Book II

The Argument
Faire Cleopatra is espous'd, and led
A wife in name, to her young brothers bed:
Great Caesar's heart her tempting beauties fire,
Who reapes the wanton fruit of his desire.
The scatter'd reliques of Pharsalia
Scipio vnites againe in Affrica.
The strength of Varus there; each nations name,
That vnder Iuba's royall standard came.
Caesar from Aegypt 'gainst Pharnaces goes,
And vanquishes, as soone as sees, his foes:
Erects a trophee there; and crossing ore
More swift than thought, arriues on Libya's shore.

THe Alexandrian Citizens releast
From all their feares by Caesar's pardon, feast
With ioy; extoll his goodnesse to the skies,
And to their gods deuoutly sacrifice
With vsuall rites: Alas, you doe not know
Fond Alexandrians, to whom you owe
Your Cities safetie; not those deities,
That you with vaine and barbarous mysteries
Adore, haue wrought it; nor could all your Towers,
Your stately Temples, Tombes of Conquerours,
Nor Alexander's buri'd dust, which more
Than your religion Caesar's thoughts adore,
Preuaile so much in purchasing his grace,
As beauties charmes in Cleopatra's face.
It was the glance of her bewitching eyes,
Had power to helpe your helplesse deities:
Nor was it fit such people, rites, and lawes
Should owe their safetie to a better cause.
Great Cleopatra mistresse of the State,
To giue the conquering author of her Fate
High entertainment, to his eye displayes
Th' Aegyptian wealth in such luxurious wayes
As might excuse euen Rome, and make the riot
Of her degenerate Senate seeme the diet
Which th' ancient Curii, and Camillus vs'd,
Not what her Asian victories infus'd.
The gorgeous Pallace with such lustre shone
As wealthy kingdomes neere their ruine growne
Vse to expresse; which shew the present crimes,
And speake the fortune of precedent times.
But Caesar's eyes in all that wealthy store,
Which he so lately had beheld before,
No pleasure finde, nor with delight viewes he
The golden roofes, nor precious imag'ry,
Rich Eben pillars, boords of Citron wood,
Which on their carued Iuory tressells stood:
Nor curious hangings doe his eyes admire.
For Cleopatra's beautie, and attire
Did quite eclipse all obiects, and outshone
All other splendours; on her lookes alone
His eyes are fix'd; which, though beheld before,
The more he viewes, doe rauish him the more.
All other obiects lose at second sight;
But womans beautie breeds the more delight
The ofter seene: he viewes that snowie necke,
Those golden tresses, which no gems can decke.
The wealth, she wore about her, seem'd to hide,
Not to adorne her natiue beauties pride.
Though there bright Pearles from th' Erythraean shores,
From all th' Assyrian lakes, the wealthy stores
Of siluer Ganges, and Hydaspes shone;
From Aegypts Easterne Iles the gold-like stone,
And cheerefull Emeraulds gather'd from the greene
Arabian rocks were in full splendour scene.
Pale Onyx, Iaspers of a various die,
And Diamonds darkned by her brighter eye.
The Saphires blew, by her more azure veines,
Hung not to boast, but to confesse their staines.
And blushing Rubies seem'd to lose their die
When her more ruby lips were mouing by.
It seem'd (so well became her what she wore)
She had not robb'd at all the creatures store,
But had beene natures selfe, there to haue show'd
What she on creatures could, or had bestow'd.
But Caesar's heart enflamed long before
Burnes with fresh fury, and resolues no more
Now to conceale, but feed the pleasing flame.
What power (quoth he) controules my wish, what fame?
What would the sowrest seeming vertue doe
Arm'd with a power like me, and tempted so?
