o the Caesar, and a well-disposed man.
We have also heard him mentioned as a poet and a brother-in-law of
Maecenas. A wealthy aristocrat, he is a generous patron of literature,
and also holds art and science in high esteem. Timagenes lauds his
culture and noble nature. Perhaps the historian was right; but where the
object in question is the state and its advantage, what we here regard
as worthy of a free man appears to be considered of little moment at the
court of Octavianus. The lord to whom he gives his services intrusted
him with a difficult task, and Proculejus doubtless considered it his
duty to make every effort to perform it--and yet----If I see aright, a
day will come when he will curse this, and the obedience with which he,
a free man, aided Caesar But listen.

"Erect and haughty in his splendid suit of armour, he knocked at the
door of the tomb. Cleopatra had regained consciousness and asked--she
must have known him in Rome--what he desired.

"He had come, he answered courteously, by the command of Octavianus, to
negotiate with her, and the Queen expressed her willingness to listen,
but refused to admit him into the mausoleum.

"So they talked with each other through the door. With dignified
composure, she asked to have the sons whom she had given to Antony--not
Caasarion--acknowledged as Kings of Egypt.

"Proculejus instantly promised to convey her wishes to Caesar, and gave
hopes of their fulfilment.

"While she was speaking of the children and their claims--she did not
mention her own future--the Roman questioned her about Mark Antony's
death, and then described the destruction of the dead man's army and
other matters of trivial importance. Proculejus did not look like a
babbler, but I felt a suspicion that he was intentionally trying to hold
the attention of the Queen. This proved to be his design; he had been
merely waiting for Cornelius Gallus, the commander of the fleet, of whom
you have heard. He, too, ranks among the chief men in Rome, and yet he
made himself the accomplice of Proculejus.

"The latter retired as soon as he had presented the new-comer to the
hapless woman.

"I remained at my post and now heard Gallus assure Cleopatra of his
master's sympathy. With the most bombastic exaggeration he described
how bitterly Octavianus mourned in Mark Antony the friend, the
brother-in-law, the co-ruler and sharer in so many important
enterprises. He had shed burning tears over the tidings of his d