ABSTRACT
74 Julius Ctesar better safetie ... and thereupon secretly sent for Cleopatra which was in the con try to come unto him.l She onely taking Apollodorus Sicilian of all her friendes, tooke a \itle bote, and went away with him in it in the night, and came and landed hard by the foote of the castell. Then having no other meane to come in to the court, without being knowen, she laid her selfe downe upon a mattresse or flockbed,2 which Apollodorus her frend tied and bound up together like a bundel with a great leather thong, and so tooke her up on his backe, and brought her thus hamperd in this fardell unto Cresar, in at the castell gate. This was the first occasion, (as it is reported) that made Cresar to love her: but afterwards, when he sawe her sweete conversation and pleasaunt entertainment, he fell then in further liking with her, and did reconcile her again unto her brother the king, with condition, that they two joyntly should raigne together. Upon this newe reconciliation, a great feast being prepared, a slave of Cresars that was his barber, the fearefullest wretch that lived, stil busily prying and listening abroad in every corner, being mistrustfull by nature: found that Pothinus and Achillas did lie in waite to kill his Maister Cresar. This beeing proved unto Cresar, he did sette such sure watch about the hall, where the feaste was made, that in fine, he slue the Euenuke Pothinus him selfe.:1 Achillas on thother side, saved him selfe, and fled unto the kinges campe, where he raysed a marvelous daungerous and difficult warre for Cresar: bicause he having then but a few men about him as he had, he was to fight against a great and strong city. The first daunger he fell into, was for the lacke of water he had: for that his enemies had stopped the mouth of the pipes, the which conveyed the water unto the castell. The seconde daunger he had, was, that seeing his enemies came to take his shippes from him, he was driven to repulse that daunger with fire, the which burnt the arsenall where the shippes lay, and that notable librarie of Alexandria withall. 4 The third daunger was in the battell by sea, that was fought by the tower of Phar: where meaning to helpe his men that fought by sea, he lept from the peere, into a boate. Then the A<:gyptians made towardes him with their owers, on everie side: but he leaping into the sea, with great hazard saved him selfe by swimming. It is sayd, that then holding divers bookes in his hand, he did never let them go, but kept them alwayes upon his head above water, and swam me with the
