Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/239

ANTONY. 231 for wine to drink, either that he was thirsty, or that he imagined that it might put him the sooner out of pain. When he had drunk, he advised her to bring her own affairs, so far as might be honorably done, to a safe con- chision, and that, among all the friends of Cassar, she should rely on Proculeius ; that she should not jjity him in this last turn of fate, but rather x'ejoice for him in remembrance of his past happiness, who had been of all men the most illustrious and powerful, and, in the end, had fallen not ignobly, a Roman by a Roman overcome. Just as he breathed his last, Proculeius arrived from Caesar ; for when Antony gave himself his wound, and was carried in to Cleopatra, one of his guards, Dercetaeus, took up Antony's sword and hid it ; and, when he saw his opportunity, stole away to Caesar, and brought him the first news of Antony's death, and withal showed him the bloody sword. Caesar, upon this, retired into the inner part of his tent, and, giving some tears to the death of one that had been nearly allied to him in marriage, his col- league in empire, and companion in so many wars and dangers, he came out to his friends, and, bringing with him many letters, he read to them with how much reason and moderation he had always addressed himself to An- tony, and in return what overbearing and arrogant answers he received. Then he sent Proculeius to use his utmost endeavors to get Cleojjatra ahve into his power ; for he was afraid of losing a great treasure, and, besides, she would be no small addition to the glory of his tri- umph. She, however, was careful not to put herself in Proculeius's power ; but from within her monument, he standing on the outside of a door, on the level of the ground, which was strongly barred, but so that they might well enough hear one another's voice, she held a conference with him ; she demanding that her kingdom might be given to her children, and he bidding her be of good courage, and trust Ctesar for every thing.