By such a beautie as from guilt would free
A Rauisher, and make adulterie
No crime at all, but such a piece of vice
As former times vnto the Deities
Did oft impute; had Cleopatra beene
By those renowned Graecian writers seene,
Whose deathlesse Poems in the skies aboue
Haue fix'd so many paramours of Joue;
Before the daughters of faire Pleione,
Atlanta, Maia, and Taygete, she
Had there beene grac'd: her Tresses farre more faire
Had shew'd in Heauen than Berenices haire.
Calistho's Waine had not in skies beene set,
Nor Ariadnes shining Coronet,
Till Cleopatra's Starre had found a place,
And chose what part of Heauen she meant to grace.
Let Ioue my warrant be; whom powerfull loue
So oft has forc'd from Heauen; or let it proue
The Thunderers excuse to future times
That Caesar now partakes the Thunderers crimes.
There is no cause thou should'st misdoubt thy suit,
No waking Dragon keepes that golden fruit
Thou mean'st to taste, nor need'st thou feare to finde
That beautie guarded by too chast a minde.
Yet wanton loue, and Cupids childish fires,
Which warme Plebeian hearts, and moue desires
In rurall Girles, and lowly Shepherds swaines,
Aid not thy suit, Oh Caesar. She disdaines
That common cause should make her beautie yeeld
To thy embraces; her proud brest was fill'd
With higher thoughts; desire of Soueraigntie,
Aspiring hopes of State and Maiestie
In Cleopatra's brest had now controll'd
All other passions; had her blood beene cold,
Yet when ambition pleaded on thy side,
Her chastitie had yeelded to her pride.
That reason Caesar, that did first subdue
Thy loyaltie to Rome, made thee embrue
Thy parricidall hands in her sad wounds,
And die with blood Thessalia's guiltie grounds,
Proues now the selfe same cause that conquered
This Queene, and drew her to thy wanton bed.
Let not the guiltie greatnesse of thy minde
Be by vaine men extoll'd; since here we finde
A womans brest the same impressions moue:
Ambitious pride, and Soueraignties dire loue
Alike in thee and Cleopatra plac'd,
Made thee disloyall proue, and her vnchast.
Caesar, lest Rome should iudge he first did moue
This warre alone for Cleopatra's loue,
To winne for her, not for his Countries sake,
(For conquer'd Aegypt he intends to make
No Roman prouince) and on th' other side
Too much suspecting that th' Aegyptians pride,
His bountious fauour would farre lesse esteeme
If that a woman wore their Diadem,
Whilest yet a male childe liu'd of Lagus blood;
Thus cleares both doubts; to make the action good
One colour serues: young Ptolomey, whom he
Before had married to Arsinoë,
A childe of eight yeares old, must now supply
The roome of his dead brother Ptolomey,
And weare two shadowes both of loue and State,
Of Aegypts King, and Cleopatra's mate.
What more than names, poore boy, dost thou obtaine?
As vaine thy marriage is, as is thy reigne,
And but in title nothing is thine owne:
Caesar thy bed possesses, she thy Crowne.
Nor canst thou yet so much as riuall proue
In Cleopatra's reigne, or Caesar's loue.
Yet happie art thou that thy tender age
Cannot enioy th' incestuous marriage:
For if the match for thee had beene more fit,
Thou had'st contracted greater guilt from it,
And with fowle Incest stain'd a brothers name;
But whilest thou want'st the fruit, thou want'st the blame.
Now without care thou dost a Crowne obtaine,
And an Incestuous marriage without staine.
Now nights blacke mantle had the earth ore-spread,
And all the host of Starres in Phaebus stead
(Though with lesse light) adorn'd the spangled skie:
When Caesar fir'd with loue, and raised high
With Meroës sparkling wine, pursues his suit,
And soone obtaines the wish'd and wanton fruit
Of his late warres and toiles; his fame and glory,
His power, and gifts the strongest oratory
Had woo'd, and wonne the Queene to his delight,
Within whose armes he spends the wanton night.
