 | The Tragedie of Cleopatra |  |
SCEMA. II.
Octauius.Dircetus. Gallus. Proculeius.
What newes brings now Dircetus from our foe,
Will Antony yet struggle beeing vndone?
Will Antony yet struggle beeing vndone?
Dir.
Noe, Cæsar he will neuer vexe thee more.
His worke is ended, Anthony hath done.
Here is the sword that hath cut off the knot
Of his intangled fortunes, and hath freed
His grieued life from his dishonor'd blot.
Oct.
Who is the man that did effect this deed?
Dir.
His owne hand and this sword hath done the deed.
Oct.
Relate Dirceus of the manner how.
Dir.
My Lord when Anthony had made this last
And desperate triall of his fortunes, and
With all the forces which he had amast
From out each coast and corner of the land.
Had brought them to their worke, perceiuing how
His ships in stead of blowes shooke hands with yours
And that his powers by land were vanquisht now,
Backe to the city he with griefe retires,
Confounded with his fortunes, crying out,
That Cleopatra had betraid his trust.
Shee all amaz'd, and fearing least he mought
In this conceipt to farther rages burst,
Hastes to the tombe which shee erected had
(A stately vault to Isis temple ioyn'd)
And thence caus'd word be sent how she was dead,
And had dispatcht her selfe, through griefe of mind.
And desperate triall of his fortunes, and
With all the forces which he had amast
From out each coast and corner of the land.
His ships in stead of blowes shooke hands with yours
And that his powers by land were vanquisht now,
Backe to the city he with griefe retires,
Confounded with his fortunes, crying out,
That Cleopatra had betraid his trust.
Shee all amaz'd, and fearing least he mought
In this conceipt to farther rages burst,
Hastes to the tombe which shee erected had
(A stately vault to Isis temple ioyn'd)
And thence caus'd word be sent how she was dead,
And had dispatcht her selfe, through griefe of mind.
Which when Antonius heard, he straight burst forth
Into this passion: what? and hast thou then
Preuented me, braue Queene, by thy great worth
Hath Cleopatra taught the worke of men?
Hath shee outgone me in the greatest part
Of resolution, to die worthily?
And must I follow? doth shee disappoint
Me, of th'example to teach her to die?
Come Eros, doe this seruice for thy Lord,
The best and greatest pleasure thou canst doe:
Imploy this weapon here; come, make this sword
That wone me honor, now to saue it to.
It is a deed of glory, Eros, this:
For these drie deaths are womanish and base.
It is for an vnsinewed feeblenesse
T'expire in feathers, and t'attend disgrace.
Ther's nothing easier Eros then to die,
For when men cannot stand, thus they may flie.
Into this passion: what? and hast thou then
Preuented me, braue Queene, by thy great worth
Hath Cleopatra taught the worke of men?
Hath shee outgone me in the greatest part
Of resolution, to die worthily?
And must I follow? doth shee disappoint
Me, of th'example to teach her to die?
Come Eros, doe this seruice for thy Lord,
The best and greatest pleasure thou canst doe:
Imploy this weapon here; come, make this sword
That wone me honor, now to saue it to.
It is a deed of glory, Eros, this:
For these drie deaths are womanish and base.
It is for an vnsinewed feeblenesse
T'expire in feathers, and t'attend disgrace.
Ther's nothing easier Eros then to die,
For when men cannot stand, thus they may flie.
Eros, his late infranchis'd seruant, takes
The sword, as if he would haue done thee deede,
And on it falls himselfe: and thereby makes
Antonius more confus'd to see him bleed,
Who should haue first euented out his breath.
O Eros, said he, and hath fortune quite
Forsaken me? must I b'out gone in all?
What? can I not by losing get a right?
Shall I not haue the vpper hand to fall
In death? must both a woman, and a slaue
The start before me of this glory haue?
With that he takes his sword, and downe he falls
Vpon the dismall point, which makes a gate
Spacious enough for death, but that the walls
Of nature, skorn'd to let it in thereat.
And he suruiues his death. Which when his loue,
His royall Cleopatra vnderstood,
Shee sends with speed his body to remoue,
The body of her loue imbru'd with blood.
Which brought vnto her tombe, (lest that the prease
Which came with him, might violate her vow)
Shee drawes, him vp in rowles of taffatie
T'a window at the top, which did allow
A little light vnto her monument.
