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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 thine entirely.

Ant. Hence, saucy eunuch; peace;
She hath betray'd me, and shall die the death.

Mar. Death of one person can be paid but once;
And that she hath discharg'd: What thou would'st
Is done unto thy hand; the last she spake [do,
Was, Antony! most noble Antony!
Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
The name of Antony; it was divided
Between her heart and lips; she render'd life,
The name so buried in her.

Ant. Dead then?

Mar. Dead.

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, 5 That, when the exigent should come, (which now ls come, indeed) when I should see behind me The inevitable prosecution of

Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,

I hou then would'st kill me:do't, the time is come: 10 Thou strik'st not me, 'tis Cæsar thou defeat'st. Put colour in thy cheek.

Eros. The gods withhold me!

Shall I do that, which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?
15 Ant. Eros,

Woulds't thou be window'd in great Rome, and see
Thymaster thuswith pleach'd arms, bending dow
His corrigible 'neck, his face subdu’d

To penetrative shame; whilst the wheel'd scat 20Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded His baseness that ensued?

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Ant. Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,
And we must sleep:--That thoudepart'sthencesafe,
Does pay thy labour richly; Go.-Off,pluck off;
[Exit Mardian. 30
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.—
No more a soldier:-Bruised pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne.-From me a while.-
[Exit Eros.

35

40

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture:-Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no further: Now all labour
Marrs 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 onflowers, we'llhandinhand, 45
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 dy'd,

I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quarter'dtheworld, and o'er greenNeptune'sback

1

Eros. O, sir, pardon me.

[then

Ant. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not
To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;
Or thy precedent services are ail
But accidents unpurpos'd. Draw, and come.
Eros. Turn from me thenthatnoblecountenance,
Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.
Ant. Lo thee.—
[Turning from him,

6

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.

Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now >
Ant. Now, Eros.

Eros. Why, there then :-Thus do I escape the
[Eros kills himself.
[Dies.

sorrow

Of Antony's death.

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

I should,and thou could'st not. My queen and Eros
Have, by their brave instruction, got upon me

50 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.

1 Shakspeare has here, (Dr. Warburton says,) as usual, taken his metaphor from a low trivial subject; but has ennobled it with much art, by so contriving that the principal term in the subject from whence the metaphor was taken, should belong to, and suit the dignity of, the subject to which the metaphor is transferred; thereby providing at once for the integrity of the figure, and the nobleness of the thought; and this by the word triumph, which either signifies Octavius's conquest, or what we now call, contractedly, the trump at cards, then call the triumph or the triumphing sort. 2i.e. the thing that contains thee. 3 Dr. Johnson thinks we should read, "Seel then, and all is done:" i. e. Close thine eyes for ever, and be quiet.-To seel hawks is to close their eyes. * Arms folded in each other. Corrigible for corrected, and afterwards penetrative for penetrating. • Worship is the dignity, the authority.

5

I learn'd

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1 Guard. Not I.

2 Guard. Nor I.

3 Guard. Nor any one.

[Exeunt.

Der.Thydeath and fortunes bid thyfollowers fly. This sword but shewn to Cæsar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

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SCENE XIII.

A Monument.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras, above.
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,
10 Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great
Enter Diomedes.

15

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 sun,
[stand
Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in ;-darkling
The varying shore o' the world '!-O Antony!
20 Antony, Antony!

Help, Charmian, help; Iras, help; help, friends
Below; let's draw him hither.

Ant. Peace:

Not Cæsar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony, 25 But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.

Dio. Lock'd in her monument. She had a pro-30
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.
[guard, what, ho
Dio. What, ho! the emperor's guard! The
Come, your lord calls.

Enter a Guard.

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Cleo. So it should be, that none but Antony
Should conquer Antony; but woe '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, dear, my lord, pardon; I dare not,
Lest I be taken: not the imperious shew
35 Of the full-fortun'd Cæsar ever shall [have
Be brooch'd with me+; if knife, drugs, serpents,
Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe.

40

45

[fate 50

Ant.Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp
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, 55
And have my thanks for all.

1

[Exeunt, bearing Antony.

Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes,

And still conclusion', shall acquire no honour
Demurring 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.

[my lord!
Cleo. Here's sport,indeed!How heavyweighs
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,-
Wisherswere everfools;-O,come,come,come;-
[They draw Antony up to Cleopatra.
And welcome, welcome! die, where thou hast
liv'd:

Quicken with kissing';-had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.