Nor, Cleopatra, was 't a crime in thee;
Th' incestuous custome of thy family,
Where sisters wiues on brothers are bestow'd,
And mixture of the nearest names allow'd,
Makes this a vertuous loue: thou had'st beene led
With greater guilt to such a Nuptiall bed;
And 'tis thy fate, thy beautie cannot be
Better enioy'd than by adulterie.
Yet from the burden of her fruitfull wombe
Both hers, and Caesar's punishment come.
For young Caesario, whom their loues short ioy
With aduerse Fates begets (vnhappy boy)
Vntimely slaine, shall be in future time
Augustus Caesar's parricidall crime,
And Caesar's house with Caesar's blood shall blot;
Thy guilt, Augustus, is that night begot,
Which shall hereafter those rich triumphs staine,
Which thou from Aegypts conquest shalt obtaine;
Vnlesse that flattery be taught for thee
To wrest all natures lawes, and policie
Of State, together with the peace of Rome
Alleag'd to iustifie thy bloody doome.
Whilest Caesar thus a wanton Conquerour
In Aegypt stayes, the Senats scatter'd power
And flying legions from Pharsalia
Scipio againe vnites in Affrica,
'Great Pompey's father in law, who now ore all
Is by consent elected Generall.
Stout Labienus most engag'd of all
In hate to Caesar, (though against the Gaule
He vnder Caesar's colours oft had fought)
Serues vnder him; and matchlesse Cato brought
By no engagement of a priuate cause,
But for his Countries libertie and lawes.
Petreius falsely there takes armes againe
'Gainst Caesar's side, by Caesar once in Spaine
Pardon'd before; there Attius Varus stands,
Who all the Roman Prouinces commands
In Affrick, once proud Carthage feodars:
Who brings his Punick forces to the warres,
Subtle in warlike slights, with Targets light,
Short swords, and brests vnarm'd they vse to fight▪
And still in battell weare their Cassocks red
To hide the colour of the blood they shed.
Drie Barces scorch'd, and euer-thirsting sands
Send men to Varus; there the warlike bands
Of hot Cyrene stand, the progeny
Of Pelops stain'd and tragick family,
That from Mycena came; there th' Aaeans stood
Mixed of Libyan and Sicilian blood;
And those of Tabraca, th' old Tyrians brood.
The men of Leptis, and at Hippo bred,
Where the Phaenicians first inhabited
When they to Affrick came; Hippo, whose site
Made it the ancient Libyan Kings delight.
And there in armes the men of Thapsus be,
That from the Latines draw their pedigree.
Juba to these his mighty army brings,
Juba the greatest of all Affricks Kings,
Who had already giuen a fatall blow
In Curio's sad and mortall ouerthrow
To Caesar's side: No Libyan King alone
Commands so large and vast a region.
Th' extent of his dominion lies as farre
As Thera's plaines, and horned Ammon are
From Mauritania's farthest Westerne lands,
Where neare the Gades heauen-propping Atlas stands.
With whom to warre so many nations went
Of manners, rites, and habits different;
Fierce Mauritanians, which deriue their race
From th' ancient Medes, who peopled first the place.
The Nasamonians euer bare and poore
Till wrackes at Sea enrich their fatall shore
With mankindes ruine; the scorch'd swarthy bands
Of Garamantians, on whose barren sands
No shady trees ere spred, no flockes doe feed,
Nor ought but serpents, and dire monsters breed.
With these Marmarians march, whom nature makes
As antidotes against those mortall Snakes.
Then march the vagrant bold Numidians
On well-rein'd Steeds; and light Massylians,
Who euermore their Horses bitlesse ride;
And them alone with slender wands can guide▪
The strong Getulians, that no dwellings know,
But with their heards doe wander too and fro;
That in no sports but dangerous delight;
And singly dare with raging Lions fight.
The light Autololes, whose winged speed,
In running, farre out-strips the swiftest Steed,
Equalls the winds themselues, and, as they passe,
Scarce bend the standing corne, or slender grasse.
