 | The False One |  |
Scena Quarta.
Enter (severally) Arsino, Eros, Cleopatra.Ar.
We are lost.
Eros.
Undon.
Ar.
Confusion, Fire, and Swords,
And fury in the souldiers face, more horrid
Circle us round.
Eros.
The Kings command they laugh at,
And jeere at Cæsars threats.
Ars.
My brother seizd on
By the Roman, as thought guilty of the tumult,
And forc'd to beare him company, as mark'd out
For his protection, or revenge.
Eros.
They have broke
Into my Cabinet: my Trunks are ransak'd.
Ar.
I have lost my Jewels too; but thats the least:
The barbarous Rascalls, against all humanity,
Or sense of pity, have kill'd my little dog,
And broke my monkeys chaine.
Eros.
They rufled me:
But that I could endure, and tire 'em too,
Would they proceed no further.
Ar.
O my sister!
Eros.
My Queen, my Mistresse!
Ar.
Can you stand unmov'd
When an Earth-quake of rebellion shakes the City?
And the Court trembles?
Cleo.
Yes Arsino,
And with a masculine constancy deride
Fortunes worst malice, as a servant to
My Vertues, not a Mistress: then we forsake
The strong fort of our selves, when we once yield,
Or shrink at her assaults; I am still my selfe,
And though dis-roab'd of Soveraignty, and ravisht
Of ceremonious duty, that attends it,
Nay, grant they had slav'd my body, my free mind
Like to the Palm-tree, walling fruitfull Nyle,
Shall grow up straighter, and enlarge it selfe
Spight of the envious weight that loads it with:
Think of thy birth (Arsino) common burthens
Fit common shoulders: teach the multitude
By suffering nobly what they feare to touch at:
The greatnesse of thy mind does so are a pitch,
Their dim eyes (darkned by their narrow soules)
Cannot arrive at.
Ar.
I am new created,
And owe this second being to you (best sister)
For now I feele you have infus'd into me
Part of your fortitude.
Eros.
I still am fearfull:
I dare not tell a lye: you that were born
Daughters, and Sisters unto Kings, may nourish
Great thoughts, which I, that am your humble handmaid
Must not presume to ryvall.
Cleo.
Yet (my Eros)
Though thou hast profited nothing, by observing
The whole course of my life, learn in my death,
Though not to equall, yet to imitate
Thy fearlesse Mistresse.
Enter Photinus.
Eros.
O, a man in armes?
His weapon drawn too?
Cleo.
Though upon the point
Death sate, I'le meete it, and out-dare the danger.
Pho.
Keep the watch strong, and guard the passage sure
That leads unto the Sea.
Cleo.
What sea of rudenesse
Breaks in upon us? or what Subjects breath
Dare raise a storme, when we command a calm?
Are duty, and obedience fled to heaven,
And in their roome, ambition and pride
Sent into Ægyt? that face speaks thee Photinus,
A thing thy Mother brought into the world:
My Brothers, and my Slave: but thy behaviour,
Oppos'd to that an insolent Intruder
Upon that Soveraignty thou shouldst bow to,
If in the gulph of base ingratitude,
All loyalty to Ptolomy the King
Be swallowed up, remember who I am,
Whose Daughter, and whose Sister: or suppose
That is forgot too; let the name of Cæsar
Which Nations quake at, stop the desperate madnesse
From running headlong on to thy confusion.
Throw from thee quickly those rebellious armes,
And let me read submission in thine eyes,
Ahy wrongs to us, we will not only pardon,
But be a ready advocate, to plead for thee
To Cæsar, and my Brother.
Pho.
Plead my pardon?
To you I bow, but scorn as much to stoop thus
To Ptolomy, to Cæsar, Nay the gods,
As to put off the figure of a man,
And change my Essence, with a sensuall beast:
All my designes, my counsels, and dark ends
Were aym'd to purchase you.
Cleo.
How durst thou, being
The scorne of basenesse, nourish such a thought?
141
They that have power are royall: and those base
That live at the devotion of an other,
What birth gave Ptolomy, or fortune Cæsar,
By Engines fashiond in this Protean Anvill
I have made mine: and onely stoop at you,
Whom I would still preserve free to command me;
For Cæsars frownes, they are below my thoughts,
And but in these faire eyes, I still have read
The story of a supreame Monarchy,
To which all hearts with mine, gladly pay tribute,
Photinus name, had long since bin as great
As Ptolomies ere was, or Cæsars is,
This made me as a weaker tye to unloose
The knot of loyalty, that chain'd my freedom;
And slight the feare that Cæsars threats might cause,
That I and they might see no Sun appeare.
But Cleopatra, in th'Egyptian Spheare.
Cleo.
O giantlike Ambition! married to
Cymerian darknesse! in considerate foole,
(Though flatter'd with selve love) could'st thou beleeve,
Were all Crownes on the earth, made into one,
And that (by Kings) set on thy head: all Scepters,
Within thy graspe, and laid downe at my feete,
I would vouchsafe a kisse to a no-man?
A guelded Evenuch?
Phot.
Fairest, that makes for me:
And shewes it is no sensuall appetite,
But true love to the greatnesse of thy spirit,
That when that you are mine shall yeild me pleasures:
Hymen, though blessing a new married paire
Shall blush to thinke on, and our certaine Issue,
The glorious splendour of dread Majesty:
Whose beames shall dazell Rome, and awe the world:
My wants in that kinde, others shall supply,
And I give way to it.
