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
Have, by their brave instruction, got upon me
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 word. I learn'd of thee. How! not yet dead? not dead?— The guard-ho! - O, despatch me.

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:

I pr'ythee.

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

guard, what, ho!

Come, your lord calls.

'Tis the last service that I shall command you. 1 Guard. Woe are we, sir, you may not live to

wear

All your true followers out. All.

Most heavy day!

Ant. Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp

fate

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.

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.

1 Guard.

2 Guard. Nor I.

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

Peace :

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 triumphed on itself.
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 impórtune 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 show

Of the full-fortun'd Cæsar ever shall

Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have

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.
Cle 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;-O, 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.

By such poor passion as the maid that milks,
And does the meanest chares. 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
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 ANTONY's body.

SCENE I.
Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLAbella, MecÆNAS,
GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, and others.

· Cæsar's Camp before Alexandria.

Cæs. Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield;
Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks us by
The pauses that he makes.
Dol.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exit DOLABELLA.
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 cail'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.

Cæs.

What is't thou say'st?

Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead.

Caes. The breaking of so great a thing should make A greater crack: The round world should have

shook

O Antony!

I have follow'd thee to this; But we do lance
Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce
Have shown 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, -
stars,

Unreconciliable, should divide
Our equalness to this.

tha our

Hear me, good friends, — But I will tell you at some meeter season;

Dolabella!

Agr. Mec. Cæs. Let him alone, for I remember now How he's employed; he shall in time be ready. Go with me to my tent: where you shall see How hardly I was drawn into this war; How calm and gentle I proceeded still In all my writings; Go with me, and see What I can show in this.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

A Room in the

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAs.
Cleo. My desolation does begin to make
A better life: 'Tis paltry to be Cæsar;
Not 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,
The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's.

Enter, to the gates of the Monument, PROCULEIUS,
GALLUS, and Soldiers.

Pro. Cæsar sends greeting to the queen of Egypt; And bids thee study on what fair demands Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.

Cleo. [Within.]

Pro. My name is Proculeius.

Cleo. [Within.]

What's thy name?

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
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:
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 dependancy: and you shall find
A conqueror, that will pray in aid for kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.

Clo. [Within.]

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 Look him i' the face.

Pro.

This I'll report, dear lady. Have comfort; for, I know, your plight is pitied Of him that caus'd it.

Gal. You see how easily she may be surpriz'd; [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 GALLUS. 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 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.

Cleo.
Where art thou, death?
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 chástis'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!

Dol.
Though he be honourable,
Cleo. He'll lead me then in triumph?
Dol.

I know it.

Madam, he will;

Within. Make way there, Cæsar.

Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECANAS, SELEUCUS, and Attendants.

Cres. Of Egypt?

Which is the queen

Dol.

Cæs.

You shall not kneel: --
I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.

Cleo.

Sir, the gods Will have it thus; my master and my lord I must obey.

Cæs.

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. 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.

Cleo.

Cæs.

Cleopatra, know,

We will extenuate rather than enforce :
If you apply yourself to our intents,
(Which towards you are most gentle,) you shall find
A benefit in this change; but if you seek
To lay on me a cruelty, by taking
Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself
Of my good purposes, and put your children
To that destruction which I'll guard them from,
If thereon you rely. I'll take my leave.

Cleo. And may, through all the world: 'tis yours; and we

Your 'scutcheons, and your signs of conquest. shall

Hang in what place you please. Here, my good

lord.

Cæs.

Good queen, let us entreat you.
Cleo. O Cæsar, what a wounding shame is this;
That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me,
Doing the honour of thy lordliness

To one so meek, that mine own servant shoula
Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
Addition of his envy! Say, good Cæsar,
That I some lady trifles have reserv'd,
Immoment toys, things of such dignity

As we greet modern friends withal; and say,
Some nobler token I have kept apart
For Livia, and Octavia, to induce
Their mediation; must I be unfolded

With one that I have bred? The gods! It smites

Cæs.

Cleopatra,

Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledg'd,
Put we i' the roll of conquest: still be it yours,
Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe,
Csar's no merchant, to make prize with you
Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd;
Make not your thoughts your prisons: no, dear
queen;

For we intend so to dispose you, as

Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep :
Our care and pity is so much upon you,
That we remain your friend; And so adieu.
Cleo. My master, and my lord!

I have spoke already, and it is provided;
Go, put it to the haste.
Char.

Madam, I will.

Re-enter DOLABELLA.

Dol. Where is the queen?

Char.

Cleo.

Behold, sir. [Exit CHARMIAN.
Dolabella?

Dol. Madam, as thereto sworn by your command, Which my love makes religion to obey,

I tell you this: Cæsar through Syria
Intends his journey; and, within three days,
You with your children will he send before:
Make your best use of this: I have perform'd
Your pleasure, and my promise.

Cleo.

I shall remain your debtor.

Dol.

Dolabella,

I your servant.
Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cæsar.
Cleo. Farewell, and thanks. [Exit DoL.] Now,
Iras, what think'st thou ?

Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shown
In Rome, as well as I: mechanick slaves
With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall
Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths,
Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded,
And forc'd to drink their vapour.

The gods forbid !

Iras.
Cleo. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: Saucy lictors
Will catch at us, like strumpets; and scald rhymers
Ballad us out o'tune: the quick comedians
Extemporally will stage us, and present
Our Alexandrian revels; Antony

Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see
Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness
I' the posture of a whore.

Iras.

O the good gods! Cleo. Nay, that is certain.

Iras. I'll never see it; for, I am sure, my nails Are stronger than mine eyes.

Cleo.

Why, that's the way

To fool their preparation, and to conquer Their most absurd intents.

-

Now, Charmian?