 | The Tragedie of Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt |  |
Actus Tertius.
Enter Pinnarius Scarpus with Souldiers.PIN.
Tis not Antonius, worthy souldiers,
But Rome herself to whom you owe your valours
What he could claim, you have perform'd already;
And serv'd him truly, whilst he was to you
A Generall, to Rome a Magistrate,
You are discharg'd from all obedience
You ow'd to him, by fate it self, and may
Nay, ought to follow him, whom Roman fates
Appoint your Generall, the noble Cæsar
Great Julius heir, not to his name alone
But spirit and fortunes, which have both appear'd
In this so great and finall a defeat
Given to Antonius. Before we knew not
Our service souldiers; now they have declar'd.
And let us follow where they please to lead.
For faith is impious striving to sustain
That side, whose fall the Gods themselves ordain.
SOL.
Cæsar, Cæsar, Cæsar.
PIN.
Your judgments guide you right; for could you think
So small a strength as ours could raise again
The desperate state of faln Antonius,
Under whose ruine all those legions sunk?
What madnesse were it, souldiers to preferre
A hopelesse civill warre before the weal
And peace of Rome? and desperatly provoke
The prosperous fortunes of victorious Cæsar?
I have already to Cornelius Gallus
By letter signify'd our purposes.
Who sent from Cæsar now is marching hither,
To joyn his strength with ours: but hark his Drum
Give notice of his comming.
Enter Gallus.
Hail Pinnarius.
PIN.
Ah hail Cornelius Gallus,
Most wish'd for, an most happily arriv'd
At Parætonium.
GAL.
Victorious Cæsar
With love and favour greets Pinnarius Scarpus,
Cæsar, then whom the world acknowledges
No other power; whom Fortune now has made
Sole Lord of all.
I, and my souldiers
With Parætonium are at Cæsar's service.
Whither's Antonius fled?
GAL.
Hither to Ægypt
With Cleopatra? 'Twas a victory
So strangely given away, as not the like
In former times I think has ere been heard;
On which especially so great a price
As the sole sway of all the world depended.
The Fleets encountred both, while with the Camps
On either shore stood to behold the fight,
Heer the Cæsarian, there the Antonian Fleet
With equall hopes came on, with fury equall.
And long maintain'd a sharpe and cruell fight,
With mutuall slaughter, while the Oceans face
Was forc'd to lose his colour, and rceive
A crimson die. The ships Antonius had
Were tall, and slowly did like Castles move.
But Cæsar's small, yet quick and active, stirr'd
On every side with all advantages.
Long fortune doubted, and bright victory
Knew not which way to lean, but kept them both
In equall ballance; till Antonius
Himself at last betray'd his glorious hopes.
For when his Mistris Cleopatra fled,
Although a while within his manly breast
The Roman honour strove 'gainst wanton love,
Love got the conquest, and Antonius
Fled after her, leaving his souldiers there
To sell their lives in vain; who many houres
Though he were fled, made good the navall fight.
And had Antonius stay'd, it may be fear'd
Cæsar had not prevail'd: at last the Fleet
Wanting their Admirall, though not without
PIN.
But what became of all his strength on land?
GAL.
Nay, there's the wonder, there's Antonius madnesse,
And such a madnesse as will strike amazement
To all that heare it told: after his flight
He nere return'd, though in the campe he had
Under the conduct of Canidius
And other Captains nineteen legions
Fresh and unfought, which might with reason hope
Had he been there, to have recover'd all.
They still remayn'd encamped, and though oft
Sollicited by Cæsar to revolt
Were kept from yielding, by Canidius
In hope of Antony's return. Untill
Canidius fearing his own souldiers minds
And Cæsar's anger fled away by night,
They then despairing yielded all to Cæsar.
Who by this time I think's arriv'd in Ægypt.
About Pelusium.
PI.
Will you view the town?
GAL.
With all my heart, noble Pinnarius.
Exeunt.
