SCENE ΧΙ.

ALEXANDRIA. A ROOM IN THE PALACE.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian.

Cleo. Help me, my women! O, he is more mad Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly Was never so emboss'd.

Char.

To the monument;

There lock yourself, and send him word you are

dead.

The soul and body rive not more in parting,

Than greatness going off.

Cleo.

To the monument:

Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself;

Say, that the last I spoke was, Antony,
And word it, pr'ythee, piteously: Hence,

Mardian; and bring me how he takes my death.

To the monument.

[Exeunt.

SCENE XII.

THE SAME. ANOTHER ROOM.

Enter Antony and Eros.

Ant. Eros, thou yet behold'st me?

Eros.

Ay, noble lord.

Ant. Sometime, we see a cloud that's dragonish;

A vapour, sometime, like a bear, or lion,

A tower'd citadel, a pendant rock,

A forked mountain, or blue promontory
With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,

And mock our eyes with air: Thou hast seen these

signs;

They are black vesper's pageants.

Eros.

Ay, my lord.

Ant. That, which is now a horse, even with a

thought,

The rack dislimns; and makes it indistinct,

As water is in water.

Eros.

It does, my lord.

Ant. My good knave, Eros, now thy captain is

Even such a body: here I am Antony;

Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
I made these wars for Egypt; and the queen, -
Whose heart, I thought, I had, for she had mine;
Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't
A million more, now lost, -she, Eros, has
Pack'd cards with Cæsar, and false play'd my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph.-

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
Ourselves to end ourselves.-O, thy vile lady!

Enter Mardian.

She has robb'd me of my sword.

Mar.

No, Antony;

My mistress lov'd thee, and her fortunes mingled With thine entirely.

Ant.

Hence, saucy eunuch; peace; She hath betray'd me, and shall die the death. Mar. Death of one person can be paid but once; And that she has discharg'd: What thou would'st

do,

Is done unto thy hand; the last she 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: she render'd life,
Thy name so buried in her.

Ant.

Mar.

Dead then?

Dead.

Ant. Eros, unarm; the long day's task is done, And we must sleep:-That thou depart'st hence

safe,

:

Does pay thy labour richly; Go. - Off, pluck off;[Exit Mardian.

The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
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.-
[Exit Eros.

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
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. -
Eros! I come, my queen:-Eros! - Stay for me:
Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in
hand,

And with our spritely 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 would'st 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,

Would'st thou be window'd in great Rome, and see Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down

His corrigible neck, his face subdued

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.

I

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 counte

My captain, and my emperor! let me say,

Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewel.

Ant. 'Tis said, man;-and farewel.

Eros. Farewel, great chief. Shall I strike now?

Ant.

Now, Eros.

Eros. Why, there then:-[Falls on his sword.]

Thus I do escape the sorrow

Of Antony's death.
Ant.

[dies.

Thrice nobler than myself!

Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what

I should, and thou could'st not. My queen and

Eros

Have, by their brave instruction, got upon me

A nobleness in record: But I will be