Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/240

 232 ANTONY. Having taken particular notice of the place, he re- turned to Ctesar, and Gallus was sent to parley with her the second time ; who, being come to the door, on pur- pose prolonged the conference, while Proculeius fixed his scaling-ladders in the window through which the women had pulled up Antony. And so entering, with two men to follow him, he went straight do^vn to the door where Cleopatra was discoursing with Gallus. One of the two women who were shut up in the monument with her cried out, " Miserable Cleopatra, you are taken prisoner ! " Upon which she turned quick, and, looking at Proculeius, drew out her dagger, which she had with her to stab herself. But Proculeius ran up quickly, and, seizing her with both his hands, " For shame," said he, " Cleopatra ; you wrong yourself and Cassar much, who woidd rob hiin of so fair an occasion of showing his clemency, and would make the world believe the most gentle of commanders to be a faithless and implacable enemy." And so, taking the dao'ger out of her hand, he also shook her dress to see if there were any poison hid in it. After this, Caesar sent Epaphroditus, one of his freedmen, with orders to treat her with all the gentleness and civility possible, but to take the strictest precautions to keep her alive. In the meanwhile, Coesar made his entry into Alex- andria, with Areius the philosopher at his side, holding him by the hand and talking with him ; desiring that all his fellow-citizens should see what honor was paid to him, and should look up to him accordingly from the very first moment. Then, entering the exercise-ground, he mounted a platform erected for the purpose, and from thence commanded the citizens (who, in great fear and consternation, fell prostrate at his feet) to stand up, and told them, that he freely acquitted the people of all blame, first, for the sake of Alexander, who built their city ; then, for the city's sake itself, which was so large and beautiful ; and, thirdly, to gratify his friend Areius.