They do retire. 2 Sold. Stand close, and list to him. Eno. Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon, When men revolted shall upon record Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did Scar. We'll beat 'em into bench-holes; I have yet Before thy face repent! Room for six scotches more. Enter EROS. Eros. They are beaten, sir; and our advantage For a fair victory. [serves Scar. Let us score their backs, And snatch 'em up, as we take hares, behind; "Tis sport to maul a runner. Ant. I will reward thee Once for thy spritely comfort, and ten-fold For thy good valour. Come thee on. Scar. I'll halt after. [Exeunt. SCENE VIII.-Under the Walls of Alexandria. Alarum. Enter ANTONY, marching; SCARUS, and Forces. Ant. We have beat him to his camp; Run one before, And let the queen know of our guests.-To-morrow, Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all, Cleo. Lord of lords! O infinite virtue! com'st thou smiling from Do something mingle with our brown; yet have we 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 men that owe them: Had our great palace the capacity To camp this host, we all would sup together; Applauding our approach. [Exeunt. 1 Sold. 3 Sold. Hark further. Enobarbus ! Peace; Eno. O sovereign mistress of true melancholy, The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me; That life, a very rebel to my will, May hang no longer on me: Throw my heart To him. Let's speak (Dies.) He may recover yet. [Exeunt with the body. SCENE X.-Between the two Camps. Enter ANTONY and SCARUS, with Forces marching. Enter CESAR, and his Forces, marching. Re-enter ANTONY and SCARUS. I shall discover all: I'll bring thee word [Exit. Ant. Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight. All is lost; thou Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart Makes only wars on thee.-Bid them all fly; For when I am reveng'd upon my charm, O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more: 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, my chief end, Enter CLEOPATRA. Ah, thou spell! Avaunt. Cleo. Why is my lord enrag'd against his love? Aut. 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 shewn For poor'st diminutives, to dolts; and let Patient Octavia plough thy visage up With her prepared nails. [Exit Cleo.] 'Tis well thou'rt gone, If it be well to live: But better 'twere SCENE XI-Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Cleo. Help me, my women! O, he is more mad Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly Was never so emboss'd. Char. To the monument; There lock yourself, and send him word you are dead. The soul and body rive not more in parting, Than greatness going off. To the monument : Cleo. Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself; Say, that the last I spoke was, Antony, And word it, pr'ythee, piteously: Hence, Mardian; and bring me how he takes my death. To the monument. [Exeunt. Ant. Eros, unarm; the long day's task is done, And we must sleep.-That thou depart'st hence safe, Does pay thy labour richly; Go.-Off, pluck off';— [Exit Mardian. The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep Disgrace and horror, that, on my command, Eros. The gods withhold me! To penetrative shame; whilst the wheel'd seat Eros. Ant. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not then To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once; 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. (Turning from him.) Eros. My sword is drawn. Ant. Then let it do at once The thing why thou hast drawn it. Eros. Ant. 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? Now, Eros. Eros. Why, there then :- (Falls on his sword.) Thus do I escape the sorrow Of Antony's death. (Dies.) Ant. 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. Enter DERCETAS and Guard. 1 Guard. What's the noise? Ant. I have done my work ill, friends; O, make an end fate To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome [Exeunt, bearing Antony. No, I will not: As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead? Enter ANTONY, borne by the Guard. Cleo. O thou san, Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!-darkling stand The varying shore o'the world!-0 Antony! Antony, Antony!-Charmian, help; help, Iras; Help, friends below: let's draw him hither. Peace: Ant. 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 a while, until Of many thousand kisses the poor last I lay upon thy lips. my Cleo. Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have Ant. O, quick, or I am gone. Cleo. Here's sport, indeed!-How heavy weighs my lord! Our strength is all gone into heaviness, 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.-0! Cleo. They do not go together. Ant. Gentle, hear me : None about Cæsar trust, but Proculeius. Ant. The miserable change now at my end, Lament nor sorrow at: but please your thoughts, (Dies.) Noblest of men, woo't die? The soldier's pole is fallen; young boys, and girls, Char. Iras. Lady, Char. O madam, madam, madam! Iras. Empress! Madam,Royal Egypt! [manded Cleo. No more, but e'en a woman; and comBy such poor passion as the maid that milks, And does the meanest chares.