,transcriber's ,note3 ,this text is intended for users whose text readers cannot use the real 7unicode_/utf-#h7 version of the file4 ,characters that could not be fully displayed have been unpacked and shown in brackets3 em1 en1 om1 on1 un vowel with overline 7for following nasal7 ,the oe character is shown as two separate letters4 ,a ,discourse of ,life and ,death4 ,written in ,french by ,ph4 ,mornay4 ,antonius1 ,a ,tragoedie written also in ,french by ,ro4 ,garnier4 ,both done in ,english by the ,countesse of ,pembroke4 ,illustration3 publisher's device ,,at ,,london1 ,printed for ,william ,ponsonby4 #aeib4 ,illustration3 ,emblem ,decoration ,a ,discourse of ,life and ,death1 ,written in ,french by ,ph4 ,mornay4 ,sieur du ,plessis ,marly4 ,it seemes to mee strange1 and a thing much to be marueiled1 that the laborer to repose himselfe hasteneth as it were the course of the ,sunne3 that the ,mariner rowes with all force to attayne the porte1 and with a ioyfull crye salutes the descryed land3 that the traueiler is neuer quiet nor content till he be at the ende of his voyage3 and that wee in the meane while tied in this world to a perpetuall taske1 tossed with continuall tempest1 tyred with a rough and combersome way1 cannot yet see the ende of our labour but with griefe1 nor behold our porte but with teares1 nor approch our home and quiet abode but with horrour and trembling4 ,this life is but a ,penelopes web1 wherein we are alwayes doing and vndoing3 a sea open to all windes1 which sometime within1 sometime without neuer cease to torment vs3 a weary iorney through extreame heates1 and coldes1 ouer high mountaynes1 steepe rockes1 and theeuish deserts4 ,and so we terme it in weauing at this web1 in rowing at this oare1 in passing this miserable way4 ,yet loe when death comes to ende our worke1 when she stretcheth out her armes to pull vs into the porte1 when after so many dangerous passages1 and lothsome lodgings she would conduct vs to our true home and resting place3 in steede of reioycing at the ende of our labour1 of taking comfort at the sight of our land1 of singing at the approch of our happie mansion1 we would faine1 7who would beleeue it87 retake our worke in hand1 we would againe hoise saile to the winde1 and willinglie vndertake our iourney anew4 ,no more then remember we our paines1 our shipwracks and dangers are forgotten3 we feare no more the trauailes nor the theeues4 ,contrarywise1 we apprehende death as an extreame payne1 we doubt it as a rocke1 we flye it as a theefe4 ,we doe as litle children1 who all the day complayne1 and when the medicine is brought them1 are no longer sicke3 as they who all the weeke long runne vp and downe the streetes with payne of the teeth1 and seeing the ,barber comming to pull them out1 feele no more payne3 as those tender and delicate bodyes1 who in a pricking pleurisie complaine1 crie out1 and cannot stay for a ,surgion1 and when they see him whetting his ,launcet to cut the throate of the disease1 pull in their armes1 and hide them in the bed1 as1 if he were come to kill them4 ,we feare more the cure then the disease1 the surgion then the paine1 the stroke then the impostume4 ,we haue more sence of the medicins bitternes soone gone1 then of a bitter languishing long continued3 more feeling of death the end of our miseries1 then the endlesse misery of our life4 ,and whence proceedeth this folly and simplicitie8 we neyther knowe life1 nor death4 ,we feare that we ought to hope for1 and wish for that we ought to feare4 ,we call life a continuall death3 and death the issue of a liuing death1 and the entrance of a neuer dying life4 ,now what good1 ,i pray you1 is there in life1 that we should so much pursue it8 or what euill is there in death1 that we should so much eschue it8 ,nay what euill is there not in life8 and what good is there not in death8 ,consider all the periods of this life4 ,we enter it in teares2 we passe it in sweate1 we ende it in sorow4 ,great and litle1 ritch and poore1 not one in the whole world1 that can pleade immunitie from this condition4 ,man in this point worse then all other creatures1 is borne vnable to support himselfe3 neither receyuing in his first yeeres any pleasure1 nor giuing to others but annoy and displeasure1 and before the age of discretion passing infinite dangers4 ,only herein lesse vnhappy then in other ages1 that he hath no sence nor apprehension of his vnhappines4 ,now is there any so weake minded1 that if it were graunted him to liue alwayes a childe1 would make accompt of such a life8 ,so then it is euident that not simplie to liue is a good1 but well and happilie to liue4 ,but proceede4 ,growes he8 with him growe his trauailes4 ,scarcely is he come out of his nurses hands1 scarcely knowes he what it is to play1 but he falleth into the subiection of some ,schoolemaister3 ,i speake but of those which are best and most precisely brought vp4 ,studies he8 it is euer with repining4 ,playes he8 neuer but with feare4 ,this whole age while he is vnder the charge of an other1 is vnto him but as a prison4 ,he only thinks1 and only aspires to that time when freed from the mastership of another1 he may become maister of himselfe3 pushing onward 7as much as in him lies7 his age with his shoulder1 that soone he may enioy his hoped libertie4 ,in short1 he desires nothing more then the ende of this base age1 and the beginning of his youth4 ,and what else ,i pray you is the beginning of youth1 but the death of infancy8 the beginning of manhood1 but the death of youth8 the beginning of to morow1 but the death of to day8 ,in this sort then desires he his death1 and iudgeth his life miserable3 and so cannot be reputed in any happines or contentment4 ,behold him now1 according to his wish1 at libertie3 in that age1 wherein ,hercules had the choise1 to take the way of vertue or of vice1 reason or passion for his guide1 and of these two must take one4 ,his passion entertains him with a thousand delights1 prepares for him a thousand baites1 presents him with a thousand worldly pleasures to surprize him3 and fewe there are that are not beguiled4 ,but at the reconings ende what pleasures are they8 pleasures full of vice which hold him still in a restles feauer3 pleasures subiect to repentance1 like sweete meates of hard disgestion3 pleasures bought with paine and perill1 spent and past in a moment1 and followed with a long and lothsome remorse of conscience4 ,and this is the very nature 7if they be well examined7 of all the pleasures of this world4 ,there is in none so much sweetenes1 but there is more bitternes3 none so pleasant to the mouth1 but leaues an vnsauery after taste and lothsome disdaine3 none 7which is worse7 so moderated but hath his corosiue1 and caries his punishment in it selfe4 ,i will not heere speake of the displeasures confessed by all1 as quarells1 debates1 woundes1 murthers1 banishments1 sicknes1 perils1 whereinto sometimes the incontinencie1 sometimes the insolencie of this ill guided age conductes him4 ,but if those that seem pleasures1 be nothing else but displeasures3 if the sweetnes thereof be as an infusion of wormewood3 it is plaine enough what the displeasure is they feele1 and how great the bitternes that they taste4 ,behold in summe the life of a yong man1 who rid of the gouernment of his parents and maisters1 abandons himselfe to all libertie or rather bondage of his passion3 which right like an vncleane spirit possessing him1 casts him now into the water1 now into the fire3 sometimes caries him cleane ouer a rocke1 and sometime flings him headlong to the bottome4 ,now if he take and followe reason for his guide1 beholde on the other part wonderfull difficulties3 he must resolue to fight in euery part of the field3 at euery step to be in conflict1 and at handstrokes1 as hauing his enemy in front1 in flanke1 and on the reareward1 neuer leauing to assaile him4 ,and what enemy8 all that can delight him1 all that he sees neere1 or farre off3 briefly the greatest enemy of the world1 the world it selfe4 ,but which is worse1 a thousand treacherous and dangerous intelligences among his owne forces1 and his passion within himselfe desperate3 which in that age growne to the highest1 awaits but time1 houre1 and occasion to surprize him1 and cast him into all viciousnes4 ,god only and none other1 can make him choose this way3 ,god only can hold him in it to the ende3 ,god only can make him victorious in all his combats4 ,and well we see how fewe they are that enter into it1 and of those fewe1 how many that retire againe4 ,follow the one way1 or follow the other1 he must either subiect himselfe to a tyrannicall passion1 or vndertake a weery and continuall combate1 willingly cast himselfe to destruction1 or fetter himselfe as it were in stockes1 easily sincke with the course of the water1 or painefully swimme against the streame4 ,loe here the young man1 who in his youth hath drunke his full draught of the worlds vaine and deceiuable pleasures1 ouertaken by them with such a dull heauines1 and astonishment1 as drunkards the morow after a feast3 either so out of taste1 that he will no more1 or so glutted1 that he can no more3 not able without griefe to speake1 or thinke of them4 ,loe him that stoutly hath made resistance3 he feeles himselfe so weery1 and with this continuall conflict so brused and broken1 that either he is vpon the point to yeeld himselfe1 or content to dye1 and so acquit himselfe4 ,and this is all the good1 all the contentment of this florishing age1 by children so earnestlie desired1 and by old folkes so hartely lamented4 ,now commeth that which is called perfit age1 in the which men haue no other thoughts1 but to purchase themselues wisedome and rest4 ,perfit in deede1 but herein only perfit1 that all imperfections of humane nature1 hidden before vnder the simplicitie of childhood1 or the lightnes of youth1 appeere at this age in their perfection4 ,we speake of none in this place but such as are esteemed the wisest1 and most happie in the conceit of the world4 ,we played as you haue seene in feare3 our short pleasures were attended on with long repentance4 ,behold1 now present themselues to vs auarice1 and ambition1 promising if wee will adore them1 perfect contentment of the goods and honors of this world4 ,and surely there are none1 but the true children of the ,lord1 who by the faire illusions of the one or the other cast not themselues headlong from the top of the pinnacle4 ,but in the ende1 what is all this contentment8 ,the couetous man makes a thousand voiages by sea and by lande3 runnes a thousand fortunes3 escapes a thousand shipwrackes in perpetuall feare and trauell3 and many times he either looseth his time1 or gaineth nothing but sicknesses1 goutes1 and oppilations for the time to come4 ,in the purchase of this goodly repose1 he bestoweth his true rest3 and to gaine wealth looseth his life4 ,suppose he hath gained in good quantitie3 that he hath spoiled the whole ,east of pearles1 and drawen dry all the mines of the ,west3 will he therefore be setled in quiet8 can he say that he is content8 ,all charges and iourneys past1 by his passed paines he heapeth vp but future disquietnes both of minde and body3 from one trauell falling into another1 neuer ending1 but changing his miseries4 ,he desired to haue them1 and now feares to loose them3 he got them with burning ardour1 and possesseth in trembling colde3 he aduentured among theeues to seeke them1 and hauing found them1 theeues and robbers on all sides1 runne mainely on him3 he laboured to dig them out of the earth1 and now is enforced to redig1 and rehide them4 ,finally comming from all his voiages he comes into a prison3 and for an ende of his bodely trauels1 is taken with endlesse trauails of the minde4 ,and what at length hath this poore soule attained after so many miseries8 ,this ,deuill of couetise by his illusions1 and enchantments1 beares him in hand that he hath some rare and singuler thing3 and so it fareth with him1 as with those seely creatures1 whome the ,deuill seduceth vnder couler of releeuing their pouertie1 who finde their hands full of leaues1 supposing to finde them full of crownes4 ,he possesseth or rather is possessed by a thing1 wherein is neither force nor vertue3 more vnprofitable1 and more base1 then the least hearbe of the earth4 ,yet hath he heaped togither this vile excrement1 and so brutish is growne1 as therewith to crowne his head1 which naturally he should tread vnder his feete4 ,but howsoeuer it be1 is he therewith content8 ,nay contrarywise lesse now1 then euer4 ,we commend most those drinks that breede an alteration1 and soonest extinguish thyrst3 and those meates1 which in least quantitie do longest resist hunger4 ,now hereof the more a man drinkes1 the more he is a thirst1 the more he eates1 the more an hungred3 ,it is a dropsie1 7and as they tearme it7 the dogs hunger3 sooner may he burst then be satisfied4 ,and which is worse1 so strange in some is this thyrst1 that it maketh them dig the pits1 and painefully drawe the water1 and after will not suffer them to drinke4 ,in the middest of a riuer they are dry with thirst3 and on a heape of corne cry out of famine3 they haue goodes and dare not vse them3 they haue ioyes it seemes1 and do not enioy them3 they neither haue for themselues1 nor for another3 but of all they haue1 they haue nothing3 and yet haue want of all they haue not4 ,let vs then returne to that1 that the attaining of all these deceiuable goods is nothing else but weerines of body1 and the possession for the most part1 but weerines of the minde3 which certenly is so much the greater1 as is more sensible1 more subtile1 and more tender the soule then the body4 ,but the heape of all misery is when they come to loose them3 when either shipwracke1 or sacking1 or inuasion1 or fire1 or such like calamities1 to which these fraile things are subiect1 doth take and cary them from them4 ,then fall they to cry1 to weepe1 and to torment themselues1 as little children that haue lost their play-game1 which notwithstanding is nothing worth4 ,one cannot perswade them1 that mortall men haue any other good in this world1 but that which is mortall4 ,they are in their owne conceits not only spoyled1 but altogither flayed4 ,and for asmuch as in these vaine things they haue fixed all their hope1 hauing lost them1 they fall into despaire1 out of the which commonly they cannot be withdrawen4 ,and which is more1 all that they haue not gained according to the accompts they made1 they esteeme lost3 all that which turnes them not to great and extraordinary profit1 they accompt as damage3 whereby we see some fall into such despaire1 as they cast away themselues4 ,in short1 the recompence that ,couetise yeelds those that haue serued it all their life1 is oftentimes like that of the ,deuill3 whereof the ende is1 that after a small time hauing gratified his disciples1 either he giues them ouer to a hangman1 or himselfe breakes their neckes4 ,i will not heere discourse of the wickednes and mischiefes wherevnto the couetous men subiect themselues to attaine to these goodes1 whereby their conscience is filled with a perpetuall remorse1 which neuer leaues them in quiet3 sufficeth that in this ouer vehement exercise1 which busieth and abuseth the greatest part of the world1 the body is slaine1 the minde is weakened1 the soule is lost without any pleasure or contentment4 ,come we to ambition1 which by a greedines of honor fondly holdeth occupied the greatest persons4 ,thinke we there to finde more8 nay rather lesse4 ,as the one deceiueth vs1 geuing vs for all our trauaile1 but a vile excrement of the earth3 so the other repayes vs1 but with smoke and winde3 the rewards of this being as vaine1 as those of that were grosse4 ,both in the one and the other1 we fall into a bottomles pit2 but into this the fall by so much the more dangerous1 as at the first shewe1 the water is more pleasant and cleare4 ,of those that geue themselues to courte ambition1 some are great about ,princes1 others commanders of ,armies3 both sorts according to their degree1 you see saluted1 reuerenced1 and adored of those that are vnder them4 ,you see them appareled in purple1 in scarlet1 and in cloth of gould3 it seemes at first sight there is no contentment in the world but theirs4 ,but men knowe not how heauy an ounce of that vaine honor weighes1 what those reuerences cost them1 and how dearely they pay for an ell of those rich stuffes3 who knewe them well1 would neuer buy them at the price4 ,the one hath attained to this degree1 after a long and painefull seruice hazarding his life vpon euery occasion1 with losse ofttimes of a legge or an arme1 and that at the pleasure of a ,prince1 that more regards a hundred perches of ground on his neighbours frontiers1 then the liues of a hundred thousand such as he3 vnfortunate to serue who loues him not3 and foolish to thinke himselfe in honor with him1 that makes so litle reckening to loose him for a thing of no worth4 ,others growe vp by flattering a ,prince1 and long submitting their toongs and hands to say and doe without difference whatsoeuer they will haue them3 wherevnto a good minde can neuer commaund it selfe4 ,they shall haue indured a thousand iniuries1 receiued a thousand disgraces1 and as neere as they seeme about the ,prince1 they are neuertheles alwayes as the ,lions keeper1 who by long patience1 a thousand feedings and a thousand clawings hath made a fierce ,lion familiar1 yet geues him neuer meate1 but with pulling backe his hand1 alwayes in feare least he should catch him3 and if once in a yere he bites him1 he sets it so close1 that he is paid for a long time after4 ,such is the ende of all princes fauorites4 ,when a ,prince after long breathings hath raised a man to great height1 he makes it his pastime1 at what time he seemes to be at the top of his trauaile1 to cast him downe at an instant3 when he hath filled him with all wealth1 he wrings him after as a sponge3 louing none but himself1 and thinking euery one made1 but to serue1 and please him4 ,these blinde courtiers make themselues beleeue1 that they haue freends1 and many that honor them3 neuer considering that as they make semblance to loue1 and honor euery body1 so others do by them4 ,their superiors disdaine them1 and neuer but with scorne do so much as salute them4 ,their inferiors salute them because they haue neede of them 7,i meane of their fortune1 of their foode1 of their apparell1 not of their person7 and for their equalls betweene whome commonly friendship consistes1 they enuy each other1 accuse each other1 crosse each other2 continually greeued either at their owne harme1 or at others good4 ,nowe what greater hell is there1 what greater torment1 then enuie8 which in truth is nought else but a feauer ,hectique of the mind3 so they are vtterly frustrate of all frendship1 euer iudged by the wisest the chiefe and soueraigne good among men4 ,will you see it more clearely8 ,let but fortune turne her backe1 euery man turnes from them3 let her frowne2 euery man lookes aside on them3 let them once be disroabed of their triumphall garment1 no body will any more knowe them4 ,againe1 let there be apparelled in it the most vnworthie1 and infamous whatsoeuer3 euen he without difficultie by vertue of his robe1 shall inherit all the honours the other had done him4 ,in the meane time they are puffed vp1 and growe proude1 as the ,asse which caried the image of ,isis was for the honors done to the ,goddesse1 and regard not that it is the fortune they carry which is honored1 not themselues1 on whome as on ,asses1 many times she will be caried4 ,but you will say3 ,at least so long as that fortune