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The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,2
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.

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,3 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,

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

Re-enter EROS.

Eros. What would my lord?

Ant.

Since Cleopatra died,

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

i. e. The thing that contains thee.

3 Sealing compleats contract.

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!

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

Ant. Eros, 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? 7

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.

Aut.

[Turning from him.

Then let it do at once

4 Folded. 5 Corrected 6 Penetrating. 7 Followed. Dignity.

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 :-[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 yet dead? not dead?The guard!-ho!-O, despatch me.

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.

The star is fallen.

Alas, and woe!

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

[blocks in formation]

1 Guard.

Not I.

2 Guard. Nor I.

3 Guard. Nor any one.

[Exeunt Guard.

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

[blocks in formation]

Ant. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword,

and give me

Sufficing strokes for death.

Dio.

Most absolute lord,

My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

Ant. When did she send thee?

Dio.

Ant.

Now, my lord.

Where is she?

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

phesying 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.

9 Settled.

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 Guard.

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

All

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

Seeming to bear it lightly.

and we punish it
Take me up :

I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,
And have my thanks for all.

[Exeunt bearing ANTONY.

SCENE XIII.

The same. A Monument.

Enter above, CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS.

Cleo. O Charmian, I will never go from hence.
Char. Be comforted, dear madam.

No, I will not :

Cleo.
All strange and terrible events are welcome,
But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow,
Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great

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