in ;

Be buried in your ruins : On my life,

SCENE II. They both are guilty! Reason may assure you,

Enter PHOTINUS, Achillas, Septimius, and Photinus nor Achillas durst attempt you,

Soldiers. Or shake one dart, or sword, aimed at your safety,

Pho. There's no retiring now; we are broke Without their warrant. Cæsar. For the young king, I know not

The deed past hope of pardon. If we prosper, How he may be misled; but for his sister, 'Twill be stiled lawful, and we shall give laws C'nequalled Cleopatra, 'twere a kind

To those, that now command us : Stop not at Of blasphemy to doubt her : Ugly treason Or loyalty, or duty ; bold ambition Durst never dwell in such a glorious building ; To dare, and power to do, gave the first difference Nor can so clear and great a spirit as hers is

Between the king and subject. Cæsar's motto, Admit of falsehood.

Aut Casar aut nihil, each of us must claim, Ant. Let us seize on him then;

And use it as our own, And leave her to her fortune.

Achil. The deed is bloody, Dol. If he have power,

If we conclude in Ptolomy's death. l'se it to your security, and let

Pho. The better; His honesty acquit him; if he be false,

The globe of empire must be so manured. It is too great an honour he should die

Sept. Rome, that from Romulus first took her By your victorious hand.

name, Cesar. He comes, and I

Had her walls watered with a crimson shower, Shall do as I find cause.

Drained from a brother's heart; nor was she

raised Exter Prolony, Achoreus, and APOLLODORUS. To this prodigious height, that overlooks

Three full parts of the earth, that pay her tribute, Ptol. Let not great Cæsar

But by enlarging of her narrow bounds, Impute the breach of hospitality

By the sack of neighbour cities, not made hers To you, my guest, to me! I am contemned, 'Till they were cemented with the blood of those And my rebellious subjects lift their hands That did possess them : Cæsar, Ptolomy, Against my head; and 'would they aimed no fur- Now I am steeled, to me are empty naines, ther,

Esteemed as Pompey's was.
Provided, that I fell a sacrifice

Pho. Well said, Septimius !
To gain you safety! That this is not feigned, Thou now art right again.
The boldness of my innocence may confirm you:

Achil. But what course take we
Had I been privy to their bloody plot,

For the princess Cleopatra ? I now had led them on, and given fair gloss

Pho. Let her live To their bad cause, by being present with a while, to make us sport; she shall authorize them;

Our undertakings to the ignorant people, But I, that yet taste of the punishment

As if what we do were by her command: In being false to Pompey, will not make

But, our triumvirate government once confirmed; A second fault to Cæsar, uncompelled :

She bears her brother company: That's my proWith such as have not yet shook off obedience,

vince; I yield myself to you, and will take part

Leave me to work her. In all your dangers.

Achil. I will undertake Cesar. This pleads your excuse,

For Ptolomy. And I receive it.

Sept. Cæsar shall be my task; Achor. If they have any touch

And as in Pompey I began a name,
Of justice, or religion, I will use

I'll perfect it in Cæsar!
The authority of our gods, to call them back
From their bad purpose.

Enter above, Cæsar, ProLoMY, ACHOREUS, Apol. This part of the palace

APOLLODORUS, ANTONY, and DOLABELLA. Is vet defensible; we may make it good

Pho. 'Tis resolved then; Till your powers rescue us.

We'll furce our passage.
Cæsar. Cæs besieged?

Achil. See, they do appear,
Oh, stain to my great actions ! 'Twas my custom, As they desired a parley.
An army routed, as my feet had wings,

Pho. I am proud yet
To be first in the chase; nor walls, nor bulwarks I have brought them to capitulate.
Could guard those, that escaped the battle's fury, Ptol. Now, Photinus ?
Froun this strong arm; and I to be enclosed ! Pho. Now, Ptolomy?
My heart! my heart! But 'tis necessity,

Ptol. No addition
To which the gods must yield, and I obey,

Pho. We are equal, 'Till I redeem it by some glorious way. (Ereunt. Though Cæsar's name were put into the scale,

In which our worth is Weighed.

Where Cæsar leads; or live, or die, a freeman! Casar. Presumptuous villain!

If not, stay here a bondman to thy slave, Upon what grounds hast thou presumed to raise And, dead, be thought unworthy of a grave! Thy servile hand against the king? or me,

JEscurt.
That have a greater name?
Pho. On those, by which

SCENE III.
Thou didst presume to pass the Rubicon
Against the laws of Rome; and, at the name

Enter SEPTIMIUS.
Of traitor, smile, as thou didst, when Marcellus, Sept. I feel my resolution melts again,
The consul, with the senate's full consent, And that I am not knave alone, but fool,
Pronounced thee for an enemy to thy country: In all my purposes. This devil Photinus
Yet thou went'st on, and thy rebellious cause Employs me as a property, and, grown useless,
Was crowned with fair success. Why should we will shake me off again : He told me so,
fear, then?

