Enter CESAR, and his Forces, marching. Cas. But being charg'd, we will be still by land, Which, as I tak't, we shall; for his best force Is forth to man his gallies. To the vales, And hold our best advantage.

Re-enter ANTONY and SCARUS.

[Exeunt.

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more:
Fortune and Antony part here; even here
Do we shake hands.-All come to this?-The hearts
That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave
Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets
On blossoming Cæsar; and this pine is bark'd,
That over-topp'd them all. Betray'd I am :
O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm,
Whose eye beck'd forth my wars, and call'd them
home;

Whose bosom was my crownet 3, my chief end,
Like a right gipsy, hath, at fast and loose1,
Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss.
What, Eros, Eros!

Enter CLEOpatra.

Ah! thou spell! Avaunt. Cleo. Why is my lord enrag'd against his love? Ant. Vanish: or I shall give thee thy deserving, And blemish Cæsar's triumph. Let him take thee, And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians: Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot Of all thy sex; most monster-like, be shown For poor'st diminutives 5, to dolts; and let Patient Octavia plough thy visage up With her prepared nails. [Erit CLEO.] 'Tis well thou'rt gone,

If it be well to live: But better 'twere

Thou fell'st into my fury, for one death
Might have prevented many. Eros, ho!
The shirt of Nessus is upon me: Teach me,
Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage:
Let me lodge Lichas 6 on the horns o' the moon;
And with those hands that grasp'd the heaviest club,
The witch shall die;
Subdue my worthiest self.
To the Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall
Under this plot : she dies for't. Eros, ho! [Erit.
SCENE XI.-Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN.
Cleo. Help me, my women! O, he is more mad
Than Telamon 7 for his shield; the boar of Thessaly
Was never so emboss'd.8

does stand,

A cheating game, at present named pricking at the bell. 5 For the smallest piece of money.

6 The boy that brought the poisoned shirt to Hercules. 7 Ajax Telamon for the shield of Achilles. Foaming at the mouth.

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and Weep for my pardon.

No more a soldier: - bruis'd pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne. . From me a while.
[Exit EROS.
So it must be, for now
All length is torture:
Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no further: Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength: Scal 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,

Ay, noble lord.

A vapour, sometime, like a bear, or lion,

A tower'd citadel, a pendant rock,

Ant. Sometime, we see a cloud that's dragonish;

A forked mountain, or blue promontory With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,

Come, Eros, Eros!

Re-enter EROS. Eros. What would my lord? Ant.

Since Cleopatra died,

signs;

They are black vesper's pageants.

Eros.

Ay, my lord.

Ant. That which is now a horse, even with a

thought,

The courage of a woman; less noble mind
Than she, which, by her death, our Cæsar tells.
That, when the exigent should come, (which now
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art sworn, Eros,
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 colour in thy cheek.

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 worship3 of the whole world lies.
Ant. Lo thee!
[Turning from him.

Eros. My sword is drawn.
Ant.

Dio. Lock'd in her monument. phesying fear

She had a pro

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.

Not Cæsar's valour 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 awhile, until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips. —

Cleo.

I dare not, dear (Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not, Lest I be taken: not the imperious show

Of the full-fortun'd Cæsar ever shall

Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe:

Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes,

And still conclusion 5, shall acquire no honour
Demuring upon me.
Help me, my women,
Assist, good friends.

Ant.

But come, come, Antony,we must draw thee up;

O, quick, or I am gone. Cleo. Here's sport indeed! — How heavy weighs my lord!

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,
Wishers were ever fools; — O, come, come, come;
[They draw ANTONY up.
And welcome, welcome! die, where thou hast liv'd:
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.

Cleo. No, let me speak; and let me rail so high, That the false housewife Fortune break her wheel, Provok'd by my offence.

Ant.

One word, sweet queen:

Of Cæsar seek your honour, with your safety. -O! Cleo. They do not go together.

Ant. Gentle, hear me : None about Cæsar trust, but Proculeius.

