University of Virginia Library

SCENA 6.

Enter Cæsar, Cleopatra, Dolobella, Lord and others
Cæs.
Thy sad complaints fayre Lady cannot chuse,
But mooue a heart though made of Adamant,
And draw to yeeld vnto thy powerfull plaint,
I will replant thee in the Ægiptian Throne
And all thy wrongs shall Cæsars vallor right,
Ile pull thy crowne from the vsurpers head,
And make the Conquered Ptolomey to stoope,
And feare by force to wrong a mayden Queene.

Cleo.
Looke as the Earth at her great loues approch,
When goulden tressed fayre Hipperions Sonne
With those life-lending beames salutes his Spouse,
Doth then cast of her moorning widdowes weeds,
And calleth her handmayde, forth her flowery fayre,
To cloth her in the beauty of the spring,
And of fayre primroses, and sweet violets,
To make gay Garlonds for to crowne her head.
So hath your presence, welcome and fayre sight,
That glads the world, comforts poore Ægipts Queene,
Who begs for succor of that conquering hand,
That as Ioues Scepter this our world doth sway.

Dolo.
Who would refuse to ayde so fayre a Queene.

Lord.
Base bee the mind, that for so sweet a fayre,
Would not aduenture more then Perseus did,
When as he freed the faire Andromeda.

Cæsar.
O how those louely Tyranizing eyes,
The Graces beautious habitation,
Where sweet desire, dartes woundring shafts of loue:
Consume my heart with inward burning heate,
Not onely Ægipt but all Africa,
Will I subiect to Cleopatras name.
Thy rule shall stretch from vnknowne Zanziber,
Vnto those Sandes where high erected poastes.
Of great Alcides, do vp hold his name,
The sunne burnt Indians, from the east shall bring:
Their pretious store of pure refined gould,
The laboring worme shall weaue the Africke twiste,
And to exceed the pompe of Persian Queene,
The Sea shall pay the tribute of his pearles,
For to adorne thy goulden yellow lockes,
Which in their curled knots, my thoughts do hold,
Thoughtes captiud to thy beauties conquering power.

Anto.
I marueyle not at that which fables tell,
How rauisht Hellen moued the angry Greeks,
To vndertake eleuen yeares tedious seege,
To re-obtayne a beauty so diuine,
When I beheld thy sweete composed face.
O onely worthy for whose matchles sake,
Another seege, and new warres should arise,
Hector be dragde about the Grecian campe,
And Troy againe consumed with Grecian fire.

Cleo.
Great Prince, what thanks can Cleopatra giue,
Nought haue poore Virgins to requite such good:
My simple selfe and seruice then vouchsafe,
And let the heauens, and he that althings sees.
With equall eyes such merits recompence,
I doe not seeke ambitiously to rule,
And in proud Africa to monarchize.
I onely craue that what my father gaue,
Who in his last be-hest did dying, will,
That I should ioyntly with my brother raigne:

But.
How sweet those words drop from those hunny lips
Which whilst she speakes they still each other kisse.

Cæsa,
Raigne, I, stil raigne in Cæsars conquered thoughts,
There build thy pallace, and thy sun-bright throne:
There sway thy Scepter, and with it beat downe,
Those traiterous thoughts (if any dare aryse:)
That will not yeeld to thy perfection,
To chase thee flying Pompey haue I cut,
The great Ionian, and Egean seas:
And dredeles past the toyling Hellespont,
Famous for amorous Leanders death:
And now by gentle Fortunes so am blest,
As to behold what mazed thoughtes admire:
Heauens wonder, Natures and Earths Ornament,
And gaze vpon these firy sun-bright eyes:
The Heauenly spheares which Loue and Beauty mooue,
These Cheekes where Lillyes and red-roses striue,
For soueraignty, yet both do equall raigne:
The dangling tresses of thy curled haire,
Nets weaud to cach our frayle and wandring thoughts:
Thy beauty shining like proud Phæbus face,
When Ganges glittereth with his radiant beames
He on his goulden trapped Palfreys rides,
That from their nostrels do the morning blow,
Through Heauens great path-way pau'd with shining starres
Thou art the fized pole of my Soules ioy,
Bout which my resteles thoughts are ouer turn'd:
My Cynthia, whose glory neuer waynes,
Guyding the Tide of mine affections:
That with the change of thy imperious lookes,
Dost make my doubtfull ioyes to eb and flowe.

Cleo.
Might all the deedes thy hands had ere achiu'd,
That make thy farre extolled name to sound:
From sun-burnt East vnto the VVestern Iles,
VVhich great Neptunus fouldeth in his armes,
It shall not be the least to seat a Maide,
And inthronize her in her natiue right.

Lord.
VVhat neede you stand disputing on your right,
Or prouing title to the Ægiptian Crowne:
Borne to be Queene and Empresse of the world.

An.
On thy perfection let me euer gaze,
And eyes now learne to treade a louers maze,
Heere may you surfet with delicious store,
The more you see, desire to looke the more:
Vpon her face a garden of delite,
Exceeding far Adonis fayned Bowre,
Heere staind white Lyllies spread their branches faire,
Heere lips send forth sweete Gilly-flowers smell.
And Damasck-rose in her faire cheekes do bud,
VVhile beds of Violets still come betweene
VVith fresh varyety to please the eye,
Nor neede these flowers the heate of Phæbus beames,
They cherisht are by vertue of her eyes.
O that I might but enter in this bowre,
Or once attaine the cropping of the flower.

Cæs.
Now wend we Lords to Alexandria,
Famous for those wide wondred Piramids.
Whose towring tops do seeme to threat the skie,
And make it proud by presence of my loue:
Then Paphian Temples and Cytherian hils,
And sacred Gnidas bonnet vaile to it,
A fayrer saint then Uenus there shall dwell.

Antho.
Led with the lode-starre of her lookes, I go
As crazed Bark is toss'd in trobled Seas,
Vncertaine to ariue in wished port.