Enter Cæsar, Agrippa, Titius, Plancus, Thyreus, Epaphroditus, Proculeius.
Cæ.
Antonius then with Cleopatra's fled
To Alexandria.
AGR.
Tis certain, Cæsar.
They say the vanquish'd Queen most cunningly:
(Fearing it seems, to be excluded else
From her own Kingdome) fain'd her self victorious,
Landing in Ægypt with triumphant songs
Her ships all crown'd with laurell, to deceive
The credulous people: where being enter'd once
She leaves unpractis'd no strange tyranny;
And, as we hear, to win the Parthan King
Unto her side, beheaded Artavasdes
King of Armenia, and the Parthians fo,
Who was her prisoner, that Artavasdes,
Whom Anthony so basely had surpris'd.
TI.
Cæsar, 'twere fit to take Pelusium
Before we march to Alexandria.
Cæ.
'Twas our intent, good Titius, not to leaue
A town of that import behinde our backs.
Go Proculeius, summon it, and know
Whether the Governour will yield or no.
Exit. Proc.
Enter Servant.
What news with thee?
SER.
Cæsar, a messenger
From Cleopatra craves admittance.
Cæ.
Bring him.
Enter Euphronius.
Queen Cleopatra to great Cæsar wishes
All health and victory; and humbly proffers
Her self and all her fortunes to his service:
In token of which she here presents by mee
TI.
Brave and ominous.
EUP.
Humbly entreating Cæsar's noble favour
To her and hers; the rest of her desires
So please it Cæsar to peruse the same,
This letter holds.
PLA.
I warrant a love-letter.
Cæ.
But tell me first, where is Antonius?
EUP.
I'll truly tell (though it may seem to some
Incredible) that great Antonius
A man of late in conversation
So free, and full of jollity, in a strange
Deep melancholly has retir'd himself
To Pharos Ile; where like Athenian Timon,
Who did professe a hatred to mankinde,
And fled all company, he lives alone;
And on the solitary shore has built
A little house to feed his frantike humour,
And imitate that Timon's life, whose name
He takes unto himself: no friends at all
Nor servants are admitted to his presence,
But only two, Roman Lucilius
And Aristocrates the Græcian.
Cæ.
Not Cleopatra? then I doubt the man
Grows weary of these worldly vanities.
AGR.
I never heard of such a change as this.
Give me the letter. I'll peruse it now
He reads.
they retire.
Cæs.
Here the woman writes
That for her liberty, and to confirme
The Crown of Ægypt to herself and children
To gratifie my favour she has hid
Within her pallace a great masse of gold.
Unknown t'Antonius.
AGRI.
'Tis like ennough,
For Cleoptraa's rich, and long has been,
Besides the sacriledge she lately did
In robbing all the Temples of the Gods
About these parts.
Cæ.
I would not lose this gold,
Nor willingly let Cleopatra die
Before her person have adorn'd my triumph.
AGR.
That will be hard to bring to passe, and must
Be wrought with subtilty: you must not send
A threatning message back; for if you do,
All's lost, her life, her gold and all are vanish'd.
For Cleopatra, as in all her acts
It has appear'd, is of a wondrous spirit,
Of an ambition greater then her fortunes
Have ever been, though she so long have sway'd
A soveraignty ore half the Roman world,
Trod on the necks of humbled Kings, and rul'd
Antonius as her slave: her haughty spirit
Will never stoop so much as to a thought
Of such captivity.
Cæ.
I do not mean
If I can help it, but I have it now.
Thyreus come hither; I must now rely
Upon thy wisdome, care, and diligence
In an employment that concerns me neerly.
But I am confident: go with this fellow
To Alexandria; use to the Queen
Thy best and most perswasive Oratory.
Tell her I love her, and extremly dote
On her admired beauty, thou art wise
And need'st no great instructions; the successe
I do not doubt, the woman's credulous,
And thinks all men are bound to be in love
With that insnaring face; if thou perceive
She will be wrought on, winne her to betray
Antonius to my hand: the way to woo her
I leave good Thyreus to thy eloquence
And cunning working of it: spare thy reply
to Euph.
