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 The crown o'the earth doth melt :-My lord !- The soldier's pole is fallen; young boys, and girls, And there is nothing left remarkable Beneath the visiting moon. Char. O, quietness, lady! Iras. She is dead too, our sovereign. Char. Lady, Iras. Madam,— Char. O madam, madam, madam ! Iras. Royal Egypt! Empress! Char. Peace, peace, Iras. [Dies. [She faints. Cleo. No more but e'n a woman; and commanded By such poor passion as the maid that milks, And does the meanest chares.-It were for me To rush into the secret house of death, Ere death dare come to us ?-How do you, women? Our lamp is spent, it's out :-Good sirs, take heart :- : And make death proud to take.us. Come, away: Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend But resolution, and the briefest end. [Exeunt; those above bearing off ANTONY's body. He at whom the soldiers pointed as at a pageant held high for observation. I have no more of my wonted greatness, but am even a woman on the level with other women; where I what I once was, ----It were for me JOHNSON. [9] That is, task work. Hence our term chare-woman. STEEVENS. ACT V. SCENE I.-CESAR'S Camp before Alexandria. Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, MECENAS, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, and others. Cas. Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield ; Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks us by Dol. Cæsar, 1 shall. [Exit DOLABELLA. Enter DERCETAS, with the sword of ANTONY. Cas. 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 Best to be serv'd: whilst he stood up, and spoke, He was my master; and I wore my life, To spend upon his haters: If thou please To take me to thee, as I was to him I'll be to Cæsar; if thou pleasest not, I yield thee up my life. Caes. What is't thou say'st? Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead. Cas. 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 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, I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd With his most noble blood. Cas. Look you sad, friends? The gods rebuke me, but it is a tidings Agr. And strange it is, That nature must compel us to lament [1] I think here is a line lost, after which it is in vain to go in quest. The sense seems to have been this: "The round world should have shook, and this great alteration of the system of things should send lions into streets, and citizens into dens." There is sense still, but it is harsh and violent. JOHNSON. Our most persisted deeds. Mec. His taints and honours Waged equal with him.' Agr. 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. Cæs. O Antony! I have follow'd thee to this ;-But we do lance Where mine his thoughts did kindle,-that our stars, Our equalness to this.-Hear me, good friends,- Enter a Messenger, The business of this man looks out of him, We'll hear him what he says.Whence are you? 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 To the way she's forced to. Cæs. Bid her have good heart; She soon shall know of us, by some of ours, How honourable and how kindly we Determine for her for Cæsar cannot live To be ungentle. Mes. So the gods preserve thee! Cæs. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say, We purpose her no shame : give her what comforts [2] Read weigh with the second folio, where it is misspelt way. [Exit RITSON. Would be eternal in our triumph: Go, And, with your speediest, bring us what she says, Pro. Cæsar, I shall. [Exit PROC. Cas. Gallus, go you along.-Where's Dolabella, To second Proculeius? Agr. Mec. Dolabella! [Exit GALLUS. Caes. Let him alone, for I remember now SCENE II. . ; . [Exeun. Alexandria. A Room in the Monument. Enter CLeopatra, CHARMIAN, and IRAS. Cleo. My desolation does begin to make To do that thing that ends all other deeds; Enter, to the Gates of the Monument, PROCULEIUS, Gallus, and Soldiers. Pro. Cæsar sends greeting to the queen of Egypt; And bids thee study on what fair demands Thou mean'st to have him grant thee. Cleo. [Within.] What's thy name? Cleo. [Within.] Antony Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd, but That have no use for trusting. If your master Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him, That majesty, to keep decorum, must No less beg than a kingdom: if he please [4] The difficulty of the passage, if any difficulty there be, arises from this, that the act of suicide, and the state which is the effect of suicide. are confounded. Voluntary death, says she, is an act which bolts up change; it produces a state, Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung, The beggar's nurse, and Cesar's. Which has no longer need of the gross and terrene sustenance, in the use of which Cæsar and the beggar are on a level. The speech is abrupt, but perturbation in such a state is surely natural. JOHNSON To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son, Pro. Be of good cheer; You are fallen into a princely hand, fear nothing: your Who is so full of grace, that it flows over Cleo. [Within.] Pray you, tell him I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him Pro. This I'll report, dear lady. Have comfort; for, I know, your plight is pitied Gal. You see how easily she may be surpris'd; [Here PROCULEIUS, and two of the Guard, ascend the Monument by a ladder placed against a window, and having descended, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the Guard unbar and open the gates. Guard her till Cæsar come. [To PRO. and Guard. Ex. GAL. Iras. Royal queen! Char. O Cleopatra ! thou art taken, queen! Cleo. Quick, quick, good hands. [Drawing a dagger. Pro. Hold, worthy lady, hold: [Seizes and disarms her. Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this Reliey'd, but not betray'd. Cleo. What, of death too, That rids our dogs of languish ? Pro. Cleopatra, Do not abuse my master's bounty, by The undoing of yourself: let the world see His nobleness well acted, which your death Will never let come forth. Cleo. Where art thou, death? Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen Pro. O, temperance, lady! Cleo. Sir, I will eat no meat; I'll not drink, sir: [5] I allow him to be my conqueror; I own his superiority with complete submis sion. JOHNSON. [6] For languish, I think we may read anguish. JOHNSON, |