endured1 they were at ease1 and had their contentment1 and who hath three or foure or more yeeres of happy time1 hath not bin all his life vnhappie4 ,true1 if this be to be at ease continually to feare to be cast downe from that degree1 wherevnto they are raised3 and dayly to desire with great trauaile to clime yet higher4 ,those 7my friend7 whome thou takest so well at their ease1 because thou seest them but without1 are within farre otherwise4 ,they are faire built prisons1 full within of deepe ditches1 and dungeons3 full of darkenes1 serpents and torments4 ,thou supposest them lodged at large1 and they thinke their lodgings straite4 ,thou thinkest them very high1 and they thinke themselues very lowe4 ,now as sicke is he1 and many times more sicke1 who thinkes himselfe so1 then who in deed is4 ,suppose them to be ,kings3 if they thinke themselues slaues1 they are no better3 for what are we but by opinion8 you see them well followed and attended3 and euen those whome they haue chosen for their guard1 they distrust4 ,alone or in company euer they are in feare4 ,alone they looke behinde them3 in company they haue an eye on euery side of them4 ,they drinke in gould and siluer2 but in those1 not in earth or glasse is poison prepared and dronke4 ,they haue their beds soft and well made3 when they lay them to sleepe you shall not heare a mouse stur in the chamber3 not so much as a flie shall come neere their faces4 ,yet neuertheles1 where the countreyman sleepes at the fall of a great riuer1 at the noise of a market1 hauing no other bed but the earth1 nor couering but the heauens1 these in the middest of all this silence and delicacie1 do nothing but turne from side to side1 it seemes still that they heare some body1 there rest it selfe is without rest4 ,lastly1 will you knowe what the diuersitie is betwene the most hardly intreated prisoners and them8 both are inchained1 both loaden with fetters1 but that the one hath them of iron1 the other of gould1 and that the one is tied but by the body1 the other by the mind4 ,the prisoner drawes his fetters after him1 the courtier weareth his vpon him4 ,the prisoners minde sometimes comforts the paine of his body1 and sings in the midst of his miseries3 the courtier tormented in minde weerieth incessantly his body1 and can neuer giue it rest4 ,and as for the contentment you imagine they haue1 you are therein yet more deceiued4 ,you iudge and esteeme them great1 because they are raised high3 but as fondly1 as who should iudge a dwarfe great1 for being set on a tower1 or on the top of a mountaine4 ,you measure 7so good a ,geometrician you are7 the image with his base1 which were conuenient1 to knowe his true height1 to be measured by itselfe3 whereas you regard not the height of the image1 but the height of the place it stands vpon4 ,you deeme them great 7if in this earth there can be greatnes1 which in respect of the whole heauens is but a point47 ,but could you enter into their mindes1 you would iudge1 that neither they are great1 true greatnes consisting in contempt of those vaine greatnesses1 wherevnto they are slaues3 nor seeme vnto themselues so1 seeing dayly they are aspiring higher1 and neuer where they would be4 ,some one sets downe a bound in his minde4 ,could ,i attaine to such a degree1 loe1 ,i were content3 ,i would then rest my selfe4 ,hath he attained it8 he geues himselfe not so much as a breathing3 he would yet ascend higher4 ,that which is beneath he counts a toy3 it is in his opinion but one step4 ,he reputes himselfe lowe1 because there is some one higher1 in stead of reputing himselfe high1 because there are a million lower4 ,and so high he climes at last1 that either his breath failes him by the way1 or he slides from the top to the bottome4 ,or if he get vp by all his trauaile1 it is but as to finde himselfe on the top of the ,alpes3 not aboue the cloudes1 windes and stormes3 but rather at the deuotion of lightnings1 and tempests1 and whatsoeuer else horrible1 and dangerous is engendred1 and conceiued in the aire3 which most commonly taketh pleasure to thunderbolt and dash into pouder that proude height of theirs4 ,it may be herein you will agree with me1 by reason of the examples wherewith both histories1 and mens memories are full4 ,but say you1 such at least whome nature hath sent into the world with crownes on their heads1 and scepters in their hands3 such as from their birth she hath set in that height1 as they neede take no paine to ascend3 seeme without controuersie exempt from all these iniuries1 and by consequence may call themselues happie4 ,it may be in deed they feele lesse such incommodities1 hauing bene borne1 bred and brought vp among them3 as one borne neere the downfalls of ,nilus becomes deafe to the sound3 in prison1 laments not the want of libertie3 among the ,cimmerians in perpetuall night1 wisheth not for day3 on the top of the ,alpes1 thinks not straunge of the mistes1 the tempests1 the snowes1 and the stormes4 ,yet free doubtles they are not when the lightening often blasteth a flowre of their crownes1 or breakes their scepter in their handes3 when a drift of snowe ouerwhelmes them2 when a miste of heauines1 and griefe continually blindeth their wit1 and vnderstanding4 ,crowned they are in deede1 but with a crowne of thornes4 ,they beare a scepter3 but it is of a reede1 more then any thing in the world pliable1 and obedient to all windes3 it being so far off that such a crowne can cure the maigrims of the minde1 and such a scepter keepe off and fray away the griefs and cares which houer about them3 that it is contrariwise the crowne that brings them1 and the scepter which from all partes attracts them4 ,o crowne1 said the ,persian ,monarch1 who knewe howe heauy thou sittest on the head1 would not vouchsafe to take thee vp1 though he found thee in his way4 ,this ,prince it seemed gaue fortune to the whole world1 distributed vnto men haps and mishaps at his pleasure3 could in show make euery man content3 himselfe in the meane while freely confessing1 that in the whole world1 which he held in his hand there was nothing but griefe1 and vnhappines4 ,and what will all the rest tell vs1 if they list to vtter what they found8 ,we will not aske them who haue concluded a miserable life with a dishonorable death3 who haue beheld their kingdomes buried before them1 and haue in great misery long ouerliued their greatnes4 ,not of ,dionyse of ,sicill1 more content with a handfull of twigs to whip little children of ,corinth in a schoole1 then with the scepter1 where with he had beaten all ,sicill3 nor of ,sylla1 who hauing robbed the whole state of ,rome1 which had before robbed the whole world1 neuer found meanes of rest in himselfe1 but by robbing himselfe of his owne estate1 with incredible hazard both of his power and authoritie4 ,but demaund we the opinion of ,king ,salomon1 a man indued with singuler gifts of ,god1 rich and welthie of all things3 who sought for treasure from the ,iles4 ,he will teach vs by a booke of purpose1 that hauing tried all the felicities of the earth1 he found nothing but vanitie1 trauaile1 and vexation of spirit4 ,aske we the ,emperour ,augustus1 who peaceably possessed the whole world4 ,he will bewaile his life past1 and among infinite toiles wish for the rest of the meanest man of the earth3 accounting that day most happy1 when he might vnloade himselfe of this insupportable greatnes to liue quietly among the least4 ,of ,tiberius his successor1 he will confesse vnto vs1 that he holdes the ,empire as a wolfe by the eares1 and that 7if without danger of biting he might7 he would gladly let it goe3 complayning on fortune for lifting him so high1 and then taking away the ladder1 that he could not come downe agayne4 ,of ,dioclesian1 a ,prince of so great wisedome and vertue in the opinion of the world3 he will preferre his voluntary banishment at ,salona1 before all the ,romaine ,empire4 ,finally1 the ,emperour ,charles the fifth1 esteemed by our age the most happy that hath liued these many ages3 he will curse his conquestes1 his victories1 his triumphes3 and not be ashamed to confesse that farre more good in comparison he hath felt in one day of his ,monkish solitarines1 then in all his triumphant life4 ,now shall we thinke those happie in this imaginate greatnes1 who themselues thinke themselues vnhappie8 seeking their happines in lessening themselues1 and not finding in the world one place to rest this greatnes1 or one bed quietly to sleepe in8 ,happie is he only who in minde liues contented3 and he most of all vnhappie1 whome nothing he can haue can content4 ,then miserable ,pyrrhus ,king of ,albanie1 who would winne all the world1 to winne 7as he sayd7 rest3 and went so farre to seeke that which was so neere him4 ,but more miserable ,alexander1 that being borne ,king of a great ,realme1 and ,conqueror almost of the earth1 sought for more worlds to satisfye his foolish ambition1 within three dayes content1 with sixe foote of grounde4 ,to conclude1 are they borne on the highest ,alpes8 they seeke to scale heauen4 ,haue they subdued all the ,kings of the earth8 they haue quarels to pleade with ,god1 and indeuour to treade vnder foote his kingdome4 ,they haue no end nor limit1 till ,god laughing at their vaine purposes1 when they thinke themselues at the last step1 thunderstriketh all this presumption1 breaking in shiuers their scepters in their hands1 and oftentimes intrapping them in their owne crownes4 ,at a word1 whatsoeuer happines can be in that ambition promiseth1 is but suffering much ill1 to get ill4 ,men thinke by dayly climing higher to plucke themselues out of this ill1 and the height wherevnto they so painefully aspire1 is the height of misery it selfe4 ,i speake not heere of the wretchednes of them1 who all their life haue held out their cap to receiue the almes of court fortune1 and can get nothing1 often with incredible heart griefe1 seeing some by lesse paines taken haue riches fall into their hands3 of them1 who iustling one an other to haue it1 loose it1 and cast it into the hands of a third3 ,of those1 who holding it in their hands to hold it faster1 haue lost it through their fingers4 ,such by all men are esteemed vnhappie1 and are indeed so1 because they iudge themselues so4 ,it sufficeth that all these liberalities which the ,deuill casteth vs as out at a windowe1 are but baites3 all these pleasures but embushes3 and that he doth but make his sport of vs1 who striue one with another for such things1 as most vnhappie is he1 that hath best hap to finde them4 ,well now1 you will say1 the ,couetouse in all his goodes1 hath no good3 the ,ambitious at the best he can be1 is but ill4 ,but may there not be some1 who supplying the place of ,iustice1 or being neere about a ,prince1 may without following such vnbrideled passions1 pleasantly enioy their goodes1 ioyning honor with rest and contentment of minde8 ,surely in former ages 7there yet remayning among men some sparkes of sinceritie7 in some sort it might be so3 but being of that composition they nowe are1 ,i see not how it may be in any sorte4 ,for deale you in affayres of estate in these times1 either you shall do well1 or you shall do ill4 ,if ill1 you haue ,god for your enemy1 and your owne conscience for a perpetually tormenting executioner4 ,if well1 you haue men for your enemies1 and of men the greatest3 whose enuie and malice will spie you out1 and whose crueltie and tyrannie will euermore threaten you4 ,please the people you please a beast3 and pleasing such1 ought to be displeasing to your selfe4 ,please your selfe1 you displease ,god3 please him1 you incurr a thousand dangers in the world1 with purchase of a thousand displeasures4 ,whereof it growes1 that if you could heare the talke of the wisest and least discontent of this kinde of men1 whether they speake aduisedly1 or their words passe them by force of truth1 one would gladly change garment with his tenaunt3 an other preacheth how goodly an estate it is to haue nothing3 a third complaining that his braines are broken with the noise of ,courte or ,pallace1 hath no other thought1 but as soone as he may to retire himself thence4 ,so that you shall not see any but is displeased with his owne calling1 and enuieth that of an other3 readie neuerthelesse to repent him1 if a man should take him at his word4 ,none but is weerie of the bussinesses wherevnto his age is subiect1 and wisheth not to be elder1 to free himselfe of them3 albeit otherwise hee keepeth of olde age as much as in him lyeth4 ,what must we then doe in so great a contrarietie and confusion of mindes8 ,must wee to fynde true humanitie1 flye the societie of men1 and hide vs in forrestes among wilde beastes8 to auoyde these vnrulie passions1 eschue the assemblye of creatures supposed reasonable8 to plucke vs out of the euills of the world1 sequester our selues from the world8 ,coulde wee in so dooing liue at rest1 it were something4 ,but alas6 men cannot take heerein what parte they woulde3 and euen they which do1 finde not there all the rest they sought for4 ,some would gladly doo1 but shame of the world recalls them4 ,fooles to be ashamed of what in their heartes they condemne3 and more fooles to be aduised by the greatest enemye they can or ought to haue4 ,others are borne in hande that they ought to serue the publique1 not marking that who counsell them serue only themselues3 and that the more parte would not much seeke the publique1 but that they founde their owne particular4 ,some are told1 that by their good example they may amende others3 and consider not that a hundred sound men1 euen ,phisitions themselues1 may sooner catch the plague in an infected towne1 then one be healed3 that it is but to tempt ,god1 to enter therein3 that against so contagious an aire there is no preseruatiue1 but in getting farre from it4 ,finally1 that as litle as the freshe waters falling into the sea1 can take from it his saltnes3 so little can one ,lot or two1 or three1 reforme a court of ,sodome4 ,and as concerning the wisest1 who no lesse carefull for their soules1 then bodies1 seeke to bring them into a sound and wholesome ayre1 farre from the infection of wickednes3 and who led by the hande of some ,angell of ,god1 retire themselues in season1 as ,lot into some little village of ,segor1 out of the corruption of the world1 into some countrie place from the infected townes1 there quietlie employing the tyme in some knowledge and serious contemplation3 ,i willinglie yeeld they are in a place of lesse daunger1 yet because they carie the danger1 in themselues1 not absolutelie exempt from danger4 ,they flie the court1 and a court folowes them on all sides3 they endeuoure to escape the world1 and the world pursues them to death4 ,hardly in this world can they finde a place where the world findes them not3 so gredelie it seekes to murther them4 ,and if by some speciall grace of ,god they seeme for a while free from these daungers1 they haue some pouertie that troubles them1 some domesticall debate that torments them1 or some familiar spirit that tempts them3 brieflie the world dayly in some sorte or other makes it selfe felt of them4 ,but the worst is1 when we are out of these externall warres and troubles1 we finde greater ciuill warre within our selues3 the flesh against the spirite1 passion against reason1 earth against heauen1 the worlde within vs fighting for the world1 euermore so lodged in the botome of our owne hearts1 that on no side we can flie from it4 ,i will say more3 he makes profession to flie the worlde1 who seekes thereby the praise of the worlde3 hee faineth to runne away1 who according to the prouerbe1 ,by drawing backe sets himselfe forward3 he refuseth honors1 that would thereby be prayed to take them3 and hides him from men to the ende they shoulde come to seeke him4 ,so the world often harbours in disguised attire among them that flie the world4 ,this is an abuse4 ,but follow wee the company of men1 the worlde hath his court among them3 seeke we the ,deserts1 it hath there his dennes and places of resorte1 and in the ,desert it selfe tempteth ,christ ,iesus4 ,retire wee our selues into our selues1 we find it there as vncleane as any where4 ,wee can not make the worlde die in vs1 but by dieng our selues4 ,we are in the world1 and the worlde in vs1 and to seperate vs from the worlde1 wee must seperate vs from our selues4 ,nowe this seperation is called ,death4 ,wee are1 wee thinke1 come out of the contagious citie1 but wee are not aduised that we haue sucked the bad aire1 that wee carry the plague with vs1 that we so participate with it1 that through rockes1 through desarts1 through mountaines1 it euer accompanieth vs4 ,hauing auoyded the contagion of others1 yet we haue it in our selues4 ,we haue withdrawen vs out of men3 but not withdrawen man out of vs4 ,the tempestuous sea torments vs3 we are grieued at the heart1 and desirous to vomit3 and to be discharged thereof1 we remoue out of one ship into another1 from a greater to a lesse3 we promise our selues rest in vaine3 they being always the same winds that blow1 the same waues that swel1 the same humors that are stirred4 ,to al no other port1 no other mean of tranquilitie but only death4 ,we were sicke in a chamber neere the street1 or neere the market3 we caused our selues to be carried into some backer closet1 where the noise was not so great4 ,but though there the noise was lesse3 yet was the feauer there neuerthelesse3 and thereby lost nothing of his heate4 ,change bedde1 chamber1 house1 country1 againe and againe3 we shall euery where finde the same vnrest1 because euery where we finde our selues3 and seek not so much to be others1 as to be other wheres4 ,we folow solitarines1 to flie carefulnes4 ,we retire vs 7so say we7 from the wicked3 but cary with vs our auarice1 our ambition1 our riotousnes1 all our corrupt affections3 which breed in vs #ajjj4 remorses1 #ajjj4 times each day bring to our remembrance the garlike onions of ,egipt4 ,daily they passe the ,ferry with vs3 so that both on this side1 and beyond the water1 we are in continual combat4 ,now could we cassere this company1 which eats and gnaws our mind1 doubtles we should be at rest1 not in solitarines onely1 but euen in the thicket of men4 ,for the life of man vpon earth is but a continual warfare4 ,are we deliuered from externall practizes8 ,wee are to take heed of internall espials4 ,are the ,greekes gone away8 ,we haue a ,sinon within1 that wil betray them the place4 ,wee must euer be waking1 hauing an eie to the watch1 and weapons in our hands1 if wee will not euery houre be surprised1 giuen vp to the wil of our enimies4 ,and how at last can we escape8 ,not by the woodes1 by the riuers1 nor by the mountaines3 not by throwing our selues into a presse1 nor by thrusting our selues into a hole4 ,one only meane there is1 which is death3 which in ende seperating our spirite from our flesh1 the pure and clean part of our soule from the vncleane1 which within vs euermore bandeth it selfe for the worlde1 appeaseth by this seperation that1 which conioyned in one and the same person coulde not1 without vtter choaking of the spirit1 but be in perpetuall contention4 ,and as touching the contentment that may be in the exercises of the wisest men in their solitarinesse1 as reading diuine or prophane ,bookes1 with all other knowledges and learnings3 ,i hold well that it is indeed a far other thing1 then are those madde huntings1 which make sauage a multitude of men possessed with these or the like diseases of the minde4 ,yet must they all abide the iudgement pronounced by the wisest among the wise1 ,salomon1 that all this neuerthelesse applied to mans