Heart, once be stronger than thy continent, And all the haunt be ours.-Come, Eros, Eros ! Eros. What would my lord? I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back 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, Ant. Eros, Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome, and see [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 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, Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall 1 strike now? 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 [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; 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, [Exeunt, bearing ANT. The same. SCENE XIII. A Monument. Enter above, CLEOPATRA, Cleo. O Charmian, I will never go from hence All strange and terrible events are welcome, As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead? Enter ANTONY, borne by the Guard. Cleo. O thou sun, Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!-darkling stand Not Cæsar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony, Cleo. So it should be, that none but Antony Cleo. I dare not, dear, (Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not, [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 Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes, And still conclusion,' shall acquire no honour 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, [They draw ANTONY up. All. A heavy sight! Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying: Give me some wine, and let me speak a little. Ant. One word, sweet queen : Of Cæsar seek your honour, with your safety.-O! Ant. Gentle, hear me : None about Cæsar trust, but Proculeius. Cleo. My resolution, and my hands, I'll trust; Ant. The miserable change now at my end, 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. |