Cæs. 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. Pro. Cæsar, I shall. [Exit PROCULeius, Cæs. Gallus, go you along.—Where's Dolabella, To second Proculeius? [Exit GALLUS. Agr. Mec. Dolabella! Cæs. Let him alone, for I remember now SCENE II. [Exeunt. Alexandria. A Room in the Monument. Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS. To do that thing that ends all other deeds; 5 -fortune's knave,] The servant of fortune. And it is great, &c.] The difficulty of the passage, if any difficulty there be, arises only from this, that the act of suicide, Enter, to the Gates of the Monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS, and Soldiers. Pro. Cæsar sends greeting to the queen of Egypt; And bids thee study on what fair demands Thou mean'st to have him grant thee. Cleo. [Within.] Pro. My name is Proculeius. Cleo. [Within.] What's thy name? Antony Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd, That have no use for trusting. If your master t No less beg than a kingdom: if he please Pro. Cleo. [Within.] Pray you, tell him and the state which is the effect of suicide, are confounded. Voluntary death, says she, is an act which bolts up change; it produces a state, Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung, The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's. Which has no longer need of the gross and terrene sustenance, in the use of which Cæsar and the beggar are on a level. The speech is abrupt, but perturbation in such a state is surely natural. JOHNSON. 6 that will pray in aid for kindness,] Praying in aid is a term used for a petition made in a court of justice for the calling in of help from another that hath an interest in the cause in question. I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him Pro. This I'll report, dear lady. Have comfort; for, I know, your plight is pitied Of him that caus'd it. Gal. You see how easily she may be surpriz'd; [Here PROCULEIUS, and two of the Guard, ascend the Monument by a Ladder placed against á Window, and having descended, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the Guard unbar and open the Gates. Guard her till Cæsar come. [TO PROCULEIUS and the Guard. Exit GALLUS. Iras. Royal queen! Char, O Cleopatra! thou art takèn, queen!- Pro. [Drawing a Dagger. Hold, worthy lady, hold: [Seizes and disarms her. What, of death too Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this Cleo. That rids our dogs of languish ? Pro. Cleopatra, Cleo. The greatness he has got.] i. e. her crown which he has won. Worth many babes and beggars !] Why, death, wilt thou not rather seize a queen, than employ thy force upon babes and beggars. Pro. O, temperance, lady! Cleo. 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, Pro. You do extend These thoughts of horror further than Dol. Enter DOLABELLA. Proculeius, What thou hast done thy master Cæsar knows, Pro. So, Dolabella, It shall content me best: be gentle to her.- If you'll employ me to him. Cleo. [TO CLEOPATRA, Say, I would die. [Exeunt PROCULEIUS, and Soldiers. Dol. Most noble empress, you have heard of me? Cleo. I cannot tell. Dol. Assuredly, you know me. Cleo. No matter, sir, what I have heard, or known. 9 will once be necessary,] Once may mean sometimes. You laugh, when boys, or women, tell their dreams; Is't not your trick? Dol. I understand not, madam. Cleo. I dream'd, there was an emperor Antony;O, such another sleep, that I might see But such another man! Dol. If it might please you, Cleo. His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck A sun, and moon; which kept their course, and lighted The little O, the earth. Dol. Most sovereign creature, Cleo. 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 plates2 dropp'd from his pocket. Dol. Cleopatra,Cleó. Think you, there was, or might be, such a man his rear'd arm Crested the world:] Alluding to some of the old crests in heraldry, where a raised arm on a wreath was mounted on the helmet. As plates-] Mr. Steevens justly interprets plates to mean silver money. It is a term in heraldry. The balls or roundels in an escutcheon of arms, according to their different colours, have different names. If gules, or red, they are called torteauxes; if or, or yellow, bezants; if argent, or white, plates, which are buttons of silver without any impression, but only prepared for the stamp. |