SCENE_XI.-Alexandria. A room in the pal-
Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and

ace.

Mardian.

Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself;
Re-enter Say, that the last I spoke was, Antony,
And word it, pr'ythee, piteously: Hence,
Mardian; and bring me how he takes my death.-
[Exeunt

All is lost;
This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me:
My fleet hath yielded to the foe; and yonder
They cast their caps up, and carouse together
Like friends long lost.-Triple-turn'd whore!' 'tis

thou

Hath sold me to this novice; and my heart
Makes only wars on thee.-Bid them all fly;
For when I am reveng'd upon my charm,
I have done all-Bid then all fly, begone.

[Exit Scarus.

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more:
Fortune and Antony part here; even here
Do we shake hands.-All come to this?--The hearts
That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I
Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets
On blossoming Cæsar; and this pine is bark'd
That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am :

gave

O this false soul of Egypt; this grave charm,2—
Whose eye beck'd' forth my wars, and call'd them

home;

Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end,—
Like a right gipsy, hath, at fast and loose,
Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss.-
What, Eros, Eros!

Enter Cleopatra.

Ah, thou spell! Avaunt!
Cleo. Why is my lord enrag'd against his love?
Ant. Vanish; or I shall give thee thy deserving,
And blemish Caesar's triumph. Let him take thee,
And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians:
Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot
Of all thy sex; nost monster-like, be shown
For poor'st diminutives, to delts; and let
Patient Octavia plough thy visage up

To the monument.

SCENE XII.-The same.

Another room. Ex

ler Antony and Eros.

Ant. Eros, thou yet behold'st me?
Ay, noble lord.
Eros.
Ant. Sometime, we see a cloud that's dragonish;
A vapour, sometime, like a bear, or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendant rock,

A forked mountain or blue promontory
With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,

And mock our eyes with air: Thou hast seen these
signs;

They are black vesper's pageants.

Eros.

Ay, my lord.

Ant. That, which is now a nurse, even with a
thought,

The rack12 dislimns; and makes it indistinct,
As water is in water.

Eros.

It does, my lord.

Ant. My good knave," Eros, now thy captain is
Even such a body: Here I am Antony;
Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
I made these wars for Egypt; and the queen,-
Whose heart, I thought, I had, for she had mine;
Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't
A million more, now lost,-she, Eros, has
Pack'd cards with Cæsar, and false play'd my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph.-

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
Ourselves to end ourselves. O, thy vile lady!
Enter Mardian.

She has robb'd me of my sword.
Mar.

No, Antony;
My mistress lov'd thee, and her fortunes mingled

With her prepared nails. [Exit Cico.] 'Tis well With thine entirely.

thou'rt gone,

If it be well to live: But better 'twere
Thou fell'st into my fury, for one death
Might have prevented many.-Eros, ho!-
The shirt of Nesses is upon me: Teach me,
Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage:
Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o'the moon;
And with those hands, that grasp'd the heaviest club,
Subdue my worthiest self. The witch shall die;
To the Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall
Under this plot : she dies for't.-Eros, ho! [Exil.

(1) Cleopatra first belonged to Julius Cæsar, then to Antony, and now, as Antony supposes, to Augustus.

(2) Deadly piece of witchcraft.
(3) Was the motion for.

(8) The boy that brought the poisoned shirt to Hercules.

(9) Ajax Telamon for the shield of Achilles.
(..) Split.
(10) Foaming at the mouth.
(13) Servant.

12) The fleeting clouds.

And we must sleep :-That thou depart'st hence safe.
Does pay thy labour richly ;-Go.-Off, pluck off;-
[Exit Mardian.

The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,'
Crack thy frail case-Apace, Eros, apace.-
To more a soldier:-Bruised pieces, go;

Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now!
Ant.
Now, Eros.
Eros. Why, there then :-[Falls on his sword.
Thus do I escape the sorrow

Of Antony's death.

Ant.

[Dies

Thrice nobler than myself! Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what

I should, and thou could'st not. My queen and Eros

You have been nobly borne.-From me a while.-Have, by their brave instruction, got upon me [Exit Eros.

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
At length is torture:-Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no further: Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength: Seal then, and all is done.
Eros!-I come, my queen :-Eros!-Stay for me:
Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in
hand,

And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:
Dido and her Æneas shall want troops,
And all the haunt be ours.-Come, Eros, Eros!

Re-enter Eros.

Eros. What would my lord?
Ant.
Since Cleopatra died,
I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
With ships made cities, condemn myself, to lack
The courage of a woman; less noble mind
Than she, which, by her death, our Cæsar tells,
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art sworn, Eros,
That, when the exigent should come (which now
Is come, indeed,) when I should see behind me
The inevitable prosecution of

Disgrace and horror, that on my command,
Thou then would'st kill me: do't; the time is come:
Thou strik'st not me, 'tis Cæsar thou defeat'st.
Put colour in thy cheek.

Eros.

The gods withhold me!

Eros,

Shall I do that, which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?
Ant.
Would'st thou be window'd in great Rome, and see
Thy master thus with pleach'd' arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdued
To penetrative' shame; whilst the wheel'd seat
Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued ?"

Eros.

I would not see't.
Ant. Come then; for with a wound I must be
cur'd

Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
Most useful for thy country.

Eros.

O, sir, pardon me.

Ant. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou
not then

To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;
Or thy precedent services are all
But accidents unpurpos'd. Draw, and come.
Eros. Turn from me then that noble countenance,
Wherein the worship' of the whole world lies.
Ant. Lo thee.
[Turning from him.
Eros. My sword is drawn.
Ant.

Then let it do at once!
The thing why thou hast drawn it.
Eros.
My dear master,
My captain, and my emperor! let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
Ant. 'Tis said, man ;-and farewell.
(1). e. The thing that contains thee.
(2) Sealing completes a contract.

A nobleness in record: But I will be
A bridegroom in my death, and run into't
As to a lover's bed. Come then; and, Eros
Thy master dies thy scholar; to do thus

[Falling on his sword, I learn'd of thee. How! not yet dead? not dead?— The guard?-ho!-O, despatch me.

Enter Dercetas and Guard.

1 Guard. What's the noise ? Ant. I have done my work ill, friends; O, make an end Of what I have begun.

2 Guard.

1 Guard. And time is at his period.
All.

The star is fallen.

Alas, and wo!

Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw
(Which never shall be found,) you did suspect
She had dispos'd with Cæsar, and that your rage
Would not be purg'd, she sent you word she was
dead;

But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
I dread, too late.

Ant. Too late, good Diomed:-Call my guard,
I pr'ythee.

Dio. What, ho! the emperor's guard! The guard,
what, ho!

Ant. Nay, my good fellows, do not please sharp Of Cæsar seek your honour, with your safe:
fate
Cleo. They do not go together.
Ant.

To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome
Which comes to punish us, and we punish it
Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:
I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,
And have my thanks for all.

[Exeunt bearing Antony.
SCENE XIII.-The same. A monument. En-
ter above, Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras.
Cleo. O Charmian, I will never go from hence.
Char. Be comforted, dear madam.
Cleo.
No, I will not:
All strange and terrible events are welcome,
But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow,
Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great
Enter Diomedes.

As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead?
Dio. His death's upon him, but not dead.
Look out o'the other side your monument,
His guard have brought him thither.

Enter Antony, borne by the Guard.

Cleo.
O thou sun,
Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!-darkling
stand

The varying shore o'the world!-O Antony!
Antony, Antony!-Charmian, help; help, Iras;
Help, friends below; let's draw him hither.
Ant.

Not Cæsar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.

Peace:

Cleo. So it should be, that none but Antony
Should conquer Antony; but wo 'tis so!
Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
I here importune death a while, until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.-

Cleo.

I dare not, dear

Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe:
Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes,
And still conclusion,' shall acquire no honour
Demuring upon me.-But come, come, Antony,-
Help me, my women,—we must draw thee up ;-
Assist good friends.

Ant.

O, quick, or I am gone.
Cleo. Here's sport, indeed!-How heavy weighs
my lord!

Our strength is all gone into heaviness,
That makes the weight: Had I great Juno's power,
The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee up,
And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little,-
Wishers were ever fools ;-0, come, come, come;
[They draw Antony up.
And welcome, welcome! die where thou hast liv'd:
Quicken with kissing; had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.

A heavy sight!
Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying:
Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.
Cleo. No, let me speak; and let me rail so high,
That the false house-wife Fortune break her wheel,
Provok'd by my offence.
Ant.

(1) Without light.
(3) Sedate determination
VOL. II.

One word, sweet queen:

(2) Ornamented.

Gentle, hear me
None about Cæsar trust, but Proculeius.
Cleo. My resolution, and my hands, I'll trust;
None about Cæsar.

Ant. The miserable change now at my end,
Lament nor sorrow at: but please your thoughts,
Wherein I liv'd, the greatest prince o'the world,
In feeding them with those my former fortunes
The noblest and do now not basel die,
Nor cowardly; put off my helmet to
My countryman, a Roman, by a Roman
Valiantly vanquish'd. Now, my spirit is going;
I can no more.
Cleo.

Noblest of men, woo't die?
Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide

[Dies

In this dull world, which in thy absence is
No better than a stye ?-O, see, my women,
The crown o'the earth doth melt:-My lord!-
O, wither'd is the garland of the war,

The soldier's pole is fallen; young boys, and girls,
Are level now with men: the odds is gone,
And there is nothing left remarkable
Beneath the visiting moon.

[She faints
Char.
O, quietness, lady!
Iras. She is dead too, our sovereign.
Char.
Lady,-

Iras.

Char. O madam, madam, madam!

Iras.

Empress!

Char. Peace, peace, Iras.

Madam,

Royal Egypt!

Cleo. No more, but e'en a woman; and com
manded

By such poor passion as the maid that milks,
And does the meanest chares.-It were for me
To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;
To tell them that this world did equal theirs,
Till they had stolen our jewel. All's but naught,
Patience is sottish; and impatience does
Become a dog that's mad: Then is it sin,
To rush into the secret house of death,

Ere death dare come to us?-How do you, women?
What, what? good cheer! Why, how now, Char-

mian?

My noble girls!-Ah, women, women! look,
Our lamp is spent, it's out :-Good sirs, take heart:-
To the guard below.
We'll bury him: and then, what's brave, what's
noble,

Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
And make death proud to take us. Come, away:
This case of that huge spirit now is cold.
Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend
But resolution, and the briefest end.

[Exeunt; those above bearing off An
tony's body.

Be of good cheer.
our You are fallen into a princely hand, fear nothing:
Make your full reference freely to my lord,
Who is so full of grace, that it flows over
On all that need: Let me report to him
Your sweet dependency; and you shall find
A conqueror, that will pray in aid for kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

'he business of this man looks out of him,
We'll hear him what he says.-Whence are you?
Mess. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my
mistress,

Confin'd in all she has, her monument,
Of thy intents desires instruction;
That she preparedly may frame herself

Scene 11.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

[Here Proculeius and two of the guard, ascend| the monument by a ladder placed against a window, and having descended, come behind Cleopatra. Some of the guard unbar and open the gates.

Guard her till Cæsar come.

(To Proculeius and the guard. Exit Gall. Iras. Royal queen!

Char. O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen!
Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands.

Pro.

[Drawing a dagger.
Hold, worthy lady, hold:
[Seizes and disarms her.

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this
Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

Cleo.

What, of death too,

Cleopatra,

That rids our dogs of languish?
Pro.

Do not abuse my master's bounty, by
The undoing of yourself: let the world see
His nobleness well acted, which your death
Will never let come forth.
Where art thou, death?
Cleo.
Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen
Worth many babes and beggars!

Pro.

O, temperance, lady!

Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, sir;
If idle talk will once be necessary,
I'll not sleep neither: This mortal house I'll ruin,
Do Cæsar what he can. Know, sir, that I
Will not wait pinion'd' at your master's court;
Nor once be chastis'd with the sober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,
And show me to the shouting varletry

Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave to me! rather on Nilus' mud
Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring! rather make
My country's high pyramides my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!

You do extend

Pro.
These thoughts of horror further than you shall
Find cause in Cæsar.

What thou hast done thy master Cæsar knows,
And he hath sent for thee: as for the queen,
I'll take her to my guard.

Pre.

So, Dolabella,

If shall content me best: be gentle to her.-
To Cæsar I will speak what you shall please,
[To Cleopatra.
If you'll employ me to him.
Cleo.
Say, I would die.
[Exeunt Proculeius, and Soldiers.
Dol. Most noble empress, you have heard of me?
Cleo. I cannot tell.

Dol.
Assuredly, you know me.
Cleo. No matter, sir, what I have heard, or known.
You laugh when boys, or women, tell their dreams;
s't not your trick?

Dol.

I understand not, madam.

Dol.

Most sovereign creature,-
Cleo. His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear'd arm
Crested the world: his voice was propertied
As all the turned spheres, and that to friends,
But when he meant to quail' and shake the orb,
He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty,
There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas,
That grew the more by reaping: His delights
Were dolphin-like; they show'd his back above
The element they liv'd in: In his livery
Walk'd crowns, and crownets; realms and islands

Cleo. You lie, up to the hearing of the gods.
But, if there be, or ever were one such,

It's past the size of dreaming: Nature wants staff
To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine
An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy,
Condemning shadows quite.

Hear me, good madam :
Dol.
Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it
As answering to the weight: 'Would I might never
O'ertake pursu'd success, but I do feel,

By the rebound of yours, a grief that shoots
My very heart at root.

Cleopatra, know, We will extenuate rather than enforce: Cleo. I dream'd, there was an emperor Antony;-If you apply yourself to our intents O, such another sleep, that I might see But such another man!