Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain, that I may say, The gods themselves do weep. Cleo. This proves me base: If she first meet the curled Antony, He'll make demand of her, and spend that kiss, Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch, [To the Asp, which she applies to her Breast. With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate Char. O eastern star! Cleo. Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, Char. Peace, peace! O, break! O, break! Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle.O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too.― What should I stay [Applying another Asp to her Arm. [Falls on a Bed, and dies. Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well.— Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies A lass unparallel'd.-Downy windows, close; And golden Phoebus never be beheld Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry'; I'll mend it, and then play Enter the Guard, rushing in. 1 Guard. Where is the queen Char. ? Speak softly; wake her not. 1 Your crown's AWRY ;] So Pope, correcting away of the folios, by the narrative in North's Plutarch, which Daniel also here followed in his "Cleopatra," 1594. 2 and then play-] Charmian is interrupted by the sudden arrival of the Guard, and does not finish her sentence, as is indicated in the old copies by a line. 1 Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar. Too slow a messenger. [Applies the Asp. O! come; apace; despatch: I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! beguil❜d. All's not well: Cæsar's 2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar: call him. 1 Guard. What work is here ?-Charmian, is this well done? Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess Descended of so many royal kings. Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming Within. A way there! a way for Cæsar! Enter CAESAR, and all his Train. Dol. O, sir! you are too sure an augurer: That you did fear, is done. Cæs. Bravest at the last: She levell❜d at our purposes, and, being royal, This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spake. I found her trimming up the diadem On her dead mistress: tremblingly she stood, Cæs. O noble weakness! If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear In her strong toil of Dol. grace. Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood, and something blown : 1 Guard. This is an aspick's trail; and these figleaves Have slime upon them, such as the aspick leaves Cæs. Most probable, That so she died; for her physician tells me, She hath pursu'd conclusions infinite Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed, And bear her women from the monument. A pair so famous. High events as these Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall, [Exeunt. 3 Upon the CAVES of Nile.] This is the word in all the old copies, but the Rev. Mr. Barry suggests that the true reading is canes, and not caves:" in the folio, 1623, it is printed caues, the u being employed instead of ʊ, and Mr. Barry is of opinion that the error arose from the turning of the lettern, which thus became u. On the other hand, we have the evidence of the folio, 1632, that the old understanding of the passage was 66 caves," for it is there so printed, the u of the older copy having been discarded for its substitute. It is, besides, very obvious that the aspick might leave its slime upon the "caves" of Nile as well as upon the canes of Nile. "The Tragedie of Cymbeline" was first printed in the folio of 1623, where it stands last in the division of "Tragedies," and occupies thirty-one pages; viz. from p. 369 to p. 399, misprinted p. 993. There is another error in the pagination, as p. 379 is numbered p. 389. These errors are corrected in the three later folios. |