? The threatned danger
Must by a way more horrid be avoided,
And I will run the hazard; Fire the Palace,
And the rich Magazines that neighbour it,
In which the Wealth of _Egypt_ is contain'd:
Start not, it shall be so; that while the people
Labour in quenching the ensuing flames,
Like Caesar, with this handful of my friends
Through Fire, and Swords I force a passage to
My conquering Legions. King, if thou dar'd follow
Where _Caesar_ leads, or live or dye a Free-man;
If not, stay here a Bond-man to thy Slave,
And dead, be thought unworthy of a Grave. [_Exeunt._

SCENE III.

_Enter_ Septimius.

_Sept._ I feel my resolution melts again
And that I am not Knave alone, but fool,
In all my purposes. The Devil, _Photinus_,
Employs me as a Property, and grown useless
Will shake me off again; he told me so
When I kill'd _Pompey_; nor can I hope better,
When _Caesar_ is dispatch'd; Services done
For such as only study their own ends,
Too great to be rewarded, are return'd
With deadly hate; I learn'd this Principle
In his own School, yet still he fools me, well;
And yet he trusts me: Since I in my nature
Was fashion'd to be false, wherefore should I
That kill'd my General, and a _Roman_, one
To whom I ow'd all nourishments of life,
Be true to an _Egyptian_? To save _Caesar_,
And turn _Photinus's_ plots on his own head,
As it is in my power, redeem my credit,
And live to lye and swear again in fashion,
Oh, 'twere a master-piece! ha!--me _Caesar_,
How's he got off?

_Enter_ Caesar, Ptolomy, Antony, Dolabella, Achoreus,
Apollodorus, _Souldiers._

_Caes._ The fire has took,
And shews the City like a second _Troy_,
The Navy too is scorch'd, the people greedy
To save their Wealth and Houses, whilst their Souldiers
Make spoil of all; only _Achillas's_ Troops
Make good their Guard, break through them, we are safe;
I'll lead you like a Thunder-bolt.

_Sept._ Stay, _Caesar_.

_Caes._ Who's this? the Dog, _Septimius_?

_Ant._ Cut his throat.

_Dol._ You bark'd but now, fawn you so soon?

_Sept._ O hear me,
What I'll deliver is for _Caesars_ safety,
For all your good.

_Ant._ Good from a mouth like thine,
That never belch'd but blasphemy, and treason on Festival days!

_Sept._ I am an altered man, altered indeed,
And will give you cause to say I am a _Roman_.

_Dol._ Rogue, I grant thee