When I killed Pompey; nor can I hope better, Think on that, Cæsar!

When Cæsar is dispatched. Services done Casar. Ob, the gods! be braved thus? For such as only study their own ends, And be compelled to bear this from a slave, Too great to be rewarded, are returned That would not brook great Pompey his superior! With deadly hate : I learned this principle Achil. Thy glories now trave touched the high- In his own school. Yet still be fools me; well; est point,

And yet he trusts me : Since I in my nature And must descend.

Was fashioned to be false, wherefore should I, Pho. Despair, and think we stand

That killed my general, and a Román, one, The champions of Rome, to wreak her wrongs, To whom I owed all nourishments of life, l'pon whose liberty thou hast set thy foot. Be true to an Egyptian? To save Cæsar, Sept. And that the ghosts of all those noble And turn Photinus' plots on his own head, Romans,

(As it is in my power) redeem my credit, That by thy sword fell in this civil war, And live, to lie, and swear again in fashion, Expect revenge.

Oh,'twere a master-piece! Ha! curse me! Cæsar? Ant. Darest thou speak, and remember How has he got off? There was a Pompey? Pho. There's no hope to escape us:

Enter Cæsar, PTOLONY, ANTONY, DOLABELLA, If that, against the odds we have upon you,

ACHOREUS, APOLLODORUS, and soldiers. You dare come forth and fight, receive the honour Cæsar. The fire has took, To die like Romans; if ve faint, resolve

And shews the city like a second Troy; To starve like wretches ! I disdain to change The navy too is scorched; the people greedy Another syllable with you.

To save their wealth and houses, while their Ant. Let us die nobly;

soldiers [E.reunt Pho. Achil. Sept. Make spoil of all: Only Achillas' troops. And rather fall upon cach other's sword, Make good their guard; break through them, we Than coine into these villains' hands.

are sate, Cesar. That fortune,

I'll lead you like a thunder-bolt !
Which to this hour hath been a friend to Cæsar, Sept. Stay, Cæsar.
Though for a while she cloathe her brow with Casar. Who's this ? the dog Septimius?
frowns,

Ant. Cut his throat.
Will smile again upon me: Who will pay her Dol. You barked but now ; fawn you so soon?
Or sacrifice, or vows, if she forsake

Sept. Oh, hear me !
Hler best of works in me? or suffer him, What I'll deliver is for Cæsar's safety,
Whom with a strong hand she hath led triumphant For all your good.
Through the whole western world, and Rome ac- Ant. Good from a mouth like-thine,
knowledged

That never belched but blasphemy and treason, Her sovereign lord, to end ingloriously

On festival days!
A life admired by all? The threatened danger Sept. I am an altered man,
Must, by a way more horrid, be avoided, Altered indeed; and I will give you cause
And I will run the hazard. Fire the palace, To say I am a Roman.
And the rich magazines, that neighbour it,

Dol. Rogue, I grant thee.
In which the wealth of Egypt is contained ! Sept. Trust me, I'll make the passage smooth
Start not; it shall be so; that while the people
Labour in quenching the ensuing flames, For your escape.
Like Cæsar, with this handful of my friends,

Ant. I'll trust the devil sooner,
Through fire, and swords, I force a passage to And make a safer bargain.
My conquering legions. King, if thou darest, fol- Sept. I am trusted
low,

With all Photinus' secrets.

and easy,

a

Ant. There's no doubt then,

And forced to bear him company, as marked out Thou wilt be false.

For his protection, or revenge. Sept. Still to be true to you.

Eros. They have broke Dol. And very likely.

Into my cabinet; my trunks are ransacked. Casar. Be brief; the means ?

Ars. I've lost my jewels too; but that's the Sept. Thus, Cæsar :

least :
To me alone, but bound by terrible oaths The barbarous rascals, against all humanity
Not to discover it, he hath revealed

Or sense of pity, have killed my little dog,
A dismal vault, whose dreadful mouth does open And broke my monkey's chain.
A mile beyond the city: In this cave

Eros. They rifled me :
Lie but two hours concealed.

But that I could endure, and tire them too, Ant. If you believe him,

Would they proceed no further. He'll bury us alive.

Ars. Oh, my sister! Dol. I'll fly in the air first.

