be honourable-

CLEOPATRA.

He'll lead me, then, in triumph?

DOLABELLA.

Madam, he will. I know't. [Flourish]

[Within: 'Make way there-Caesar!']

Enter CAESAR; GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MAECENAS, SELEUCUS,

and others