Thou then would'st kill me : do't, the time is come:
Thou ftrik'ft not me, 'tis Cæfar thou defeat'st.

it colour in thy cheek.

Eros. The gods withhold me!

Shall I do that, which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, loft aim, and could not?

Ant. Eros,

Would't thou be window'd in great Rome, and fee
Thy mafter thus with pleach'd arms 3, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face fubdued

To penetrative shame; whilft the wheel'd feat
Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded
His bafeness that enfued+?

Eros. I would not fee't.

Ant. Come then; for with a wound I must be cur'd. Draw that thy honeft sword, which thou haft worn Most useful for thy country.

Eros. O, fir, 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 fervices are all

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.

Eros. My fword is drawn.

Ant. Then let it do at once

The thing why thou haft drawn it.

Eros. My dear master,

[turning from him.

My captain, and my emperor! let me fay,
Before I ftrike this bloody ftroke, farewel.

Ant. 'Tis faid, man ;-and farewel.

Eros. Farewel, great chief.

Ant. Now, Eros.

Shall I ftrike now?

Eros. Why, there then :-[falls on his fword.] Thus I

do efcape the forrow

Of Antony's death.

3 Arms folded in each other.

I 2

4 The poor conquered wretch that followed. 5 The worship, is the dignity, the authority.

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 inftruction, 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 after dies thy fcholar; to do thus [falling on his fword.
I learn'd of thee. How! not dead? not dead?—

The guard!-how!-O, dispach me.

Enter DERCETAS, and Guard.

1. Guard. What's the noise?

Ant. I have done my work ill, friends; O, make an end.

Of what I have begun.

2. Guard. The ftar is fallen.

1. Guard. And time is at his period.

All. Alas, and woe!

Ant. Let him that loves me, strike me dead.

1. Guard. Not I.

2. Guard. Nor I.

3. Guard. Nor any one.

[Exeunt Guard.

Der. Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly. This fword but fhewn to Cæfar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

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 fword, and

give me

Sufficing ftrokes for death.

Dio. Moft abfolute lord,

My mistress Cleopatra fent me to thee.

Ant. When did fhe fend thee?

Dio. Now, my

lord.

Ant. Where is the?

Dio, Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophefying

fear

Of

Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw
(Which never shall be found) you did fufpect
She had difpos'd with Cæfar, and that your rage
Would not be purg'd, fhe fent you word fhe was dead;
But, fearing fince 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.

Enter fome of the Guard.

Ant. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides; 'Tis the laft fervice that I fhall command you.

1. Guard. Woe, woe are we, fir, you may not live to

wear

All your true followers out.

Το

All. Moft heavy day!

Ant. Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate

grace it with your forrows:
: bid that welcome
Which comes to punish us, and we punish it

Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:
I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,

And have my thanks for all.

[Exeunt, bearing Antony.

SCENE XIII.

The fame. 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 ftrange and terrible events are welcome,
But comforts we defpife; our fize of forrow,
Proportion'd to our caufe, must be as great

I 3

Enter

6 To difpofe, in this inftance, perhaps fignifies to make terms, to fettle

matters.

Enter DIOMEDES.

As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead?
Dio. His death's upon him, but not dead.
Look out o' the other fide your monument,
His guard have brought him thither.

Enter ANTONY, borne by the Guard.

Cleo. O fun,

Burn the great sphere thou mov'ft in !-darkling ftandTM
The varying fhore o'the world?!-O Antony!
Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian, help; Iras, help;
Help, friends below; let's draw him hither.
Ant. Peace:

Not Cæfar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.

Cleo. So it fhould be, that none but Antony
Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis fo!
Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
I here impórtune death a while, until
Of many thousand kiffes the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.-

Cleo. I dare not, dear,

(Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not, Left I be taken: not the imperious fhew

Of the full-fortun'd Cæfar ever shall

Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, ferpents, have
Edge, fting, or operation, I am fafe:

Your wife Octavia, with her modeft eyes,
And ftill conclufion', fhall acquire no honour
Demuring upon me.-But come, come, Antony,-
Help me, my women,-we must draw thee up ;-

Affift,

7 She defires the fun to burn his own orb, the vehicle of light, and then the earth will be dark.

8 I folicit death to delay; or, trouble death by keeping him in waiting. 9 Be brooch'd, i. e, adorn'd. A brooch was an ornament formerly worn in the hat. Brooches in the North are buckles fet with ftones, fuch as those with which fhirt-bofoms and handkerchiefs are clafped. Brooch is properly a bodkin, or fome fuch inftrument (originally a spit) and ladies' bodkins being headed with gems, it fometimes stands for an ornamental trinket or jewel in general, in which sense it is perhaps used at prefent.

Sedate determination; filent coolness of refolution.

Affift, good friends.

Ant. O, quick, or I am gone,

Cleo. Here's fport, indeed!-How heavy weighs my lord!

Our ftrength is all gone into heavinefs",

That makes the weight: Had I great Juno's power,
The ftrong-wing'd Mercury fhould fetch thee up,
And fet thee by Jove's fide. Yet come a little,-
Withers were ever fools ;-O, come, come, come;

[They draw Antony up.

And welcome, welcome! die, where thou haft liv'd:
Quicken with kiffing3; had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.

All. A heavy fight!

Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying:

Give me fome wine, and let me speak a little.
Cleo. No, let me fpeak; and let me rail fo high,
That the falfe housewife Fortune break her wheel,
Provok'd by my
offence.

Ant. One word, sweet queen:

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

Ant. Gentle, hear me :

None about Cæfar truft, but Proculeius.

Cleo. My refolution, and my hands, I'll trust;
None about Cæfar.

Ant. The miferable change now at my end,
Lament nor forrow at: but please your thoughts,
In feeding them with those my former fortunes
Wherein I liv'd, the greatest prince o' the world,
The nobleft: and do now not bafely die,
Not cowardly put off my helmet to

My countryman; a Roman, by a Roman
Valiantly vanquish'd. Now, my spirit is going;

I can no more.

Cleo. Nobleft of men, woo't die ?

Haft thou no care of me? fhall I abide

In this dull world, which in thy abfence is

4

2 Heaviness is here ufed equivocally for forrow and weight. 3 That is, Revive by my kiss.

[dies.

No