naturall disposition1 is to him but vanitie and vexation of minde4 ,some are euer learning to correct their speach1 and neuer thinke of correcting their life4 ,others dispute in their ,logique of reason1 and the ,arte of reason3 and loose thereby many times their naturall reason4 ,one learnes by ,arithmetike to diuide to the smallest fractions1 and hath not skill to part one shilling with his brother4 ,another by ,geometry can measure fields1 and townes1 and countries3 but can not measure himselfe4 ,the ,musitian can accord his voyces1 and soundes1 and times togither3 hauing nothing in his heart but discordes1 nor one passion in his soule in good tune4 ,the ,astrologer lookes vp on high1 and falles in the next ditch3 fore-knowes the future1 and forgoes the present3 hath often his eie on the heauens1 his heart long before buried in the earth4 ,the ,philosopher discourseth of the nature of all other things3 and knowes not himselfe4 ,the ,historian can tell of the warres of ,thebes and of ,troy3 but what is doone in his owne house can tell nothing4 ,the ,lawyer will make lawes for all the world1 and not one for himselfe4 ,the ,physition will cure others1 and be blinde in his owne disease3 finde the least alteration in his pulse1 and not marke the burning feauers of his minde4 ,lastlie1 the ,diuine will spend the greatest parte of his time in disputing of faith and cares not to heare of charity3 wil talke of ,god1 and not regard to succor men4 ,these knowledges bring on the mind an endlesse labour1 but no contentment3 for the more one knowes1 the more he would know4 ,they pacify not the debates a man feeles in himselfe1 they cure not the diseases of his minde4 ,they make him learned1 but they make not him good3 cunning1 but not wise4 ,i say more4 ,the more a man knowes1 the more knowes he that he knowes not3 the fuller the minde is1 the emptier it findes it selfe3 forasmuch as whatsoeuer a man can knowe of any science in this worlde is but the least part of what he is ignorant3 all his knowledge consisting in knowing his ignorance1 al his perfection in noting his imperfections1 which who best knowes and notes1 is in truth among men the most wise1 and perfect4 ,in short we must conclude with ,salomon1 that the beginning and end of wisedome is the feare of ,god3 that this wisedome neuerthelesse is taken of the world for meere folly1 and persecuted by the world as a deadly enemy3 and that as who feareth ,god1 ought to feare no euill1 for that all his euils are conuerted to his good3 so neither ought he to hope for good in the worlde1 hauing there the deuil his professed enemy1 whom the ,scripture termeth ,prince of the world4 ,but with what exercise soeuer we passe the time1 behold old age vnwares to vs coms vpon vs3 which whether we thrust our selues into the prease of men1 or hide vs somewhere out of the way1 neuer failes to find vs out4 ,euery man makes accompt in that age to rest himselfe of all his trauailes without further care1 but to keepe himselfe at ease and in health4 ,and see contrariwise in this age1 there is nothing but an after taste of all the fore going euils3 and most commonly a plentifull haruest of all such vices as in the whole course of their life1 hath held and possessed them4 ,there you haue the vnabilitie and weakenesse of infancie1 and 7which is worse7 many times accompanied with authoritie3 there you are payed for the excesse and riotousnes of youth1 with gowts1 palsies1 and such like diseases1 which take from you limme after limme with extreame paine and torment4 ,there you are recompenced for the trauailes of mind1 the watchings and cares of manhoode1 with losse of sight1 losse of hearing1 and all the sences one after another1 except onely the sence of paine4 ,not one parte in vs but death takes in gage to be assured of vs1 as of bad pay-maisters1 which infinitely feare their dayes of payment4 ,nothing in vs which will not by and by bee dead3 and neuerthelesse our vices yet liue in vs1 and not onely liue1 but in despite of nature daily growe yoong againe4 ,the couetous man hath one foote in his graue1 and is yet burieng his money3 meaning belike to finde it againe another day4 ,the ambitious in his will ordaineth vnprofitable pompes for his funeralles1 making his vice to liue and triumph after his death4 ,the riotous no longer able to daunce on his feete1 daunceth with his shoulders1 all vices hauing lefte him1 and hee not yet able to leaue them4 ,the childe wisheth for youth3 and this man laments it4 ,the yong man liueth in hope of the future1 and this feeles the euill present1 laments the false pleasures past1 and sees for the time to come nothing to hope for4 ,more foolish then the childe1 in bewailing the time he cannot recall1 and not remembring the euill hee had therein3 and more wretched then the yongman1 in that after a wretched life not able1 but wretchedly to die1 he sees on all sides but matter of dispaire4 ,as for him1 who from his youth hath vndertaken to combate against the flesh1 and against the world3 who hath taken so great paines to mortifie himselfe and leaue the worlde before his time3 who besides those ordinarie euilles findes himselfe vexed with this great and incurable disease of olde age1 and feeles notwithstanding his flesh howe weake soeuer1 stronger oftentimes then his spirite3 what good ,i pray can hee haue but onlie herein3 that hee sees his death at hand1 that hee sees his combate finished1 that he sees himselfe readie to departe by death out of this loathsome prison1 wherein all his life time hee hath beene racked and tormented8 ,i will not heere speake of the infinite euilles wherewith men in all ages are annoyed1 as losse of friendes and parents1 banishments1 exiles1 disgraces1 and such others1 common and ordinarie in the world3 one complayning of loosing his children1 an other of hauing them3 one making sorrow for his wifes death1 an other for her life1 one finding faulte1 that hee is too high in ,courte1 an other1 that hee is not high enough4 ,the worlde is so full of euilles1 that to write them all1 woulde require an other worlde as great as it selfe4 ,sufficeth1 that if the most happie in mens opinions doe counterpoize his happs with his mishaps1 he shall iudge himselfe vnhappy3 and hee iudge him happy1 who had he beene set three dayes in his place1 would giue it ouer to him that came next3 yea1 sooner then hee1 who shall consider in all the goodes that euer hee hath had the euilles hee hath endured to get them1 and hauing them to retaine and keepe them 7,i speake of the pleasures that may be kept1 and not of those that wither in a moment7 wil iudge of himselfe1 and by himselfe1 that the keeping it selfe of the greatest felicitie in this worlde1 is full of vnhappinesse and infelicitie4 ,conclude then1 that ,childhoode is but a foolish simplicitie1 ,youth1 a vaine heate1 ,manhoode1 a painefull carefulnesse1 and ,olde-age1 a noysome languishing3 that our playes are but teares1 our pleasures1 feuers of the minde1 our goodes1 rackes1 and torments1 our honors1 heauy vanities1 our rest1 vnrest3 that passing from age to age is but passing from euill to euill1 and from the lesse vnto the greater3 and that alwayes it is but one waue driuing on an other1 vntill we be arriued at the ,hauen of death4 ,conclude ,i say1 that life is but a wishing for the future1 and a bewailing of the past3 a loathing of what wee haue tasted1 and a longing for that wee haue not tasted1 a vaine memorie of the state past1 and a doubtfull expectation of the state to come3 finally1 that in all our life there is nothing certaine1 nothing assured1 but the certaintie and vncertaintie of death4 ,behold1 now comes ,death vnto vs3 ,behold her1 whose approch we so much feare4 ,we are now to consider whether she be such as wee are made beleeue3 and whether we ought so greatly to flie her1 as commonly wee do4 ,wee are afraide of her3 but like little children of a vizarde1 or of the ,images of ,hecate4 ,wee haue her in horror3 but because wee conceiue her not such as she is1 but ougly1 terrible1 and hideous3 such as it pleaseth the ,painters to represent vnto vs on a wall4 ,wee flie before her3 but it is because foretaken with such vaine imaginations1 wee giue not our selues leisure to marke her4 ,but staie wee1 stande wee stedfast1 looke wee her in the face3 wee shall finde her quite other then shee is painted vs3 and altogether of other countenaunce then our miserable life4 ,death makes an ende of this life4 ,this life is a perpetuall misery and tempest3 ,death then is the issue of our miseries and entraunce of the porte where wee shall ride in safetie from all windes4 ,and shoulde wee feare that which withdraweth vs from misery1 or which drawes vs into our ,hauen8 ,yea but you will say1 it is a payne to die4 ,admit it bee3 so is there in curing of a wounde4 ,such is the worlde1 that one euill can not bee cured but by an other1 to heale a contusion1 must bee made an incision4 ,you will say1 there is difficultie in the passage3 ,so is there no ,hauen1 no ,porte1 whereinto the entraunce is not straite and combersome4 ,no good thing is to be bought in this worlde with other then the coyne of labour and paine4 ,the entraunce indeede is hard1 if our selues make it harde1 comming thither with a tormented spirite1 a troubled minde1 a wauering and irresolute thought4 ,but bring wee quietnesse of mind1 constancie1 and full resolution1 wee shall not finde anie daunger or difficultie at all4 ,yet what is the paine that death brings vs8 ,nay1 what can shee doe with those paines wee feele8 ,wee accuse her of all the euilles wee abide in ending our life1 and consider not howe manie more greeuous woundes or sickenesses wee haue endured without death3 or howe many more vehement paines wee haue suffered in this life1 in the which wee called euen her to our succour4 ,all the paines our life yeeldes vs at the last houre wee impute to ,death3 not marking that life begunne and continued in all sortes of paine1 must also necessarily ende in paine4 ,not marking 7,i saie7 that it is the remainder of our life1 not death1 that tormenteth vs3 the ende of our nauigation that paines vs1 not the ,hauen wee are to enter3 which is nothing else but a safegarde against all windes4 ,wee complayne of ,death1 where wee shoulde complayne of life3 as if one hauyng beene long sicke1 and beginning to bee well1 shoulde accuse his health of his last paynes1 and not the reliques of his disease4 ,tell mee1 what is it else to bee dead1 but to bee no more liuing in the worlde8 ,absolutelie and simplie not to bee in the worlde1 is it anie payne8 ,did wee then feele any paine1 when as yet wee were not8 ,haue wee euer more resemblaunce of ,death1 then when wee sleepe8 ,or euer more rest then at that time8 ,now if this be no paine1 why accuse we ,death of the paines our life giues vs at our departure8 ,vnlesse also we wil fondly accuse the time when as yet we were not1 of the paines we felt at our birth8 ,if the comming in be with teares1 is it wonder that such be the going out8 ,if the beginning of our being1 be the beginning of our paine1 is it maruell that such be the ending8 ,but if our not being in times past hath bene without payne1 and all this being contrarywise full of paine3 whome should we by reason accuse of the last paines1 the not being to come1 or the remnant of this present being8 ,we thinke we dye not1 but when we yeeld vp our last gaspe4 ,but if we marke well1 we dye euery day1 euery houre1 euery moment4 ,we apprehend death as a thing vnvsuall to vs3 and yet haue nothing so common in vs4 ,our liuing is but continuall dyeng3 looke how much we liue1 we dye3 how much we encrease1 our life decreases4 ,we enter not a step into life1 but we enter a step into death4 ,who hath liued a third part of his yeares1 hath a third part of himselfe dead4 ,who halfe his yeares1 is already half dead4 ,of our life1 all the time past is dead1 the present liues and dies at once1 and the future likewise shall dye4 ,the past is no more1 the future is not yet1 the present is1 and no more is4 ,briefely1 this whole life is but a death3 it is as a candle lighted in our bodies3 in one the winde makes it melt away1 in an other blowes it cleane out1 many times ere it be halfe burned3 in others it endureth to the ende4 ,howsoeuer it be1 looke how much it shineth1 so much it burneth3 her shining is her burning3 her light a vanishing smoke3 her last fire1 hir last wike1 and her last drop of moisture4 ,so is it in the life of man1 life and death in man is all one4 ,if we call the last breath death1 so must we all the rest3 all proceeding from one place1 and all in one manner4 ,one only difference there is betweene this life1 and that we call death3 that during the one1 we haue alwayes wherof to dye3 and after the other1 there remaineth only wherof to liue4 ,in summe1 euen he that thinketh death simply to be the ende of man1 ought not to feare it3 in asmuch as who desireth to liue longer1 desireth to die longer3 and who feareth soone to die1 feareth 7to speake properlie7 lest he may not longer die4 ,but vnto vs brought vp in a more holy schoole1 death is a farre other thing3 neither neede we as the ,pagans of consolations against death3 but that death serue vs1 as a consolation against all sorts of affliction3 so that we must not only strengthen our selues1 as they1 not to feare it1 but accustome ourselues to hope for it4 ,for vnto vs it is not a departing from pain euil1 but an accesse vnto all good3 not the end of life1 but the end of death1 the beginning of life4 ,better1 saith ,salomon1 is the day of death1 then the day of birth1 and why8 because it is not to vs a last day1 but the dawning of an euerlasting day4 ,no more shall we haue in that glorious light1 either sorow for the past1 or expectation of the future3 for all shall be there present vnto vs1 and that present shall neuer more passe4 ,no more shal we powre out our selues in vaine painfull pleasures3 for we shal be filled with true substantiall pleasures4 ,no more shal we paine our selues in heaping togither these exhalations of the earth3 for the heauens shall be ours1 and this masse of earth1 which euer drawes vs towards the earth1 shalbe buried in the earth4 ,no more shal we ouerwearie our selues with mounting from degree to degree1 and from honor to honor3 for we shall highlie be raysed aboue all heights of the world2 and from on high laugh at the folly of all those we once admired1 who fight together for a point1 and as litle children for lesse then an apple4 ,no more to be brief shal we haue combates in our selues3 for our flesh shall be dead1 and our spirit in full life3 our passion buried1 and our reason in perfect libertie4 ,our soule deliuered out of this foule filthie prison1 where1 by long continuing it is growen into an habite of crookednes1 shall againe draw her owne breath1 recognize her ancient dwelling1 and againe remember her former glory dignity4 ,this flesh my frend which thou feelest1 this body which thou touchest is not man3 ,man is from heauen3 heauen is his countrie and his aire4 ,that he is in his body1 is but by way of exile confinement4 ,man in deed is soule and spirit3 ,man is rather of celestiall and diuine qualitie1 wherin is nothing grosse nor materiall4 ,this body such as now it is1 is but the barke shell of the soule3 which must necessarily be broken1 if we will be hatched3 if we will indeed liue see the light4 ,we haue it semes1 some life1 and some sence in vs3 but are so croked and contracted1 that we cannot so much as stretch out our wings1 much lesse take our flight towards heauen1 vntill we be disburthened of this earthlie burthen4 ,we looke1 but through false spectacles3 we haue eyes but ouergrowen with pearles3 we thinke we see1 but it is in a dreame1 wherin we see nothing but deceit4 ,all that we haue1 and all that we know is but abuse and vanitie4 ,death only can restore vs both life and light3 and we thinke 7so blockish we are7 that she comes to robbe vs of them4 ,we say we are ,christians3 that we beleeue after this mortall1 a life immortall3 that death is but a separation of the body and soule3 and that the soule returnes to his happie abode1 there to ioy in ,god1 who only is all good3 that at the last day it shall againe take the body1 which shal no more be subiect to corruption4 ,with these goodly discourses we fill all our bookes3 and in the meane while1 when it comes to the point1 the very name of death as the horriblest thing in the world makes vs quake tremble4 ,if we beleue as we speak1 what is that we feare8 to be happy8 to be at our ease8 to be more content in a moment1 then we might be in the longest mortal life that might be8 or must not we of force confesse1 that we beleue it but in part8 that all we haue is but words8 that all our discourses1 as of these hardie trencher knights1 are but vaunting and vanitie8 ,some you shall see1 that wil say3 ,i know well that ,i passe out of this life into a better3 ,i make no doubt of it3 only ,i feare the midway step1 that ,i am to step ouer4 ,weak harted creatures6 they wil kill themselues to get their miserable liuing3 suffer infinite paines1 and infinite wounds at another mans pleasure3 passe infinit deaths without dying1 for things of nought1 for things that perish1 and perchance make them perish with them4 ,but when they haue but one pace to passe to be at rest1 not for a day1 but for euer3 not an indifferent rest1 but such as mans minde cannot comprehende3 they tremble1 their harts faile them1 they are affrayde3 and yet the ground of their harme is nothing but feare4 ,let them neuer tell me1 they apprehend the paine3 it is but an abuse3 a purpose to conceale the litle faith they haue4 ,no1 no1 they would rather languish of the goute1 the sciatica1 any disease whatsoeuer3 then dye one sweete death with the least paine possible3 rather pininglie dye limme after limme1 outliuing as it were1 all their sences1 motions1 and actions1 then speedily dye1 immediatly to liue for euer4 ,let them tell me no more that they would in this world learne to liue3 for euery one is therevnto sufficiently instructed in himselfe1 and not one but is cunning in the trade4 ,nay rather they should learne in this world to dye3 and once to dye well1 dye dayly in themselues3 so prepared1 as if the ende of euery dayes worke1 were the ende of our life4 ,now contrarywise there is nothing to their eares more offensiue1 then to heare of death4 ,senseless people6 we abandon our life to the ordinarie hazards of warre1 for seauen franks pay3 are formost in an assault1 for a litle bootie3 goe into places1 whence there is no hope of returning1 with danger many times both of bodies and soules4 ,but to free vs from all hazards1 to winne things inestimable1 to enter an eternall life1 we faint in the passage of one pace1 wherein is no difficultie1 but in opinion3 yea we so faint1 that were it not of force we must passe1 and that ,god in despite of vs will doe vs a good turne1 hardly should we finde in all the world one1 how vnhappy or wretched soeuer1 that would euer passe4 ,another will say1 had ,i liued till #ej4 or #fj4 yeares1 ,i should haue bin contented3 ,i should not haue cared to liue longer3 but to dye so yong is no reason1 ,i should haue knowen the world before ,i had left it4 ,simple soule6 in this world there is neither young nor olde4 ,the longest age in comparison of all that is past1 or all that is to come1 is nothing3 and when thou hast liued to the age thou now desirest1 all the past will be nothing3 thou wilt still gape1 for that is to come4 ,the past will yeeld thee but sorrowe1 the future but expectation1 the present no contentment4 ,as ready thou wilt then be to