d in the charms and enchantment of
her passing beauty and grace.

Therefore when she was sent unto by divers letters, both from Antony
himself, and also from his friends, she made so light of it and mocked
Antony so much, that she disdained to set forward otherwise, but to
take her barge in the river of Cydnus, the poop whereof was of gold,
the sails of purple, and the oars of silver, which kept stroke in
rowing after the sound of the music of flutes, howboys, citherns,
viols, and such other instruments as they played upon in the barge.
And now for the person of her self: she was laid under a pavilion of
cloth of gold of tissue, apparelled and attired like the goddess
Venus, commonly drawn in picture: and hard by her, on either hand of
her, pretty fair boys apparelled as painters do set forth god Cupid,
with little fans in their hands, with the which they fanned wind upon
her. Her ladies and gentlewomen also, the fairest of them were
apparelled like the nymphs nereids (which are the mermaids of the
waters) and like the Graces, some steering the helm, others tending
the tackle and ropes of the barge, out of the which there came a
wonderful passing sweet savour of perfumes, that perfumed the wharf's
side, pestered with innumerable multitudes of people. Some of them
followed the barge all alongst the river-side: others also ran out of
the city to see her coming in. So that in the end, there ran such
multitudes of people one after another to see her, that Antony was
left post alone in the market-place, in his imperial seat to give
audience: and there went a rumour in the people's mouths, that the
goddess Venus was come to play with the god Bacchus, for the general
good of all Asia.[104] When Cleopatra landed, Antony sent to invite
her to supper to him. But she sent him word again, he should do better
rather to come and sup with her. Antony therefore to shew himself
courteous unto her at her arrival, was contented to obey her, and went
to supper to her: where he found such passing sumptuous fare, that no
tongue can express it.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 103: From the "Life of Mark Antony." Translated by Sir
Thomas North.]

[Footnote 104: The following description of Cleopatra's barge, taken
from Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra," when compared with the
foregoing paragraph, will illustrate to the reader the closeness with
which Shakespeare followed North:

"The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,
Burn'd