Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave. Nay, weep not, gentle Eros: there is left us She has robb'd me of my sword. Mar. No, Antony; My mistress lov'd thee, and her fortunes mingled Ant. Hence, saucy eunuch; peace; Mar. Death of one person can be paid but once; 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, Woulds't thou be window'd in great Rome, and see To penetrative shame; whilst the wheel'd scat 20Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded His baseness that ensued? Ant. Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done, 35 40 I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and Eros. What would my lord? I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods 1 Eros. O, sir, pardon me. [then Ant. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not 6 Eros. My sword is drawn. My captain, and my emperor! let me say, Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now > Eros. Why, there then :-Thus do I escape the sorrow Of Antony's death. Ant. Thrice nobler than myself! I should,and thou could'st not. My queen and Eros 50 A nobleness in record: But I will be A bridegroom in my death, and run into 't 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 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. SCENE XIII. A Monument. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras, above. All strange and terrible events are welcome, 15 As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead? Enter Antony, borne by the guard. Help, Charmian, help; Iras, help; help, friends 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 dead; But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent Ant. Too late, good Diomed: Call my guard, Enter a Guard. Cleo. So it should be, that none but Antony Cleo. I dare not, Dear, dear, my lord, pardon; I dare not, 40 45 [fate 50 Ant.Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends, 55 1 [Exeunt, bearing Antony. Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes, And still conclusion', shall acquire no honour Ant. O, quick, or I am gone. [my lord! Quicken with kissing';-had my lips that power, 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 Ant. Gentle, hear me: None about Cæsar trust, but Proculeius, Cleo. My resolution, and my hands, I'll trust, Ant. The miserable change now at my end, Cleo. Noblest of men, woo't die? The soldier's pole is fallen'; young boys, and girls, Char.O, quietness, lady! [She faints. Char. O madam, madam, madam,— Chur. Peace, peace, Iras. Cleo. No more but e'en a woman; and com- By such poor passion as the maid that milks, Ere death dare come to us?-How do you, women? 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 [Exeunt, bearing off Antony's body. 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 To spend upon his haters: If thou please 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, 45 tony Is not a single doom; in the name lay Der. He is dead, Cæsar; Not by a public minister of justice, Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand, Hath,with the courage which the heart did lend it, 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 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 Cas. O Antony! [him, I have follow'd thee to this ;~But we do lance Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras. Enter, below, Proculeius, Gallus, &c. And bids thee study on what fair demands 125 Pro. My name is Proculeius. Cleo. Antony Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but 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. The quality of her passion shall require; 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. Pro. This I'll report, dear lady. Have comfort; for, I know your plight is pity'd Aside.] You see how easily she may be surpriz'd; Guard her, 'till Cæsar come. Iras. Royal queen! [Erit. Char. O Cleopatta! thou art taken, queen! [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: [languish? Cleo. What, of death too, that rids our dogs of Pro. Cleopatra, Do not abuse our master's bounty, by [queen Cleo. Where art thou, death? Pro. O, temperance, lady! Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, sir; I'll not sleep neither: This mortal house I'll ruin, Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Ægypt Pro. You do extend Dol. Most sovereign creature, Cleo. His legs bestrid the ocean; his rear'd arra 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. 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 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. Dol. It is the emperor, madam. [Cleo. kneels.. Cleo. Sir, the gods Will have it thus; my master and my lord Cas, Take to you no hard thoughts: Cleo. Sole sir o' the world, I cannot project' mine own cause so well Cas. Cleopatra, know, We will extenuate rather than enforce: 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. |