redemaund longer respite1 as before4 ,thou fliest thy creditor from moneth to moneth1 and time to time1 as readie to pay the last daye1 as the first3 thou seekest but to be acquitted4 ,thou hast tasted all which the world esteemeth pleasures3 not one of them is new vnto thee4 ,by drinking oftener1 thou shalt be neuer awhit the more satisfyed3 for the body thou cariest1 like the bored paile of ,danaus daughters1 will neuer be full4 ,thou mayst sooner weare it out1 then weary thy selfe with vsing1 or rather abusing it4 ,thou crauest long life to cast it away1 to spend it on worthles delights1 to mispend it on vanities4 ,thou art couetous in desiring1 and prodigall in spending4 ,say not thou findest fault with the ,court1 or the ,pallace3 but that thou desirest longer to serue the commonwealth1 to serue thy countrie1 to serue ,god4 ,he that set thee on worke knowes vntill what day1 and what houre1 thou shouldest be at it3 he well knowes how to direct his worke4 ,should he leaue thee there longer1 perchance thou wouldest marre all4 ,but if he will pay thee liberally for thy labour1 as much for halfe a dayes worke1 as for a whole3 as much for hauing wrought till noone1 as for hauing borne all the heate of the day3 art thou not so much the more to thanke and prayse him8 but if thou examine thine owne conscience1 thou lamentest not the cause of the widdow1 and the orphan1 which thou hast left depending in iudgement3 not the dutie of a sonne1 of a father1 or of a frend1 which thou pretendest thou wouldest performe3 not the ambassage for the common wealth1 which thou wert euen ready to vndertake3 not the seruice thou desirest to doe vnto ,god1 who knowes much better howe to serue himselfe of thee1 then thou of thy selfe4 ,it is thy houses and gardens thou lamentest1 thy imperfect plottes and purposes1 thy life 7as thou thinkest7 imperfect3 which by no dayes1 nor yeares1 nor ages1 might be perfected3 and yet thy selfe mightst perfect in a moment1 couldest thou but thinke in good earnest1 that where it ende it skilles not1 so that it end well4 ,now to end well this life1 is onely to ende it willingly3 following with full consent the will and direction of ,god1 and not suffering vs to be drawen by the necessetie of destenie4 ,to end it willingly1 we must hope1 and not feare death4 ,to hope for it1 we must certainely looke after this life1 for a better life4 ,to looke for that1 wee must feare ,god3 whome whoso well feareth1 feareth indeede nothing in this worlde1 and hopes for all things in the other4 ,to one well resolued in these points death can be but sweete and agreeable3 knowing that through it hee is to enter into a place of all ioyes4 ,the griefe that may be therein shall bee allaied with sweetnes3 the sufferance of ill1 swallowed in the confidence of good3 the sting of ,death it selfe shall bee dead1 which is nothing else but ,feare4 ,nay1 ,i wil say more1 not onely all the euilles conceiued in death shall be to him nothing3 but he shall euen scorne all the mishappes men redoubt in this life1 and laugh at all these terrors4 ,for ,i pray what can he feare1 whose death is his hope8 ,thinke we to banish him his country8 ,he knows he hath a country other-where1 whence wee cannot banish him3 and that all these countries are but ,innes1 out of which he must part at the wil of his hoste4 ,to put him in prison8 a more straite prison he cannot haue1 then his owne body1 more filthy1 more darke1 more full of rackes and torments4 ,to kill him and take him out of the worlde8 that is it he hopes for3 that is it with all his heart he aspires vnto4 ,by fire1 by sworde1 by famine1 by sickenesse3 within three yeeres1 within three dayes1 within three houres1 all is one to him3 all is one at what gate1 or at what time he passe out of this miserable life4 ,for his businesses are euer ended1 his affaires all dispatched1 and by what way he shall go out1 by the same hee shall enter into a most happie and euerlasting life4 ,men can threaten him but death1 and death is all he promiseth himselfe3 the worst they can doe1 is1 to make him die1 and that is the best hee hopes for4 ,the threatnings of tyrants are to him promises1 the swordes of his greatest enemies drawne in his fauor3 forasmuch as he knowes that threatning him death1 they threaten him life3 and the most mortall woundes can make him but immortall4 ,who feares ,god1 feares not death3 and who feares it not1 feares not the worst of this life4 ,by this reckoning1 you will tell me death is a thing to be wished for3 and to passe from so much euill1 to so much good1 a man shoulde as it seemeth cast away his life4 ,surely1 ,i feare not1 that for any good wee expect1 we will hasten one step the faster3 though the spirite aspire1 the body it drawes with it1 withdrawes it euer sufficiently towardes the earth4 ,yet is it not that ,i conclude4 ,we must seeke to mortifie our flesh in vs1 and to cast the world out of vs3 but to cast our selues out of the world is in no sort permitted vs4 ,the ,christian ought willingly to depart out of this life but not cowardly to runne away4 ,the ,christian is ordained by ,god to fight therein3 and cannot leaue his place without incurring reproch and infamie4 ,but if it please the grand ,captaine to recall him1 let him take the retrait in good part1 and with good will obey it4 ,for hee is not borne for himselfe1 but for ,god3 of whome he holdes his life at farme1 as his tenant at will1 to yield him the profites4 ,it is in the landlord to take it from him1 not in him to surrender it1 when a conceit takes him4 ,diest thou yong8 praise ,god as the mariner that hath had a good winde1 soone to bring him to the ,porte4 ,diest thou olde8 praise him likewise1 for if thou hast had lesse winde1 it may be thou hast also had lesse waues4 ,but thinke not at thy pleasure to go faster or softer3 for the winde is not in thy power1 and in steede of taking the shortest way to the ,hauen1 thou maiest happily suffer shipwracke4 ,god calleth home from his worke1 one in the morning1 an other at noone1 and an other at night4 ,one he exerciseth til the first sweate1 another he sunne-burneth1 another he rosteth and drieth throughly4 ,but of all his he leaues not one without1 but brings them all to rest1 and giues them all their hire1 euery one in his time4 ,who leaues his worke before ,god call him1 looses it3 and who importunes him before the time1 looses his reward4 ,we must rest vs in his will1 who in the middest of our troubles sets vs at rest4 ,to ende1 we ought neither to hate this life for the toiles therein1 for it is slouth and cowardise3 nor loue it for the delights1 which is follie and vanitie3 but serue vs of it1 to serue ,god in it1 who after it shall place vs in true quietnesse1 and replenish vs with pleasures whiche shall neuer more perish4 ,neyther ought we to flye death1 for it is childish to feare it3 and in flieng from it1 wee meete it4 ,much lesse to seeke it1 for that is temeritie3 nor euery one that would die1 can die4 ,as much despaire in the one1 as cowardise in the other3 in neither any kinde of magnanimitie4 ,it is enough that we constantly and continually waite for her comming1 that shee may neuer finde vs vnprouided4 ,for as there is nothing more certaine then death1 so is there nothing more vncertaine then the houre of death1 knowen onlie to ,god1 the onlie ,author of life and death1 to whom wee all ought endeuour both to liue and die4 ,die to liue1 ,liue to die4 ,the #ac4 of ,may #aeij4 ,at ,wilton4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,the play was printed in ,italic type1 with ,roman for emphasis4 ,for this e-text1 only the emphasis is shown4 ,acts #a and #c are unlabeled in the text4 ,act #a can only be ,antony's soliloquy1 with following ,chorus1 but ,act #c is ambiguous4 ,between ,act #b and ,act #d are3 7scene7 ,cleopatra4 ,eras4 ,charmion4 ,diomede4 7soliloquy73 ,diomed4 ,chorus 7scene7 ,m4 ,antonius4 ,lucilius4 ,chorus ,structurally the play seems to have six ,acts1 but ,act #d and ,act #e are each labeled as such4 ,decoration ,the ,argument4 ,after the ouerthrowe of ,brutus and ,cassius1 the libertie of ,rome being now vtterly oppressed1 and the ,empire setled in the hands of ,octauius ,csar and ,marcus ,antonius1 7who for knitting a straiter bonde of amitie betweene them1 had taken to wife ,octauia the sister of ,csar7 ,antonius vndertooke a iourney against the ,parthians1 with intent to regaine on them the honor wonne by them from the ,romains1 at the discomfiture and slaughter of ,crassus4 ,but comming in his iourney into ,siria1 the places renewed in his remembrance the long intermitted loue of ,cleopatra ,queene of ,aegipt3 who before time had both in ,cilicia and at ,alexandria1 entertained him with all the exquisite delightes and sumptuous pleasures1 which a great ,prince and voluptuous ,louer could to the vttermost desire4 ,whereupon omitting his enterprice1 he made his returne to ,alexandria1 againe falling to his former loues1 without any regard of his vertuous wife ,octauia1 by whom neuertheles he had excellent ,children4 ,this occasion ,octauius tooke of taking armes against him3 and preparing a mighty fleet1 encountred him at ,actium1 who also had assembled to that place a great number of ,gallies of his own1 besides #fj4 which ,cleopatra brought with her from ,aegipt4 ,but at the very beginning of the battell ,cleopatra with all her ,gallies betooke her to flight1 which ,antony seeing could not but follow2 by his departure leauing to ,octauius the greatest victorye which in any ,sea ,battell hath beene heard off4 ,which he not negligent to pursue1 followes them the next spring1 and besiedgeth them within ,alexandria1 where ,antony finding all that he trusted to faile him1 beginneth to growe iealouse and to suspect ,cleopatra4 ,she thereupon enclosed her selfe with two of her women in a monument she had before caused to be built1 thence sends him woord she was dead3 which he beleeuing for truth1 gaue himselfe with his ,swoord a deadly wound3 but died not vntill a messenger came from ,cleopatra to haue him brought to her to the tombe4 ,which she not daring to open least she should be made a prisoner to the ,romaines1 and carried in ,csars triumph1 cast downe a corde from an high window1 by the which 7her women helping her7 she trussed vp ,antonius halfe dead1 and so got him into the monument4 ,the ,stage supposed ,alexandria3 the ,chorus1 first ,egiptians1 and after ,romane ,souldiors4 ,the ,historie to be read at large in ,plutarch in the life of ,antonius4 ,the ,actors4 ,antonius4 ,cleopatra4 ,eras and ,cleopatras women4 ,charmion4 ,philostratus a ,philosopher4 ,lucilius4 ,diomede ,secretary to ,cleopatra4 ,octauius ,csar4 ,agrippa4 ,euphron1 teacher of ,cleopatras children4 ,children of ,cleopatra4 ,dircetus the ,messenger4 ,decoration ,antonius4 ,since cruell ,heau'ns against me obstinate1 ,since all mishappes of the round engin doe ,conspire my harme3 since men1 since powers diuine1 ,aire1 earth1 and ,sea are all iniurious3 ,and that my ,queene her self1 in whome ,i liu'd1 ,the ,idoll of my hart1 doth me pursue2 ,it's meete ,i dye4 ,for her haue ,i forgone ,my ,country1 ,csar vnto warre prouok'd 7,for iust reuenge of ,sisters wrong my wife1 ,who mou'de my ,queene 7ay me67 to iealousie7 ,for loue of her1 in her allurements caught ,abandon'd life1 ,i honor haue despisde1 ,disdain'd my freends1 and of the statelye ,rome ,despoilde the ,empire of her best attire1 ,contemn'd that power that made me so much fear'd1 ,a slaue become vnto her feeble face4 ,o cruell1 traitres1 woman most vnkinde1 ,thou dost1 forsworne1 my loue and life betraie3 ,and giu'st me vp to ragefull enemie1 ,which soone 7 foole67 will plague thy periurye4 ,yelded ,pelusium on this ,countries shore1 ,yelded thou hast my ,shippes and men of warre1 ,that nought remaines 7so destitute am ,i7 ,but these same armes which on my back ,i weare4 ,thou should'st haue had them too1 and me vnarm'de ,yeelded to ,csar naked of defence4 ,which while ,i beare let ,csar neuer thinke ,triumph of me shall his proud chariot grace ,not think with me his glory to adorne1 ,on me aliue to vse his victorie4 ,thou only ,cleopatra triumph hast1 ,thou only hast my freedome seruile made1 ,thou only hast me vanquisht3 not by force 7,for forste ,i cannot be7 but by sweete baites ,of thy eyes graces1 which did gaine so fast vpon my libertie1 that nought remain'd4 ,none els hencefoorth1 but thou my dearest ,queene1 ,shall glorie in commaunding ,antonie4 ,haue ,csar fortune and the ,gods his freends1 ,to him haue ,ioue and fatall sisters giuen ,the ,scepter of the earth3 he neuer shall ,subiect my life to his obedience4 ,but when that ,death1 my glad refuge1 shall haue ,bounded the course of my vnstedfast life1 ,and frosen corps vnder a marble colde ,within tombes bosome widdowe of my soule3 ,then at his will let him it subiect make3 ,then what he will let ,csar doo with me3 ,make me limme after limme be rent3 make me ,my buriall take in sides of ,thracian wolfe4 ,poore ,antonie6 alas what was the day1 ,the daies of losse that gained thee thy loue6 ,wretch ,antony6 since then ,mgra pale ,with ,snakie haires enchain'd thy miserie4 ,the fire thee burnt was neuer ,cupids fire 7,for ,cupid beares not such a mortall brand7 ,it was some furies torch1 ,orestes torche1 which sometimes burnt his mother-murdering soule 7,when wandring madde1 rage boiling in his bloud1 ,he fled his fault which folow'd as he fled7 kindled within his bones by shadow pale ,of mother slaine return'd from ,stygian lake4 ,antony1 poore ,antony6 since that daie ,thy olde good hap did farre from thee retire4 ,thy vertue dead3 thy glory made aliue ,so ofte by martiall deeds is gone in smoke3 ,since then the ,baies so well thy forehead knewe ,to ,venus mirtles yeelded haue their place3 ,trumpets to pipes3 field tents to courtly bowers3 ,launces and ,pikes to daunces and to feastes4 ,since then1 wretch6 in stead of bloudy warres ,thou shouldst haue made vpon the ,parthian ,kings ,for ,romain honor filde by ,crassus foile1 ,thou threw'st thy ,curiace off1 and fearfull healme1 ,with coward courage vnto gipts ,queen ,in haste to runne1 about her necke to hang ,languishing in her armes thy ,idoll made3 ,in summe giuen vp to ,cleopatras eies4 ,thou breakest at length from thence1 as one encharm'd ,breakes from th'enchaunter that him strongly helde4 ,for thy first reason 7spoyling of their force the poisned cuppes of thy faire ,sorceres7 ,recur'd thy sprite3 and then on euery side ,thou mad'st againe the earth with ,souldiours swarme4 ,all ,asia hidde3 ,euphrates bankes do tremble ,to see at once so many ,romanes there ,breath horror1 rage1 and with a threatning eye ,in mighty squadrons crosse his swelling streames4 ,nought seene but horse1 and fier sparkling armes3 ,nought heard but hideous noise of muttring troupes4 ,the ,parth1 the ,mede1 abandoning their goods ,hide them for feare in hilles of ,hircanie1 ,redoubting thee4 ,then willing to besiege ,the great ,phraate head of ,media1 ,thou campedst at her walles with vaine assault1 ,thy engins fit 7mishap67 not thither brought4 ,so long thou stai'st1 so long thou doost thee rest1 ,so long thy loue with such things nourished ,reframes1 reformes it selfe and stealingly ,retakes his force and rebecomes more great4 ,for of thy ,queene the lookes1 the grace1 the woords1 ,sweetenes1 alurements1 amorous delights1 ,entred againe thy soule1 and day and night1 ,in watch1 in sleepe1 her ,image follow'd thee3 ,not dreaming but of her1 repenting still ,that thou for warre hadst such a ,goddes left4 ,thou car'st no more for ,parth1 nor ,parthian bow1 ,sallies1 assaults1 encounters1 shocks1 alarmes1 ,for diches1 rampiers1 wards1 entrenched grounds3 ,thy only care is sight of ,nilus streames1 ,sight of that face whose guilefull semblant doth 7,wandring in thee7 infect thy tainted hart4 ,her absence thee besottes3 each hower1 each hower ,of staie1 to thee impatient seemes an age4 ,enough of conquest1 praise thou deem'st enough1 ,if soone enough the bristled fieldes thou see ,of fruitfull gipt1 and the stranger floud ,thy ,queenes faire eyes 7another ,pharos7 lights4 ,returned loe1 dishonoured1 despisde1 ,in wanton loue a woman thee misleades ,sunke in foule sinke3 meane while respecting nought ,thy wife ,octauia and her tender babes1 ,of whom the long contempt against thee whets ,the sword of ,csar now thy ,lord become4 ,lost thy great ,empire1 all those goodly townes ,reuerenc'd thy name as rebells now thee leaue3 ,rise against thee1 and to the ensignes flocke ,of conqu'ring ,csar1 who enwalles thee round ,cag'd in thy holde1 scarse maister of thy selfe1 ,late maister of so many nations4 ,yet1 yet1 which is of grief extreamest grief1 ,which is yet of mischiefe highest mischiefe1 ,it's ,cleopatra alas6 alas1 it's she1 ,it's she augments the torment of thy paine1 ,betraies thy loue1 thy life alas6 betraies1 ,csar to please1 whose grace she seekes to gaine3 ,with thought her ,crowne to saue1 and fortune make ,onely thy foe which common ought haue beene4 ,if her ,i alwaies lou'd1 and the first flame ,of her heart-killing loue shall burne me last3 ,iustly complaine ,i she disloyall is1 ,nor constant is1 euen as ,i constant am1 ,to comfort my mishap1 despising me ,no more1 then when the heauens fauour'd me4 ,but ah6 by nature women wau'ring are1 ,each moment changing and rechanging mindes4 ,vnwise1 who blinde in them1 thinkes loyaltie ,euer to finde in beauties company4 ,chorus4 ,the boyling tempest still ,makes not ,sea waters fome3 ,nor still the ,northern blast ,disquiets quiet streames3 ,nor who his chest to fill ,sayles to the morning beames1 ,on waues winde tosseth fast ,still kepes his ,ship from home4 ,nor ,ioue still downe doth cast ,inflam'd with bloudie ire ,on man1 on tree1 on hill1 ,his darts of thundring fire3 ,nor still the heat doth last ,on face of parched plaine3 ,nor wrinkled colde doth still ,on frozen furrowes raigne4 ,but still as long as we ,in this low world remaine1 ,mishapps our dayly mates ,our liues do entertaine3 ,and woes which beare no dates ,still pearch vpon our heads1 ,none go1 but streight will be ,some greater in their ,steads4 ,nature made vs not free ,when first she made vs liue3 ,when we began to be1 ,to be began our woe3 ,which growing euermore ,as dying life dooth growe ,do more and more vs greeue1 ,and tire vs more and more4 ,no stay in fading states1 ,for more to height they retch1 ,their fellow miseries ,the more to height do stretch4 ,they clinge euen to the crowne1 ,and threatning furious wise ,from tirannizing pates ,do often pull it downe4 ,in vaine on waues vntride to shunne them go we should ,to ,scythes and ,massagetes ,who neare the ,pole reside3 ,in vaine to boiling sandes ,which ,phbus battry beates1 ,for with vs still they would ,cut seas and compasse landes4 ,the darknes no more sure ,to ioyne with heauy night3 ,the light which guildes the dayes ,to follow ,titan pure3 ,no more the shadow light ,the body to ensue3 ,then wretchednes alwaies ,vs wretches to pursue4 ,o blest who neuer breath'd1 ,or whome with pittie mou'de1 ,death from his cradle reau'de1 ,and swadled in his graue3 ,and blessed also he 7,as curse may blessing haue7 ,who low and liuing free ,no princes charge hath prou'de4 ,by stealing sacred fire ,prometheus then vnwise1 ,prouoking ,gods to ire1 ,the heape of ills did sturre1 ,and sicknes pale and colde ,our ende which onward spurre1 ,to plague our hands too bolde ,to filch the wealth of ,skies4 ,in heauens hate since then ,of ill with ill enchain'd ,we race of mortall men full fraught our breasts haue borne3 ,and thousand thousand woes ,our heau'nly soules now thorne1 ,which free before from those ,no6 earthly passion pain'd4 ,warre and warres bitter cheare ,now long time with vs staie1 ,and feare of hated foe ,still still encreaseth sore3 ,our harmes worse dayly growe1 ,lesse yesterdaye they were ,then now1 and will be more ,to morowe then to daye4 ,act4 #b4 ,philostratus4 ,what horrible furie1 what cruell rage1 ,o gipt so extremely thee torments8 ,hast thou the ,gods so angred by thy fault8 ,hast thou against them some such crime conceiu'd1 ,that their engrained hand lift vp in threats ,they should desire in thy hard bloud to bathe8 ,and that their burning wrath which nought can quench ,should pittiles on vs still lighten downe8 ,we are not hew'n out of the monst'rous masse ,of ,giantes those1 which heauens wrack conspir'd3 ,ixions race1 false prater of his loues3 ,nor yet of him who fained lightnings found3 ,nor cruell ,tantalus1 nor bloudie ,atreus1 ,whose cursed banquet for ,thyestes plague ,made the beholding ,sunne for horrour turne ,his backe1 and backward from his course returne3 ,and hastning his wing-footed horses race ,plunge him in sea for shame to hide his face3 ,while sulleine night vpon the wondring world ,for mid-daies light her starrie mantle cast1 ,but what we be1 what euer wickednes ,by vs is done1 ,alas6 with what more plagues1 ,more eager torments could the ,gods declare ,to heauen and earth that vs they hatefull holde8 ,with ,souldiors1 strangers1 horrible in armes ,our land is hidde1 our people drown'd in teares4 ,but terror here and horror1 nought is seene3 ,and present death prizing our life each hower4 ,hard at our ports and at our porches waites ,our conquering foe3 harts faile vs1 hopes are dead3 ,our ,queene laments3 and this great ,emperour ,sometime 7would now they did7 whom worlds did feare1 ,abandoned1 betraid1 now mindes no more ,but from his euils by hast'ned death to passe4 ,come you poore people tir'de with ceasles plaints ,with teares and sighes make mournfull sacrifice ,on ,isis altars3 not our selues to saue1 ,but soften ,csar and him piteous make ,to vs1 his pray3 that so his lenitie ,may change our death into captiuitie4 ,strange are the euils the fates on vs haue brought1 ,o but alas6 how farre more strange the cause6 ,loue1 loue 7alas1 who euer would haue thought87 ,hath lost this ,realme inflamed with his fire4 ,loue1 playing loue1 which men say kindles not ,but in soft harts1 hath ashes made our townes4 ,and his sweet shafts1 with whose shot none are kill'd1 ,which vlcer not1 with deaths our lands haue fill'd1 ,such was the bloudie1 murdring1 hellish loue ,possest thy hart faire false guest ,priams ,sonne1 ,fi'ring a brand which after made to burne ,the ,troian towers by ,grcians ruinate4 ,by this loue1 ,priam1 ,hector1 ,troilus1 ,memnon1 ,deiphobus1 ,glaucus1 thousands mo1 ,whome redd ,scamanders armor clogged streames ,roll'd into ,seas1 before their dates are dead4 ,so plaguie he1 so many tempests raiseth ,so murdring he1 so many ,cities raiseth1 ,when insolent1 blinde1 lawles1 orderles1 ,with madd delights our sence he entertaines4 ,all knowing ,gods our wracks did vs foretell ,by signes in earth1 by signes in starry ,sphres3 ,which should haue mou'd vs1 had not destinie ,with too strong hand warped our miserie4 ,the ,comets flaming through the scat'red clouds ,with fiery beames1 most like vnbroaded haires3 ,the fearefull dragon whistling at the bankes1 ,and holie ,apis ceaseles bellowing 7,as neuer erst7 and shedding endles teares3 ,bloud raining downe from heau'n in vnknow'n showers3 ,our ,gods darke faces ouercast with woe1 ,and dead mens ,ghosts appearing in the night4 ,yea euen this night while all the ,cittie stoode ,opprest with terror1 horror1 seruile feare1 ,deepe silence ouer all3 the sounds were heard ,of diuerse songs1 and diuers instruments1 ,within the voide of aire3 and howling noise1 ,such as madde ,bacchus priests in ,bacchus feasts ,on ,nisa make3 and 7seem'd7 the company1 ,our ,cittie lost1 went to the enemie4 ,so we forsaken both of ,gods and men1 ,so are we in the mercy of our foes3 ,and we hencefoorth obedient must become ,to lawes of them who haue vs ouercome4 ,chorus4 ,lament we our mishaps1 ,drowne we with teares our woe3 ,for ,lamentable happes ,lamented easie growe3 ,and much lesse torment bring ,then when they first did spring4 ,we want that wofull song1 ,wherwith wood-musiques ,queene ,doth ease her woes1 among1 fresh springtimes bushes greene1 ,on pleasant branche alone ,renewing auntient mone4 ,we want that monefull sounde1 ,that pratling ,progne makes ,on fieldes of ,thracian ground1 ,or streames of ,thracian lakes3 ,to empt her brest of paine ,for ,itys by her slaine4 ,though ,halcyons doo still1 ,bewailing ,ceyx lot1 ,the ,seas with plainings fill ,which his dead limmes haue got1 ,not euer other graue ,then tombe of waues to haue3 ,and though the birde in death ,that most ,meander loues ,so swetely sighes his breath ,when death his fury proues1 ,as almost softs his heart1 ,and almost blunts his dart3 ,yet all the plaints of those1 ,nor all their tearfull larmes1 ,cannot content our woes1 ,nor serue to waile the harmes1 ,in soule which we1 poore we1 ,to feele enforced be4 ,nor they of ,phbus bredd ,in teares can doo so well1 ,they for their brother shedd1 ,who into ,padus fell1 ,rash guide of chariot cleare ,surueiour of the yeare4 ,nor she whom heau'nly powers ,to weping rocke did turne1 ,whose teares distill in showers1 ,and shew she yet doth mourne4 ,where with his toppe to ,skies ,mount ,sipylus doth rise4 ,nor weping drops which flowe ,from barke of wounded tree1 ,that ,myrrhas shame do showe ,with ours compar'd may be1 ,to quench her louing fire ,who durst embrace her sire4 ,nor all the howlings made ,on ,cybels sacred hill ,by ,eunukes of her trade1 ,who ,atys1 ,atys still ,with doubled cries resound1 ,which ,echo makes rebound4 ,our plaints no limits stay1 ,nor more then doo our woes3 ,both infinitely straie ,and neither measure knowes4 ,in measure let them plaine3 ,who measur'd griefes sustaine4 ,cleopatra4 ,eras4 ,charmion4 ,diomede4 ,cleopatra4 ,that ,i haue thee betraid1 deare ,antonie1 ,my life1 my soule1 my ,sunne8 ,i had such thought8 ,that ,i haue thee betraide my ,lord1 my ,king8 ,that ,i would breake my vowed faith to thee8 ,leaue thee8 deceiue thee8 yeelde thee to the rage ,of mightie foe8 ,i euer had that hart8 ,rather sharpe lightning lighten on my head3 ,rather may ,i to deepest mischiefe fall3 ,rather the opened earth deuower me3 ,rather fierce ,tigers feed them on my flesh3 ,rather1 rather let our ,nilus send1 ,to swallow me quicke1 some weeping ,crocodile4 ,and didst thou then suppose my royall hart ,had hatcht1 thee to ensnare1 a faithles loue8 ,and changing minde1 as ,fortune changed cheare1 ,i would weake thee1 to winne the stronger1 loose8 ,o wretch6 caitiue6 too cruell happe6 ,and did not ,i sufficient losse sustaine ,loosing my ,realme1 loosing my liberty1 ,my tender of-spring1 and the ioyfull light ,of beamy ,sunne1 and yet1 yet loosing more ,thee ,antony my care1 if ,i loose not ,what yet remain'd8 thy loue alas6 thy loue1 ,more deare then ,scepter1 children1 freedome1 light4 ,so ready ,i to row in ,charons barge1 ,shall leese the ioy of dying in thy loue3 ,so the sole comfort of my miserie ,to haue one tombe with thee is me bereft4 ,so ,i in shady plaines shall plaine alone1 ,not 7as ,i hop'd7 companion of thy mone1 ,o height of griefe6 ,eras why with continuall cries ,your griefull harmes doo you exasperate8 ,torment your selfe with murthering complaints8 ,straine your weake breast so oft1 so vehemently8 ,water with teares this faire alablaster8 ,with sorrowes sting so many beauties wound8 ,come of so many ,kings want you the hart ,brauely1 stoutly1 this tempest to resist8 ,cl4 ,my eu'lls are wholy vsupportable1 ,no humain force can them withstand1 but death4 ,eras4 ,to him that striues nought is impossible4 ,cl4 ,in striuing lyes no hope of my mishapps4 ,eras4 ,all things do yeelde to force of louely face4 ,cl4 ,my face too louely caus'd my wretched case4 ,my face hath so entrap'd1 so cast vs downe1 ,that for his conquest ,csar may it thanke1 ,causing that ,antony one army lost ,the other wholy did to ,csar yeld4 ,for not induring 7so his amorouse sprite ,was with my beautie fir'de7 my shamefull flight1 ,soone as he saw from ranke wherein he stoode ,in hottest fight1 my ,gallies making saile3 ,forgetfull of his charge 7as if his soule ,vnto his ,ladies soule had bene enchain'd7 ,he left his men1 who so couragiouslie ,did leaue their liues to gaine him victorie4 ,and carelesse both of fame and armies losse ,my oared ,gallies follow'd with his ,ships ,companion of my flight1 by this base parte ,blasting his former flourishing renowne4 ,eras4 ,are you therefore cause of his ouerthrowe8 ,cl4 ,i am sole cause3 ,i did it1 only ,i4 ,er4 ,feare of a woman troubled so his sprite8 ,cl4 ,fire of his loue was by my feare enflam'd4 ,er4 ,and should he then to warre haue ledd a ,queene8 ,cl4 ,alas6 this was not his offence1 but mine4 ,antony 7ay me6 who else so braue a chiefe67 ,would not ,i should haue taken ,seas with him3 ,but would haue left me fearfull woman farre ,from common hazard of the doubtfull warre4 ,o that ,i had beleu'd6 now1 now of ,rome ,all the great ,empire at our beck should bende4 ,all should obey1 the vagabonding ,scythes1 ,the feared ,germains1 back-shooting ,parthians1 ,wandring ,numidians1 ,brittons farre remoou'd1 ,and tawny nations scorched with the ,sunne4 ,but ,i car'd not3 so was my soule possest1 7,to my great harme7 with burning iealousie3 ,fearing least in my absence ,antony ,should leauing me retake ,octauia4 ,char4 ,such was the rigour of your destinie4 ,cl4 ,such was my errour and obstinacie4 ,ch4 ,but since ,gods would not1 could you doe withall8 ,cl4 ,alwaies from ,gods good happs1 not harms1 do fall4 ,ch4 ,and haue they not all power on mens affaires8 ,cl4 ,they neuer bow so lowe1 as worldly cares4 ,but leaue to mortall men to be dispos'd ,freelie on earth what euer mortall is4 ,if we therin sometimes some faultes commit1 ,we may them not to their high maiesties1 ,but to our selues impute2 whose passions ,plunge vs each day in all afflictions4 ,wherwith when we our soules do thorned feele1 ,flatt'ring our selues we say they dest'nies are3 ,that ,gods would haue it so1 and that our care ,could not empeach but that it must be so4 ,char4 ,things here belowe are in the heau'ns begot1 ,before they be in this our worlde borne3 ,and neuer can our weaknes turne awry ,the stailes course of powerfull destenie4 ,nought here force1 reason1 humaine prouidence1 ,holie deuotion1 noble bloud preuailes3 ,and ,ioue himselfe whose hand doth heauens rule1 ,who both to ,gods and men as ,king commaunds1 ,who earth 7our firme support7 with plenty stores1 ,moues aire and sea with twinckling of his eie1 ,who all can doe1 yet neuer can vndoe ,what once hath been by their hard laws decreed4 ,when ,troian walles1 great ,neptunes workmanship1 ,enuiron'd were with ,greekes1 and ,fortunes whele ,doubtfull ten yeares now to the campe did turne1 ,and now againe towards the towne return'd3 ,how many times did force and fury swell ,in ,hectors veines egging him to the spoile ,of conquer'd foes1 which at his blowes did flie1 ,as fearfull shepe at feared wolues approche3 ,to saue 7in vaine3 for why8 it would not be7 ,pore walles of ,troie from aduersaries rage1 ,who died them in bloud1 and cast to ground ,heap'd them with bloudie burning carcases4 ,no1 ,madame1 thinke1 that if the ancient crowne ,of your progenitors that ,nilus rul'd1 ,force take from you2 the ,gods haue will'd it so1 ,to whome oft times ,princes are odiouse4 ,they haue to euery thing an end ordain'd2 ,all worldly greatnes by them bounded is2 ,some sooner1 later some1 as they think best3 ,none their decree is able to infringe4 ,but1 which is more1 to vs disastred men ,which subiect are in all things to their will1 ,their will is hidd3 nor while we liue1 we know ,how1 or how long we must in life remaine4 ,yet must we not for that feede on dispaire1 ,and make vs wretched ere we wretched bee3 ,but alwaies hope the best1 euen to the last1 ,that from our selues the mischief may not growe4 ,then1 ,madame1 helpe your selfe1 leaue of in time ,antonies wracke1 lest it your wracke procure3 ,retire you from him1 saue frrom wrathfull rage ,of angry ,csar both your ,realme and you4 ,you see him lost1 so as your amitie ,vnto his euills can yelde no more reliefe4 ,you see him ruin'd1 so as your support ,no more hencefourth can him with comfort raise4 ,with-draw you from the storme3 persist not still ,to loose your selfe3 this royal diademe ,regaine of ,csar4 ,cl4 ,soner shining light ,shall leaue the daie1 and darknes leaue the night3 ,sooner moist currents of tempestuous seas ,shall waue in heauen1 and the nightlie troopes ,of starres shall shine within the foming waues1 ,then ,i thee1 ,antonie1 ,leaue in depe distres4 ,i am with thee1 be it thy worthy soule ,lodge in thy brest1 or from that lodging parte ,crossing the ioyles lake to take hir place ,in place prepared for men ,demy-gods4 ,liue1 if thee please1 if life be lothsome die3 ,dead and aliue1 ,antonie1 thou shalt see ,thy princesse follow thee1 folow1 and lament1 ,thy wrack1 no lesse her owne then was thy weale4 ,char4 ,what helps his wrack this euer-lasting loue8 ,cl4 ,help1 or help not1 such must1 such ought ,i proue4 ,char4 ,ill done to loose your selfe1 and to no ende4 ,cl4 ,how ill thinke you to follow such a frende8 ,char4 ,but this your loue nought mitigates his paine4 ,cl4 ,without this loue ,i should be inhumaine4 ,char4 ,inhumaine he1 who his owne death pursues4 ,cl4 ,not inhumaine who miseries eschues4 ,ch4 ,liue for your sonnes4 ,cl4 ,nay for their father die4 ,cha4 ,hardhearted mother6 ,cl4 ,wife kindhearted ,i4 ,ch4 ,then will you them depriue of royall right8 ,cl4 ,do ,i depriue them8 no1 it's dest'nies might4 ,ch4 ,do you not them not depriue of heritage1 ,that giue them vp to aduersaries handes1 ,a man forsaken fearing to forsake1 ,whome such huge numbers hold enuironned8 ,t' abandon one gainst whome the frowning world ,banded with ,csar makes conspiring warre4 ,cl4 ,the lesse ought ,i to leaue him lest of all4 ,a frend in most distresse should most assist4 ,if that when ,antonie great and glorious ,his legions led to drinke ,euphrates streames1 ,so many ,kings in traine redoubting him2 ,in triumph rais'd as high as highest heaun2 ,lord-like disposing as him pleased best1 ,the wealth of ,greece1 the wealth of,asia3 ,in that faire fortune had ,i him exchaung'd ,for ,csar1 then1 men would haue counted me ,faithles1 vnconstant1 light3 but now the storme1 ,and blustring tempest driuing on his face1 ,readie to drowne1 ,alas6 what would they saie8 ,what would himselfe in ,plutos mansion saie8 ,if ,i1 whome alwaies more then life he lou'de1 ,if ,i1 who am his heart1 who was his hope1 ,leaue him1 forsake him 7and perhaps in vaine7 ,weakly to please who him hath ouerthrowne8 ,not light1 vnconstant1 faithlesse should ,i be1 ,but vile1 forsworne1 of treachrous crueltie4 ,ch4 ,crueltie to shunne1 you selfe-cruell are4 ,cl4 ,selfe-cruell him from crueltie to spare4 ,ch4 ,our first affection to our selfe is due4 ,cl4 ,he is my selfe4 ,ch4 ,next it extendes vnto ,our children1 frends1 and to our countrie soile4 ,and you for some respect of wiuelie loue1 7,albee scarce wiuelie7 loose your natiue land1 ,your children1 frends1 and 7which is more7 your life1 ,with so strong charmes doth loue bewitch our witts3 ,so fast in vs this fire once kindled flames4 ,yet if his harme by yours redresse might haue1 ,cl4 ,with mine it may be clos'de in darksome graue4 ,ch4 ,and that1 as ,alcest to hir selfe vnkinde1 ,you might exempt him from the lawes of death4 ,but he is sure to die3 and now his sworde ,alreadie moisted is in his warme bloude1 ,helples for any succour you can bring ,against deaths stinge1 which he must shortlie feele4 ,then let your loue be like the loue of olde ,which ,carian ,queene did nourish in hir heart ,of hir ,mausolus3 builde for him a tombe ,whose statelinesse a wonder new may make4 ,let him1 let him haue sumtuouse funeralles3 ,let graue thereon the horror of his fights3 ,let earth be buri'd with vnburied heaps4 ,frame ther ,pharsaly1 and discoulour'd stream's ,of depe ,enipeus3 frame the grassie plaine1 ,which lodg'd his campe at siege of ,mutina4 ,make all his combats1 and couragiouse acts3 ,and yearly plaies to his praise institute3 ,honor his memorie3 with doubled care ,breed and bring vp the children of you both ,in ,csars grace3 who as a noble ,prince ,will leaue them ,lords of this most gloriouse realme4 ,cl4 ,what shame were that8 ah ,gods6 what infamie6 ,with ,antonie in his good happs to share1 ,and ouerliue him dead3 deeming enough ,to shed some teares vpon a widdowe tombe8 ,the after-liuers iustly might report ,that ,i him onlie for his empire lou'd1 ,and high estate3 and that in hard estate ,i for another did him lewdlie leaue8 ,like to those birds wafted with wandring wings ,from foraine lands in spring-time here arriue3 ,and liue with vs so long as ,somers heate1 ,and their foode lasts1 then seke another soile4 ,and as we see with ceaslesse fluttering ,flocking of seelly flies a brownish cloud ,to vintag'd wine yet working in the tonne1 ,not parting thence while they swete liquor taste3 ,after1 as smoke1 all vanish in the aire1 ,and of the swarme not one so much appeare4 ,eras4 ,by this sharp death what profit can you winne8 ,cl4 ,i neither gaine1 nor profit seke therein4 ,er4 ,what praise shall you of after-ages gett8 ,cl4 ,nor praise1 nor glory in my cares are sett4 ,er4 ,what other end ought you respect1 then this8 ,cl4 ,my only ende my onely dutie is4 ,er4 your dutie must vpon some good be founded4 ,cl4 ,on vertue it1 the onlie good1 is grounded4 ,er4 ,what is that vertue8 ,cl4 ,that which vs beseemes4 ,er4 ,outrage our selues8 who that beseeming deemes8 ,cl4 ,finish ,i will my sorowes dieng thus4 ,er4 ,minish you will your glories doing thus4 ,cl4 ,good frends ,i praie you seeke not to reuoke ,my fix'd intent of folowing ,antonie4 ,i will die4 ,i will die3 must not his life1 ,his life and death by mine be folowed8 ,meane while1 deare sisters1 liue3 and while you liue1 ,doe often honor to our loued ,tombes4 ,straw them with flowrs3 and sometimes happelie ,the tender thought of ,antonie your ,lorde ,and me poore soule to teares shall you inuite1 ,and our true loues your dolefull voice commend4 ,ch4 ,and thinke you ,madame1 we from you will part8 ,thinke you alone to feele deaths ougly darte8 ,thinke you to leaue vs8 and that the same sunne ,shall see at once you dead1 and vs aliue8 ,weele die with you3 and ,clotho pittilesse ,shall vs with you in hellish boate imbarque4 ,cl4 ,ah liue1 ,i praie you3 this disastred woe ,which racks my heart1 alone to me belonges3 ,my lott longs not to you3 seruants to be ,no shame1 no harme to you1 as is to me4 ,liue sisters1 liue1 and seing his suspect ,hath causlesse me in sea of sorowes drown'd1 ,and that ,i can not liue1 if so ,i would1 ,nor yet would leaue this life1 if so ,i could1 ,without1 his loue3 procure me1 ,diomed1 ,that gainst poore me he be no more incensd4 ,wrest out of his conceit that harmfull doubt1 ,that since his wracke he hath of me conceiu'd ,though wrong conceiu'd3 witnesse you reuerent ,gods1 ,barking ,anubis1 ,apis bellowing4 ,tell him1 my soule burning1 impatient1 ,forlorne with loue of him1 for certaine seale ,of her true loialtie my corpse hath left1 ,t' encrease of dead the number numberlesse4 ,go then1 and if as yet he me bewaile1 ,if yet for me his heart one sign fourth breathe ,blest shall ,i be3 and