Bid him come hither. Commend my hearty love
To Cleopatra; bid her fear no ill
From me at all. What I desire from her
My freed man Thyreus has commission
To utter to her self. Epaphroditus,
Go see him well rewarded.
EPA.
Health to Cæsar.
Exeunt. Epa. & Euph.
Enter Proculeius.
The Governour is stout, and does resolve
To stand th'extremest hazard of the warre
Before he yield Pelusium.
Cæ.
Let him rue
His stubborn loyalty, souldiers make ready
For the assault; 'tis shame so small a town
Exeunt.
Antonius
disguis'd like Timon, reading.
Here bury'd do I lie; thou gentle wave
Keep hatefull man from treading Timons grave.
Reader be gone; enquire no more of me,
A curse upon thee whatsoere thou be.
ANT.
Good, good; oh Timon, Athens nere could boast
A wise philosoher but thee. Thou knew'st
The nature of all men, that all were false;
True Timon, true, they are all Knaves indeed.
Thou wisely hat'st that wicked thing call'd man,
Whom other forced Philosophers admire,
And call a noble creature, and partaker
Of divine nature: they were fools, fools Timon,
All other Sects were fools, and I will follow
No sect but thine; I am a Timonist.
That's not enough, Timon himself I am.
Enter Lucilius, Aristocrates.
Yonder he sits, see Aristocrates
How much unlike that great Antonius,
Whose person late so many legions guarded,
So many Kings attended as their Lord.
ARI.
Antonius, where? thou art deceiv'd Lucilius,
That's Timon man.
LU.
How canst thou jest at this
This wofull passion, which alone's enough
To melt his foes and Cæsar into tears.
ARI.
We feed this foolish passion, to give way,
AN.
Ha! what art thou? be gone I say from me.
Get you to Cæsar man: I hate you all.
ARI.
I hate thee, Timon; dost thou think 'tis love
Has brought me hither? I am come to vex thee.
AN.
Oh welcome, what's thy name? i'st Alcibindes?
ARI.
Hast thou forgot me?
ANT.
Dost thou hate all men?
ARI.
Why dost thou think me so unnaturall
To love a man? but may we not love women?
AN.
Yes, they may be belov'd; provided always
That they be false.
ARI.
True Timon, wicked women
May be belov'd, because they ruine men.
ANT.
Right, right; and now I better think upon't
I'll set no gallowses or gibbets up
As I entended once, for men to come
And hang themselves, I'll keep a bawdy house.
ARI.
A better way by farre, 'twill ruine moe,
I wonder, Timon, at that foolish plot
That I have heard, that in thy gardens once
In Athens thou did'st set up gallowses
For men in discontent to hang themselves.
How few think'st thou would be so mad to do it?
But to a wench they'll come, and then the office
That thou shalt have will be of more account.
That now adays turnes hangman; but a Pandar
Is on employment that befits a Statesman,
A thing requires good parts and gravity.
ANT.
I'de try that course; but tis too slow a plot.
Oh for a speedy way to kill the world!
I have done somewhat in my days; my wars
And bloudy battels were not made in vain.
For I was once Antonius, and a Roman,
As in the wars of Troy Pythagoras
Before that transmigration of his soul,
Had been Euphorbus.
AN.
Thou art like him still.
ANT.
And when I was Triumvir first at Rome,
AN.
That was a time indeed, then I could heare
Of those good deeds, which must be still a comfort
To your good consciences, though they be past.
When Rome was fill'd with slaughter, flow'd with bloud.
But they perchance were Knaves that were proscrib'd,
And might have done more mischief had they liv'd.
AN.
No, they were honest men; I look'd to that.
ARI.
'Twas well, and carefully.
AN.
Behold the list.
But one among the rest most comforts me,
That talking fellow Cicero, that us'd
To taxe the vicious times, and was forsoeth
A lover of his Country.
