Ant. Dead then?

Mar. Dead.

Ant. Unarm me, Eros; the long day's task is done, And we must fleep. That thou depart'st hence safe, Does pay thy labour richly. Go. [Exit Mardian. Off, pluck off:

The feven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep

The battery from my heart. O cleave, my fides!
Heart, once be ftronger than thy continent,
Crack thy frail cafe !-Apace, Eros, apace.
No more a foldier-Bruised pieces, go;

[Unarming himself.
You have been nobly borne.-From me a while-
I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and [Exit Eros.
Weep for my pardon. So't must be, for now
All length is torture. Since the torch is out,
Ly down, and stray no farther. Now all labour
Marrs what it does, yea, very force entangles-
Itfelf with ftrength; feal then, and all is done.
Eros!—I come, my QueenEros! stay for me.
Where fouls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
And with our fprightly port make the ghosts gaze;
Dido and her Æneas fhall want troops,

And all the haunt be ours.———— Come, Eros, Eros!
Enter Eros.

Eros. What would my Lord?
Ant. Since Cleopatra died,

I've liv'd in fuch difhonour, that the gods
Deteft my bafenefs. I, that with my fword
Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back,
With fhips, made cities, condemn myself, to lack
The courage of a woman; lefs noble-minded
Than fhe, which, by her death, our Cæfar tells,
"I'm conqueror of myself." Thou art fworn, Eros,
That when the exigent should come, which now
Is come indeed, when I fhould fee behind me
Th' inevitable profecurion of difgrace

And horror, that on my command thou then
Wouldft kill me. Do it, for the time is come.
Theu ftrik'ft not me, 'tis Cæfar thou defeat'ft.
Put colour in thy cheek."

Eros. The gods with-hold 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 fee
Thy mafter thus with pleacht arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face fubdu'd

To penetrative fhame; whilft the wheel'd feat
Of fortunate Cæfar, drawn before him, branded
His bafeness that enfu'd?

Eros. I would not fee't.

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

Eros. Oh, Sir, pardon me.

Ant. When I did make thee free, fwor'st thou not To do this when 1 bade thee? do it at once, [then Or thy precedent fervices are all

But accidents unpúrpos'd.. Draw, and come.

Eros. Turn from me then that noble countenance,
Wherein the worship of the whole world lyes.
Ant. Lo thee..

Eros. My fword is drawn.
Ant. Then let it do at once

[Turning from him.

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

My captain, and my emp'ror! Let me fay,
Before I ftrike this bloody ftroke, Farewell.

Ant. 'Tis faid, man,

-and farewell.

Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall I ftrike now?

Ant. Now, Eros.

Eros. Why, there then

Thus do I escape the forrow

Of Antony's death.

[Eros kills himself.

[Dies.

Aut. Thrice nobler than myself!

Thou teacheft me, oh valiant Eros, what

I fhould, and thou couldst 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

* Arms folded in each other. Johnson,

,

As to a lover's bed. Come then; and, Eros,
Thy mafter dies thy fcholar; to do thus

Falling on his fword.. I learnt of thee. How, not yet dead? not dead?The guard-lo!-oh, dispatch me.

SCENE XII.

Enter Dercetas and Guard

Guard. What's the noife?

Ant. I've done my work ill, friends: make an end of what I have begun. 2.Guard. The ftar.is fall'n.

1 Guard. And time is at his period. All. Alas, and woe!

Ant. Let him that loves me ftrike me dead.

1 Guard. Not I.

2 Guard. Nor I.

3 Guard. Nor any one.

[Exeunt.

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?
Aut. 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 pro
phefying fear

Of what hath come to pafs; for when the faw,
Which never fhall be found, you did suspect
She had difpos'd with Cæfar, and that your rage
Would not be purged, the fent word fhe was dead.:
But fearing fince how it might work, hath sent

1

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, hoa! the Emperor's guard. The guard, what, hoa!

Come. Your lord calls.

Enter a Guard.

Ant. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra 'bides;

'Tis the laft fervice that I fhall command you. Guard. Woe, woe are we, Sir! you may not live All your true followers out. [to wear

All. Moft heavy day!

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

To grace it with your forrows. Bid that welcome Which comes to punifh 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.

Changes to a magnificent Monument.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras above. Cleo. Oh 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
As that which makes it.

Enter Diomedes.

How now? is he dead?

Dio. His death's upon him, but not dead.

Look out o' th' other fide of your monument,
His guard have brought him thither.

Enter Antony, borne by the Guard.

Cleo. O thou fun,

Burn the great fphere thou mov'it in!-darkling stand -
The varying fhore o' th' 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 yet
I here importune death a while, until
Of many thousand kiffes the poor
I lay upon thy lips

Cleo. I dare not, dear,

laft

Come down.

Dear, my Lord, pardon; I dare not,
Left I be taken. Not th' imperious flew
Of the full-fortun'd Cæfar ever fhall

Be broach'd with me; if knife, drugs, ferpents, have-
Edge, fting, or operation, I am fafe..

Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes

And still conclufion*, fhall acquire no honour

Demurring upon me.

Bút come, come, Antony.
We must draw thee up-

Help me, my women.
Affift, good friends.
Ant. Oh, quick, or I am gone.
Cleo. Here's fport indeed

my Lord!

Our ftrength is all

!-how heavy weighs

gone into heaviness,

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

• Sedate determination, filent coolness of refolution.

Jobnfon + I fuppofe the meaning of these strange words is, Here's trifling! you do not work in carnest. Ïbid.