That will not be denied your highness' presence: He brings you figs. Cleo. Let him come in. What poor an instrument [Exit Guard. May do a noble deed! he brings me liberty. Re-enter Guard, with a Clown bringing in a Basket. Guard. This is the man. [Exit Guard. Cleo. Avoid, and leave him. Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, That kills and pains not? Clown. Truly I have him; but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal: those that do die of it do seldom or never recover. Cleo. Remember'st thou any that have died on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but something given to lie, as a woman should not do but in the way of honesty, how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt.-Truly, she makes a very good report o' the worm; but he that will believe all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do. But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence: farewell. Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm. Cleo. Farewell. [Clown sets down the Basket. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind. Cleo. Ay, ay; farewell. Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm. Cleo. Take thou no care: it shall be heeded. Clown. Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. Cleo. Will it eat me? Clown. You must not think I am so simple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not; but, truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women, for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five. Cleo. Well, get thee gone: farewell. Clown. Yes, forsooth; I wish you joy of the worm. Re-enter IRAS, with a Robe, Crown, &c. [Exit. Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have To praise my noble act; I hear him mock I give to baser life.-So,—have you done? Have I the aspick in my lips? Dost fall? Which hurts, and is desir'd. Dost thou lie still? VOL. VIII. K Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain, that I may say, The gods themselves do weep. Cleo. This proves me base: If she first meet the curled Antony, He'll make demand of her, and spend that kiss, Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch, [To the Asp, which she applies to her Breast. With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, That sucks the nurse asleep? Char. Peace, peace! O, break! O, break! Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle. O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too.― What should I stay [Applying another Asp to her Arm. [Falls on a Bed, and dies. Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well.Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies A lass unparallel'd.-Downy windows, close; And golden Phoebus never be beheld Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry'; Enter the Guard, rushing in. 1 Guard. Where is the queen? Char. Speak softly; wake her not. 1 Your crown's AWRY ;] So Pope, correcting away of the folios, by the narrative in North's Plutarch, which Daniel also here followed in his "Cleopatra," 1594. 2 and then play-] Charmian is interrupted by the sudden arrival of the Guard, and does not finish her sentence, as is indicated in the old copies by a line. 1 Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar Too slow a messenger. [Applies the Asp. O! come; apace; despatch: I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Cæsar's beguil❜d. 2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar: call him. 1 Guard. What work is here ?—Charmian, is this well done? Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess Descended of so many royal kings. Ah, soldier! [Dies. Cæsar, thy thoughts Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming a way for Cæsar! Within. A way there! Enter CESAR, and all his Train. Dol. O, sir! you are too sure an augurer: That you did fear, is done. Cæs. Bravest at the last: She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, I do not see them bleed. This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spake. I found her trimming up the diadem On her dead mistress: tremblingly she stood, Cæs. O noble weakness! If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear By external swelling; but she looks like sleep, In her strong toil of grace. Dol. Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood, and something blown: 1 Guard. This is an aspick's trail; and these figleaves Have slime upon them, such as the aspick leaves Cæs. Most probable, That so she died; for her physician tells me, She hath pursu'd conclusions infinite Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed, A pair so famous. High events as these [Exeunt. 66 3 Upon the CAVES of Nile.] This is the word in all the old copies, but the Rev. Mr. Barry suggests that the true reading is canes, and not caves:" in the folio, 1623, it is printed caues, the u being employed instead of v, and Mr. Barry is of opinion that the error arose from the turning of the letter n, which thus became u. On the other hand, we have the evidence of the folio, 1632, that the old understanding of the passage was "caves," for it is there so printed, the u of the older copy having been discarded for its substitute. It is, besides, very obvious that the aspick might leave its slime upon the "caves" of Nile as well as upon the canes of Nile. |