Cæs. Thy sad complaints fayre Lady cannot chuse, 482
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 Cæsar’s 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, 490
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, 500
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, 510
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, 520
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, 530
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, 540
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: 550
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, 560
Nets weaud to cach our frayle and wandring thoughts:
Thy beauty shining like proud Phœbus 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: 570
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 Neptnnus 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: 580
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, 590
VVhile beds of Violets still come betweene
VVith fresh varyety to please the eye,
Nor neede these flowers the heate of Phœbus 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: 600
Then Paphian Temples and Cytherian hils,
And sacred Gnidas bonnet vaile to it,
A fayrer saint then Venus 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.
ACT. I. FINIS.
Chor. II Enter Discord Flashes of fire.
Antho. Now Cæsar hath thy flattering Fortune heapt
Those golden gifts and promis’d victories, 610
By fatall signes at Rubicon foretould:
Then triumph in thy glorious greatest pride,
And boast thou cast the lucky Die so well,
Now let the Triton that did sound alarme,
In his shrill trump resound the victory,
That Heauen and Earth may Ecco of thy fame:
Yet thinke in this thy Fortunes Iollity.
Though Cæsar be as great as great may be,
Yet Pompey once was euen as great as he,
And how he rode clad in Setorius spoyles: 620
And the Sicilian Pirats ouerthrowe.
Ruling like Nepoune in the mid-land Seas,
Who basely now by Land and Sea doth flie,
The heauenly Rectors prosecuting wrath,
Yet Sea nor Land can shroud him from this iar,
O how it ioyes my discord thirsting thoughts,
To see them waight, that whilom flow’d in blisse.
To see like Banners, vnlike quarrels haue.
And Roman weapons shethd in Roman blood,
For this I left the deepe Infernall shades 630
And past the sad Auernus vgly iawes,
And in the world came I, being Discord hight,
Discord the daughter of the greesly night.
To make the world a hell of plauges and woes,
Twas I that did the fatal Aple fling,
Betwixt the three Idean goddesses,
That so much blood of Greekes and Troians spilt,
Twas I that caused the deadly Thebans warre,
And made the brothers swell with endlesse hate.
And now O Rome, woe, woe, to thee I cry 640
Which to the world do bring al misery.
Act II sc. i ACTVS 2. SCENA 4.
Enter Achillas, and Sempronius.
Ach. Here are we placed, by Ptolomies command,
To murther Pompey when he comes on shore,
Then braue Sempronius prepare they selfe.
To execute the charge thou hast in hand,
Sem. I am a Romaine, and haue often serued,
Vnder his collours, when in former state,
Pompey hath bin the Generall of the field, 650
But cause I see that now the world is changd:
And like wise feele some of King Ptolomeis gould.
Ile kill him were he twenty Generalls,
And send him packing to his longest home.
I maruell of what mettell was the French man made.
Who when he should haue stabbed Marius,
They say he was astonished with his lookes.
Marius, had I beene there, thou neere hadst liu’d,
To brag thee of thy seauen Consulships.
Achil. Brauely resolu’d, Noble Sempronius, 660
The damnedst villaine that ere I heard speake:
But great men still must haue such instruments,
To bring about their purpose, which once donne,
The deede they loue, but do the doer hate:
Thou shalt no lesse (stout Romaine) be renown’d,
For being Pompeys Deaths-man, then was he,
That fir’d the faire Ægiptian Goddesse Church.
Sem. Nay that’s al one, report say what she list,
Tis for no shadowes I aduenture for:
Heere are the Crownes, heere are the wordly goods, 670
This betweene Princes doth contention bring:
Brothers this sets at ods, turnes loue to hate;
It makes the Sonne to wish his Father hang’d
That he thereby might reuell with his bagges:
And did I knowe that in my Mothers womb,
There lurk’d a hidden vaine of Sacred gould,
This hand, this sword, should rape and rip it out.
Achil. Compassion would that greedinesse restraine.
