Of the full-fortun'd Cæsar ever shall Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe: Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes, And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour Ant. O, quick, or I am gone. Cleo. Here's sport, indeed!-How heavy weighs my lord! Our strength is all gone into heaviness, That makes the weight: Had I great Juno's power, All. A heavy sight! Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying: Give me some wine, and let me speak a little. Cleo. No, let me speak; and let me rail so high, That the false housewife Fortune break her wheel, Provok'd by my offence. Ant. One word, sweet queen: Of Cæsar seek your honour, with your safety.-0! Cleo. They do not go together. Ant. Gentle, hear me: None about Cæsar trust, but Proculeius. Cleo. My resolution, and my hands, I'll trust; None about Cæsar. Ant. The miserable change now at my end, Lament nor sorrow at: but please your thoughts, In feeding them with those my former fortunes Wherein I liv'd, the greatest prince o'the world, The noblest and do now not basely die, I can no more. Cleo. Noblest of men, woo't die? Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide In this dull world, which in thy absence is [Dies. The soldier's pole is fallen: young boys, and girls, And there is nothing ieft remarkable Beneath the visiting moon. Char. Iras. She is dead too, our sovereign. Char. Iras. [She faints, O, quietness, lady! Lady, Madam, Royal Egypt! Char. O madam, madam, madam! Iras. Empress! Char. Peace, peace, Iras. Cleo. No more but e'en a woman; and commanded By such poor passion as the maid that milks, And docs the meanest chares.-It were for me To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods; To tell them, that this world did equal theirs, Till they had stolen our jewel. All's but naught; Patience is sottish; and impatience does Become a dog that's mad Then is it sin, To rush into the secret house of death, Ere death dare come to us?-How do you, women? What, what? good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian? My noble girls!-Ah, women, women! look, Our lamp is spent, it's out :-Good sirs, take heart:(To the Guard belowe. We'll bury him: and then, what's brave, what's noble, [Exeunt; those above bearing off Antony's body. ACT V. SCENE I-Caesar's Camp before Alexandria. Enter Cæsar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Mecenas, Gallus, Proculeius, and others. Cæsar. GO to him, Dolabella, bid him yield; Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks us by The pauses that he makes. Dol. Cæsar, I shall. [Exit Dol. Enter Dercetas, with the sword of Antony. Cæs. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, that dar'st Appear thus to us? Der. I am call'd Dercetas; Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy I'll be to Cæsar; if thou pleasest not, Cas What is't thou say'st? Der. I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead. Cæs. The breaking of so great a thing should make A greater crack: The round world should have shook Lions into civil streets And citizens to their dens :-The death of Antony Is not a single doom; in the name lay A moiety of the world. Der. He is dead, Cæsar; Not by a public minister of justice, Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand, Which writ his honour in the acts it did, Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it, Splitted the heart.-This is his sword; I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd With his most noble blood. Cas. The gods rebuke me, but it is a tidings To wash the eyes of kings. Agr. Look you sad, friends? And strange it is, That nature must compel us to lament Our most persisted deeds. Mec. Waged equal with him. Agr. His taints and honours A rarer spirit never Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us Mec. When such a spacious mirror's set before him, He needs must see himself. Cas. O Antony! I have follow'd thee to this ;-But we do lance Our equalness to this.-Hear me, good friends,- The business of this man looks out of him, Mes. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress, Confin'd in all she has, her monument, Of thy intents desires instruction; That she preparedly may frame herself Cæs. Bid her have good heart; She soon shall know of us, by some of ours, Mes. So the gods preserve thee! [Exit. Cas. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say, Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke Would be eternal in our triumph: Go, And, with your speediest, bring us what she says, Cæsar, I shall. [Exit Pro. [Exit Gallus. Pro. Agr. Mec. Dolabella! Cas. Let him alone, for I remember now How he's employed; he shall in time be ready. |