All. A heavy sight!

Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying:

Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.

3 She desires 1i. e. adorn'd.

1 To dispose may here signify to make terms, to settle matters. 2i.e. without light. the sun to burn his own orb, the vehicle of light, and then the earth will be dark. A brooch was an ornament formerly worn in the hat. Brooches in the North are buckles set with stones, such as those with which shirt-bosoms and handkerchiefs are clasped. 'i. es silent coolness of resolution. • Dr. Johnson supposes the meaning of these strange words to be, "Here's trifling! You do not work in earnest." 1

That is, Revive by my kiss.

Clea.

Cleo. No, let me speak; and let me rail so high,f That the false huswife Fortune break her wheel, Provok'd by my offence,

Ant. One word, sweet queen:

Of Cæsar seek your honour, with your safety,-O!-- 5
Cleo. They do not go together,

Ant. 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
In feeding them with those my former fortunes
Wherein I liv'd, the greatest prince o' the world,
The noblest and do now not basely 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..
[Antony dies.

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

Char.O, quietness, lady!

[She faints.

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Char. O madam, madam, madam,—
Iras. Royal Egypt! empress!

Chur. Peace, peace, Iras.

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

By such poor passion as the maid that milks,
10 And does the meanest chares 2.-It were for me
To throw my scepter 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
15 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?

20 My noble girls!—Ah, women, women! look, Our lamp is spent, it's out:-Good sirs, take [noble, We'll bury hini: and then, what's brave, what's Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,

heart:

25 And make death proud to take us. Come, away: This case of that huge spirit now is cold.

[30

Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend
But resolution, and the briefest end.

[Exeunt, bearing off Antony's body.

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Enter Dercetas, with the sword of Antony. Cas. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, [that dar'st

Appear thus to us?

Der. I am call'd Dercetas;

Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy
Best to be serv'd: whilst he stood up, and spoke,
He was my master; and I wore my life,

To spend upon his haters: If thou please
To take me to thee, as I was to him

I'll be to Cæsar; if thou pleasest not,

I yield thee up my life.

Cas. What is 't thou say'st?

Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead.

Cas. The breaking of so great a thing should A greater crack: The round world

[make

40 Should have shook lions into civil streets,
And citizens to their dens *:-The death of An-

45

tony

Is not a single doom; in the name lay
A moiety of the world,

Der. He is dead, Cæsar;

Not by a public minister of justice,

Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,
Which writ his honour in the acts it did,

Hath,with the courage which the heart did lend it,
50 Splitted the heart. This is his sword,
I'robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd
With his most noble blood.

Cas. Look you sad, friends?

The gods rebuke me, but' it is a tidings 55 To wash the eyes of kings.

Agr. And strange it is,

That nature must compel us to lament
Our most persisted deeds.

Mec. His taints and honours

He at whom the soldiers pointed, as at a pageant held high for observation. Hence the modern term chare-woman.

2i.e. taskwork.

proposes to

i. e. he trifles with us. * Dr. Johnson conjectures, that a line is lost here: Mr. Malone, however, believes that only two words are wanting, and read, "The round world should have shook,Thrown raging lious into civil streets, And citizens to their dens." But for if not,

Waged

Waged equal with him '.

Agr. A rarer spirit never

Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us
Some faults to make us men. Cæsar is touch'd.
Mec. When such a spacious mirror's set before 5
He needs must see himself.

Cas. O Antony!

[him,

I have follow'd thee to this ;~But we do lance
Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
Have shewn to thee such a declining day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world: But yet let me lament,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle,-that our

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Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras.
Cleo. My desolation does begin to make
A better life: 'Tis paltry to be Cæsar;
10Not being fortune, he's but fortune's knave',
A minister of her will; And it is great
To do that thing that ends all other deeds;
Which shackles accidents, and bolts up change;
Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung,
15The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's.—

Enter, below, Proculeius, Gallus, &c.
Pro. Cæsar sends greeting to the queen of
Ægypt;

And bids thee study on what fair demands
20 Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.
Cleo. What's thy name?

125

Pro. My name is Proculeius.

Cleo. Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but
I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,"
That have no use for trusting. If your master
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
That majesty, to keep decorum, must
No less beg than a kingdom: if he please
30 To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son,
He gives me so much of mine own, as I
Will kneel to him with thanks.

