e 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 alone without thee."

Then having ended these doleful plaints, and crowned the tomb with
garlands and sundry nosegays, and marvellous lovingly embraced the
same: she commanded they should prepare her bath, and when she had
bathed and washed her self, 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 gate, 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 Antony,
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 sodain. 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 Cleopatra wore 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.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 105: From the "Life of Mark Antony." Translated by Sir
Thomas North