Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
Crack thy frail case !-Apace, Eros, apace.-
No more a soldier :-Bruised pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne.-From me a while.--
I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
[Exit EROS.
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture :-Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no further: Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength: Seal then, and all is done.o
Eros-I come, my queen :-
-Eros!-Stay for me:
Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze :
Dido and her Æneas shall want troops,

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

Eros. What would my lord?
Ant. Since Cleopatra died,

I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword

Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
With ships made cities, condemn myself, to lack
The courage of a woman; less noble mind
Than she, which, by her death, our Cæsar tells,
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art sworn, Eros,
That, when the exigent should come, (which now
Is come, indeed,) when I should see behind me
The inevitable prosecution of

Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,

Thou then wouldst kill me : Do't; the time is come: Thou strik'st not me, 'tis Cæsar thou defeat'st.

Put colour in thy cheek.

Eros. The gods withhold me!

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

Ant. Eros,

Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome, and see
Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
His corrigible neck,' his face subdu'd

[8] Metaphor taken from civil contracts, where, when all is agreed on, the sealing completes the contract; so he hath determined to die, and nothing remained but to give the stroke. WARBURTON.

I believe the reading is: Seel then, and all is done.---

To seel hurks is to close their eyes.

JOHNSON.

JOHNSON.

[9] Pleach'd arms---arms folded in each other.

[1] Corrigible for corrected, as afterwards penetrative for penetrating. STEEVENS.

To penetrative shame; whilst the wheel'd seat
Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued ??

Eros. I would not see't.

Ant. Come then; for with a wound I must be cur'd. Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn Most useful for thy country.

Eros. O, sir, pardon me.

Ant. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not then To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;

Or thy precedent services are all

But accidents unpurpos'd.

Draw, and come.

Eros. Turn from me then that noble countenance,

Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.

Ant. Lo thee.

Eros. My sword is drawn.

Ant. Then let it do at once

The thing why thou hast drawn it.

Eros. My dear master,

[Turning from him.

My captain, and my emperor! let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
Ant. 'Tis said, man ;-and farewell.

Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall 1 strike now?
Ant. Now, Eros.

Eros. Why, there then :- -[Falls on his sword.] Thus do I escape the sorrow

Of Antony's death.

Ant. Thrice nobler than myself!

Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what

I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
Have, by their brave instruction, got upon me
A nobleness in record: But I will be
A bridegroom in my death, and run into't
As to a lover's bed. Come then; and, Eros,
Thy master dies thy scholar; to do thus

[Dies.

[Falling on his sword, I learn'd of thee. How! not yet dead? not dead ?---The guard!-ho!-O, despatch me.

Enter DERCETAS and Guard.

1 Guard. What's the noise ?

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

2 Guard. The star is fallen.

[2] The poor conquered wretch that followed. JOHNSON.

1 Guard. And time is at his period.

All. Alas, and woe!

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

1 Guard. Not I.

2 Guard. Nor I.

3 Guard. Nor any one.

[Exeunt Guard.

Der. Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly. This sword but shown to Cæsar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

Sufficing strokes for death.

[Exit DERCETAS.

[give me

Ant. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and

Dio. Most absolute lord,

My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

Ant. When did she send thee?

Dio. Now, my lord.

Ant. Where is she?

Dio. Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying

Of what hath come to pass for when she saw

[fear

(Which never shall be found,) you did suspect She had dispos'd with Cæsar, and that your rage

Would not be purg'd, she sent you word she was dead;
But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,

I dread, too late.

Ant. Too late, good Diomed: Call my guard, I pr'ythee. Dio. What, ho! the emperor's guard! The guard, Come, your lord calls. [what, ho!

Enter some of the Guard. Ant. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides; 'Tis the last service that I shall command you.

All

1 Guard. Woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear your true followers out.

All. Most heavy day!

Ant. Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome Which comes to punish us, and we punish it

Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up :

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

[Exeunt, bearing ANT.

The same.

SCENE XIII.

A Monument. Enter above, CLEOPATRA,
CHARMIAN, and IRAS.

Cleo. O Charmian, I will never go from hence
Char. Be comforted, dear madam.
Cleo. No, I will not :

All strange and terrible events are welcome,
But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow
Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great
Enter DIOMedes.

As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead?
Dio. His death's upon him, but not dead.
Look out o'the other side your monument,
His guard have brought him thither.

Enter ANTONY, borne by the Guard.

Cleo. O thou sun,

Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!-darkling stand
The varying shore o'the world !3—O Antony!
Antony, Antony !-Charmian, help; help, Iras;
Help, friends below; let's draw him hither.
Ant. Peace :

Not Cæsar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.

Cleo. So it should be, that none but Antony
Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!
Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
I here importune death a while, until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.-

Cleo. I dare not, dear,

(Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not,
Lest I be taken : not the imperious show
Of the full-fortun'd Cæsar ever shall

[3] According to the philosophy which prevailed from the age of Aristotle to that of Shakespeare, and long since, the sun was a planet, and was whirled round the earth by the motion of a solid sphere in which it was fixed.---If the sun therefore was to set fire to the sphere, so as to consume it, the consequence must be, that itself for want of support, must drop through, and wander in endless space; and in this case the earth would be involved in endless night. HEATH.

[4] I solicit death to delay; or, I trouble death by keeping him in waiting

JOHNSON.

[5] Mr. Theobald amends this passage by adding to the end of Antouy's speechCome down. His insertion seems misplaced, and should be placed at the end of the next line but one. I would therefore read:

I lay upon thy lips.

Cleo. I dare not. dear,

(Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not come down.

RITSON.

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
Demuring upon me.-But come, come, Antony,-
Help me, my women, we must draw thee up ;-
Assist, good friends.

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,
The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee
up,
And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little,-
Wishers were ever fools :-O, come, come, come;

[They draw ANTONY up.
And welcome, welcome! die, where thou hast liv'd :
Quicken with kissing; had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.

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 housewise Fortune break her wheel,
Provok'd by my offence.

Ant. One word, sweet queen :

Of Cæsar seek your honour, with your safety.-O!
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,
Nor cowardly; put off my helmet to
My countryman, a Roman, by a Roman

Valiantly vanquish'd. Now, my spirit is going;

[6] Brooch'd in the text, means adorn'd, as it has been properly explained by Mr. Steevens. A brooch is always an ornament; whether a buckle or pin for the breast, hat, or hair, or whatever other shape it may assume. A broach is a spit: the spires of churches are likewise so called in the northern counties, as Darnton broach. RITSON.

Sedate determination; silent coolness of resolution.

JOHNSON.

[8] I suppose the meaning of these strange words is, here's triting, you do not work in earnest. JOHNSON.