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I have done all; Bid them all fly, be gone!

(Exit DIOMEDE.

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 overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am :
(O this false soil 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,—
Like a true gipsy, hath, at fast and loose,
Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss.—

Enter Cleopatra.

What, Eros! Eros!—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, for doits; 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,

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 on the horns o'the moon;
And, with those hands that grasp'd the heaviest club,
Subdue my worthiest self. The witch shall die;
To the Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall
Under this plot she dies for't—Eros, ho!

[Exit.

SCENE VI.

Alexandria.

A Room in the Palace.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and
Mardian.

Cleo. Help me, my women! O, he is more mad Than Telamon for his shield! the boar of Thessaly Was never so imbost.

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.

Cleo. To the monument:—

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 mo ment!

[graphic]

A vapour, sometime, like a bear, or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendant rock,

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

And mock our eyes with air: Thou hast seen these signs;

They are black vesper's pageants.

Eros. Ay, my lord.

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

The rack dislimns; and makes it indistinct,

As water is in water.

Eros. It does, my lord.

Ant. My good knave, Eros, now thy captain is
Even such a body: Here I am, Antony;
Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,—
Whose heart, I thought I had, for she had mine:
Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't
A million more, now lost,—she, Eros, has
Pack'd card with Cæsar, and false-play'd my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph.

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
Ourselves to end ourselves.—O, thy vile lady!
Enter Mardian.

She has robb'd me of my sword.

Mar. No, Antony;

My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled
With thine entirely.

Ant. Hence, saucy eunuch; peace;

She hath betray'd me, and shall die the death.

Mar. Death of one person can be paid but once; And that she hath discharg'd: What thou wouldst do, Is done unto thy hand; the last she spake

Was, Antony! most noble Antony!

Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
The name of Antony; it was divided

Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
Thy name so bury'd in her.

Ant. Dead then?

Mar. Dead.

Ant. Unarm me, Eros; the long day's task is done,

And we must sleep:—That thou depart'st hence safe, Does pay thy labour richly; Go.—[Exit Mar.] Pluck off;

The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep

The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
Crack thy frail case!—Apace, Eros, apace.—
No more a soldier: Bruised pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne.—From me a while.
[Exit Eros.

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture; since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no farther: Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength: Seal 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;
And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:
Dido and her areas shall want troops,
And all the haunt be ours.—Come, Eros, Eros.

Enter Eros.

Eros. What would my

lord?

Ant. Since Cleopatra dy'd,

I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
With ships made cities, condemn myself, to lack
The courage of a woman; less noble-minded
Than she, which by her death, our Cæsar tells,
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art sworn, Eros,

That, when the exigent should come, (which now
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.

Eros. The gods withhold me!

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

Ant. Eros,

Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome, and see
Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdu'd

To penetrative shame; whilst the wheel'd seat
Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensu'd?

Eros. I would not see't.

Ant. Come, then; for with a wound I must be

cur'd.

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 worship of the whole world lies.

Ant. Lo thee.

Eros. My sword is drawn.

Ant. Then let it do at once

[Turning away his Face.

The thing why thou hast drawn it.
Eros. My dear master,

My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
Ant. 'Tis said, man; and farewell.

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