Unarm, Eros: the long day's task is done, And we must sleep.-That thou depart'st hence safe,
Does pay thy labour richly; go.-[ Exit Mandirs.]
Off, pluck off: —-
The seven-fold shield of Ajar 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 farther. 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
Thrice nobler than myself! Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros! what [Eros I should, and thou could'st not. 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 then; and, Eros, Thy master dies thy scholar: to do thus [Falling on his Sword. I learn'd of thee.-How! not dead? not dead? The guard, ho!-O, despatch me!
Enter Derectas and Guard.
There, Diomed, there.
Diomedes.
Lives he?
Wilt thou not answer, man?
Draw thy sword, [and give me
Art thou there, Diomed? Sufficing strokes for death. Diomedes. Most absolute lord, My mistress, Cleopatra, sent me to thee. Antony. When did she send thee?
Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophe. sying fear
Of what hath come to pass; for when she saw
(Which never shall be found) you did suspect
She had dispos'd with Caesar, and that your rage
Would not be purg'd, she sent you word she was
But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
I dread, too late.
Too late, good Diomed. Call my guard, I pr'ythee.
What, ho! the emperor's guard! The guard, Come; your lord calls. [what, ho!
Enter some of the Guard.
Antony.
Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides; 'Tis the last service that I shall command you. First Guard.
Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear All your true followers out.
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.
[Excunt, bearing Antony.
SCENE XIII. The same. A Monument.
Eater, above, Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras.
Cleopatra.
O Charmian! I will never go from hence.
Charmian.
Be comforted, dear madam.
Cleopatra.
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, below, Diomedes.
As that which makes it.-How now ! is he dead?
Diomedes.
His death's upon him, but not dead.
Look out o' the other side your monument,
His guard have brought him thither.
Enter, below, Antony, borne by the Guard.
Cleopatra.
O sun,
Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!-darkling
stand
The varying shore o' th' world. O Antony, An-
tony, Antony!
Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help: help, friends,
Below; let's draw him hither.
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
Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents,
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.
Antony
O! quick, or I am gone.
Cleopatra.
Here's sport, indeed!- How heavy weighs my
Our strength is all gone into heaviness, [lord:
That makes the weight: had I great Juno's
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
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,
Not cowardly put off my helmet to
My countryman, a Roman by a Roman
Valiantly vanquish'd. Now, my spirit is going;
I can no more.
[Dies.
Cleopatra.
Noblest of men, woo't die?
Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide
In this dull world, which in thy absence is
No better than a stye?-O! see, my women,
The crown o' the earth doth melt. My lord!-
O! wither'd is the garland of the war, [girls,
The soldier's pole is fallen: young boys, and
Are level now with men; the odds is gone,
And there is nothing left remarkable
Beneath the visiting moon.
No more, but e'en a woman; and commanded
By such poor passion as the maid that milks,
And does the meanest chares. It were for me
To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;
To tell them, that this world did equal theirs.
Till they had stolen our jewel: all's but naught;
Patience is sottish, and impatience does
To rush into the secret house of death,
Become a dog that's mad: then is it sin,
Ere death dare come to us? How do you,
women?
What, what! good cheer! Why, how now,
Charmian!
My noble girls!- Ah, women, women! look,
Our lamp is spent, it's out. Good sirs, take
heart:
To the Guard below.
We'll bury him; and then, what's brave, what's
noble,
Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
And make death proud to take us. Come, away:
This case of that huge spirit now is cold.
Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend
But resolution, and the briefest end.
[Exeunt; those above bearing off Antony's
Body.
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