farre with more content ,depart this world1 where so ,i me torment4 ,meane season vs let this sadd tombe enclose1 ,attending here till death conclude our woes4 ,diom4 ,i will obey your will4 ,cl4 ,so the desert ,the ,gods repay of thy true faithfull heart4 ,diomed4 ,and is't not pittie1 ,gods1 ah ,gods of heau'n6 ,to see from loue such hatefull frutes to spring8 ,and is't not pittie that this firebrand so ,laies waste the trophes of ,philippi fieldes8 ,where are those swete allurements1 those swete lookes1 ,which ,gods themselues right hart-sicke would haue made8 ,what doth that beautie1 rarest guift of heau'n1 ,wonder of earth8 ,alas6 what doe those eies8 ,and that swete voice all ,asia vnderstoode1 ,and sunburnt ,afrike wide in deserts spred8 ,is their force dead8 haue they no further power8 ,can not by them ,octauius be supriz'd8 ,alas6 if ,ioue in middst of all his ire1 ,with thunderbolt in hand some land to plague1 ,had cast his eies on my ,queene1 out of hande ,his plaguing bolte had falne out of his hande3 ,fire of his wrathe into vaine smoke should turne1 ,and other fire within his brest should burne4 ,nought liues so faire4 ,nature by such a worke ,her selfe1 should seme1 in workmanship hath past4 ,she is all heau'nlie3 neuer any man ,but seing hir was rauish'd with her sight4 ,the ,allablaster couering of hir face1 ,the corall coullor hir two lipps engraines1 ,her beamie eies1 two ,sunnes of this our world1 ,of hir faire haire the fine and flaming golde1 ,her braue streight stature1 and hir winning partes ,are nothing else but fiers1 fetters1 dartes4 ,yet this is nothing th'e'nchaunting skilles ,of her celestiall ,sp'rite1 hir training speache1 ,her grace1 hir ,maiestie1 and forcing voice1 ,whither she it with fingers speach consorte1 ,or hearing sceptred kings embassadors ,answer to eache in his owne language make4 ,yet now at nede she aides hir not at all ,with all these beauties1 so hir sorowe stings4 ,darkned with woe hir only studie is ,to wepe1 to sigh1 to seke for lonelines4 ,careles of all1 hir haire disordred hangs3 ,hir charming eies whence murthring looks did flie1 ,now riuers grown'1 whose wellspring anguish is1 ,do trickling wash the marble of hir face4 ,hir faire discouer'd brest with sobbing swolne ,selfe cruell she still martireth with blowes1 ,alas6 ,it's our ill happ1 for if hir teares ,she would conuert into hir louing charmes1 ,to make a conquest of the conqueror1 7,as well shee might1 would she hir force imploie7 ,she should vs saftie from these ills procure1 ,hir crowne to hir1 and to hir race assure4 ,vnhappy he1 in whome selfe-succour lies1 ,yet self-forsaken wanting succour dies4 ,chorus4 ,o swete fertile land1 wherin ,phbus did with breath inspire ,man who men did first begin1 ,formed first of ,nilus mire4 ,whence of ,artes the eldest kindes1 ,earthes most heauenly ornament1 ,were as from their fountaine sent1 ,to enlight our mistie mindes4 ,whose grosse sprite from endles time1 ,as in darkned prison pente1 ,neuer did to knowledg clime4 ,wher the ,nile1 our father good1 ,father-like doth neuer misse ,yearely vs to bring such food1 ,as to life required is3 ,visiting each yeare this plaine1 ,and with fatt slime cou'ring it1 ,which his seauen mouthes do spitt1 ,as the season comes againe4 ,making therby greatest growe ,busie reapers ioyfull paine1 ,when his flouds do highest flowe4 ,wandring ,prince of riuers thou1 ,honor of the thiops lande1 ,of a ,lord and master now ,thou a slaue in awe must stand4 ,now of ,tiber which is spred ,lesse in force1 and lesse in fame ,reuerence thou must the name1 ,whome all other riuers dread1 ,for his children swolne in pride1 ,who by conquest seeke to treade ,round this earth on euery side4 ,now thou must begin to sende ,tribute of thy watrie store1 ,as ,sea pathes thy stepps shall bende1 ,yearely presents more and more4 ,thy fatt skumme1 our frutefull corne1 ,pill'd from hence with theeuish hands ,all vncloth'd shall leaue our lands ,into foraine ,countrie borne4 ,which puft vp with such a pray ,shall therby the praise adorne ,of that scepter ,rome doth sway4 ,nought thee helps thy hornes to hide ,farre from hence in vnknowne grounds1 ,that thy waters wander wide1 ,yearely breaking bankes1 and bounds4 ,and that thy ,skie-coullor'd brookes ,through a hundred peoples passe1 ,drawing plots for trees and grasse ,with a thousand turn's and crookes4 ,whome all weary of their way ,thy throats which in widenesse passe ,powre into their ,mother ,sea4 ,nought so happie haplesse life ,in this worlde as freedome findes3 ,nought wherin more sparkes are rife ,to inflame couragious mindes4 ,but if force must vs enforce ,nedes a yoke to vndergoe1 ,vnder foraine yoke to goe ,still it proues a bondage worse4 ,and doubled subiection ,see we shall1 and feele1 and knowe ,subiect to a stranger growne4 ,from hence forward for a ,king1 whose first being from this place ,should his brest by nature bring ,care of ,countrie to embrace1 ,we at surly face must quake ,of some ,romaine madly bent3 ,who1 our terrour to augment1 ,his ,proconsuls axe will shake4 ,driuing with our ,kings from hence ,our establish'd gouerment1 ,iustice sworde1 and ,lawes defence4 ,nothing worldly of such might ,but more mightie ,destinie1 ,by swift ,times vnbridled flight1 ,makes in ende his ende to see4 ,euery thing ,time ouerthrowes1 ,nought to ende doth stedfast staie3 ,his great sithe mowes all away ,as the stalke of tender rose4 ,onlie ,immortalitie ,of the ,heau'ns doth it oppose ,gainst his powerfull ,deitie4 ,one daie there will come a daie ,which shall quaile thy fortunes flower1 ,and thee ruinde low shall laie ,in some barbarous ,princes power4 ,when the pittie-wanting fire ,shall1 ,o ,rome1 thy beauties burne1 ,and to humble ashes turne ,thy proud wealth1 and rich attire1 ,those guilt roofes which turretwise1 ,iustly making ,enuie mourne1 ,threaten now to pearce ,skies4 ,as thy forces fill each land ,haruests making here and there1 ,reaping all with rauening hand ,they finde growing any where3 ,from each land so to thy fall ,multitudes repaire shall make1 ,from the common spoile to take ,what to each mans share maie fall4 ,fingred all thou shalt beholde3 ,no iote left for tokens sake ,that thou wert so great of olde4 ,like vnto the auncient ,troie ,whence deriu'de thy founders be1 ,conqu'ring foe shall thee enioie1 ,and a burning praie in thee4 ,for within this turning ball ,this we see1 and see each daie3 ,all things fixed ends do staie1 ,ends to first beginnings fall4 ,and that nought1 how strong or strange1 ,chaungles doth endure alwaie1 ,but endureth fatall change4 ,m4 ,antonius4 ,lucilius4 ,m4 ,ant4 ,lucil1 sole comfort of my bitter case1 ,the only trust1 the only hope ,i haue1 ,in last despaire3 ,ah6 is not this the daie ,that death should me of life and loue bereaue8 ,what waite ,i for that haue no refuge left1 ,but am sole remnant of my fortune left8 ,all leaue me1 flie me3 none1 no not of them ,which of my greatnes greatest good receiu'd1 ,stands with my fall3 they seeme as now asham'de ,that heretofore they did me ought regarde3 ,they draw them back1 shewing they folow'd me1 ,not to partake my harm's1 but coozen me4 ,lu4 ,in this our world nothing is stedfast found1 ,in vaine he hopes1 who here his hopes doth ground4 ,ant4 ,yet nought afflicts me1 nothing killes me so1 ,as that ,i so my ,cleopatra see ,practize with ,csar1 and to him transport ,my flame1 her loue1 more deare then life to me4 ,lu4 ,beleeue it not3 ,too high a heart she beares1 ,too ,princelie thoughts4 ,ant4 ,too wise a head she weare ,too much enflam'd with greatnes1 euermore ,gaping for our great ,empires gouerment4 ,lu4 ,so long time you her constant loue haue tri'de4 ,ant4 ,but still with me good fortune did abide4 ,lu4 ,her changed loue what token makes you know8 ,an4 ,pelusium lost1 and ,actian ouerthrow1 ,both by her fraud3 my well appointed fleet1 ,and trustie ,souldiors in my quarell arm'd1 ,whom she1 false she1 in stede of my defence1 ,came to persuade1 to yelde them to my foe3 ,such honor ,thyre done1 such welcome giuen1 ,their long close talkes ,i neither knew1 nor would1 ,and treacherouse wrong ,alexas hath me done1 ,witnes too well her periur'd loue to me4 ,but you ,o ,gods 7if any faith regarde7 ,with sharpe reuenge her faithles change reward4 ,lu4 ,the dole she made vpon our ouerthrow1 ,her ,realme giuen vp for refuge to our men1 ,her poore attire when she deuoutly kept ,the solemne day of her natiuitie1 ,againe the cost1 and prodigall expence ,shew'd when she did your birth day celebrate1 ,do plaine enough her heart vnfained proue1 ,equally toucht1 you louing1 as you loue4 ,ant4 ,well2 be her loue to me or false1 or true1 ,once in my soule a cureles wound ,i feele4 ,i loue1 nay burne in fire of her loue3 ,each day1 each night her ,image haunts my minde1 ,her selfe my dreams3 and still ,i tired am1 ,and still ,i am with burning pincers nipt4 ,extreame my harme3 yet sweeter to my sence ,then boiling ,torch of iealouse torments fire3 ,this grief1 nay rage1 in me such sturre doth kepe1 ,and thornes me still1 both when ,i wake and slepe4 ,take ,csar conquest1 take my goods1 take he ,th'onor to be ,lord of the earth alone1 ,my ,sonnes1 my life bent headlong to mishapps3 ,no force1 so not my ,cleopatra take4 ,so foolish ,i1 ,i can not her forget1 ,though better were ,i banisht her my thought4 ,like to the sicke1 whose throte the feauers fire ,hath vehemently with thirstie drouth enflam'd1 ,drinkes still1 albee the drinke he still desires ,be nothing else but fewell to his flame3 ,he can not rule himselfe3 his health's respect ,yeldeth to his distempred stomackes heate4 ,lu4 ,leaue of this loue1 that thus renewes your woe4 ,ant4 ,i do my best1 but ah6 can not do so4 ,lu4 ,thinke how you haue so braue a captaine bene1 ,and now are by this vaine affection falne4 ,ant4 ,the ceasles thought of my felicitie ,plunges me more in this aduersitie4 ,for nothing so a man in ill torments1 ,as who to him his good state represents4 ,this makes my rack1 my anguish1 and my woe ,equall vnto the hellish passions growe1 ,when ,i to minde my happie puisance call ,which erst ,i had by warlike conquest wonne1 ,and that good fortune which me neuer left1 ,which hard disastre now hath me bereft4 ,with terror tremble all the world ,i made ,at my sole worde1 as ,rushes in the streames ,at waters will3 ,i conquer'd ,italie1 ,i conquer'd ,rome1 that ,nations so redoubt4 ,i bare 7meane while besieging ,mutina7 ,two ,consuls armies for my ruine brought1 ,bath'd in their bloud1 by their deaths witnessing ,my force and skill in matters ,martiall4 ,to wreake thy vnkle1 vnkinde ,csar1 ,i ,with bloud of enemies the bankes embru'd ,of stain'd ,enipeus1 hindering his course ,stopped with heapes of piled carcases3 ,when ,cassius and ,brutus ill betide ,marcht against vs1 by vs twise put to flight1 ,but by my sole conduct3 for all the time ,csar heart-sicke with feare and feauer laie4 ,who knowes it not8 and how by euery one ,fame of the fact was giu'n to me alone4 ,there sprang the loue1 the neuer changing loue1 ,wherein my hart hath since to yours bene bound3 ,there was it1 my ,lucil1 you ,brutus sau'de1 ,and for your ,brutus ,antonie you found4 ,better my happ in gaining such a frende1 ,then in subduing such an enemie4 ,now former vertue dead doth me forsake1 ,fortune engulfes me in extreame distresse3 ,she turnes from me her smiling countenance1 ,casting on me mishapp vpon mishapp1 ,left and betraide of thousand thousand frends1 ,once of my sute1 but you ,lucil are left1 ,remaining to me stedfast as a tower ,in holy loue1 in spite of fortunes blastes4 ,but if of any ,god my voice be heard1 ,and be not vainely scatt'red in the heau'ns1 ,such goodnes shall not glorilesse be loste1 ,but comming ages still therof shall boste4 ,lu4 ,men in their frendship euer should be one1 ,and neuer ought with fickle ,fortune shake1 ,which still remoues1 nor will1 nor knowes the way1 ,her rowling bowle in one sure state to staie4 ,wherfore we ought as borrow'd things receiue ,the goods light she lends vs to pay againe3 ,not holde them sure1 nor on them builde our hopes ,as one such goods as cannot faile1 and fall3 ,but thinke againe1 nothing is dureable1 ,vertue except1 our neuer failing hoste3 ,so bearing saile when fauouring windes do blowe1 ,as frowning ,tempests may vs least dismaie ,when they on vs do fall3 not ouer-glad ,with good estate1 nor ouer-grieu'd with bad4 ,resist mishap4 ,ant4 ,alas6 it is too stronge4 ,mishappes oft times are by some comfort borne3 ,but these1 ay me6 whose weights oppresse my hart1 ,too heauie lie1 no hope can them relieue4 ,there rests no more1 but that with cruell blade ,for lingring death a hastie waie be made4 ,lu4 ,csar1 as heire vnto his ,fathers state3 ,so will his ,fathers goodnes imitate1 ,to you warde3 whome he know's allied in bloud1 ,allied in mariage1 ruling equallie ,th' ,empire with him1 and with him making warre ,haue purg'd the earth of ,csars murtherers4 ,you into portions parted haue the world ,euen like coheir's their heritages parte3 ,and now with one accord so many yeares ,in quiet peace both haue your charges rul'd4 ,ant4 ,bloud and alliance nothing do preuaile ,to coole the thirst of hote ambitious breasts3 ,the sonne his ,father hardly can endure1 ,brother his brother1 in one common ,realme4 ,so feruent this desier to commaund3 ,such iealousie it kindleth in our hearts4 ,sooner will men permit another should ,loue her they loue1 then weare the ,crowne they weare4 ,all lawes it breakes1 turns all things vpside downe3 ,amitie1 kindred1 nought so holie is ,but it defiles4 ,a monarchie to gaine ,none cares which way1 so he maie it obtaine4 ,lu4 ,suppose he ,monarch be and that this world ,no more acknowledg sundrie ,emperours4 ,that ,rome him onelie feare1 and that he ioyne ,the ,east with west1 and both at once do rule3 ,why should he not permitt you peaceablie ,discharg'd of charge and ,empires dignitie1 ,priuate to liue reading ,philosophie1 ,in learned ,greece1 ,spaine1 ,asia1 anie lande8 ,ant4 ,neuer will he his ,empire thinke assur'de ,while in this world ,marke ,antonie shall liue4 ,sleeples ,suspicion1 ,pale distrust1 colde feare ,alwaies to princes companie do beare ,bred of ,reports3 reports which night and day ,perpetuall guests from ,court go not away4 ,lu4 ,he hath not slaine your brother ,lucius1 ,nor shortned hath the age of ,lepidus1 ,albeit both into his hands were falne1 ,and he with wrath against them both enflam'd4 ,yet one1 as ,lord in quiet rest doth beare ,the greatest sway in great ,iberia4 ,the other with his gentle ,prince retaines ,of highest ,priest the sacred dignitie4 ,ant4 ,he feares not them1 their feeble force he knowes4 ,lu4 ,he feares no vanquisht ouerfill'd with woes4 ,ant4 ,fortune may chaunge againe1 ,l4 ,a down-cast foe ,can hardlie rise1 which once is brought so lowe4 ,ant4 ,all that ,i can1 is done3 for last assay 7,when all means fail'd7 ,i to entreatie fell1 7,ah coward creature67 whence againe repulst ,of combate ,i vnto him proffer made3 ,though he in prime1 and ,i by feeble age ,mightily weakned both in force and skill4 ,yet could not he his coward heart aduaunce ,baselie affraid to trie so praisefull chaunce4 ,this makes me plaine1 makes me my selfe accuse1 ,fortune in this hir spitefull force doth vse ',gainst my gray hayres3 in this vnhappie ,i ,repine at heau'ns in my happes pittiles4 ,a man1 a woman both in might and minde1 ,in ,marses schole who neuer lesson learn'd1 ,should me repulse1 chase1 ouerthrow1 destroie1 ,me of such fame1 bring to so lowe an ebbe8 ,alcides bloud1 who from my infancie ,with happie prowesse crowned haue my praise4 ,witnesse thou ,gaule vnus'd to seruile yoke1 ,thou valiant ,spaine1 you fields of ,thessalie ,with millions of mourning cries bewail'd1 ,twise watred now with bloude of ,italie4 ,lu4 witnesse may ,afrique1 and of conquer'd world ,all fower quarters witnesses may be4 ,for in what part of earth inhabited1 ,hungrie of praise haue you not ensignes spredd8 ,an4 ,thou know'st rich gypt 7gypt of my deeds ,faire and foule subiect7 gypt ah6 thou know'st ,how ,i behau'd me fighting for thy kinge1 ,when ,i regainde him his rebellious ,realme4 ,against his foes in battaile shewing force1 ,and after fight in victorie remorse4 ,yet if to bring my glorie to the ground1 ,fortune had made me ouerthrowne by one ,of greater force1 of better skill then ,i2 ,one of those ,captaines feared so of olde1 ,camill1 ,marcellus1 worthy ,scipio1 ,this late great ,csar1 honor of our state1 ,or that great ,pompei aged growne in armes2 ,that after haruest of a world of men ,made in a hundred battailes1 fights1 assaults1 ,my bodie thorow pearst with push of pike ,had vomited my bloud1 in bloud my life1 ,in midd'st of millions felowes in my fall3 ,the lesse hir wrong1 the lesse should my woe3 ,nor she should paine1 nor ,i complain me so4 ,no1 no1 wheras ,i should haue died in armes1 ,and vanquisht oft new armies should haue arm'd1 ,new battailes giuen1 and rather lost with me ,all this whole world submitted vnto me3 ,a man who neuer saw enlaced pikes ,with bristled pointes against his stomake bent1 ,who feares the field1 and hides him cowardly ,dead at the verie noise the souldiors make4 ,his vertue1 fraude1 deceit1 malicious guile1 ,his armes the arts that false ,vlisses vs'de1 ,knowne at ,modena1 wher the ,consuls both ,death-wounded were1 and wounded by his men ,to gett their armie1 warre with it to make ,against his faith1 against his countrie soile4 ,of ,lepidus1 which to his succours came1 ,to honor whome he was by dutie bounde2 ,the ,empire he vsurpt3 corrupting first ,with baites and bribes the most part of his men4 ,yet me hath ouercome1 and made his pray1 ,and state of ,rome1 with me hath ouercome4 ,strange6 one disordred act at ,actium ,the earth subdu'de1 my glorie hath obscur'd4 ,for since1 as one whome heauens wrath attaints1 ,with furie caught1 and more then furious ,vex'd with my euills1 ,i neuer more had care ,my armies lost1 or lost name to repaire3 ,i did no more resist4 ,lu4 ,all warres affaires1 ,but battailes most1 daily haue their successe ,now good1 now ill3 and though that fortune haue ,great force and power in euery worldlie thing1 ,rule all1 do all1 haue all things fast enchaind ,vnto the circle of hir turning wheele3 ,yet seemes it more then any practise else ,she doth frequent ,ballonas bloudie trade3 ,and that hir fauour1 wauering as the wind1 ,hir greatest power therin doth oftnest shewe4 ,whence growes1 we dailie see1 who in their youth ,gatt honor ther1 do loose it in their age1 ,vanquisht by some lesse warlike then themselues3 ,whome yet a meaner man shall ouerthrowe4 ,hir vse is not to lende vs still her hande1 ,but sometimes headlong back a gaine to throwe1 ,when by hir fauor she hath vs extolld ,vnto the topp of highest happines4 ,ant4 well ought ,i curse within my grieued soule1 ,lamenting daie and night1 this sencelesse loue1 ,whereby my faire entising foe entrap'd ,my hedelesse ,reason1 could no more escape4 ,it was not fortunes euer chaunging face1 ,it was not ,dest'nies chaungles violence ,forg'd my mishap4 ,alas6 who doth not know ,they make1 nor marre1 nor any thing can doe4 ,fortune1 which men so feare1 adore1 detest1 ,is but a chaunce whose cause vnknow'n doth rest4 ,although oft times the cause is well perceiu'd1 ,but not th'effect the fame that was conceiu'd4 ,pleasure1 nought else1 the plague of this our life1 ,our life which still a thousand plagues pursue1 ,alone hath me this strange disastre spunne1 ,falne from a souldior to a ,chamberer1 ,careles of vertue1 careles of all praise4 ,nay1 as the fatted swine in filthy mire ,with glutted