1 Each man's like mine; you have shewn all Hectors. Enter Cleopatra. To this great fairy' I'll commend thy acts, [world, Make her thanks bless thee.-O thou day o' the Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all, Through proof of harness to my heart, and there Ride on the pants triumphing. Cleo. Lord of lords! yet have we A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can Cleo. I'll give thee, friend, An armour all of gold; it was a king's. Ant. He has deserv'd it, were it carbuncled Like holy Phoebus' car.-Give me thy hand;Through Alexandria make a jolly march; Bear our hack'd targets like the menthatowe them: Had our great palace the capacity To camp this host, we would all sup together; And drink carouses to the next day's fate, Which promises royal peril.-Trumpeters, With brazen din blast you the city's ear; Make mingle with our rattling tabourines"; That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together, Applauding our approach. SCENE IX. Casar's Camp. EnteraCentinel,andhiscompany. Enobarbusfollows. 1 Sold. This last day was a shrewd one to us. 2 Sold. What man is this? 1 Sold. Stand close, and list him. Eno. Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon, When men revolted shall upon record Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did Before thy face repent! Cent. Enobarbus! 3 Sold. Peace; hark further. 1i.e. embrace. 2 Eno. O sovereign mistress of true melancholy, The poisonous damp of night dispunge upon me; That life, a very rebel to my will, May hang no longer on me: Throw my heart And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony, 15 20 1 Sold. Let's speak to him. [Dies. Cent. Let's hear him, for the things he speaks May concern Cæsar. 2 Sold. Let's do so. But he sleeps. Cent. Swoons rather; for so bad a prayer as his Was never yet for sleep. 1 Sold. Go we to him. 2 Sold. Awake, sir, awake; speak to us. 1 Sold. Hear you, sir? Cent. The hand of death hath raught him. 25 Hark, how the drums demurely wake the sleepers: 30 2 Sol. Come on then: He may recover yet. [Exeunt with the body. SCENE X. Between the two Camps. Enter Antony, and Scarus, with their Army. 35 We please them not by land. Scar. For both, my lord. Ant. I would they'd fight i' the fire, or in the air; We'd fight there too. But this it is; Our foot Upon the hills adjoining to the city, 40 Shall stay with us: order for sea is given; Fairy comprises the idea of power and beauty. i.e. armour of proof. At all plays of barriers, the boundary is called a goal; to win a goal, is to be a superior in a contest A tabourin was a small drum. 'i.e. the guard-room, the i.e. reached him. Demurely for solemnly. 10 i.e. where But here signifies without, in which of activity. 'i.e. own them. place where the guard musters. we may best discover their numbers, and see their motions. sense it is often used in the North. Is Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave Whose bosom was my crownet', my chief end,- Enter Cleopatra. A monument. SCENE The same. XII. Enter Antony and Eros. Ant. Eros, thou yet behold'st me? Eros. Ay, noble lord. Ant.Sometime, we see a clould that's dragonish; vapour, sometime, like a bear, or lion, A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock, A forked mountain, or blue promontory 40 They are black vesper's pageants. Cleo. Why is my lord enrag'd against his love? gone, 6 [thought, Ant. That, which is now a horse, even with a 45 3 She was first for Julius Cæsar, then for Pompey the great, and afterwards for Antony. 2i.e. "this sublime, this majestic beauty," according to Dr. Johnson; but according to Mr. Steevens, "this deadly or destructive piece of witchcraft." Dr. Johnson supposes that crownet means last purpose, probably from finis coronat opus. Sir John Hawkins observes, that there is a kind of pun in this passage, arising from the corruption of the word Egyptian into gipsey. The old law-books term such persons as ramble about the country, and pretend skill in palmistry and fortune-telling, Egyptians. -Fast and loose is a term to signify a cheating game, of which the following is a description: Aleathern belt is made up into a number of intricate folds, and placed edgewise upon a table: one of the folds is made to resemble the middle of the girdle, so that whoever should thrust a skewer into it would think he held it fast to the table; whereas, when he has so done, the person with whom he plays may take hold of both ends and draw it away.--This trick is now known to the common people, by the name of pricking at the belt or girdle, and perhaps was practised by the Gypsies in the time of Shakspeare. 'í. e. to the utmost loss possible, i. e. with nails which she suffered to grow for this purpose. The meaning is, let me do something in my rage, becoming the successor of Hercules. i. e. than Ajax Telamon for the armour of Achilles, the most valuable part of which was the shield.The boar of Thessaly was the boar killed by Meleager. A hunting term: when a deer is hard run, and foams at the mouth, he is said to be imbost. 1o i.e. the fleeting away of the clouds destroys the picture. "Knave is servant. Yet 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. Mdr. 