Cleo.
Baser then thy birth:
Can there be Gods, and heare this, and no thunder,
Ram thee into the earth?
Pho.
They are a sleepe,
And cannot heare thee:
Or with open eyes,
Did Jove looke on us, I would laugh and sweare
That his artillary is cloid by me:
Or if that they have power to hurt, his Bolts
Are in my hand.
Cleo.
Most impious!
Pho.
They are dreames,
Religious fooles shake at: yet to assure thee,
If Nemesis, that scourges pride, and scorne,
Be any thing but a name she lives in me:
For by my selfe (an oath to me more dreadfull
Then Stix is to your Gods) weake Ptolomy dead,
And Cœsar (both being in my toile) remov'd
The poorest Rascalls, that are in my Camp
Shall, in my presence, quench their lustfull heate
In thee, and young Arsinoe; while I laugh
To heare you howle in vaine:
I deride those Gods,
That you thinke can protect you,
Cleo.
To prevent thee,
In that I am the Mistress of my fate:
So hope I, of my Sister, to confirme it,
I spit at thee, and scorne thee.
Pho.
I will tame,
That haughty courage, and make it stoop too.
Cleo.
Never:
I was borne to command and I will dye so.
Enter Achillas and Souldiers, with the body of Ptolomy.
Pho.
The King dead? this is a faire entrance to,
Our future happinesse.
Ar.
O my Deare Brother?
Cleo.
Weepe not Arsinoe, common women do soe,
Nor loose a teare for him, it cannot helpe him:
But study to dye nobly.
Pho.
Cæsar fled?
'Tis deadly aconite to my cold heart:
It choakes my vitall spirits: where was your care?
Did the guardes sleepe?
Achil.
He rowz'd them with his sword:
We talke of Mars, but I am sure his courage
Admits of no comparison but it selfe,
And (as inspir'd by him) his following friends
With such a confidence, as you Eagletss prey
Under the large wing of their feircer dam,
Brake through our troopes, and scatterd 'em, he went on:
But still pursude by us: when on the sudaine,
He turn'd his head, and from his eyes flew terrour;
Which strooke in us no lesse feare, and amazement,
Then if we had encounter'd with the lightning,
Hurld from Joves clowdy brow.
Cleo.
'Twas like my Cæsar.
Achil.
We falne back, he made on, and as our feare
Had parted from us, with his dreadfull lookes,
Againe we follow'd: but got neare the sea:
On which his navy anchord; in one hand
Holding a scroll he had, above the waves,
And in the other grasping fast his sword
As it had bin a trident, forg'd by Uulcan,
To calme the raging Ocean, he made away
As if he had bin Neptune: his friends like
So many Tritons follow'd their bold showts,
Yeilding a chearefull musique; we showr'd darts,
Upon them but in vaine, they reach'd their ships,
And in their safety we are sunck; for Cæsar
Prepares for war.
Pho.
How fell the King?
Achil.
Unable,
To follow Cæsar, he was trod to death
By the pursuers, and with him the Priest,
Of Isis good Achoreus.
Ar.
May the Earth,
Lye gently on their ashes.
Pho.
I feele now,
That there are powers above us: and that 'tis not
Within the searching policies of man,
To alter their decrees.
Cleo.
I laugh at thee:
Where are thy threates now, (foole) thy scoffs, and scornes
Against the Gods? I see calamity
Is the best Mistris of Religion,
And can convert an Atheist.
Showt within.
Pho.
O they come,
Mountaines fall on me! O, for him to dye
That plac'd his heaven on earth, is an assurance
Of his descent to hell; where shall I hide me?
The greatest daring to a man dishonest,
Is but a bastard courage, ever fainting.
Exit.
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Cæsar.
Looke on your Cæsar; banish feare (my fairest)
You now are safe.
Sce.
By Uenus, not a kisse
Till our worke be done: the Traitors once dispatch'd
To it, and wee'le cry aime.
Cæsar.
I will be speedy.
Exeunt.
Cleo.
Farewell againe Arsinoe; how now Eros,
Ever faint-harted?
Eros.
But that I am assur'd,
Your excellency can command the Generall,
I feare the Souldiers, for they looke as if
They would be nibling too.
Cleo.
He is all honour,
Nor do I now repent me of my favours;
Nor can I thinke nature e're made a woman,
That in her prime deserv'd him.
Enter Cæsar, Sceva, Antony, Dollabella, Souldiers, With the beads.
Ars.
He's come backe,
Pursue no farther; curb the Souldiers fury.
See (beauteous Mistris) their accursed heads,
That did conspire against us.
Sceva.
Furies plague 'em,
They had too faire an end, to dye like Souldiers,
Pompey fell by the sword; the crosse, or halter
Should have dispatch'd them.
Cæsar.
All is but death (good Sceva)
Be therefore satisfied, and now (my dearest)
Looke up on Cæsar, as he still appear'd
A Conquerour, and this unfortunate King
Entomb'd with honour, wee'le for Rome, where Cæsar
Will shew he can give Kingdomes: for the Senate,
(Thy brother dead) shall willingly decree
The Crowne of Egypt, (that was his) to thee.
Exeunt omnes.
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