Of life at once untie : poor venomous fool,
Be angry, and despatch. O, could'st thou speak!
That I might hear thee call great Cæsar, ass
Unpolicied!

Char. O eastern star!
Cleo.

Peace, peace!
Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,
That sucks the nurse asleep?
Char.

O, break! O, break! Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle, O Antony !-Nay, I will take thee too :

[Applying another Asp to her Arm. What should I stay

[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 Phæbus 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 Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar.

Too slow a messenger.

[Applies the Asp. O, come; apace, despatch: I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well : Cæsar's

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.
Ah, soldier !

[Dies.

Enter DOLABELLA.

Dol. How goes it here? 2 Guard.

All dead. Dol.

Cæsar, thy thoughts 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 Cæsar! Enter CÆSAR, and Attendants. Dol. O, sir, you are too sure an augurer ; That

you did fear, is done. Cæs.

Bravest at the last : She levellid at our purposes, and, being royal, Took her own way.—The manner of their deaths ? I do not see them bleed. Dol.

Who was last with them? 1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought her

figs , This was his basket. Cæs.

Poison'd then. 1 Guard.

O Cæsar, This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spakes I found her trimming up the diadem On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood, And on the sudden dropp'd. Cæs.

O noble weakness !.

If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear
By external swelling : but she looks like sleep,
As she would catch another Antony
In her strong toil of grace.
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 aspick's trail : and these fig-

leaves
Have slime upon them, such as the aspick leaves
Upon the caves of Nile.
Cæs.

Most probable,
That so she died; for her physician tells me,

!
She hath pursu'd conclusions s infinite
Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed ;
And bear her women from the monument :
She shall be buried by her Antony :
No grave upon

5

derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts, some of which are too low, which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguish, able from that of others: The most tumid speech in the play is that which Cæsar makes to Octavia.

The events, of which the principal are described accord. ing to history, are produced without any art of connection or care of disposition,

JOHNSON.

END OF VOLUME SEVENTH.

M. Baldwin and son, Printers,
New Bridge-street, London.