widow of
Bibulus, a colleague of Caesar in the Consulship of 59 B.C.]

[Footnote 101: Daughter of Calpurnius Piso Caesonius and married to
Caesar in 59 B.C. She was his second wife, Pompeia, a relative of
Pompey the Great, being the first.]

[Footnote 102: Mark Antony was then about forty-four years old. He had
commanded the left wing of Caesar at Pharsalia and became Consul in
44.]

III

CLEOPATRA'S BARGE[103]

Mark Antony being thus inclined, the last and extremest mischief of
all other (to wit, the love of Cleopatra) lighted on him, who did
waken and stir up many vices yet hidden in him, and were never seen to
any: and if any spark of goodness or hope of rising were left him,
Cleopatra quenched it straight, and made it worse than before. The
manner how he fell in love with her was this. Antony going to make war
with the Parthians, sent to command Cleopatra to appear personally
before him, when he came into Cilicia, to answer unto such accusations
as were laid against her, being this: that she had aided Cassius and
Brutus in their war against him. The messenger sent unto Cleopatra to
make this summons unto her, was called Dellius: who when he had
thoroughly considered her beauty, the excellent grace and sweetness of
her tongue, he nothing mistrusted that Antony would do any hurt to so
noble a lady, but rather assured himself, that within few days she
should be in great favour with him. Thereupon he did her great honour,
and persuaded her to come into Cilicia, as honourably furnished as she
could possible, and bade her not to be afraid at all of Antony, for he
was a more courteous lord, than any one that she had ever seen.

Cleopatra on the other side believing Dellius' words, and guessing by
the former access and credit she had with Julius Caesar, and Cneius
Pompey (the son of Pompey the Great) only for her beauty: she began to
have good hope that she might more easily win Antony. For Caesar and
Pompey knew her when she was but a young thing, and knew not then what
the world meant: but now she went to Mark Antony at the age when a
woman's beauty is at the prime, and she also of best judgement. So,
she furnished herself with a world of gifts, store of gold and silver,
and of riches and other sumptuous ornaments, as is credible enough she
might bring from so great a house, and from so wealthy and rich a
realm as Egypt was. But yet she carried nothing with her wherein she
trusted more than in her self, an