A benefit in this change; but if you seek Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself If thereon you rely. I'll take my leave. Your 'scutcheons, and your signs of conquest, tra. Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued; Cleo. This is my treasurer; let him speak, Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus. I had rather seel my lips, than, to my peril, Cleo. What have I kept back? Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made known. Ces. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve Cleo. See, Cesar! O, behold, yours; now be [mine. And, should we shift estates, yours would be The ingratitude of this Seleucus does [trust Even make me wild:-O slave, of no more Than love that's hir'd!-What, goest thou back? thou shalt [eyes, Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine Though they had wings: Slave, soulless villian, dog! O rarelyt base! Ces. Good queen, let us entreat you. We answer others' merits* in our name, Ces. Cleopatra, [ledg'd, Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknow Put we i'the roll of conquest: still be it yours, Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe, Cesar's no merchant, to make prize with you Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd; Make not your thoughts your prisons: no, For we intend so to dispose you, as [sleep; [Exeunt CESAR, and his Train. Cleo. He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian. Cleo. Hie thee again: [done, I have spoke already, and it is provided; Re-enter Dolabella. Dol. Where is the queen? [Exit CHARMIAS, Dol. Madam, as thereto sworn by your com mand, Which my love makes religion to obey, I shall remain your debtor. Adien, good queen; I must attend on Cesar. Cleo. O Cesar, what a wounding shame is With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall this; That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me, To one so meek, that mine own servant should Parcelt the sum of my disgraces by Addition of his envy! Say, good Cesar, That I some lady trifles have reserv'd, Immoment toys, things of such dignity. Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths, Iras. The gods forbid! Cleo. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: Saucy lictorst [rhymers Will catch at us, like strumpets; and scald Ballad us out o'tune: the quick; comedians As we greet moderns friends withal; and say, Extemporally will stage us, and present For things that others do; and, when we fall, Show me, my women, like a queen;-Go fetch Ty best attires;-I am again for Cydnus, To meet Mark Antony:-Sirrah, Iras,go.ow, noble Charmian, we'll despatch indeed: And, when thou hast done this chare, I'll give thee leave To play till doomsday.-Bring our crown and ment Cleo. Let him come in. How poor an instru- Re-enter GUARD, with a CLOWN bringing a Guard. This is the man. Cleo. Avoid, and leave him. [Exit GUARD. Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, That kills and pains not? Clown. Truly I have him: but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those, that do die of it, do seldom or never recover. Cleo. Remembers't thou any that have died on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but something given to lie; as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty: how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt,-Truly, she makes a very good report o'the worm: But he that will befieve all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do: But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell. the worm will do his kind. Cleo. Ay, ay; farewell. Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted, but in the keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm. Cleo. Take thou no care; it shall be heeded. Clown. Very good: give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. Cleo. Will it eat me? Clown. You must not think I am so simple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five. worm. Cleo. Well, get thee gone; farewell. have To praise my noble act; I hear him mock Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I The gods themselves do weep! Cleo. This proves me base: If she first meet the curled Antony, [To the Asp, which she applies to her Breast. With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate Be angry, and despatch. O, could'st thou Of life at once untie : poor venomous fool, That I might hear thee call great Cesar, ass speak! Unpolicied!* Char. O eastern star! Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, Char. O, break! O, break! Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as O Antony !-Nay, I will take thee too :gentle,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 Enter the GUARD, rushing in. [Applies the Asp. 0, come; apace, despatch: I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Ce sar's beguil'd. 2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cesar;-call him. 1 Guard. What work is here?-Charmian, is this well done? Char. It is well done, and fitting for a prinDescended of so many royal kings. Ah, soldier! Enter DOLABELLA Dol. How goes it here? 2 Guard. All dead. Dol. Cesar, thy thoughts cess [Dies. Touch their effects in this: Thyself art coming To see perform'd the dreaded act, which thou So sought'st to hinder. Within. A way there, way for Cesar! * Unpolitic, to leave me to myself. Dol. Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood, and something blown: The like is on her arm. 1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and these Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves fig-leaves Upon the caves of Nile. Ces. Most probable, That so she died; for her physician tells me, Poet. Good day, Sir. Pain. I am glad you are well. Pain. You are rapt, Sir, in some work, some dedication To the great lord. [flint Poet. A thing slipp'd idly from me. Our poesy is as a gum, which oozes From whence 'tis nourished: The fire 'the Shows not, till it be struck; our gentle flame Provokes itself, and, like the current, flies Poet. I have not seen you long; How goes Each bound it chafes. What have you there? the world? Pain. It wears, Sir, as it grows. Poet. Ay, that's well known: But what particular rarity? what strange, Which manifold record not matches? See, Magic of bounty! all these spirits thy power Hath conjur'd to attend. I know the merchant. Pain. I know them both; t'other's a jeweller. Mer. O, 'tis a worthy lord! Jew. Nay, that's most fix'd. Mer. A most incomparable man; breath'd," as it were, To an untirable and continuatet goodness: Jew. I have a jewel here. Mer. O, pray, let's see't: For the lord Timon, Sir? Jew. If he will touch the estimate: But, for that Poet. When we for recompense have prais'd the vile, It stains the glory in that happy verse [Looking at the Jewel. Jew. And rich: here is a water, look you. * Inured by constant practice. + For continual. I. e. Exceeds, goes beyond common bounds. Pain. A picture, Sir.-And when comes your book forth? Whom this beneath world doth embrace and { With amplest entertainment: My free drift Pain. How shall I understand you? You see how all conditions, how all minds, flatterert To Apemantus, that few things loves better Pain. I saw them speak together. Poet. Sir, I have upon a high and pleasant hill, Feign'd Fortune to be thron'd: The base Is rank'd with all deserts, all kind of natures, Translates his rivals. Pain. "Tis conceiv'd to scope. [thinks, Poet. Nay, Sir, but hear me on: All those which were his fellows but of late, ance, Rain sacrificial whisperings|| in his ear, Ven. Serv. Ay, my good lord: five talents is His means most short, his creditors most strait: Tim. Noble Ventidius! Well; Ven. Serv. Your lordship ever binds him. ransom; [me: And, being enfranchis'd, bid him come to Enter an old ATHENIAN. Old Ath. Lord Timon, hear me speak. [Erit Old Ath. Thou hast a servant nam'd Le Tim. I have so: What of him? Tim. Attends he here, or no?-Lucilius! Enter LUCILIUS. Luc. Here, at your lordship's service. Tim. Well; what further? Old Ath. One only daughter have I, no kia On whom I may confer what I have got: Make sacred even his stirrup, and through him Myself have spoke in vain. Drink¶ the free air. Pain. Ay, marry, what of these? Poet. When Fortune, in her shift and change [ants, of mood, Spurns down her late belov'd, all his depend- down, Not one accompanying his declining foot. A thousand moral paintings I can show More pregnantly than words. Yet you do well, Trumpets sound. Enter TIMON, attended; the My design does not stop at any particular character. One who shows by reflection the looks of his patron. 1. e. Inferior spectators. Tim. The man is honest. Old Ath. Therefore he will be, Timon: Tim. Does she love him? Our own precedent passions do instruct us Tim. [To LUCILIUS.] Love you the maid? Old Ath. If in her marriage my consent be Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world, Tim. How shall she be endow'd, Tim. This gentleman of mine hath serv'd me To build his fortune, I will strain a little, ter: What you bestow, in him I'll counterpoise, P |