obtained an audience with Cleopatra and after some accusations of a mild type suddenly laid hold of her before any decision was reached.  Then they put out of her way everything by which she could bring death upon herself and allowed her to spend some days where she was, since the embalming of Antony’s body claimed her attention.  After that they took her to the palace, but did not remove any of her accustomed retinue or attendants, to the end that she should still more hope to accomplish her wishes and do no harm to herself.  When she expressed a desire to appear before Caesar and converse with him, it was granted; and to beguile her still more, he promised that he would come to her himself.

[-12-] She accordingly prepared a luxurious apartment and costly couch, and adorned herself further in a kind of careless fashion,—­for her mourning garb mightily became her,—­and seated herself upon the couch; beside her she had placed many images of his father, of all sorts, and in her bosom she had put all the letters that his father had sent her.  When, after this, Caesar entered, she hastily arose, blushing, and said:  “Hail, master, Heaven has given joy to you and taken it from me.  But you see with your own eyes your father in the guise in which he often visited me, and you may hear how he honored me in various ways and made me queen of the Egyptians.  That you may learn what were his own words about me, take and read the missives which he sent me with his own hand.”

As she spoke thus, she read aloud many endearing expressions of his.  And now she would lament and caress the letters and again fall before his images and do them reverence.  She kept turning her eyes toward Caesar, and melodiously continued to bewail her fate.  She spoke in melting tones, saying at one time, “Of what avail, Caesar, are these your letters? ,” and at another, “But in the man before me you also are alive for me.”  Then again, “Would that I had died before you! ,” and still again, “But if I have him, I have you!”

Some such diversity both of words and of gestures did she employ, at the same time gazing at and murmuring to him sweetly.  Caesar comprehended her outbreak of passion and appeal for sympathy.  Yet he did not pretend to do so, but letting his eyes rest upon the ground, he said only this:  “Be of cheer, woman, and keep a good heart, for no harm shall befall you.”  She was distressed that he would neither look at her nor breathe a word about the kingdom or any sigh of love, and fell at his knees wailing:  “Life for me, Caesar, is neither desirable nor possible.  This favor I beseech of you in memory of your father,—­that since Heaven gave me to Antony after him, I may also die with my lord.  Would that I had perished on the very instant after Caesar’s death!  But since this present fate was my destiny, send me to Antony:  grudge me not burial with him, that as I die because of him, so in Hades also I may dwell with him.”