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Act V.Sc.II/a room in the Monument, enter guards, rushing in 1.Guard.. Where is the Queen?

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Charmian. Speak sofily wake her not.

Warid by 1 FRaingan London May 1 1304.

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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 gen

tle,

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 Phoebus 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 beguil'd.

2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar ;— call him.

6-Downy windows, close ;] Charmian, in saying this must be conceived to close Cleopatra's eyes; one of the first cere monies performed toward a dead body.

7 -- and then play.] i. e. play her part in this tragick scene by destroying herself: or she may mean, that having performed her last office for her mistress, she will accept the permission given her before, to "play till doomsday."

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.

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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 CESAR, and Attendants.

Dol. O, sir, you are too sure an augurer; That you did fear, is done.

Cæs.

Bravest at the last :

She levell'd 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.

1 Guard.

Poison'd then.

O Cæsar,

This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spake:

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood,

And on the sudden dropp'd.

Cas.

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: 8 The like is on her arm.

1 Guard. This is an aspick's trail: and these figleaves

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 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 the earth shall clip' in it
A pair so famous. High events as these
Strike those that make them; and their story is
No less in pity, than his glory,' which
Brought them to be lamented.

Our army shall,
In solemn show, attend this funeral;
And then to Rome.-Come, Dolabella, see
High order in this great solemnity.

[Exeunt.3

8 - something blown :] The flesh is somewhat puffed or swoln. She hath pursu'd conclusions infinite-] To pursue conclusions, is to try experiments.

1

2

shall clip-] i. e. infold.

their story is

No less in pity, than his glory, &c.] i. e. the narrative of such events demands not less compassion for the sufferers, than glory on the part of him who brought on their sufferings.

3 This play keeps curiosity always busy, and the passions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one personage to another, call the mind forward without intermission from the first Act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts,

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