The sword, as if he would haue done thee deede,
And on it falls himselfe: and thereby makes
Antonius more confus'd to see him bleed,
Who should haue first euented out his breath.
Forsaken me? must I b'out gone in all?
What? can I not by losing get a right?
Shall I not haue the vpper hand to fall
In death? must both a woman, and a slaue
The start before me of this glory haue?
With that he takes his sword, and downe he falls
Vpon the dismall point, which makes a gate
Spacious enough for death, but that the walls
Of nature, skorn'd to let it in thereat.
And he suruiues his death. Which when his loue,
His royall Cleopatra vnderstood,
Shee sends with speed his body to remoue,
The body of her loue imbru'd with blood.
Which brought vnto her tombe, (lest that the prease
Which came with him, might violate her vow)
Shee drawes, him vp in rowles of taffatie
T'a window at the top, which did allow
A little light vnto her monument.
There Charmion, and poore Eras, two weake maids
Foretir'd with watching, and their mistresse care,
Tngd at the pulley hauing no other ayds,
And vp they hoise the swounding body there
Of pale Antonius showring out his blood
On th'vnder-lookers, which there gazing stood.
Foretir'd with watching, and their mistresse care,
Tngd at the pulley hauing no other ayds,
And vp they hoise the swounding body there
Of pale Antonius showring out his blood
On th'vnder-lookers, which there gazing stood.
And when they had now wrought him vp half way
(Their feeble powers vnable more to doe)
The frame stood still, the body at a stay,
When Cleopatra all her strength thereto
Puts, with what vigor loue, and care could vse,
So that it mooues againe, and then againe
It comes to stay. When shee afresh renewes
Her hold, and with reinforced power doth straine,
And all the weight of her weake bodie laies,
Whose surcharg'd heart more then her body wayes.
At length shee wrought him vp, and takes him in,
Laies his yet breathing body on her bed,
Applies all meanes his sences to rewinne
Stops vp his wound againe that freshly bled.
Calls him her Lord, her spouse, her Emperor.
Forgets her owne distresse, to comfort his,
And interpoints each comfort with a kisse.
(Their feeble powers vnable more to doe)
The frame stood still, the body at a stay,
When Cleopatra all her strength thereto
Puts, with what vigor loue, and care could vse,
So that it mooues againe, and then againe
It comes to stay. When shee afresh renewes
Her hold, and with reinforced power doth straine,
And all the weight of her weake bodie laies,
Whose surcharg'd heart more then her body wayes.
Laies his yet breathing body on her bed,
Applies all meanes his sences to rewinne
Stops vp his wound againe that freshly bled.
Calls him her Lord, her spouse, her Emperor.
Forgets her owne distresse, to comfort his,
And interpoints each comfort with a kisse.
He after some small rest and cherishing
Raises himselfe, and frames a forced cheere,
Wils Cleopatra leaue her languishing,
And like herselfe these accidents to beare,
Considering they had had so full a part
Of glory in this world: and that the turne
Of Change was come, and Fortune would depart.
T'was now in vaine for her to stand and mourne:
But rather ought shee seeke her race to free,
By all the meanes (her honor sau'd) shee can,
And none about Octauius trust, said he,
But Proculeius she's an honest man.
Raises himselfe, and frames a forced cheere,
Wils Cleopatra leaue her languishing,
And like herselfe these accidents to beare,
Considering they had had so full a part
Of glory in this world: and that the turne
Of Change was come, and Fortune would depart.
T'was now in vaine for her to stand and mourne:
But rather ought shee seeke her race to free,
By all the meanes (her honor sau'd) shee can,
And none about Octauius trust, said he,
But Proculeius she's an honest man.
And for my selfe, suffize I haue not fail'd
In any acte of worth: and now in this,
A Roman hath but here a Roman quayld,
And onely but by fortunes variousnes.
And yet herein I may this glory take,
That he who me vndoes, my sword did make.
In any acte of worth: and now in this,
A Roman hath but here a Roman quayld,
And onely but by fortunes variousnes.
And yet herein I may this glory take,
That he who me vndoes, my sword did make.
This said, he calls for wine, which he requires
Perhaps not for his thirst, but t'end his breath:
Which hauing taken, forthwith he expires:
And thus haue I declar'd Antonius death.
