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, 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, Ant. To penetrative shame; whilst the wheeled seat 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 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. My dear master, My captain and my emperor! let me say, Of Antony's death. Ant. [Dies. I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros [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 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. Now, my lord. Where is she? My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee. Dio. Ant. Dio. Locked in her monument. She had a prophe sying fear Of what hath come to pass; for when she saw 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 [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, Enter DIOMEDES. As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead? 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, Help, Charmian; help, Iras, help; help, friends 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, 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 Ant. O quick, or I am gone. Cleo. Here's sport, indeed! -How heavy weighs my lord! Our strength is all gone 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. |