Out upon him,
Then he was rightly serv'd: for is it fit
In a well govern'd state such men should live
As love their Country? had't not been for him
Catiline's plot had thriv'd.
AN.
Tis true, I'm sure
Cæsar was on that side, he favour'd it.
ARI.
Yes, Cæsar understood himself; ther's hope
That this young Cæsar too will prove as good
A Patriot as ere his father was.
ANT.
He will do reason man: he is of nature
Cruell enough; in that proscription
It did appear; but now he'll reigne alone.
ARI.
Oh for such factions as were then a foot
To rend the state, and fill the world with slaughter.
ANT.
Oh, let me hug thee Alcibiades.
Enter Canidius, Lucilius.
CA.
Is that he yonder? what strange shape is that?
LU.
None talks with him but Aristocrates,
Who following his own way, and suiting just
With his conceit thinks to reclaim him so.
CA.
The news, that I shall bring, will make him worse,
And fright that little reason that is left
Quite from his brest.
It cannot so Canidius;
Perchance to hear th'extremity of all
Will cure his fit; it cannot make him worse.
For death it self were better and more noble.
CA.
How weak a thing is man that seats his hopes
In fortunes slippery, and unconstant favours,
And seeks no surer strengths to guard his soul?
Wanting a strong foundation, he is shaken
With every winde, orethrown by every storm.
And what so frequent as those storms in fortune?
Whose fairest weather never brings assurance
Of perpetuity but come what will
I'll tell him all.
LU.
Do, good Canidius.
ANT.
Well Alcibiades, I am resolv'd
I'll to the wars again, and either conquer
Mine enemies, or take a course to starve
And kill up my own souldiers, and so be
Reveng'd on some body: One of these two
May easily be brought to passe. How think'st thou?
ARI.
Yes, yes: but lets to Court, and there consult.
Enter Mardio.
See who comes here, now for our bawdy project,
Here is a servant I must needs preferre
Well vers'd in bawdry, Master of the art.
Come neer brave Mardio, come.
MAR.
My businesse
Is not to you;
Mark him but well, and tell me
How he would execute the place.
MAR.
My Lord,
The Queen entreats your presence at the Palace,
The grieved Queen, who in your absence pines,
Who suffers in your grief.
ARI.
Well urg'd old Eunuch.
ANT.
Ha! what of her? will she revolt to Cæsar?
MAR.
She's farre from that, my Lord.
ANT.
What i'st he says?
ARI.
He says the constitution of her body
Cannot hold out unlesse you visit her.
MAR.
The Queen shall know it, Aristocrates.
ARI.
Did you not say she pin'd and languish'd Sir,
And what's the difference? tell your tale yourself.
ANT.
What does she say? does she not hate me man?
MAR.
Oh no my Lord, she loves you as her life.
No spite of fortune that she has endur'd,
Or can hereafter fear, grieves her so much
As does your absence and strange melancholy.
ARI.
Well Mardio, thou art fittest for the place.
CAN.
My Lord Antonius?
Ha! mo men upon us?
CA.
I come to bring thee heavy news Antonius.
The forces all, which thou didst leave encamp'd
At Actium, horse and foot are gone to Cæsar.
And all th'auxiliary Kings; no strength
At all is left thee, but what here thou hast
At Alexandria.
AN.
Ha!
LU.
This sinks into him.
CA.
It makes a deep impression in his passion.
ARI.
And may perchance expell his other fit.
AN.
All you here yet! then I have friends I see.
But tell me, can you be so mercifull
As to forgive that most unmanly fit
I have been in? oh, I am all in blushes.
CA.
My Lord, take better comfort.
AN.
Dearest friends.
I will be proof 'gainst any fortune now.
Come let's together to the Court, and there
Drown sadnesse in rich cups of Meroë wine,
And laugh at Fortunes malice, for your sight
More cheers my spirits, then her frowns can dull them.
Exeunt.
| The Tragedie of Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt | |