Clown. Yes, forfooth, I wish you joy o'th' worm.
[Exit.
Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have
Immortal longings in me. Now no more
The juice of Egypt's grape fhall moift this lip.
Yare, yare, good Iras; quick-methinks, I hear
Antony call, I see him rouse himself

To praise my noble act. I hear him mock
The luck of Cafar, which the Gods give men
T'excufe their after-wrath. Hufband, I come;
Now to that name my courage prove my title!
I am fire, and air; my other elements

I give to bafer life. So have you done?
Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips.
Farewel, kind Charmian; Iras, long farewel.

[Applying the afp.

Have I the afpick in my lips? doft fall?
If thou and nature can fo gently part,
The ftroke of death is as a lover's pinch,
Which hurts, and is defir'd.

[To Iras..

Doft thou lie ftill?

If thus thou vanisheft, thou tell'ft the world,

It is not worth leave-taking.

[Iras dies.

Char. Diffolve, thick cloud, and rain, that I may fay,

The Gods themselves do weep.

Cleo. This proves me bafe

If the first meet the curled Antony,

He'll make demand of her, and spend that kifs,

Which is my heav'n to have.

Come, mortal wretch,

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinficate

[To the Serpent.

Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool,
Be angry, and dispatch. Oh, couldst thou speak,
That I might hear thee call great Cæfar afs
Unpolicied!

Char. Oh eastern star!

Cleo. Peace, peace!

Doft thou not fee my baby at my breaft,

That fucks the nurse afleep?

Char. O break! O break!

Cleo. As fweet as balm, as foft as air, as gentle,

I 2

O Antony !

Antony!Nay, I will take thee too.-(40) [Applying another Afp to her Arm.

What fhould I ftay

Char. In this wild world? fo, fare thee well :
Now, boaft thee, Death, in thy poffeffion lies
A lafs unparallel'dDowny windows, clofe;
And golden Phoebus never be beheld

Of eyes again fo royal! your crown's awry;
I'll mend it, and then play-

Enter the Guard, rushing in.

r Guard. Where's the Queen ? Char. Speak foftly, wake her not. Guard. Cæfar hath fent

[Dies,

[Charmian applies the Afp.

Char. Too flow a meffenger.11

Oh, come apace, difpatch, I partly feel thee.

1 Guard, Approach,ho! all's not well. Cafar's beguil'd. z Guard. There's Dolabella fent from Cæfar; call him. 1 Guard. What work is here, Charmian? is this well

Char. It is well done, and fitting for a Princess Defcended of fo many royal Kings.

Ah, foldiers!

Enter Dolabella.

Dol. How goes it here?

2 Guard. All dead!

Dol. Cæfar, thy thoughts

[Charmian dies.

Touch their effects in this; thyfelf art coming

(40) 0 Antony! nay I will take thee too.] As there has been hitherto no Break in this Verfe, nor any marginal Direction, thee neceffarily must seem to refer to Antony. But 'tis certain, Cleopatra is here defigned to apply one Afpick to her Arm, as fhe had before c'ap' one to her Breaft. And the laft Speech of Dolabella in the Play is a Confirmation of this.

Here, on ber Breast,

There is a Vent of Blood, and fomething blown ;
The fike is on her Arm.

Το

To fee perform'd the dreaded act, which thou
So fought'ft to hinder.

Enter Cæfar and Attendants.

All. Make way there, make way for Cafar. Dol. 'Oh, Sir, you are too fure an augurer `; That, you did fear, is done.

Caf. Braveft at laft

She levell'd at our purpose, and, being royal,

Took her own way.

The manner of their deaths ?.

I do not fee them bleed.

Dol. Who was laft with them?

1 Guard. A fimple countryman, that brought her figs: This was his basket.

Caf. Poifon'd then!

1 Guard. Oh Cæfar!!

This Charmian liv'd but now, the flood and fpake:
I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead miftrefs; tremblingly fhe ftood,
And on the fudden dropt.

Caf. Oh noble weakness!

If they had swallow'd poifon, 'twould appear
By external fwelling; but the looks like fleep;
As fhe would catch another Antony

In her ftrong toil of grace.

Dol. Here, on her breaft,

There is a vent of blood, and fomething blown :
The like is on her arm.

1 Guard. This is an afpick's trail;

And thefe fig-leaves have flime upon them, fuch
As th' afpick leaves upon the caves of Nile.
Caf. Moft probable,

That fo the dy'd; for her phyfician tells me,
She has purfu'd conclufions infinite
Of eafy ways to die. Take up her bed,
And bear her women from the monument:
She fhall be buried by her Antony.
No grave upon the earth fhall clip in it
A pair fo famous. High events as thefe
Strike those that make them; and their story is

1 3

No

No lefs in pity, than his glory, which
Brought them to be lamented. Our army fhall,
In folemn fhew, attend this funeral;

And then to Rome; come, Dolabella, fee
High order in this great folemnity.

[Exeunt omnes.

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