Perhaps not for his thirst, but t'end his breath:
Which hauing taken, forthwith he expires:
And thus haue I declar'd Antonius death.
Octa.
I grieue to heare this much. And I protest
By all the gods, I am no cause of this,
He sought his ruine, wrought his owne vnrest;
And here these letters are my witnesses,
How oft I labour'd to recall him home,
And woo'd his friendship, su'd to him for loue:
Your selues my fellow cittizens can proue.
But Gallus you, and Proculeius haste
With speed vnto the cittie to preuent
Lest Cleopatra desperat now at last,
Bereaue vs of the onely ornament,
Which is herselfe, that can our triumphs grace.
Or fire the treasure which she hath amast
Within that vault, of all the precious stuffe
That Egypt yields and disappoint at last
Our trauels of the benefit thereof.
Supple her heart with hopes of kinde reliefe.
Giue words of oyle, vnto her wounds of griefe.
CHORVS.
Behold
what furies still
Torment their tortur'd brest,
Who by their doing ill,
Haue wrought the worlds vnrest.
Which when being most distrest,
Yet more to vexe their sprite,
The hideous face of sinne,
(In formes they must detest)
Stands euer in their sight.
Their conscience still within
Th'eternall larum is
That euer barking dog that calls vpon their misse.
Torment their tortur'd brest,
Who by their doing ill,
Haue wrought the worlds vnrest.
Which when being most distrest,
Yet more to vexe their sprite,
The hideous face of sinne,
(In formes they must detest)
Stands euer in their sight.
Their conscience still within
Th'eternall larum is
That euer barking dog that calls vpon their misse.
No meanes at all to hide
Man from himselfe can find:
No way to start aside
Out from the hell of minde.
But in himselfe confin'd,
He still sees sinne before:
And winged-footed paine,
That swiftly comes behind,
The which is euermore,
The sure and certaine gaine
Impietie doth get,
And wanton lose respect, that doth it selfe forget.
Man from himselfe can find:
No way to start aside
But in himselfe confin'd,
He still sees sinne before:
And winged-footed paine,
That swiftly comes behind,
The which is euermore,
The sure and certaine gaine
Impietie doth get,
And wanton lose respect, that doth it selfe forget.
And Cleopatra now,
Well sees the dangerous way
She tooke, and car'd not how,
Which led her to decay:
And likewise makes vs pay
For her disordered lust,
The int'rest of our blood:
Or liue a seruile pray,
Vnder a hand vniust,
As others shall thinke good.
This hath her riot wonne,
And thus shee hath her state, her selfe, and vs vndone.
Well sees the dangerous way
She tooke, and car'd not how,
Which led her to decay:
And likewise makes vs pay
For her disordered lust,
The int'rest of our blood:
Or liue a seruile pray,
Vnder a hand vniust,
As others shall thinke good.
This hath her riot wonne,
And thus shee hath her state, her selfe, and vs vndone.
Now euery mouth can tell,
What close was muttered:
How that shee did not well,
To take the course shee did,
For now is nothing hid,
Of what feare did restraine,
No secret closely done,
But now is vttered.
The text is made most plaine
That flatterie glos'd vpon,
The bed of sinne reueal'd,
And all the luxurie that shame would haue conceal'd.
What close was muttered:
How that shee did not well,
To take the course shee did,
For now is nothing hid,
Of what feare did restraine,
No secret closely done,
But now is vttered.
The text is made most plaine
That flatterie glos'd vpon,
The bed of sinne reueal'd,
And all the luxurie that shame would haue conceal'd.
The scene is broken downe,
And all vncouered lies,
The purple Actors knowne
Scarce men, whom men despise.
The complots of the wise
Proue imperfections smoake;
And all what wonder gaue
To pleasure gazing eies,
Lies scattered, dasht, all broke.
Thus much beguiled haue
Poore vnconsiderate wights,
These momentary pleasures, fugitiue delights.
And all vncouered lies,
The purple Actors knowne
Scarce men, whom men despise.
The complots of the wise
Proue imperfections smoake;
And all what wonder gaue
To pleasure gazing eies,
Lies scattered, dasht, all broke.
Thus much beguiled haue
Poore vnconsiderate wights,
These momentary pleasures, fugitiue delights.
| The Tragedie of Cleopatra | |