EventhestiffEgyptianhead-dresswasadheredto，buthadbeensoftenedintoarichfeminineadornment，withoutlosingaparticleofitstruth。
Difficultiesthatmightwellhaveseemedinsurmountablehadbeencourageouslyencounteredandmadeflexibletopurposesofgraceanddignity；sothatCleopatrasatattiredinagarbpropertoherhistoricandqueenlystate，asadaughterofthePtolemies，andyetsuchasthebeautifulwomanwouldhaveputonasbestadaptedtoheightenthemagnificenceofhercharms，andkindleatropicfireinthecoldeyesofOctavius。
Amarvellousrepose——thatraremeritinstatuary，exceptitbethelumpishreposenativetotheblockofstone——wasdiffusedthroughoutthefigure。
ThespectatorfeltthatCleopatrahadsunkdownoutofthefeverandturmoilofherlife，andforoneinstant——asitwere，betweentwopulsethrobs——hadrelinquishedallactivity，andwasrestingthroughouteveryveinandmuscle。Itwasthereposeofdespair，indeed；forOctaviushadseenher，andremainedinsensibletoherenchantments。Butstilltherewasagreatsmoulderingfurnacedeepdowninthewoman\'sheart。Therepose，nodoubt，wasascompleteasifshewerenevertostirhandorfootagain；andyet，suchwasthecreature\'slatentenergyandfierceness，shemightspringuponyoulikeatigress，andstoptheverybreaththatyouwerenowdrawingmidwayinyourthroat。
Thefacewasamiraculoussuccess。ThesculptorhadnotshunnedtogivethefullNubianlips，andothercharacteristicsoftheEgyptianphysiognomy。Hiscourageandintegrityhadbeenabundantlyrewarded；forCleopatra\'sbeautyshoneoutricher，warmer，moretriumphantlybeyondcomparison，thanif，shrinkingtimidlyfromthetruth，hehadchosenthetameGreciantype。Theexpressionwasofprofound，gloomy，heavilyrevolvingthought；aglanceintoherpastlifeandpresentemergencies，whileherspiritgathereditselfupforsomenewstruggle，orwasgettingsternlyreconciledtoimpendingdoom。Inoneview，therewasacertainsoftnessandtenderness，——howbreathedintothestatue，amongsomanystrongandpassionateelements，itisimpossibletosay。Catchinganotherglimpse，youbeheldherasimplacableasastoneandcruelasfire。