The

SCENE XII.

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 dislimus; 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 kuave,
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 Caesar, 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;

VOL IV,

13

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

Ant. Hence, sancy eunuch: peace;

She hath betray'd'ine, 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 nuto thy hand; the last she spake
Was, Antony! most noble Antony!

Then in the midst a tearing groau 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. Dead then?

Mar. Dead.

3

Ant. Eros, unarm; the long day's task is done, And we must sleep: That thou thy labour richly; Go.

pay

depart'st hence safe 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 while. [Exit EROS. I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and

for

my

a

Weep
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
Marrs 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

1

Dido and her Aeneas 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 Caesar tells,
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art sorn, 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 Caesar 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

Ot fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded His baseness that ensued?

Eros. 1 would not see't.

Ant. Come then; for with a wound I must be

eur'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→

nance,

Wherein the worship of the whole world lies,
Ant. Lo thee..

[turning from him,

Eros. My sword is drawn.
Ant. Then let it do at once

The thing why thou hast drawn it.
Eros. My dear Master,

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 I strike now?
Ant. Now, Eros.d

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

Of Antony's death.

Ant. Thrice nobler than myself!

the sorrow

Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
I should, and thou could'st not.

Jac Eros

[dies.

My Queen and

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 theu; and, Eros,
Thy master dies thy scholar; to do thus

[Falling on his sword. I learn'd of thee. How! not yet dead? not dead 2

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

Of what I have begun. )

an end

2. Guard. The star is fallen.

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 Caesar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

Enter DIOMEDES,

Dio. Where's Antony?

Der. There, Diomed, there.

Dio. Lives he?

Wilt thou not answer, man? [Exit DERCETAS. Ant. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me

Sufficing strokes for death. O

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 pro

phesying fear

saw

Of what hath come to pass: for when she (Which never shall be found,) you did suspect She had dispos'd with Caesar, and that your rage