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.

ACT V SCENE I

CÆSAR'S CAMP BEFORE ALEXANDRIA.

Enter Cæsar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Mecanas, Gallus, Proculeius, and others.

Cas. Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield;
Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks us by

The pauses that he makes.

Dol. Cæsar, I shall.

[Exit Dolabella.

Enter Dercetas, with the sword of Antony.

Cas. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, that dar'st

Appear thus to us?

Der. I am call'd Dercetas;

Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy

Best to be serv'd: whilst he stood up, and spoke,

He was my master; and I wore my life,

To spend upon his haters: If thou please

To take me to thee, as I was to him
I'll be to Cæsar; if thou pleasest not,
I yield thee up my life.

Cas. What is't thou say'st?

Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead.

Cas. The breaking of so great a thing should make A greater crack: The round world should have shook Lions into civil streets,

And citizens to their dens:-The death of Antony

Is not a single doom; in the name lay
A moiety of the world.

Der. He is dead, Cæsar;

Not by a public minister of justice,

Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,

Which writ his honour in the acts it did,

Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it, Splitted the heart. This is his sword,

I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd

With his most noble blood.

Cas. Look you sad, friends?

The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings

To wash the eyes of kings.

Agr. And strange it is,

That nature must compel us to lament

Our most persisted deeds.

Mec. His taints and honours

Waged equal with him.

Agr. A rarer spirit never

Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us

Some faults to make us men. Cæsar is touch'd.

Mec. When such a spacious mirror's set before him, He needs must see himself.

Cas. O Antony!

I have follow'd thee to this;-But we do lance
Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce

Have shown to thee such a declining day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world: But yet let me lament,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart

Where mine his thoughts did kindle,—that our stars,
Unreconciliable, should divide

Our equalnefs to this. Hear me, good friends,

But I will tell you at some meeter season;

Enter a Messenger.

The businefs of this man looks out of him,
We'll hear him what he says. Whence are you?
Mes. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistrefs,

Confin'd in all she has, her monument,

Of thy intents desires instruction;

That she preparedly may frame herself
To the way she's forc'd to.

Cas. Bid her have good heart;

She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we

Determine for her: for Cæsar cannot live

To be ungentle.

Mes. So the gods preserve thee!

[Exit.

Cas. Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say,

We purpose her no shame: give her what comforts

VILLE D LYON

Grande Bibliothèque