heart ,i wallow'd in delights1 ,all thoughts of honor troden vnder foote4 ,so ,i me lost3 for finding this swete cupp ,pleasing my tast1 vnwise ,i drunke my fill1 ,and through the swetenes of that poisons power ,by stepps ,i draue my former witts astraie4 ,i made my frends1 offended me forsake1 ,i holpe my foes against my selfe to rise4 ,i robd my subiects1 and for followers ,i saw my selfe besett with flatterers4 ,mine idle armes faire wrought with spiders worke1 ,my scattred men without their ensignes strai'd3 ,csar meane while who neuer would haue dar'de ,to cope with me1 me sodainlie despis'de1 ,tooke hart to fight1 and hop'de for victorie ,on one so gone1 who glorie had forgone4 ,lu4 ,enchaunting pleasure2 ,venus swete delights ,weaken our bodies1 ouer-cloud our sprights1 ,trouble our reason1 from our harts out chase ,all holie vertues lodging in their place4 ,like as the cunning fisher takes the fishe ,by traitor baite wherby the hooke is hidde3 ,so ,pleasure serues to vice in steede of foode ,to baite our soules theron too licourishe4 ,this poison deadlie is alike to all1 ,but on great kings doth greatest outrage worke1 ,taking the ,roiall scepters from their hands1 ,thenceforward to be by some straunger borne3 ,while that their people charg'd with heauy loades ,their flatt'rers pill1 and suck their mary drie1 ,not ru'lde but left to great men as a pray1 ,while this fonde ,prince himselfe in pleasur's drowns3 ,who heares nought1 sees nought1 doth nought of a king1 ,seming himselfe against himselfe conspirde4 ,then equall ,iustice wandreth banished1 ,and in hir seat sitts greedie ,tyrannie4 ,confus'd disorder troubleth all estates1 ,crimes without feare and outrages are done4 ,then mutinous ,rebellion shewes hir face1 ,now hid with this1 and now with that pretence1 ,prouoking enimies1 which on each side ,enter at ease1 and make them ,lords of all4 ,the hurtfull workes of pleasure here behold4 ,an4 ,the wolfe is not so hurtfull to the folde1 ,frost to the grapes1 to ripened fruits the raine3 ,as pleasure is to ,princes full of paine4 ,lu4 ,ther nedes no proofe1 but by th' ,assirian kinge1 ,on whome that ,monster woefull wrack did bring4 ,an4 ,ther nedes no proofe1 but by vnhappie ,i1 ,who lost my empire1 honor1 life therby4 ,lu4 ,yet hath this ill so much the greater force1 ,as scarcelie anie do against it stand3 ,no1 not the ,demy-gods the olde world knew1 ,who all subdu'de1 could ,pleasures power subdue4 ,great ,hercules1 ,hercules once that was ,wonder of earth and heau'n1 matchles in might1 ,who ,anteus1 ,lycus1 ,geryon ouercame1 ,who drew from hell the triple-headed dogg1 ,who ,hydra kill'd1 vanquishd ,achelous1 ,who heauens weight on his strong shoulders bare3 ,did he not vnder ,pleasures burthen bow8 ,did he not ,captiue to this passion yelde1 ,when by his ,captiue1 so he was enflam'de1 ,as now your selfe in ,cleopatra burne8 ,slept in hir lapp1 hir bosome kist and kiste1 ,with base vnsemelie seruice bought her loue1 ,spinning at distaffe1 and with sinewy hand ,winding on spindles threde1 in maides attire8 ,his conqu'ring clubbe at rest on wal did hang3 ,his bow vnstringd he bent not as he vs'de3 ,vpon his shafts the weauing spiders spunne3 ,and his hard cloake the freating mothes did pierce4 ,the monsters free and fearles all the time ,throughout the world the people did torment1 ,and more and more encreasing daie by day ,scorn'd his weake heart become a mistresse plaie4 ,an4 ,in onelie this like ,hercules am ,i1 ,in this ,i proue me of his lignage right3 ,in this himselfe1 his deedes ,i shew in this1 ,in this1 nought else1 my ancestor he is4 ,but go we3 die ,i must1 and with braue ende ,conclusion make of all foregoing harmes3 ,die1 die ,i must3 ,i must a noble death1 ,a glorious death vnto my succor call3 ,i must deface the shame of time abus'd1 ,i must adorne the wanton loues ,i vs'de ,with some couragiouse act3 that my last daie ,by mine owne hand my spotts may wash away4 ,come deare ,lucill3 alas6 why wepe you thus6 ,this mortall lot is common to vs all4 ,we must all die1 each doth in homage owe ,vnto that ,god that shar'd the ,realmes belowe4 ,ah sigh no more3 alas3 appeace your woes1 ,for by your griefe my griefe more eager growes4 ,chorus4 ,alas1 with what tormenting fire4 ,vs martireth this blinde desire ,to staie our life from flieng6 ,how ceasleslie our minds doth rack1 ,how heauie lies vpon our back ,this dastard feare of dieng6 ,death rather healthfull succor giues1 ,death rather all mishappes relieues ,that life vpon vs throweth3 ,and euer to vs doth vnclose ,the doore1 wherby from curelesse woes ,our wearie soule out goeth4 ,what ,goddesse else more milde then shee ,to burie all our paine can be1 ,what remedie more pleasing8 ,our pained hearts when dolor stings1 ,and nothing rest1 or respite brings1 ,what help haue we more easing8 ,hope which to vs doth comfort giue1 ,and doth or fainting hearts reuiue1 ,hath not such force in anguish3 ,for promising a vaine reliefe ,she oft vs failes in midst of griefe1 ,and helples letts vs languish4 ,but ,death who call on her at nede ,doth neuer with vaine semblant feed1 ,but when them sorow paineth1 ,so riddes their soules of all distresse ,whose heauie weight did them oppresse1 ,that not one griefe remaineth4 ,who feareles and with courage bolde ,can ,acherons black face beholde1 ,which muddie water beareth3 ,and crossing ouer1 in the way ,is not amaz'd at ,perruque gray ,olde rustie ,charon weareth3 ,who voide of dread can looke vpon ,the dreadfull shades that rome alone1 ,on bankes where sound no voices3 ,whom with her fire-brands and her ,snakes ,no whit afraide ,alecto makes1 ,nor triple-barking noyses3 ,who freely can himselfe dispose ,of that last hower which all must close1 ,and leaue this life at pleasure3 ,this noble freedome more esteemes1 ,and in his hart more precious deemes1 ,then ,crowne and kingly treasure4 ,the waues which ,boreas blasts turmoile ,and cause with foaming furie boile1 ,make not his heart to tremble3 ,nor brutish broile1 when with strong head ,a rebell people madly ledde ,against their ,lords assemble3 ,nor fearfull face of ,tirant wood1 ,who breaths but threats1 and drinks but bloud1 ,no1 nor the hand which thunder1 ,the hand of ,ioue which thunder beares1 ,and ribbs of rocks in sunder teares1 ,teares mountains sides in sunder3 ,nor bloudie ,marses butchering bands1 ,whose lightnings desert laie the lands whome dustie cloudes do couer3 ,from of whose armour sun-beames flie1 ,and vnder them make quaking lie ,the plaines wheron they houer3 ,nor yet the cruell murth'ring blade ,warme in the moistie bowells made of people pell mell dieng ,in some great ,cittie put to sack ,by sauage ,tirant brought to wrack1 ,at his colde mercie lieng4 ,how abiect him1 how base think ,i1 ,who wanting courage can not dye ,when need him therto calleth8 ,from whom the dagger drawne to kill ,the curelesse griefes that vexe him still ,for feare and faintnes falleth8 ,o ,antonie with thy deare mate ,both in misfortunes fortunate6 ,whose thoughts to death aspiring ,shall you protect from victors rage1 ,who on each side doth you encage1 ,to triumph much desiring4 ,that ,csar may you not offend ,nought else but ,death can you defend1 which his weake force derideth1 ,and all in this round earth containd1 ,powr'les on them whom once enchaind ,auernus prison hideth3 ,where great ,psammetiques ghost doth rest1 ,not with infernall paine possest1 ,but in swete fields detained3 ,and olde ,amasis soule likewise1 ,and all our famous ,ptolemies ,that whilome on vs raigned4 ,act4 #d4 ,csar4 ,agrippa4 ,dircetus the ,messenger4 ,csar4 ,you euer-liuing ,gods which all things holde ,within the power of your celestiall hands1 ,by whom heate1 colde1 the thunder1 and the winde1 ,the properties of enterchaunging mon'ths ,their course and being haue1 which do set downe ,of ,empires by your destinied decree ,the force1 age1 time1 and subiect to no chaunge ,chaunge all1 reseruing nothing in one state3 ,you haue aduaunst1 as high as thundring heau'n ,the ,romains greatnes by ,bellonas might3 ,mastring the world with fearfull violence1 ,making the world widow of libertie4 ,yet at this daie this proud exalted ,rome ,despoil'd1 captiu'd1 at one mans will doth bende3 ,her ,empire mine1 her life is in my hand1 ,as ,monarch ,i both world and ,rome commaund2 ,do all1 can all2 fourth my commaund'ment cast ,like thundring fire from one to other ,pole ,equall to ,ioue3 bestowing by my worde ,happes and mishappes1 as ,fortunes ,king and ,lord4 ,no ,towne there is1 but vp my ,image settes1 ,but sacrifice to me doth dayly make3 ,whither where ,phbus ioyne his morning steedes1 ,or where the night them weary entertaines1 ,or where the heat the ,garamants doth scorche1 ,or where the colde from ,boreas breast is blowne3 ,all ,csar do both awe and honor beare1 ,and crowned ,kings his verie name do feare4 ,antonie knowes it well1 for whom not one ,of all the ,princes all this earth do rule1 ,armes against me3 for all redoubt the power ,which heau'nly powers on earth haue made me beare4 ,antonie1 he poore man with fire enflam'de ,a womans beauties kindled in his heart1 ,rose against me1 who longer could not beare ,my sisters wrong he did so ill entreat3 ,seing her left while that his leud delights ,her husband with his ,cleopatra tooke ,in ,alexandrie1 where both nights and daies ,their time they pass'd in nought but loues and plaies4 ,all ,asias forces into one he drewe1 ,and forth he sett vpon the azur'd waues ,a thousand and a thousand ,shipps1 which fill'd ,with ,souldiors1 pikes1 with targets1 arrowes1 darts1 ,made ,neptune quake1 and all the watrie troupes ,of ,glauques1 and ,tritons lodg'd at ,actium4 ,but mightie ,gods1 who still the force withstand ,of him1 who causles doth another wrong1 ,in lesse then moments space redus'd to nought ,all that proud power by ,sea or land he brought4 ,agr4 ,presumptuouse pride of high and hawtie sprite1 ,voluptuouse care of fonde and foolish loue1 ,haue iustly wrought his wrack3 who thought he helde 7,by ouerweening7 ,fortune in his hand4 ,of vs he made no count1 but as to play1 ,so fearles came our forces to assay4 ,so sometimes fell to ,sonnes of ,mother ,earth1 ,which crawl'd to heau'n warre on the ,gods to make1 ,olymp on ,pelion1 ,ossaon ,olymp1 ,pindus on ,ossa loading by degrees3 ,that at hand strokes with mightie clubbes they might ,on mossie rocks the ,gods make tumble downe3 ,when mightie ,ioue with burning anger chaf'd1 ,disbraind with him ,gyges and ,briareus1 ,blunting his darts vpon their brused bones4 ,for no one thing the ,gods can lesse abide ,in dedes of men1 then ,arrogance and ,pride4 ,and still the proud1 which too much takes in hand1 ,shall fowlest fall1 where best he thinks to stand4 ,cs4 ,right as some ,pallace1 or some stately tower1 ,which ouer-lookes the neighbour buildings round ,in scorning wise1 and to the ,starres vp growes1 ,which in short time his owne weight ouerthrowes4 ,what monstrous pride1 nay what impietie ,incen'st him onward to the ,gods disgrace8 ,when his two children1 ,cleopatras bratts1 ,to ,phbe and her brother he compar'd1 ,latonas race1 causing them to be call'd ,the ,sunne and ,moone8 ,is not this folie right8 ,and is not this the ,gods to make his foes8 ,and is not this himself to worke his woes8 ,agr4 ,in like proud sort he caus'd his head to leese ,the ,iewish king ,antigonus1 to haue ,his ,realme for balme1 that ,cleopatra lou'd1 ,as though on him he had some treason prou'd4 ,cs4 ,lydia to her1 and ,siria he gaue1 ,cyprus of golde1 ,arabia rich of smelles3 ,and to his children more ,cilicia1 ,parth's1 ,medes1 ,armenia1 ,phnicia3 ,the kings of kings proclaiming them to be1 ,by his owne worde1 as by a sound decree4 ,agr4 ,what8 ,robbing his owne countrie of her due ,triumph'd he not in ,alexandria1 ,of ,artabasus the ,armenian ,king1 ,who yelded on his periur'd word to him8 ,cs4 ,nay1 neuer ,rome more iniuries receiu'd1 ,since thou1 ,romulus1 by flight of birds with happy hand the ,romain walles did'st build1 ,then ,antonies fond loues to it hath done4 ,nor euer warre more holie1 nor more iust1 ,nor vndertaken with more hard constraint1 ,then is this warre3 which were it not1 our state ,within small time all dignitie should loose3 ,though ,i lament 7thou ,sunne my witnes art2 ,and thou great ,ioue7 that it so deadly proues3 ,that ,romain bloud should in such plentie flowe1 ,watring the fields and pastures where we goe4 ,what ,carthage in olde hatred obstinate1 ,what ,gaule still barking at our rising state1 ,what rebell ,samnite1 what fierce ,pyrrhus power1 ,what cruell ,mithridate1 what ,parth hath wrought ,such woe to ,rome3 whose common wealth he had1 7,had he bene victor7 into ,egipt brought4 ,agr4 ,surely the ,gods1 which haue this ,cittie built ,stedfast to stand as long as time endures1 ,which kepe the ,capitoll1 of vs take care1 ,and care will take of those shall after come1 ,haue made you victor1 that you might redresse ,their honor growne by passed mischieues lesse4 ,cs4 ,the seelie man when all the ,greekish ,sea ,his fleete had hidd1 in hope me sure to drowne1 ,me battaile gaue3 where fortune1 in my stede1 ,repulsing him his forces disaraied4 ,him selfe tooke flight1 soone as his loue he saw ,all wanne through feare with full sailes flie away4 ,his men1 though lost1 whome none did now direct1 ,with courage fought fast grappled shipp with shipp1 ,charging1 resisting1 as their oares would serue1 ,with darts1 with swords1 with ,pikes1 with fierie flames4 ,so that the darkned night her starrie vaile ,vpon the bloudie sea had ouer-spred1 ,whilst yet they held3 and hardlie1 hardlie then ,they fell to flieng on the wauie plaine4 ,all full of ,souldiors ouerwhelm'd with waues3 ,the aire throughout with cries and grones did sound3 ,the ,sea did blush with bloud3 the neighbor shores ,groned1 so they with shipwracks pestred were1 ,and floting bodies left for pleasing foode ,to birds1 and beasts1 and fishes of the sea4 ,you know it well ,agrippa4 ,ag4 ,mete it was ,the ,romain ,empire so should ruled be1 ,as heau'n is rul'd3 which turning ouer vs1 ,all vnder things by his example turnes4 ,now as of heau'n one onely ,lord we know3 ,one onely ,lord should rule this earth below4 ,when one self pow're is common made to two1 ,their duties they nor suffer will1 nor doe4 ,in quarell still1 in doubt1 in hate1 in feare2 ,meane while the people all the smart do beare4 ,cs4 ,then to the ende none1 while my daies endure1 ,seeking to raise himselfe may succours finde1 ,we must with bloud marke this our victorie1 ,for iust example to all memorie4 ,murther we must1 vntill not one we leaue1 ,which may hereafter vs of rest bereaue4 ,ag4 ,marke it with murthers8 who of that can like8 ,c4 ,murthers must vse1 who doth assurance seeke4 ,ag4 ,assurance call you enemies to make8 ,cs4 ,i make no such1 but such away ,i take4 ,ag4 ,nothing so much as rigour doth displease4 ,cs4 ,nothing so much doth make me liue at ease4 ,ag4 ,what ease to him that feared is of all8 ,c4 ,feared to be1 and see his foes to fall4 ,ag4 ,commonly feare doth brede and nourish hate4 ,c4 ,hate without pow'r comes comonly too late4 ,ag4 ,a feared ,prince hath oft his death desir'd4 ,c4 ,a ,prince not fear'd hath oft his wrong conspir'de4 ,ag4 ,no guard so sure1 no forte so strong doth proue1 ,no such defence1 as is the peoples loue4 ,cs4 ,nought more vnsure more weak1 more like the winde1 ,then ,peoples fauor still to chaunge enclinde4 ,ag4 ,good ,gods6 what loue to gracious ,prince men beare6 ,cs4 ,what honor to the ,prince that is seuere6 ,ag4 ,nought more diuine then is ,benignitie4 ,c4 ,nought likes the ,gods as doth ,seueritie4 ,ag4 ,gods all forgiue4 ,c4 ,on faults they paines do laie4 ,ag4 ,and giue their goods4 ,c4 ,oft times they take away4 ,ag4 ,they wreake them not1 ,csar1 at each time ,that by our sinnes they are to wrathe prouok'd4 ,neither must you 7beleue1 ,i humblie praie7 ,your victorie with crueltie defile4 ,the ,gods it gaue1 it must not be abus'd1 ,but to the good of all men mildlie vs'd1 ,and they be thank'd3 that hauing giu'n you grace ,to raigne alone1 and rule this earthlie masse1 ,they may hence-forward hold it still in rest1 ,all scattred power vnited in one brest4 ,c4 ,but what is he1 that breathles comes so fast1 ,approaching vs1 and going in such hast8 ,ag4 ,he semes affraid3 and vnder his arme ,i 7,but much ,i erre7 a bloudie sworde espie4 ,cs4 ,i long to vnderstand what it may be4 ,ag4 ,he hither comes3 it's best we stay and see4 ,dirce4 ,what good ,god now my voice will reenforce1 ,that tell ,i may to rocks1 and hilles1 and woods1 ,to waues of sea1 which dash vpon the shore1 ,to earth1 to heau'n1 the woefull newes ,i bring8 ,ag4 ,what sodaine chaunce thee towards vs hath brought8 ,dir4 ,a lamentable chance4 ,o wrath of heau'ns6 ,o ,gods too pittiles6 ,cs4 ,what monstrous happ ,wilt thou recount8 ,dir4 ,alas too hard mishapp6 ,when ,i but dreame of what mine eies beheld1 ,my hart doth freeze1 my limmes do quiuering quake1 ,i senceles stand1 my brest with tempest tost ,killes in my throte my wordes1 ere fully borne4 ,dead1 dead he is3 be sure of what ,i say1 ,this murthering sword hath made the man away4 ,cs4 ,alas my heart doth cleaue1 pittie me rackes1 ,my breast doth pant to heare this dolefull tale4 ,is ,antonie then dead8 ,to death1 alas6 ,i am the cause despaire him so compelld4 ,but souldiour of his death the maner showe1 ,and how he did this liuing light forgoe4 ,dir4 ,when ,antonie no hope remaining saw ,how warre he might1 or how agreement make1 ,saw him betraid by all his men of warre ,in euery fight as well by sea1 as lande2 ,that not content to yeld them to their foes ,they also came against himselfe to fight3 ,alone in ,court he gan himself torment1 ,accuse the ,queene1 himselfe of hir lament1 ,call'd hir vntrue and traytresse1 as who fought ,to yeld him vp she could no more defend3 ,that in the harmes which for hir sake he bare1 ,as in his blisfull state1 she might not share4 ,but she againe1 who much his furie fear'd1 ,gatt to the ,tombes1 darke horrors dwelling place3 ,made lock the doores1 and pull the hearses downe4 ,then fell shee wretched1 with hir selfe to fight4 ,a thousand plaints1 a thousand sobbes she cast ,from hir weake brest which to the bones was torne1 ,of women hir the most vnhappie call'd1 ,who by hir loue1 hir woefull loue1 had lost ,hir realme1 hir life1 and more1 the loue of him1 ,who while he was1 was all hir woes support4 ,but that she faultles was she did inuoke ,for witnes heau'n1 and aire1 and earth1 and sea4 ,then sent him worde1 she was no more aliue1 ,but lay inclosed dead within hir ,tombe4 ,this he beleeu'd2 and fell to sigh and grone1 ,and crost his armes1 then thus began to mone4 ,cs4 ,poore hopeles man6 ,dir4 ,what dost thou more attend8 ,ah ,antonie6 why dost thou death deferre8 ,since ,fortune thy professed enimie1 ,hath made to die1 who only made thee liue8 ,sone as with sighes he had these words vp clos'd1 ,his armor he vnlaste1 and cast it of1 ,then all disarm'd he thus againe did say3 ,my ,queene1 my heart1 the grief that now ,i feele1 ,is not that ,i your eies1 my ,sunne1 do loose1 ,for soone againe one ,tombe shal vs conioyne3 ,i grieue1 whom men so valorouse did deeme1 ,should now1 then you1 of lesser valor seeme4 ,so said1 forthwith he ,eros to him call'd1 ,eros his man2 summond him on his faith ,to kill him at his nede4 ,he tooke the sworde1 ,and at that instant stab'd therwith his breast1 ,and ending life fell dead before his fete4 ,o ,eros thankes 7quoth ,antonie7 for this ,most noble acte1 who pow'rles me to kill1 ,on thee hast done1 what ,i on mee should doe4 ,of speaking thus he scarce