The cole-blacke Mibian next, vpon whose brow
And curled-lockes the scorching Sunne doth show
His lasting Tyranny; who to the warre
Does lightly goe, his brest and body bare,
And neuer iron nor brasse armour weares;
Great linnen Turbants on his head he beares
In stead of helmes: his arrowes mortall points
With venom'd iuyce he treacherously annoints.
Shaggie Cyniphians too were armed there
Who Goats rough skinnes vpon their shoulders weare,
Their beards oregrowne and horrid: neare to these
With painted shields the Adyrmachides
Arm'd on the left side only, not the right;
And swords, like sickles, crook'd they vse in fight.
Of diet course and rude; their meat vpon
The sands is roasted by the scorching Sun.
Besides the troops that were from Vaga sent,
That from Ruspina and faire Zamah went.
From all these seuerall places Iuba drawes
A royall Army t' aid the Senates cause,
Ioyning himselfe with Roman Scipio.
With all these forces they intend to goe
When first the spring her verdant face shall show,
And comfortable gales of Zephyre blow,
T' inuade their natiue Countrey, and set free
Subiected Rome from Caesar's Tyrannie:
And this their great designe from the euent
Of old examples found encouragement.
Since sad experiences did often shew
Romes strength, neere Rome, 't was easiest to subdue.
They knew the barbarous Cimbrian, furious Gaule,
The force of Carthage led by Hannibal
Beat oft in forren parts by Roman powers,
In Italy prou'd easie Conquerours.
With these they sadly call to minde how soone
Cinna, Sertorius, Carbo, Marius wonne
Rome by surprise, though beat in forren lands
With ease by Sylla, and great Pompey's hands.
And last of all, when this sad warre begun,
And Caesar first had crossed Rubicon,
Pompey without one conflict fled away,
And Rome to him became an easie prey.
But Caesar's fortune frustrates their intents;
His wonted speed and strange successe preuents
Their expedition; and, as euery where
He had before, so playes th' assailant here.
Too soone, alas, shall you in Affrick see
Whom you intend to seeke in Italy.
But Caesar plung'd in Aegypts soft delights
Insnar'd by beautie, and the charming slights
Of Cleopatra, could almost forget
How many armed foes, and forces, yet
Oppose his growing fortunes, and remaine
Threatning the height of his vsurped reigne.
As when Alcides with ill fate had seene
The tempting beauties of th' Oechalian Queene▪
His brawny shoulders straight forget to weare
The lions skin, his awfull hand to beare
The monster-taming club; from his rough head
The poplar garland falls; no tyrants dread
That world-auenging strength; which had well nigh
Beene sunke into a famelesse lethargy.
And Iuno's hopes of great Alcides fall
A womans beautie further'd more than all
Those monstrous plagues, which she had power t' inuent,
Or could from aire, earth, seas, or hell be sent.
But Fortune findes alarums to awake
The soule of Caesar from this dreame, and make
Compleat for him the worke she had begun,
Whither she hasten'd Romes sad ruine on;
Or rather blush'd such liberties and lawes,
Should owe their safetie to so base a cause
As Caesar's sloth; and iudg'd it better farre
Than keepe it so, to lose it by a warre:
That warre alone, which built vp Romes high reigne,
Should now haue power to ruine her againe.
Nor were the Fates pleas'd that the wanton loue
Of Cleopatra should more helpfull proue
To Romes affaires, than all those iust-drawne swords,
Which once Thessalia, Libya now affords.
Yet was it now no strength, no armes of Rome,
No part of Ciuill warre drew Caesar from
Aegypts delights; Pharnaces feeble power
Prouok'd him first to make him Conquerour
Of greater forces than his owne; as when
A sleeping Lion's couched in his den,
The horned heards securely graze along
The verdant pastures; till that Lion stung
By some presumptuous little Gnat awake,
And wanting there his full reuenge, doth make
Those cattell feele his wrath; whose liues anon
Doe rue the little Gnat's presumption.