1 Ornamented. 5 Sedate determination. • Revive.

--

Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women?
What, what? good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian?
My noble girls! - Ah, women, women, look!
Our lamp is spent, it's out: Good sirs, take
heart:
[To the Guard below.
We'll bury him: and then what's brave, what's noble,
Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
And make death proud to take us.
Come away:
This case of that huge spirit now is cold.
Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend
But resolution, and the briefest end.

[Exeunt; those above bearing off ANTONY's Body.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exit DOLABELLA.

Enter DERCETAS, with the Sword of ANTONY. Cæs. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, that dar'st Appear thus to us?

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,

I yield thee up my life.

Cas. What is't thou say'st? Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead. Cas. The breaking of so great a thing should make A greater crack: The round world should have shook Lions into civil streets,

Cæs.

Look you sad, friends?

The gods rebuke me, but it is a tidings
To wash the eyes of kings.
Agr.

And strange it is,
That nature must compel us to lament
Our most persisted deeds.

Mec.

His taints and honours

Waged equal with him.
Agr.
A rarer spirit never
Did steer humanity: but you gods will give us
Some faults to make us mend. Cæsar is touch'd.
Mec. When such a spacious mirror's set before him,
He needs must see himself.

I have follow'd thee to this: But we do lance
Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce
Have shown to thee such a declining day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world: but yet let me lament,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle,
stars,

That she preparedly may frame herself
To the way she's forc'd to.
Cæs.

Bid her have good heart;
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we
Determine for her: for Cæsar cannot live
To be ungentle.

Mess.
So the gods preserve thee! [Erit.
Cas. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say,
We purpose her no shame; give her what comforts

The quality of her passion shall require;
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
She do defeat us: for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in our triumph: Go,

And, with your speediest, bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.

Pro. Cæsar, I shall. [Exit PROCULEIUS. Cæs. Gallus, go you along. Where's Dolabella, To second Proculeius? [Exit GALLUS.

Agr. Mec.

Dolabella!

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS. Cleo. My desolation does begin to make A better life: 'Tis paltry to be Cæsar; Not being fortune, he's but fortune's knave 9, A minister of her will; And it is great To do that thing that ends all other deeds; Which shackles accidents; and bolts up change; Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung, The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's.

Enter, to the Gates of the Monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS, and Soldiers.

Pro. Cæsar sends greeting to the queen of Egypt;
And bids thee study on what fair demands
Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.
Cleo. [Within.]

Pro. My name is Proculeius.
Cleo. [Within.]

What's thy name?

Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but
I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,

That have no use for trusting. If your master
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
That majesty, to keep decorum, must

No less beg than a kingdom: if he please
To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son,
He gives me so much of mine own, as I
Will kneel to him with thanks.

[Drawing a Dagger.

Hold, worthy lady, hold:
[Seizes and disarms her.

Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this
Reliev'd, but not betray'd.

Cleo.

What, of death too

Cleopatra,

That rids our dogs of languish?

Pro.

Do not abuse my master's bounty, by
The undoing of yourself: let the world see
His nobleness well acted, which your death
Will never let come forth.

Cleo.
Where art thou, death?
Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen
Worth many babes and beggars!

Pro.
O, temperance, lady!
Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, sir;
If idle talk will once be necessary,

I'll not sleep neither: This mortal house I'll ruin,
Do Cæsar what he can. Know, sir, that I
Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court:
Nor once be chástis'd with the sober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,
And show me to the shouting varletry
Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave to me! rather on Nilus' mud
Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring! rather make
My country's high pyramides my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!
Pro.

You do extend
These thoughts of horror further than you shall
Find cause in Cæsar.

It shall content me best: be gentle to her. — To Cæsar I will speak what you shall please,

If you'll employ me to him.

Cleo.

[To CLEOPATRA.

Say, I would die [Exeunt PROCULEIUS and Soldiers.

Dol. Most noble empress, you have heard of me? Cleo. I cannot tell.

Dol.

Assuredly, you know me.

Cleo. No matter, sir, what I have beard or known. You laugh, when boys, or women, tell their dreams; Is't not your trick?

Rabble.