A Book of English Prose | Page 6

henceforth for no other honours, offerings, nor
sacrifices from me, for these are the last which Cleopatra can give thee,
sith now they carry her away. Whilst we lived together, nothing could
sever our companies: but now at our death, I fear me they will make us
change our countries. For as thou, being a Roman, hast been buried in
Egypt: even so, wretched creature I, an Egyptian, shall be buried in
Italy, which shall be all the good that I have received by thy country. If
therefore the gods where thou art now have any power and authority,
sith our gods here have forsaken us, suffer not thy true friend and lover
to be carried away alive, that in me they triumph of thee: but receive
me with thee, and let me be buried in one self tomb with thee. For
though my griefs and miseries be infinite, yet none hath grieved me
more, nor that I could less bear withal, than this small time which I
have been driven to live without thee." Then, having ended these
doleful plaints, and crowned the tomb with garlands and sundry {11}
nosegays, and marvellous lovingly embraced the same, she commanded
they should prepare her bath, and when she had bathed and washed
herself, she fell to her meat and was sumptuously served.
Now whilst she was at dinner there came a countryman, and brought
her a basket. The soldiers that warded at the gates, asked him straight
what he had in his basket. He opened the basket, and took out the
leaves that covered the figs, and shewed them that they were figs he
brought. They all of them marvelled to see so goodly figs. The
countryman laughed to hear them, and bade them take some if they
would. They believed he told them truly, and so bade him carry them
in.
After Cleopatra had dined, she sent a certain table written and sealed
unto Caesar, and commanded them all to go out of the tombs where she
was, but the two women; then she shut the doors to her. Caesar, when
he received this table, and began to read her lamentation and petition,

requesting him that he would let her be buried with Antonius, found
straight what she meant, and thought to have gone thither himself:
howbeit he sent one before in all haste that might be, to see what it was.
Her death was very sudden. For those whom Caesar sent unto her ran
thither in all haste possible, and found the soldiers standing at the gate,
mistrusting nothing, nor understanding of her death. But when they had
opened the doors, they found Cleopatra stark dead, laid upon a bed of
gold, attired and arrayed in her royal robes, and one of her two women,
which was called Iras, dead at her feet: and her other woman, called
Charmion, half dead, and trembling, trimming the diadem which {12}
Cleopatra ware upon her head. One of the soldiers, seeing her, angrily
said unto her: "Is that well done, Charmion?" "Very well," said she
again, "and meet for a princess descended from the race of so many
noble kings." She said no more, but fell down dead hard by the bed.
(Plutarch's Lives.)

SIR WALTER RALEGH 1552-1618
THE VANITY OF GREATNESS
By this which we have already set down is seen the beginning and end
of the three first monarchies of the world; whereof the founders and
erecters thought, that they could never have ended. That of Rome,
which made the fourth, was also at this time almost at the highest. We
have left it flourishing in the middle of the field, having rooted up or
cut down all that kept it from the eyes and admiration of the world. But
after some continuance, it shall begin to lose the beauty it had; the
storms of ambition shall beat her great boughs and branches one
against another; her leaves shall fall off, her limbs wither, and a rabble
of barbarous nations enter the field and cut her down.
Now these great kings and conquering nations have been the subject of
those ancient histories which have been preserved and yet remain
among us; and withal of so many tragical poets, as in the persons of
powerful princes and other mighty men have complained against {13}

infidelity, time, destiny, and most of all against the variable success of
worldly things and instability of fortune. To these undertakings these
great lords of the world have been stirred up, rather by the desire of
fame, which plougheth up the air and soweth in the wind, than by the
affection of bearing rule, which draweth after it so much vexation and
so many cares. And that this is true, the good advice of Cineas to
Pyrrhus proves.