Eros. My queen, my mistress ! Sept. Then in the dead of night, I'll bring you Ars. Can you stand unmoved, when back

The earthquake of rebellion shakes the city, Into a private room, where you shall find

And the court trembles? Photinus, and Achillas, and the rest

Cleo. Yes, Arsinoe, Of their commanders, close at counsel.

And with a masculine constancy deride Casar. Good;

Fortune's worst malice, as a servant to What follows?

My virtues, not a mistress : Then we forsake Sept. Fall me fairly on their throats :

The strong fort of ourselves, when we once yield, Their heads cut off and shorn, the multitude Or shrink at her assaults; I am still myself, Will easily disperse.

And though disrobed of sovereignty, and ravished Cusar. "Oh, devil! away with him!

Of ceremonious duty, that attends it;
Nor true to friend nor enemy? Cæsar scorns Nay, grant they had slaved my body, my free
To find his safety, or revenge his wrongs,

mind,
So base a way; or owe the means of life Like to the palm-tree walling fruitful Nile,
To such a leprous traitor! I have towered Shall grow up straighter, and enlarge itself,
For victory, like a falcon in the clouds,

Spite of the envious weight, that loads it with. Not digged for it, like a mole. Our swords, and I Think of thy birth, Arsinoe; cominon burdens cause,

Fit common shoulders : Teach the multitude, Make way for us: And that it may appear By suffering nobly what they fear to touch at, We took a noble course, and hate base treason, The greatness of thy mind does soar a pitch, Some soldiers, that would merit Cæsar's favour, Their dim eyes, darkened by their narrow souls, Hlang him on yonder turret, and then follow Cannot arrive at. The lane, this sword makes for you. [Erit. Ars. I am new created, 1 Sold. Here is a belt;

And owe this second being to you, best sister; Though I die for it, I'll use it.

For now I feel you have infused into me 2 Sold. 'Tis too good

Part of vour fortitude. To truss a cur in.

Eros. I still am fearful : Sept. Save me! here is gold.

I dare not tell a lie : You, that were born 1 Sold. If Roine

Daughters and sisters unto kings, may nourish Were offered for thy ransom, it could not help Great thoughts, which I, that am your humble thee.

handmaid, 1 Sold. Goad him on with thy sword!

Must not presume to rival. Thou dost deserve a worser end; and may

Cleo. Yet, my Eros, All such conclude so, that their friends betray! Though thou hast profited nothing by observing

[Ereunt. The whole course of my life, learn in my death,

Though not to equal, yet to imitate,
SCENE IV.

Thy fearless mistress.
Enter severally, ArsinoE, Eros, and CLEOPATRA.

Enter PHOTINUS. Ars. We are lost!

Eros. Oh, a man in arms ! Eros. Undone !

His

weapon drawn too! Ars. Confusion, fire and swords,

Cleo. Though upon the point And fury in the soldiers' face more horrid, Death sat, l’il meet it, and out-dare the danger. Circle us round!

Pho. Keep the watch strong; and guard the Eros. The king's command they laugh at,

passage sure, And jeer at Cæsar's threats.

That leads into the sea. Ars. My brother seized on

Cleo. What sea of rudeness By the Roman, as thought guilty of the tumult, Breaks in upon us? or what subject's breath VOL. I.

L

:

a

ness

Dare raise a storin, when we command a calm? Pho. I wil tame
Are duty and obedience fled to heaven,

That haughty courage, and make it stoop too. And, in their room, ambition and pride

Cleo. Never ! Sent into Egypt? That face speaks thee Photinus, I was born to command, and I will die so. A thing, thy mother brought into the world My brother's and my slave: But thy behaviour,

Enter Acuillas, and Soldiers, with the body of Opposed to that, an insolent intruder

Ptolomy. Upon that sovereignty, thou shouldșt bow to! Pho. The king dead? This is a fair entrance to It' in the gulph of base ingratitude,

Our future happiness. All loyalty to Ptolomy the king

Ars, Oh, dear brother! Be swailowed up, remember who I am,

Cleo. Weep not, Arsinoe, (common women do Whose daughter, and whose sister; or, suppose

so) That is forgot too, let the name of Cæsar Nor lose a tear for him; it cannot help him ; (Which nations quake at) stop thy desperate mad- But study to die nobly.

Pho. Cæsar fled ? From running headlong on to thy confusion. 'Tis deadly aconite to my cold heart; Throw from thee quickly those rebellious arms, It choaks my vital spirits! Where was your care! And let me read submission in thine eyes; Did the guards sleep? Thy wrongs to us we will not only pardon,

Achil. He roused them with his sword; But be a ready advocate to plead for thec (We talk of Mars, but I am sure his courage To Cæsar and my brother.

