Mar. Death of one person can be pay'd but once;
And that she hath discharg'd: what thou would't do
Is done unto thy hand; the laft fhe 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 : fhe render'd life,
Thy name fo bury'd in her.

Ant. Dead then ?

Mar. Dead.

Ant. Unarm me, Eros; the long day's task is done, And we must fleep:-That thou depart'ft hence fafe, Does pay thy labour richly; go. [Exit Mar.] Pluck off;— The fevenfold fhield 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: bruifed pieces, go;
You have been nobly born.-From me a while.

[Exit Eros

I will o'er-take thee, Cleopatra, and
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture; fince the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no farther: now all labour
Marrs what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength: feal then, and all is done *.-
Eros!-I come, my queen :-Eros !-Stay for me :
Where fouls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand;
And with our sprightly port make the ghofts gaze :
Dido and her Eneas fhall want troops,

And all the haunt be ours.-Come, Eros, Eros.
Re-enter Eros.

Ero. What would my lord?

Ant. Since Cleopatra dy'd,

I have liv'd in fuch dishonour, that the gods

*Here the portrait of a man, over-powered with amorous credulity, is moft faithfully defcribed. Antony is by no means a valuable, yet he is occafionally á pitiable character; upon the fame principle that we admire heroifm, we commiferate, under particular circumstances, folly.

Deteft

Deteft my baseness. 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; less noble-minded
Than fhe, which, by her death, our Cæfar tells,
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art fworn, Eros,
That, when the exigent fhall come, (which now
Is come, indeed) when I should fee behind me
The inevitable profecution of

Difgrace and horror, that, on my command,.

Thou then would't kill me: do't, the time is come:
Thou strik'st not me, 'tis Cafar thou defeat'ft.
Pat colour in thy cheek.

Ero. The gods withold me!

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

Ant. Eros,

Would't thou be window'd in great Rome, and fee
Thy mafter thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face fubdu'd

To penetrative fhame; whil'ft the wheel'd feat
Of fortunate Cafar, drawn before him, branded.
His bafenefs that enfu'd? +

Ero. 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 "Most useful for thy country.

"Ero. O, fir, pardon me..

"Ant. When I did make thee free, fwor'ft thou not: "then

"To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;

"Or thy precedent fervices are all

"But accidents unpurpos'd." Draw, and come.

Ero. Turn from me then that noble countenance, Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.

If there can be an argument for a man's defiring, or contributing to his own death, Marc Antony certainly here advances it, and with dignity of feeling: defiring affiftance in this point from a friend, er a dependant, was common amongst the Romans, but we think not juftifiable to ask or be complied with

Ant. Lo thee.

Ero. My fword is drawn.

Ant. Then let it do at once

[turning away his face.

The thing why thou haft drawn it.

Ero. My dear mafter,

My captain, and my emperor, let me fay,
Before I ftrike this bloody ftroke, farewel.
Ant. 'Tis faid, man; and farewel.

Ero. Farewel, great chief. Shall I strike now?
Ant. Now, Eros.

Ero. Why, there then: [falling on his fword.] Thus
I do escape the forrow

Of Antony's death.

Ant. Thrice nobler than myself!

Thou teacheft me, O valiant Eros, what

I should, and thou could't not. My queen and Eros Have, by their brave inftruction, got upon me

A nobleness in record: but I will be

A bride-groom in my death, and run into't

As to a lover's bed. Come then; [raking Eros' favord] and, Eros,

Thy mafter dies thy fcholar; to do thus [running on it. I learnt of thee. How! not yet dead? not dead?

Enter Guard, and Dercetas.

The guard how!-O, difpatch me,

1: G. What's the noise?

Ant. I have done my work ill, friends; O, make an end

Of what I have begun.

2. G. The star is fallen.

1. G.. And time is at his period.

All. Alas, and woe!

Ant. Let him, that loves me, ftrike me dead.

1. G Not I.

2. G. Nor I.

3. G. Nor any one.

[Exeunt Guard.

Der. Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly. This word but fhewn to Cæfar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

Enter Diomede.

Dio. Where's Antony?

Der. There, Diomede, there.

Dio. Lives he? Wilt thou not answer, man ?

[Exit Dercetas, with the Sword

Ant. Art thou there, Diomede? Draw thy fword, and give me

Sufficing ftrokes for death.

Dio. Moft abfolute lord,

My miftrefs Cleopatra fent me to thee.

Ant. When did the fend thee?

Dio. Now, my lord.

Ant. Where is the ?

Dio. Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophefying fear

Of what hath come to pafs for when the faw
(Which never fhall be found) you did suspect
She had difpos'd with Cafar, and that your rage
Would not be purg'd, the fent you word she was dead
But, fearing fince how it might work, hath sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,

I dread, too late.

Ant. Too late, good Diomede: call my guard, I pr'ythee.

Dio. What ho, the emperor's guard! The guard what ho!

Enter fome of the Guard.

Come, your lord calls.

Ant. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides; 'Tis the last service that I fhall command you.

1. G. Woe are we, fir, you may not live to wear All your true followers out..

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:

[Exeunt, bearing Antony.

I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,
And have my thanks for all.

"SCENE XIII. The fame. A Monument. "Enter, at a Window, above, Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras.

Cle. O Charmian, I will never go from hence. “Cha. Be comforted, dear madam. "Cle. No, I will not:

"All ftrange and terrible events are welcome, "But comforts we defpife; our fize of forrow, "Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great "Enter Diomede.

"As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead ♪ Dio. His death's upon him, but not dead. Look 66 out

"O'the other fide your monument,-But fee, "His guard have brought him hither.

"Enter Antony, borne by the Guard.

Cle. O fun, fun,

"Burn the great sphere thou mov'ft in! darkling ftand "The varying fhore o' the world!-O Antony,

"Antony, Antony !-Charmian, help; help, Iras;

"

Help, friends below: let's draw him hither.

"Ant. Peace :

"Not Cafar's valour hath o'er-thrown Antony "But Antony's Math triumph'd on itself.

"Cle. 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 impórtune death a while, until

"Of many thousand kiffes the poor laft

"I lay upon thy lips: Come down.

"Cle. I dare not,

(Dear, dear my lord, your pardon that I dare not)

"Left I be taken: not the imperious fhew

"Of the full-fortun'd Cafar ever shall

"Be brooch'd with me; if knives, drugs, ferpents, have

"Edge, fting, or operation, I am safe:

"Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes,

"And