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 you shall 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. you shall please, [TO CLEOPATRA. Say, I would die. Exeunt PROCULEIUS, and Soldiers. Dol. Most noble empress, you have heard of me? 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,― Cleo. Think you, there was, or might be, such a 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. Gentle madam, no. As this I dream'd of? Dol. Cleo. You lie, up to the hearing of the gods. But, if there be, or ever were one such, It's past the size of dreaming: Nature wants stuff To vie strange forms3 with fancy; yet, to imagine An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, Condemning shadows quite.* Dol. Hear me, good madam: By the rebound of yours, a grief that shoots Cleo. I thank you, sir. Know you, what Cæsar means to do with me? Dol. Though he be honourable,— Cleo. He'll lead me then in triumph? Dol. I know it. Madam, he will; Within. Make way there,-Cæsar. Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECENAS, SELEUCUS, and Attendants. Cæs. Which is the queen Of Egypt? 'Tis the emperor, madam. [CLEOPATRA kneels. 3 To vie strange forms-] To vie was a term at cards. 4 yet, to imagine An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, Condemning shadows quite.] The word piece, is a term appropriated to works of art. Here Nature and Fancy produce each their piece, and the piece done by Nature had the preference. Antony was in reality past the size of dreaming; he was more by Nature than Fancy could present in sleep, Cæs. You shall not kneel Arise, I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt. Sir, the gods Will have it thus; my master and my lord I must obey. Cæs. Take to you no hard thoughts: The record of what injuries you did us, Though written in our flesh, we shall remember Sole sir o'the world, Cleo. Cæs. Cleopatra, know, We will extenuate rather than enforce : If you apply yourself to our intents, (Which towards you are most gentle,) you shall find A benefit in this change; but if you seek To lay on me a cruelty, by taking Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself Cleo. And may, through all the world: 'tis yours; and we Your 'scutcheons, and your signs of conquest, shall Not petty things admitted.-Where's Seleucus? Cleo. This is my treasurer; let him speak, my lord. I cannot project-] i. e. I cannot shape or form my cause, &c. Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus. I had rather seel" my lips, than, to my peril, Cleo. What have I kept back? Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made known. Cæs. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve Your wisdom in the deed. Cleo. See, Cæsar! O, behold, How pomp is follow'd! mine will now be yours; And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine. The ingratitude of this Seleucus does Even make me wild:-O slave, of no more trust Than love that's hir'd!-What, goest thou back? thou shalt Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, Though they had wings: Slave, soul-less villain, dog! O rarely base!" Cæs. Good queen, let us entreat you. Cleo. O Cæsar, what a wounding shame is this; That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me, Doing the honour of thy lordliness To one so meek, that mine own servant should 8 Addition of his envy! Say, good Cæsar, 6 seel my lips,] It means, close up my lips as effectually as the eyes of a hawk are closed. To seel hawks was the technical term. 7 O rarely base!] i. e. base in an uncommon degree. Parcel the sum of my disgraces by-] The meaning either is, "that this fellow should add one more parcel or item to the sum of my disgraces, namely, his own malice;" or, " that this fellow should tot up the sum of my disgraces, and add his own malice to the account." |