Admits of no comparison but itself!) Pho. Plead my pardon!

And, as inspired by him, his following friends, To you I bow; but scorn as much to stoop thus With such a contidence as young eaglets prey, To Ptolomy, to Cæsar, nay the gods,

Under the large wing of their fiercer dam, As to put off the figure of a man,

Brake through our troops, and scattered them. And change my essence with a sensual beast :

He went on, All my designs, my counsels, and dark ends, But still pursued by us : When, on the sudden, Were aimed to purchase you.

He turned his head, and from his eyes flew terror, Cleo. How durst thou, being

Which struck in us no less fear and amazement, The scorn of baseness, nourish such a thought! Than if we had encountered with the lightning, Pho. They, that have power, are royal; and Hurled from Jove's cloudy brow. those base,

Cleo. 'Twas like my Cæsar! That live at the devotion of another.

Achil. We fallen back, he made on; and, as What birth gave Ptolomy, or fortune Cæsar, By engines fashioned in this Protean anvil, Had parted from us with his dreadful looks, I have made mine; and only stoop at you, Again we followed : But, got near the sea, Whom I would still preserve free, to command On which his navy anchored, in one hand

Holding a scroll he had above the waves, For Cæsar's frowns, they are below my thoughts; And in the other grasping fast his sword, And, but in these fair eyes I still have read As it had been a trident forged by Vulcan The story of a monarchy supreme,

To calm the raging ocean, he made away, To which all hearts, with mine, gladly pay tri- As if he had been Neptune ; his friends, like bute,

So many Tritons followed, their bold shouts Photinus' name bad long since been as great Yielding a chearful music. We showered darts As Ptolomy's e'er was, or Cæsar's is.

Upon them, but in vain; they reached their ships: This made me, as a weaker tie, to unloose And in their safety we are sunk; for Cæsar The knot of loyalty, that chained my freedom, Prepares for war. And slight the fear, that Cæsar's threats might Pho. How fell the king? cause;

Achil. Unable That I and they might see no sun appear,

To follow Cæsar, he was trod to death
But Cleopatra, in the Egyptian sphere.

By the pursuers, and with him the priest
Cleo. Oh, giant-like ambition, married to Of Isis, good Achoreus.
Cymerian darkness! Inconsiderate fool?

Ars. May the earth
Can there be gods, and hear this, and no thunder Lie gently on their ashes !
Ram thee into the earth!

Pho. I feel now, Pho. They are asleep,

That there are powers above us; and that 'tis not And cannot hear thee: Or, with open eyes Within the searching policies of man Did Jove look on us, I would laugh and swear To alter their decrees. That his artillery is cloyed by me:

Cleo. I laugh at thee! Or, if that they have power to hurt, his bolts Where are thy threats now, fool? thy scoffs and Are in my hand. Cleo. Most impious !

Against the gods? I see calamity

our fear

nie.

a

scorns

BELLA.

Is the best mistress of religion,

Cleo. He is all honour;
And can convert an atheist. [Shout within. Nor do I now repent me of my favours,
Pko. Oh, they come!

Nor can I think nature e'er made a woman,
Mountains fall on me! Oh, for him to die, That in her prime deserved him.
That placed his heaven on earth, is an assurance
Of his descent to hell! Where shall I hide me?

Enter CÆSAR, SCEVA, ANTONY, DOLABELLA,
The greatest daring to a man dishonest,

and Soldiers, with the heads. Is but a bastard courage, ever fainting. [Exit. Ars. He's come back.

Cæsar. Pursue no further; curb the soldiers' Enter CÆSAR, SCEVA, Antony, and DOLA

fury!

See, beauteous mistress, their accursed heads, Cesar. Look on your Cæsar! banish fear, my 'That did conspire against us. fairest;

Sce. Furies plague them! You now are safe!

They had too fair an end, to die like soldiers : Sce. By Venus, not a kiss

Pompey fell by the sword; the cross or halter Till our work be done! The traitors once dis- Should have dispatched them. patched,

Cæsar. All's but death, good Sceva; To it, and we'll cry aim.

Be therefore satisfied. And now, my dearest, (esar. I will be speedy.

Look upon Cæsar, as he still appeared,
[E.reunt Cæsar and train. A conqueror! And, this unfortunate king
Cleo. Farewell again!-Arsinoe! How now, Entombed with honour, we'll to Rome, where
Eros?

Cæsar
Ever faint-hearted?

Will shew he can give kingdoms; for the senate, Eros. But that I am assured

Thy brother dead, shall willingly decree Your excellency can command the general, The crown of Egypt, that was his, to thee. I fear the soldiers.

[Exeunt omnes.