Pro. Be of good cheer;

You are fallen into a princely hand, fear nothing: 35 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 conqueror, that will pray in aid' for kindness, Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

Egypt. So the gods preserve thee! [Exit.
Cas. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say,
We purpose her no shame: give her what com-40
forts

The quality of her passion shall require;
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke,
She do defeat us: for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in our triumph: Go,
And, with your speediest, bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.

Pro. Cæsar, I shall.

[Exit Proculeius.

Cas. Gallus, go you along.Where's Dola

bella,

To second Proculeius?

All. Dolabella!

A

Cleo. Pray you, tell him

I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him The greatness he has got". I hourly learn A doctrine of obedience; and would gladly 45 Look him i' the face.

50

[Exit Gallus.

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Pro. This I'll report, dear lady.

Have comfort; for, I know your plight is pity'd
Of him that caus'd it.

Aside.] You see how easily she may be surpriz'd;
[Here Gallus and guard ascend the mo-
nument, and enter behind.

Guard her, 'till Cæsar come.

Iras. Royal queen!

[Erit.

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

[Drawing a dagger. Proculeius rushes in, and disarms the Queen.

1i. e. his taints and honours were an equal match; were opposed to each other in just proportions, like the counterparts of a wager. That is, should have made us, in our equality of fortune, disagree to a pitch like this, that one of us must die. i. e. the servant of fortune. i. e. Voluntary death produces a state which has no longer need of the gross and terrene sustenance, in the use of which Cæsar and the beggar are on a level. Praying in aid is a law term, used for a petition made in a court of justice for the calling in of help from another that hath an interest in the cause in question. 'I allow him to be my conqueror.

Pro.

Pro. Hold, worthy lady, hold:
Do not yourself such wrong, who are în this
Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

[languish? Cleo. What, of death too, that rids our dogs of Pro. Cleopatra,

Do not abuse our master's bounty, by
The undoing of yourself: let the world see
His nobleness well acted, which your death
Will never let come forth.

[queen

Cleo. Where art thou, death?
Come hither, come! come, come, and take a
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 shew me to the shouting varletry

Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Ægypt
Be gentle grave unto 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!

Pro. You do extend

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Dol. Most sovereign creature,

Cleo. His legs bestrid the ocean; his rear'd arra
Crested the world: his voice was property'd
As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends;
5 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 shew'd his back above
The element they liv'd in: In his livery [were
Walk'd crowns, and crownets; realms and islands
As plates' dropt from his pocket.

10

Dol. Cleopatra,

[man Cleo. Think you there was, or might be, such a 15 As this I dreani'd of?

Dol. Gentle madam, no.

Cleo. You lye, 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 stuff
20 To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine
An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy,
Condemning shadows quite.

Dol. Hear me, good madam:

Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it 25 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.

Cleo. I thank you, sir.

30 Know you, what Cæsar means to do with me? Dol. I am loth to tell you what I would you Cleo. Nay, pray you, sir,

[knew.

Dol. Though he be honourable,—

Cleo. He'll lead me then in triumph?

35

Dol. Madam, he will; I know it.

All. Make way there,-Cæsar.

Enter Casar, Gallus, Mecanas, Proculeius, and

Attendants.

Cas. Which is the queen of Egypt?

shall please,

[To Cleopatra.

40

[Exit Proculeius.

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Dol. It is the emperor, madam. [Cleo. kneels..
Cas. Arise, you shall not kneel:

Cleo. Sir, the gods

Will have it thus; my master and my lord
I must obey.

Cas, Take to you no hard thoughts:
The record of what injuries you did us,
Though written in our flesh, we shall remember
As things but done by chance.

Cleo. Sole sir o' the world,

I cannot project' mine own cause so well
To make it clear; but do confess, I have
Been laden with like frailties, which before
Have often sham'd our sex.

Cas. Cleopatra, know,

We will extenuate rather than enforce:
If you apply yourself to our intents,

1 Once may mean sometimes.-The meaning of Cleopatra seems to be this: If idle talking be sometimes necessary to the prolongation of life, why I will not sleep, for fear of talking idly in my sleep. 2 i. e. the little orb or circle. Plates probably mean, silver money. The word piece is a term appropriated to works of art. Here Nature and Fancy produce each their piece, and the piece done by Nature had the preference.-Antony was in reality past the size of dreaming; he was more by Nature than Fancy could present in sleep. To project a cause is to represent à cause; to project it well, is to plan or contrive a scheme of defence.

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