This false Pharnaces, who from Pompey's hand
Receiu'd (as price of parricide) the land
Of rich Cimmerian Bosphorus, was sonne
To Mithridates, whose fear'd power had wonne
From Nicomedes his Bithynia,
Conquer'd Armenia, Cappadocia,
And wealthyest Graecian Iles, whose swelling fame
Began to riuall Romes victorious name,
And long withstood her growing Fate; at last
By Pompey's force from all his kingdomes chac'd
He fell by treason, to increase the shame
Of his false sonne, and lessen Pompey's fame.
Pharnaces now with vaine ambition swell'd,
Deceiu'd by flattering hopes, when he beheld
Romes broiles, and saw how her diuided bands
Against themselues imploy'd their conquering hands,
Sought to regaine what once his father had,
And gan the Roman prouinces inuade:
In Asia minor, (his first enterprise
Fortune beholding with propitious eyes)
Domitius fall, who with ill Fate imploy'd
The swords of Caesar, rais'd his boasting pride.
Nicopolis, whose loftie walls were there
Founded as Pompey's Trophees, still to beare
Name of his Conquest, and the place to show
Of Mithridates finall ouerthrow,
Beheld the slaughter of Domitius hosts
A parentation to the Ponticke ghosts.
Nine times had Cynthia now restor'd againe
Light to her waned hornes, when Caesar chain'd
In Cleopatra's wanton armes, had stay'd
On Aegypts coast; her swelling wombe display'd
At last th' effect of an adulterous bed.
Whom Caesar thus departing comforted:
Faire Queene, sole mistresse of thy Caesar's State,
The fate of him that rules all other fate,
Pharnaces cruell to himselfe and me,
With his owne ruine parts our company.
His treasons, Loue, now call my vengefull steele.
Doe not thou grieue; the conquer'd foes shall feele
Our parting griefe, and in their slaughter see
With how much anger Caesar goes from thee.
But that poore King dares not my force withstand;
He onely drawes me from this happie land,
To make a iourney rather than a warre,
For he at first will flie, and easier farre
May I obtaine a conquest than a fight:
His dastard troops my name alone shall fright.
And easie triumph comes; but I from thee
Goe grieu'd to triumphs, sad to victory.
From thee, whose eyes make Aegypts swarthy face
Brighter than that white path the gods doe trace▪
Without whose light no land breeds my content▪
And Rome it selfe to me is banishment.
But Fate to vs farre greater conquests owes:
How much, alas, would Cleopatra lose
If Caesar stay'd at home? we haue not yet
Fully attain'd that world-commanding height,
That must enthrone thy beautie in a State
High as it selfe, for all to wonder at
Like some new Constellation: those that neare
Th' Antartick pole, ne're see the Northren Beare
Descend into the Ocean; those that lie
(Enduring winters lasting tyranny)
Vnder the frozen wa••e, and lose the sight
Of bright Canopus, whose desired light
Cheeres this Horizon still, shall both adore
Faire Cleopatra's name; the farthest shore
That Peleus siluer-footed wife doth know
Shall honour thee; euen Rome her selfe shall bow,
And with her Eagles shall thy State maintaine,
Whilest Kings doe wait in Cleopatra's traine.
For such effects, faire Queene, (if Caesar know
His Fate aright) shall this our parting now
Returne to thee when I in triumph come:
By this deare part of Caesar, which thy wombe
Encloses here, thou shalt engage our speed:
Therefore farewell; we must pursue in deed
Our consultations, swiftly as we thought.
But Cleopatra, whom loues Queene had taught
All winning wiles; and blest with such a face
As teares became, and griefe it selfe did grace,
Thus with a seeming griefe, and teares replies:
I dare not hope to change the Fates, or prize
My worthlesse prayers at so high a rate,
As to haue power to change at all the State
Of Caesar's great resolues, on which depend
All nations Fates, and all the Starres attend.
