Cleopatra
were romances from the French of Gautier de Costes, Seigneur de la Calprenède, who died in 1663. He published
Cassandra
in 10 volumes in 1642,
Cleopatra
in 12 volumes in 1656, besides other romances. The custom was to publish these romances a volume at a time. A pretty and rich widow smitten with the
Cleopatra
while it was appearing, married La Calprenède upon condition that he finished it, and his promise to do so was formally inserted in the marriage contract. The English translations of these French Romances were always in folio.
Cassandra
, translated by Sir Charles Cotterell, was published in 1652;