Cleopatra then began to talk and excuse herself for what she had done, attributing all the blame of her conduct to Antony.  Octavius, however, interrupted her, and defended Antony from her criminations, saying to her that it was not his fault so much as hers.  She then suddenly changed her tone, and acknowledging her sins, piteously implored mercy.  She begged Octavius to pardon and spare her, as if now she were afraid of death and dreaded it, instead of desiring it as a boon.  In a word, her mind, the victim and the prey alternately of the most dissimilar and inconsistent passions, was now overcome by fear.  To propitiate Octavius, she brought out a list of all her private treasures, and delivered it to him as a complete inventory of all that she had.  One of her treasurers, however, named Zeleucus, who was standing by, said to Octavius that that list was not complete.  Cleopatra had, he alleged, reserved several things of great value, which she had not put down upon it.

This assertion, thus suddenly exposing her duplicity, threw Cleopatra into a violent rage.  She sprang from her bed and assaulted her secretary in a most furious manner.  Octavius and the others who were here interposed, and compelled Cleopatra to lie down again, which she did, uttering all the time the most grievous complaints at the wretched degradation to which she was reduced, to be insulted thus by her own servant at such a time.  If she had reserved any thing, she said, of her private treasures, it was only for presents to some of her faithful friends, to induce them the more zealously to intercede with Octavius in her behalf.  Octavius replied by urging her to feel no concern on the subject whatever.  He freely gave her, he said, all that she had reserved, and he promised in other respects to treat her in the most honorable and courteous manner.

Octavius was much pleased at the result of this interview.  It was obvious, as it appeared to him, that Cleopatra had ceased to desire to die; that she now, on the contrary, wished to live, and that he should accordingly succeed in his desire of taking her him to grace his triumph at Rome.  He accordingly made his arrangements for departure, and Cleopatra was notified that in three days she was to set out, together with her children, to go into Syria.  Octavius said Syria, as he did not wish to alarm Cleopatra by speaking of Rome.  She, however, understood well where the journey, if once commenced, would necessarily end, and she was fully determined in her own mind that she would never go there.

She asked to be allowed to pay one parting visit to Antony’s tomb.  This request was granted; and she went to the tomb with a few attendants, carrying with her chaplets and garlands of flowers.  At the tomb her grief broke forth anew, and was as violent as ever.  She bewailed her lover’s death with loud cries and lamentations, uttered while she was placing the garlands upon the tomb, and offering the oblations and incense, which were customary in