If by their prayers fraile Mortalitie
Should hope to alter what the gods decree,
'Twere a proud pietie. Ile rather lose
My suit, and checke my loue, than interpose
It so; and rather to my selfe deny
The happinesse of Caesar's company,
Than loue it with so great presumption,
As, for mine owne delights, to hinder one
Of his resolues; yet pardon, mighty Lord,
If to mine owne desires I doe afford
One place in loue: cannot Great Caesar thriue
In these his warres, if Cleopatra liue
Neere to his person? Can it ouerthrow
His fortune to procure my safetie so?
There's no retreat in all the world for me,
So safe as thy victorious Campe will be.
But I am pleas'd to stay at thy command
In Aegypt still, and still suppose this land
Within Great Caesar's reach; whose powerfull hands
From siluer Ganges to the Baetick sands,
From Pole to Pole extend their conquering force:
No distances of place can long diuorce
Vs two, if Caesar in his loue can be
As speedy as in warre and victory,
And march as farre to finde his friends as foes▪
This pledge, which I within my selfe inclose,
Assures my longing minde against delay,
That Caesar long will not protract his stay.
Then with a kisse he bad the Queene adieu;
And wing'd with haste into Armenia flew
Swifter than lightning, or the Southern wind
Along through Libya's yeelding aire, to finde
Pharnaces out; whom he (past thought) oretooke
Neere Zela walls, and vanquish'd with a looke.
Soone beat, he left behinde him nought at all
That might deserue a mention, but his fall:
Nor can there ought of this short warre be said
But Caesar came, and saw, and vanquished.
How much did Pompey's honour suffer there▪
When Caesar's troops beheld that nations feare?
And saw how easie 'twas to conquer them?
How vndeseru'd did his great triumph seeme
Ore Pontus and Armenia? More was lost
Than poore Pharnaces Crowne, and feeble host;
The fame of Pompey was orethrowne that day,
When Caesar boasting could finde cause to say;
Oh Pompey; happie thou, that by defeat
Of these base nations, got'st the name of Great;
Whilest I subduing the fierce Ganles, deseru'd.
No name, enioy'd no triumph: had'st thou seru'd
Beyond the frozen Alpes, or past the bound
Of Rhenes swift streame, the big-bon'd Germans found,
A difference twixt our acts thou then had'st seene;
Our Ciuill warres perchance had neuer beene.
Yet ere that he from thence to Affrick passe,
Though haste important vrge him, in the place
A stately Trophee he erects to show
To future times Pharnaces ouerthrow,
Not farre from that proud Trophee, which before
Great Mithridates for his Conquest ore
Triarius, had erected: that this story
Might quite eclipse old Mithridates glory,
Or please his Manes, that the field there wonne
Tooke punishment of his vnnaturall sonne.
But greater warres call Caesar thence away;
Scipio not farre from Adrumetum lay
With all the power of Rome, but did not now
Since Winters fury rag'd, expect a foe.
For Phaebus lampe, to our Horizon low,
The shortest dayes, and coldest did bestow
From Capricorne, cold Winter glaz'd the floods,
And purg'd with frost the fields and naked woods.
But Caesar's heart, admitting no delay,
Whose speedy march no season ere could stay,
When he his third Dictatorship at Rome
Had tane, and thence to Sicily was come,
Lest any time should to his fame be lost,
Euen then the Seas from Lilybaeum crost.
And sailing by the Libyan shores, espies
Great Carthages halfe-ruin'd edifice;
And Clupe as fatall station passes by
With griefe remembring how vnhappily
Bold Curio there did with his legions land,
A wofull prey to Juba's barbarous band.
Then from this ominous place he sailes away
Westward along; and leauing Vri•a
(Where Cato then in Garrison did lie;
Cato the soule of Roman libertie,
Who from that Towne must shortly take a name,
And leaue the Towne, in lieu, eternall fame)
At Adrumetum lands; vpon which coast
Scipio encampes with all his Roman hoast.