-It were for me To throw my sceptre 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 Become a dog that's mad: Then is it sin, To rush into the secret house of death, Char. Peace, peace, Iras. 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 (To the Guard below.) We'll bury him: and then, what's brave, what's noble, heart: Let's do it after the high Roman fashion, [Exeunt; those above bearing off Antony's body. ACT V. SCENE I.-Cæsar's Camp before Alexandria. Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, MECENAS, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, and others. Cæs. Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield; Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks us by The pauses that he makes. [dar'st Dol. I'll be to Cæsar; if thou pleasest not, Cas. What is't thou say'st? And citizens to their dens: The death of Antony He is dead, Cæsar; Waged equal with him. Cæs. [him, O Antony! The business of this man looks out of him, Mess. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my 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! [Exit. Cæs. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say, We purpose her no shame: give her what comThe quality of her passion shall require; [forts 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. Dolabella! Agr. & Mec. Caes. Let him alone, for I remember now How he's employed; he shall in time be ready. Go with me to my tent; where you shall see How hardly I was drawn into this war; How calm and gentle I proceeded still In all my writings: Go with me, and see What I can shew in this. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Alexandria. A Room in the Monument. 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, 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 Pro. Cleo. (Within.) Pray you, tell him I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him The greatness he has got. I hourly learn A doctrine of obedience; and would gladly Look him i' the face. Pro. This I'll report, dear lady. Have comfort; for I know your plight is pitied Of him that caus'd it. Gal. You see how easily she may be surpris'd; (Here Proculeius, and two of the Guard, ascend the Monument by a ladder placed against a window, and having descended, come behind Cleopatra. Some of the Guard unbar and open the gates.) Guard her till Cæsar come. [To Proculeius and the Guard. Exit Gallus. Iras. Royal queen! Char. O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen!Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands. (Drawing a dagger.) Pro. 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, That rids our dogs of languish? Pro. Cleopatra, Do not abuse my master's bounty by Cleo. Pro. I'll not sleep neither: This mortal house I'll ruin, Pro. You do extend What thou hast done thy master Cæsar knows, So, Dolabella, If you'll employ me to him. (To Cleopatra.) Say, I would die. [Exeunt Proculeius and Soldiers. Dol. Most nobie empress, you have heard of me? Cleo. I cannot tell. Dol. Assuredly, you know me. Cleo. No matter, sir, what I have heard or known. You laugh, when boys, or women, tell their dreams; Is't not your trick? Dol. I understand not, madam. Cleo. I dream'd, there was an emperor Antony;O, such another sleep, that I might see But such another man! Dol. If it might please you, Cleo. His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck A sun, and moon; which kept their course, and The little O, the earth. [lighted Dol. Most sovereign creature,Cleo. His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear'd arm Crested the world: his voice was propertied As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends; But when he meant to guail and shake the orb, He was a rattling thunder. For his bounty, There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas, That grew the more by reaping: His delights Were dolphin-like; they shew'd his back above The element they liv'd in: In his livery Walk'd crowns, and crownets; realms and islands As plates dropp'd from his pocket. Del. Cleopatra,Cleo. Think you, there was, or might be, such a As this I dream'd of? [man Dol. Gentle madam, no. Cleo. You lie, up to the hearing of the gods. But, if there be, or ever were one such, It's past the size of dreaming: Nature wants stuff To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, Condemning shadows quite. Dol. [were Hear me, good madam: Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it As answering to the weight: 'Would I might O'ertake pursu'd success, but I do feel, [never By the rebound of yours, a grief that shoots My very heart at root. Cleo. I thank you, sir. Know you, what Cæsar means to do with me? Dol. I am loath to tell you what I would you Cleo. Nay, pray you, sir,— Madam, he will; [knew. Dol. Though he be honourable,Cleo. He'll lead me then in triumph? Dol. I know it. Within. Make way there,-Cæsar. Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECENAS, SELEUCUS, and Attendants. |