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's', 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.

No, Antony;

Mar.
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 has discharg'd. What thou would'st do, Is done unto thy hand: the last she spake

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.

Thy name so buried in her.

Ant.

Mar.

She render'd life,

Dead, then?

Dead.

Ant. Unarm, Eros: the long day's task is done, And we must sleep.-That thou depart'st hence safe,

Pack'd cards with CESAR'S,] i. e. Packed her cards with Cæsar's cards. All the old copies have "Cæsar's," all the modern editions Cæsar; but there is no necessity for the change. Warburton would make out that Shakespeare had a double meaning in the use of the word "triumph," with reference to cards, but we know from Ben Jonson, that a trump card was not then called a triumph" card.

66

Does pay thy labour richly; go.-[Exit MARDIAN.]
Off, pluck off:-

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. Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now All length is torture: since the torch is out, Lie down, and stray no farther. 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,

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and

And all the haunt be ours.-Come, Eros! Eros!

Re-enter EROS.

Since Cleopatra died

Eros. What would my lord?

Ant.

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!

Eros. My sword is drawn.

Ant.

The thing why thou hast drawn it.

Eros.

[Turning from him.

Then, let it do at once

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?

2 with PLEACH'D arms,] "Pleach'd" is interwoven or folded. In Vol. ii. p. 198, we have had "pleached," and in Vol. iv. p. 565, "even-pleached," in a similar sense.

3 To do this when I bade thee?] This is one of the incidents taken exactly from Plutarch, and Shakespeare follows his original in this scene with even verbal accuracy.

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
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 Sword. I learn'd of thee.-How! not dead? not dead?— The guard!-how?-O, despatch me1!

1 Guard.

Enter DERCETAS and 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.

Ant. Let him that loves me, strike me dead.

1 Guard.

2 Guard. Nor I.

3 Guard. Nor any one.

The star is fallen.

Alas, and woe!

Not I.

[Exeunt Guard.

Der. Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly, This sword but shown to Cæsar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

Enter DIOMEDES.

Dio. Where's Antony?

4 The guard! HOW! O, despatch me !] Modern editors have usually printed ho! for "how?" of the folios. The Rev. Mr. Barry proposes the substitution of now; but it seems to us that the text hardly requires alteration.

My mistress, Cleopatra, sent me to thee.
Ant. When did she send thee?

Dio.

Most absolute lord,

Now, my lord.

Ant.

Where is she?

Dio. Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophe

sying fear

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!

Come; your lord calls.

Enter some of the Guard3.

Ant. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides; "Tis the last service that I shall command you.

1 Guard. Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to

wear

All your true followers out.

All.

Most heavy day!

5 Enter some of the Guard.] The old stage-direction shows how many the theatre (supposing the tragedy to have been acted, of which, though we can have no proof, there can be little doubt) afforded for this duty :-" Enter 4 or 5 of the Guard of Antony."