had made an ende1 ,and taken vp the bloudie sword from ground1 ,but he his bodie piers'd2 and of redd bloud ,a gushing fountaine all the chamber fill'd4 ,he staggred at the blowe1 his face grew pale1 ,and on a couche all feeble downe he fell1 ,swounding with anguish3 deadly cold him tooke1 ,as if his soule had then his lodging left4 ,but he reuiu'd1 and marking all our eies ,bathed in teares1 and how our breasts we beatt ,for pittie1 anguish1 and for bitter griefe1 ,to see him plong'd in extreame wretchednes3 ,he prai'd vs all to haste his lingr'ing death3 ,but no man willing1 each himselfe withdrew4 ,then fell he new to crie and vexe himselfe1 ,vntill a man from ,cleopatra came1 ,who said from hir he had commaundement ,to bring him to hir to the monument4 ,the poore soule at these words euen rapt with ,ioy ,knowing she liu'd1 prai'd vs him to conuey ,vnto his ,ladie4 ,then vpon our armes ,we bare him to the ,tombe1 but entred not4 ,for she1 who feared captiue to be made1 ,and that she should to ,rome in triumph goe1 ,kept close the gate3 but from a window high ,cast downe a corde1 wherin he was impackt4 ,then by hir womens helpt the corps she rais'd1 ,and by strong armes into hir windowe drew4 ,so pittifull a sight was neuer sene4 ,little and little ,antonie was pull'd1 ,now breathing death3 his beard was all vnkempt1 ,his face and brest all bathed in his bloud4 ,so hideous yet1 and dieng as he was1 ,his eies half-clos'd vppon the ,queene he cast3 ,held vp his hands1 and holpe himself to raise1 ,but still with weakenes back his bodie fell4 ,the miserable ladie with moist eies1 ,with haire which careles on hir forhead hong1 ,with brest which blowes had bloudilie benumb'd1 ,with stooping head1 and bodie down-ward bent1 ,enlast hir in the corde1 and with all force ,this life-dead man couragiously vprais'de4 ,the bloud with paine into hir face did flowe1 ,hir sinewes stiff1 her selfe did breathles growe4 ,the people which beneath in flocks beheld1 ,assisted her with gesture1 speech1 desire3 ,cri'de and incourag'd her1 and in their soules ,did sweate1 and labor1 no white lesse then shee4 ,who neuer tir'd in labor1 held so long ,helpt by hir women1 and hir constant heart1 ,that ,antonie was drawne into the tombe1 ,and ther 7,i thinke7 of dead augments the summe4 ,the ,cittie all to teares and sighes is turn'd1 ,to plaints and outcries horrible to heare3 ,men1 women1 children1 hoary-headed age ,do all pell mell in house and strete lament1 ,scratching their faces1 tearing of their haire1 ,wringing their hands1 and martyring their brests4 ,extreame their dole3 and greater misery ,in sacked townes can hardlie euer be4 ,not if the fire had scal'de the highest towers3 ,that all things were of force and murther full2 ,that in the streets the bloud in riuers stream'd2 ,that sonne his sire saw in his bosome slaine1 ,the sire his sonne3 the husband reft of breath ,in his wiues armes1 who furious runnes to death4 ,now my brest wounded with their piteouse plaints ,i left their towne1 and tooke with me this sworde1 ,which ,i tooke vp at what time ,antonie ,was from his chamber caried to the tombe3 ,and brought it you1 to make his death more plaine1 ,and that therby my words may credite gaine4 ,cs4 ,ah ,gods what cruell happ6 poore ,antonie1 ,alas hast thou this sword so long time borne ,against thy foe1 that in the ende it should ,of thee his ,lord the cursed murthr'er be8 ,o ,death how ,i bewaile thee6 we 7alas67 ,so many warres haue ended1 brothers1 frends1 ,companions1 coozens1 equalls in estate3 ,and must it now to kill thee be my fate8 ,ag4 ,why trouble you your selfe with bootles griefe8 ,for ,antonie why spend you teares in vaine8 ,why darken you with dole your victorie8 ,me seemes your self your glorie do enuie4 ,enter the towne1 giue thankes vnto the ,gods4 ,cs4 ,i cannot but his tearefull chaunce lament1 ,although not ,i1 but his owne pride the cause1 ,and vnchaste loue of this gyptian4 ,agr4 ,but best we sought into the tombe to gett1 ,lest shee consume in this amazed case ,so much rich treasure1 with which happelie ,despaire in death may make hir feed the fire3 ,suffring the flames hir ,iewells to deface1 ,you to defraud1 hir funerall to grace4 ,sende then to hir1 and let some meane be vs'd ,with some deuise so holde hir still aliue1 ,some faire large promises3 and let them marke ,whither they may by some fine conning slight ,enter the tombes4 ,csar4 ,let ,proculeius goe1 ,and fede with hope hir soule disconsolate4 ,assure hir so1 that we may wholie gett ,into our hands hir treasure and hir selfe4 ,for this of all things most ,i doe desire ,to kepe hir safe vntill our going hence3 ,that by hir presence beautified may be ,the glorious triumph ,rome prepares for me4 ,chorus of ,romaine ,souldiors4 ,shall euer ciuile hate gnaw and deuour our state8 ,shall neuer we this blade1 ,our bloud hath bloudie made1 ,lay downe8 these armes downe lay ,as robes we weare alway8 ,but as from age to age1 ,so passe from rage to rage8 ,our hands shall we not rest ,to bath in our owne brest8 ,and shall thick in each land ,our wretched trophees stand1 ,to tell posteritie1 ,what madd ,impietie ,our stonie stomakes ledd ,against the place vs bredd8 ,then still must heauen view ,the plagues that vs pursue3 ,and euery where descrie ,heaps of vs scattred lie1 ,making the straunger plaines ,fatt with our bleeding raines1 ,proud that on them their graue ,so manie legions haue4 ,and with our fleshes still ,neptune his fishes fill ,and dronke with bloud from blue ,the sea take blushing hue3 ,as iuice of ,tyrian shell1 ,when clarified well ,to wolle of finest fields ,a purple glosse it yelds4 ,but since the rule of ,rome1 ,to one mans hand is come1 ,who gouernes without mate ,hir now vnited state1 ,late iointlie rulde by three ,enuieng mutuallie1 ,whose triple yoke much woe ,on ,latines necks did throwe3 ,i hope the cause of iarre1 ,and of this bloudie warre1 ,and deadlie discord gone ,by what we last haue done3 ,our banks shall cherish now ,the branchie pale-hew'd bow ,of ,oliue1 ,pallas praise1 ,in stede of barraine bayes4 ,and that his temple dore1 ,which bloudie ,mars before ,held open1 now at last ,olde ,ianus shall make fast3 ,and rust the sword consume1 ,and spoild of wauing plume1 ,the vseles morion shall ,on crooke hang by the wall4 ,at least if warre returne ,it shall not here soiourne1 ,to kill vs with those armes ,were forg'd for others harmes3 ,but haue their pointes addrest1 ,against the ,germaines brest1 ,the ,parthians fayned flight1 ,the ,biscaines martiall might4 ,olde ,memorie doth there ,painted on forhead weare ,our ,fathers praise3 thence torne ,our triumphes baies haue worne3 ,therby our matchles ,rome ,whilome of ,shepeheards come ,rais'd to this greatnes stands1 ,the ,queene of forraine lands4 ,which now euen seemes to face ,the heau'ns1 her glories place3 ,nought resting vnder ,skies ,that dares affront her eies4 ,so that she needes but feare ,the weapons ,ioue doth beare1 ,who angrie at one blowe ,may her quite ouerthrowe4 ,act4 #e4 ,cleopatra4 ,euphron4 ,children of ,cleopatra4 ,charmion4 ,eras4 ,cleop4 ,o cruell ,fortune6 accursed lott6 ,o plaguy loue6 most detested brand6 ,o wretched ioyes6 beauties miserable6 ,o deadlie state6 deadly roialtie6 ,o hatefull life6 ,queene most lamentable6 ,o ,antonie by my fault buriable6 ,o hellish worke of heau'n6 alas6 the wrath ,of all the ,gods at once on vs is falne4 ,vnhappie ,queene6 would ,i in this world ,the wandring light of day had neuer sene8 ,alas6 of mine the plague and poison ,i ,the crowne haue lost my ancestors me left1 ,this ,realme ,i haue to straungers subiect made1 ,and robd my children of their heritage4 ,yet this is nought 7alas67 vnto the price ,of you deare husband1 whome my snares entrap'd3 ,of you1 whom ,i haue plagu'd1 whom ,i haue made ,with bloudie hand a guest of mouldie ,tombe3 ,of you1 whome ,i destroid1 of you1 deare ,lord1 ,whome ,i of ,empire1 honor1 life haue spoil'd4 ,o hurtfull woman6 and can ,i yet liue1 ,yet longer liue in this ,ghost-haunted tombe8 ,can ,i yet breathe6 can yet in such annoy1 ,yet can my ,soule within this bodie dwell8 ,o ,sisters you that spinne the thredes of death6 ,o ,styx6 ,phlegethon6 you brookes of hell6 ,o ,impes of ,night6 ,euph4 ,liue for your childrens sake3 ,let not your death of kingdome them depriue4 ,alas what shall they do8 who will haue care8 ,who will preserue this royall race of yours8 ,who pittie take8 euen now me seemes ,i see ,these little soules to seruile bondage falne1 ,and borne in triumph4 ,cl4 ,ah most miserable6 ,euph4 ,their tender armes with cursed corde fast bound ,at their weake backs4 ,cl4 ,ah ,gods what pittie more6 ,eph4 ,their seelie necks to ground with weaknesse bend4 ,cl4 ,neuer on vs1 good ,gods1 such mischiefe sende4 ,euph4 ,and pointed at with fingers as they go4 ,cl4 ,rather a thousand deaths4 ,euph4 ,lastly his knife ,some cruell caytiue in their bloud embrue4 ,cl4 ,ah my heart breaks4 ,by shadie bankes of hell1 ,by fieldes wheron the lonely ,ghosts do treade1 ,by my soule1 and the soule of ,antonie ,i you beseche1 ,euphron1 of them haue care4 ,be their good ,father1 let your wisedome lett ,that they fall not into this ,tyrants handes4 ,rather conduct them where their freezed locks ,black thiopes to neighbour ,sunne do shewe2 ,on wauie ,ocean at the waters will2 ,on barraine cliffes of snowie ,caucasus2 ,to ,tigers swift1 to ,lions1 and to ,beares2 ,and rather1 rather vnto euery coaste1 ,to eu'rie land and sea3 for nought ,i feare ,as rage of him1 whose thirst no bloud can quench4 ,adieu deare children1 children deare adieu3 ,good ,isis you to place of safetie guide1 ,farre from our foes1 where you your liues may leade ,in free estate deuoid of seruile dread4 ,remember not1 my children1 you were borne ,of such a ,princelie race3 remember not ,so manie braue ,kings which haue ,egipt rul'de ,in right descent your ancestors haue bene3 ,that this great ,antonie your ,father was1 ,hercules bloud1 and more then he in praise4 ,for your high courage such remembrance will1 ,seing your fall with burning rages fill4 ,who knowes if that your hands false ,destinie ,the ,scepters promis'd of imperiouse ,rome1 ,in stede of them shall crooked shepehookes beare1 ,needles or forkes1 or guide the carte1 or plough8 ,ah learne t' endure3 your birth and high estate ,forget1 my babes1 and bend to force of fate4 ,farwell1 my babes1 farwell1 my hart is clos'de ,with pitie and paine1 my self with death enclos'de1 ,my breath doth faile4 ,farwell for euermore1 ,your ,sire and me you shall see neuer more4 ,farwell swete care1 farwell4 ,chil4 ,madame ,adieu4 ,cl4 ,ah this voice killes me4 ,ah good ,gods6 ,i swounde4 ,i can no more1 ,i die4 ,eras4 ,madame1 alas6 ,and will you yeld to woe8 ,ah speake to vs4 ,eup4 ,come children4 ,chil4 ,we come4 ,eup4 ,follow we our chaunce4 ,the ,gods shall guide vs4 ,char4 ,o too cruell lott6 ,o too hard chaunce6 ,sister what shall we do1 ,what shall we do1 alas6 if murthring darte ,of death arriue while that in slumbring swound ,half dead she lie with anguish ouergone8 ,er4 ,her face is frozen4 ,ch4 ,madame for ,gods loue ,leaue vs not thus3 bidd vs yet first farwell4 ,alas6 wepe ouer ,antonie3 ,let not ,his bodie be without due rites entomb'de4 ,cl4 ,ah1 ah4 ,char4 ,madame4 ,cle4 ,ay me6 ,cl4 ,how fainte she is8 ,cl4 ,my ,sisters1 holde me vp4 ,how wretched ,i1 ,how cursed am6 and was ther euer one ,by ,fortunes hate into more dolours throwne8 ,ah1 weeping ,niobe1 although thy hart ,beholdes itselfe enwrap'd in causefull woe ,for thy dead children1 that a senceless rocke ,with griefe become1 on ,sipylus thou stand'st ,in endles teares3 yet didst thou neuer feele ,the weights of griefe that on my heart do lie4 ,thy ,children thou1 mine ,i poore soule haue lost1 ,and lost their ,father1 more then them ,i waile1 ,lost this faire realme2 yet me the heauens wrathe ,into a ,stone not yet transformed hath4 ,phaetons sisters1 daughters of the ,sunne1 ,which waile your brother falne into the streames ,of stately ,po3 the ,gods vpon the bankes ,your bodies to banke-louing ,alders turn'd4 ,for me1 ,i sigh1 ,i ceasles wepe1 and waile1 ,and heauen pittiles laughes at my woe1 ,reuiues1 renewes it still3 and in the ende 7,oh crueltie67 doth death for comfort lende4 ,die ,cleopatra then1 no longer stay ,from ,antonie1 who thee at ,styx attends3 ,goe ioine thy ,ghost with his1 and sobbe no more ,without his loue within these tombes enclos'd4 ,eras4 ,alas6 yet let vs wepe1 lest sodaine death ,from him our teares1 and those last duties take ,vnto his tombe we owe4 ,ch4 ,ah let vs wepe ,while moisture lasts1 then die before his feete4 ,cl4 who furnish will mine eies with streaming teares ,my boiling anguish worthilie to waile1 ,waile thee ,antonie1 ,antonie my heart8 ,alas1 how much ,i weeping liquor want6 ,yet haue mine eies quite drawne their ,conduits drie ,by long beweeping my disastred harmes4 ,now reason is that from my side they sucke ,first vitall moisture1 then the vitall bloud4 ,then let the bloud from my sad eies out flowe1 ,and smoking yet with thine in mixture growe4 ,moist it1 and heate it newe1 and neuer stopp1 ,all watring thee1 while yet remaines one dropp4 ,cha4 ,antonie take our teares3 this is the last ,of all the duties we to thee can yelde1 ,before we die4 ,er4 ,these sacred obsequies ,take ,antony1 and take them in good parte4 ,cl4 ,o ,goddesse thou whom ,cyprus doth adore1 ,venus of ,paphos1 bent to worke vs harme ,for olde ,iulus broode1 if thou take care ,of ,csar1 why of vs tak'st thou no care8 ,antonie did descend1 as well as he1 ,from thine own ,sonne by long enchained line3 ,and might haue rul'd by one and self same fate1 ,true ,troian bloud1 the statelie ,romain state4 ,antonie1 poore ,antonie1 my deare soule1 ,now but a blocke1 the bootie of a tombe1 ,thy life1 thy heate is lost1 thy coullor gone1 ,and hideous palenes on thy face hath seaz'd4 ,thy eies1 two ,sunnes1 the lodging place of loue1 ,which yet for tents to warlike ,mars did serue1 ,lock'd vp in lidds 7as faire daies cherefull light ,which darknesse flies7 do winking hide in night4 ,antonie by our true loues ,i thee beseche1 ,and by our hearts swete sparks haue sett on fire1 ,our holy mariage1 and the tender ruthe ,of our deare babes1 knot of our amitie3 ,my dolefull voice thy eare let entertaine1 ,and take me with thee to the hellish plaine1 ,thy wife1 thy frend3 heare ,antonie1 heare ,my sobbing sighes1 if here thou be1 or there4 ,liued thus long1 the winged race of yeares ,ended ,i haue as ,destinie decreed1 ,flourish'd and raign'd1 and taken iust reuenge ,of him who me both hated and despisde4 ,happie1 alas too happie6 if of ,rome ,only the fleete had hither neuer come4 ,and now of me an ,image great shall goe ,vnder the earth to bury there my woe4 ,what say ,i8 where am ,i8 ,cleopatra1 ,poore ,cleopatra1 griefe thy reason reaues4 ,no1 no1 most happie in this happles case1 ,to die with thee1 and dieng thee embrace3 ,my bodie ioynde with thine1 my mouth with thine1 ,my mouth1 whose moisture burning sighes haue dried3 ,to be in one selfe tombe1 and one selfe chest1 ,and wrapt with thee in one selfe sheete to rest4 ,the sharpest torment in my heart ,i feele ,is that ,i staie from thee1 my heart1 this while4 ,die will ,i straight now1 now streight will ,i die1 ,and streight with thee a wandring shade will be1 ,vnder the ,cypres trees thou haunt'st alone1 ,where brookes of hell do falling seeme to mone4 ,but yet ,i stay1 and yet thee ouerliue1 ,that ere ,i die due rites ,i may thee giue4 ,a thousand sobbes ,i from my brest will teare1 ,with thousand plaints thy funeralles adorne3 ,my haire shall serue for thy oblations1 ,my boiling teares for thy effusions1 ,mine eies thy fire3 for out of them the flame 7,which burnt thy heart on me enamour'd7 came4 ,wepe my companions1 wepe1 and from your eies ,raine downe on him of teares a brinish streame4 ,mine can no more1 consumed by the coales ,which from my breast1 as from a furnace1 rise4 ,martir your breasts with multiplied blowes1 ,with violent hands teare of your hanging haire1 ,outrage your face3 alas6 why should we seeke 7,since now we die7 our beawties more to kepe8 ,i spent in teares1 not able more to spende1 ,but kisse him now1 what rests me more to doe8 ,then lett me kisse you1 you faire eies1 my light1 ,front seate of honor1 face most fierce1 most faire6 ,o neck1 armes1 hands1 breast where death 7,oh mischief7 comes to choake vp vitall breath4 ,a thousand kisses1 thousand thousand more ,let you my mouth for honors farewell giue3 ,that in this office weake my limmes may growe1 ,fainting on you1 and fourth my soule may flowe4 ,at ,ramsburie4 #bf4 of ,nouember4 #aeij4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,errata ,discourse ,c#bv so gredelie it seekes to murther them4 formatting ambiguous3 short line1 but following word not indented ,c#c not withdrawen no space in printed text ,c#cv ,we folow solitarines1 to flie carefulnes4 text reads carefulues ,c#d applied to mans naturall disposition text reads to _/ to at line break ,d and this feeles the euill present text unchanged3 error for thus8 this great and incurable disease of olde age text reads iucurable ,dv what good ,i pray can hee haue but onlie text reads bnt ,d#bv of the paines we felt at our birth8 question mark printed upside-down7 ,antonius ,spelling and capitalization are unchanged4 ,forms such as ,phbus and ,phnician 7for ,phoebus and ,phoenician7 are used consistently2 since names are in ,roman type1 there is no chance of error or ambiguity4 ,f#bv ,yelded ,pelusium on this ,countries shore text reads ,pelusuim ,f#cv ,to see at once so many ,romanes there text reads ,komanes ,f#d ,betraies thy loue1 thy life alas6 betraies text reads alas67 ,gv 7,as curse may blessing haue7 text reads 7 ,as ,g#bv ,fi'ring a brand text unchanged ,h ,no humain force can them withstand1 but death4 text reads bnt ,hv ,er4 ,feare of a woman troubled so his sprite8 comma for period ,h#b ,if we therin sometimes some faultes commit no space in printed text ,before they be in this our worlde borne3 text reads wordle ,h#c ,that giue them vp to aduersaries handes text reads adnersaries ,h#cv ,his legions led to drinke ,euphrates streames text reads legious ,ch4 ,our first affection to our selfe is due4 second e in selfe invisible ,h#d ,yet if his harme by yours redresse might haue1 punctuation unchanged ,h#dv ,and high st ate3 text unchanged3 error for high estate8 ,i#b ,the ,allablaster couering of hir face common variant spelling ,yet this is nothing th'e'nchaunting skilles text unchanged ,i#dv ,which of my greatnes greatest good receiu'd text reads ,wbich ,lu4 ,so long time you her constant loue haue tri'de4 text reads ,li4 ,k#c ,fortune may chaunge againe1 punctuation unchanged ,k#dv ,she doth frequent ,ballonas bloudie trade3 text unchanged3 normal spelling ,bellona occurs later ,mv ,agr4 ,what8 ,robbing his owne countrie of her due flyspeck or ambiguous punctuation at end of line ,m#c ,ag4 ,what sodaine chaunce thee towards vs hath brought8 text reads towar ds ,m#cv ,accuse the ,queene1 himselfe of hir lament text reads ,qneene ,m#d consecutive lines ,dir4 ,what dost thou more attend8 punctuation at end of line unclear ,ah ,antonie6 why dost thou death deferre8 question mark unclear ,nv ,agr4 ,but best we sought into the tombe to gett comma for period ,n#b ,the glorious triumph ,rome prepares for me4 invisible period ,shall ever civile hate text reads bate ,n#c ,the ,parthians fayned flight1 text reads fligbt ,therby our matchles ,rome letter m in ,rome italicized ,o#bv ,that in this office weake my limmes may growe1 initial ,t in that not italicized