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Quartered the world, and o'er green Neptune's back With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack -The courage of a woman; less noble mind1

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 wouldst kill me. Do't; the time is come. Thou strik'st not me; 'tis Cæsar thou defeat'st.

Put color 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.
Wouldst thou be windowed in great Rome, and see
Thy master thus with pleached arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdued

To penetrative shame; whilst the wheeled seat
Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued? 4

Eros.

I would not see't.

Ant. Come, then; for with a wound I must be

cured.

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 unpurposed. Draw, and come.

Eros. Turn from me then that noble countenance

Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.

1 The termination bly is often written ble by old writers, and is frequently to be found so in Shakspeare. To mind or purpose is a verb extensively used in former times.

2 i. e. arms folded.

3 Corrigible for corrected, and afterwards penetrative for penetrating. 4 "Branded with baseness the poor wretch that followed."

Ant. Lo thee.

Eros. My sword is drawn.

Ant.

[Turning from him.

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.—[Falls on his sword.] Thus
do I escape the sorrow

Of Antony's death.

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

[Dies.

I should, and thou couldst 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 learned of thee. How! not 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

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Not I.

[Exeunt Guard.

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

1 Guard.

2 Guard. Nor I.

3 Guard. Nor any one.

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

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Now, my lord.

Where is she?

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

Dio.

Ant.

Dio. Locked 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 hath disposed1 with Cæsar, and that your rage
Would not be purged, 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 Guard.

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!

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

1 i. e. arranged with him, agreed with him.

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.

[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.

Cleo. No, I will not.

All strange and terrible events are welcome,
But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow,
Proportioned 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.

Cleo.

Enter ANTONY, borne by the Guard.

O, thou sun, Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!1-Darkling

stand

The varying shore o' the world. O Antony, Antony,
Antony !

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

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1 It should be remembered that, according to the old philosophy, the sun was accounted a planet, and thought to be whirled round the earth by the motion of a solid sphere in which it was fixed. Supposing this consumed, the sun must wander in endless space, and the earth be involved in endless night.

Not Cæsar's valor 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.

Čleo.

I dare not, dear, (Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not,

Lest I be taken; not the imperious show

Of the full-fortuned Cæsar ever shall

Be brooched 2 with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe.

Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes,

And still conclusion,3 shall acquire no honor
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. Cleo. Here's sport, indeed! -How heavy weighs

my lord!

Our strength is all gone
That makes the weight.

into heaviness,

Had I great Juno's power, The strong-winged 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 lived. 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.

1 Cleopatra means that she dare not come down out of the monument

to Antony.

2 Brooched here must mean ornamented, adorned.

3Sedate determination; silent coolness of resolution."

4 Cleopatra, by these words, seems to contrast the melancholy task in which they are now engaged with their former sports.

5 i. e revive by my kiss.

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