Sem. I that’s my fault, I am to compassionate,
Why man, art thou a souldier and dost talke 680
Of womanish pity and compassion?
Mens eyes must mil-stones drop, when fooles shed teares,
But soft heeres Pompey, Ile about my worke.
Enter Pompey.
Pom. Trusting vpon King Ptolomeys promis’d fayth,
And hoping succor, I am come to shore:
In Egipt heere a while to make aboade.
Sem. Fayth longer Pompey then thou dost expect.
Pom. See now worlds Monarchs, whom your state makes proud
That thinke your Honors to be permanent, 690
Of Fortunes change see heere a president,
Who whilom did command, now must intreate
And sue for that which to accept of late,
Vnto the giuer was thought fortunate.
Sem. I pray thee Pompey do not spend thy breath,
In reckning vp these rusty titles now,
Which thy ambition grac’d thee with before,
I must confesse thou wert my Generall,
But that cannot a vaile to saue thy life.
Talke of thy Fortune while thou list, 700
There is thy fortune Pompey in my fist.
Pom. O you that know what hight of honor meanes,
What tis for men that lulled in fortunes lap,
Haue climd the heighest top of soueraignety.
From all that pomp to be cast hed-long downe,
You may conceaue what Pompey doth sustayne,
I was not wont to walke thus all alone,
But to be met with troopes of Horse and Men.
With playes and pageants to be entertaynd,
A courtly trayne in royall rich aray, 710
With spangled plumes, that daunced in the ayre,
Mounted on steeds, with braue Caparisons deckt,
That in their gates did seeme to scorne the Earth.
Was wont my intertaynment beautiefie,
But now thy comming is in meaner sort,
They by thy fortune will thy welcom rate.
Sem. What dost thou for such entertaynement looke,
Pompey how ere thy comming hether bee,
I haue prouided for thy going hence.
Achi. I will draw neere, and with fayre pleasing shew, 720
Wellcome great Pompey as the Siren doth
The wandering shipman with her charming song.
Pom. O how it greeues a noble hauty mind,
Framed vp in honors vncontrouled schoole,
To serue and sue, whoe erst did rule and sway
What shall I goe and stoope to Ptolomey,
Nought to a noble mind more greefe can bring
Then be a begger where thou wert a King,
Ach. Wellcome a shore most great and gratious prince
Welcome to Ægipt and to Ptolomey. 730
The King my Maister is at hand my Lord,
To gratulate your safe ariuall heere.
Sem. This is the King, and here is the Gentleman,
Which must thy comming gratulate a non,
Pom. Thanks worthy Lord vnto your King and you,
It ioyes me much that in extremity,
I found so sure a friend as Ptolomey,
Sem. Now is the date of thy proud life expird,
To which my poniard must a full poynt put,
Pompey from Ptolomey I come to thee, 740
From whome a presant and a guift I bring,
This is the gift and this my message is Stab him
Pom. O Villaine thou hast slayne thy Generall,
And with thy base hand gor’d my royall heart.
Well I haue liued till to that height I came,
That all the world did tremble at my name,
My greatnesse then by fortune being enuied,
Stabd by a murtherous villaynes hand I died.
Ach. What is he dead, then straight cut of his head,
That whilom mounted with ambitions wings: 750
Cæsar no doubt with praise and noble thanks,
Regarding well this well deserued deede,
Whome weele present with this most pleasing gift,
Sem. Loe you my maisters, hee that kills but one,
Is straight a Villaine and a murtherer cald,
But they that vse to kill men by the great,
And thousandes slay through their ambition,
They are braue champions, and stout warriors cald,
Tis like that he that steales a rotten sheepe
That in a dich would else haue cast his hide, 760
He for his labour hath the haltars hier.
But Kings and mighty Princes of the world,
By letter pattens rob both Sea and Land.
Do not then Pompey of thy murther plaine,
Since thy ambition halfe the world hath slayne.