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. 5 With ships made cities, condemn myself, to lack Disgrace and horror, that, on my command, 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 Eros. O, sir, pardon me. [then 6 Eros. My sword is drawn. The thing why thou hast drawn it. 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. 2 i.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 pene.rating. • Worship is the dignity, the authority. 4 I learn'd Enter Diomedes. Dio. Where's Antony? Der. There, Diomed, there. Dio. Lives he? Wilt thou not answer, man? [Exit Dercetas. Ant. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me Sufficing strokes for death. Dio. Most absolute lord, Ant. Where is she? SCENE XIII. A Monument. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras, above. 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, 10 Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great Enter Diomedes. 15 Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in ;-darkling The varying shore o' the world '!-O Antony! 20 Antony, Antony! 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. [phesying fear Dio. Lock'd in her monument. She had a pro-30 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 Ant. Too late, good Diomed:-Call my guard, 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 importune death a while, until Of many thousand kisses the poor last I lay upon thy lips.— Čleo. I dare not, 2 Dear, dear, my lord, pardon; I dare not, [guard, what, ho 40 Dio. What, ho! the emperor's guard! The Come, your lord calls. Enter a Guard. Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes, Ant. O, quick, or I am gone. [my lord! Cleo. Here's sport,indeed!-How heavy weighs Our strength is all gone into heaviness, That makes the weight: Had I great Juno's power, The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee up, And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little,— Wisherswere ever fools;-O,come,come,come;— [They draw Antony up to Cleopatra. And welcome, welcome! die, where thou hast liv'd: Quicken with kissing';—had my lips that power, Thus would I wear them out. 'To dispose may here signify to make terms, to settle matters. 2 i.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. e. silent coolness of resolution. Dr. Johnson supposes the meaning of these strange words to be, "Here's trifling! You do not work in earnest.” That is, Revive by my kiss. 5 Clen. 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 iny hands, I'll trust, None about Cæsar. Ant. The miserable change now at my end, Lament nor sorrow at: but please your thoughts In feeding then, with those my former fortunes Wherein I liv'd, the greatest prince o' the world, The noblest: and do now not basely die, Nor cowardly; put off my helmet to My countryman, a Roman, by a Roman Valiant y vanquish'd. Now, my spirit is going; I can no more.[Antony dies. Cleo. Noblest of men, woo't die? In this dull world, which in thy absence is The soldier's pole is fallen'; young boys, and girls, [She faints. Char. O madam, madam, madam,— Iras. Royal Egypt! empress! Chur. Peace, peace, Iras. Cleo. No more-but e'en a woman; and commanded By such poor passion as the maid that milks, 10 And does the meanest chares 2.-It were for me To throw my scepter at the injurious gods; To tell them, that this world did equal theirs, Till they had stolen our jewel. All's but naught; Patience is sottish; and impatience does 15 Become a dog that's mad: Then is it sin, To rush into the secret house of death, Ere death dare come to us?-How do you, women? What, what? good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian? Proculeius, and train. O to him, Dolabella, bid him yield; Being so frustrated, tell him, he mocks The pauses that he makes'. Dol. Cæsar, I shall. [Exit Dolabella. Enter Dercetas, with the sword of Antony. Cas. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, Appear thus to us? [that dar'st Der. I am call'd Dercetas; Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy Best to be serv'd: whilst he stood up, and spoke, He was my master; and I wore my life, To spend upon his haters: If thou please To take me to thee, as I was to him I'll be to Cæsar; if thou pleasest not, up my life. I yield thee Cas. What is't thou say's 'st? Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead. Cæs. The breaking of so great a thing should A greater crack: The round world [make 40 Should have shook lions into civil streets, And citizens to their dens *:-The death of An 45 tony Is not a single doom; in the name lay Der. He is dead, Cæsar; Not by a public minister of justice, Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it, 50 Splitted the heart.-This is his sword, I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd With his most noble blood. 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. 2 i.e. taskwork. Hence the modern term chare-woman. 3i.e. he trifles with us. 4 Dr. Johnson conjectures, that a line is lost here: Mr. Malone, however, believes that only two words are wanting, and proposes to read, "The round world should have shook, Thrown raging lions into civil streets, And citizens to their dens." But for if not. Waged |