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 11
Than she, which, by her death, our Cæsar tells,
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art sworn, 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 Cæsar thou defeat'st.

Put colour in thy cheek.

Eros.
Shall I do that, which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?

The gods withhold me!

Ant. Eros, Would'st thou be window'd in great Rome, and see Thy master thus with pleach'd 12 arms, bending down His corrigible 13 neck, his face subdued

To penetrative shame; whilst the wheel'd seat

11 Less noble mind' must be accepted as if it was written less nobly minded. The termination bly is often written ble by old writers, and is frequently to be found so in Shakspeare. To mind or purpose is a verb extensively used in former times. We have it in the Third Part of King Henry VI. :—

'Belike she minds to play the amazon.'

And in another place

'But if you mind to hold your true obedience.'

So Baret: I am fully purposed, minded, or determined so to do.' The passage in North's Plutarch, which Shakspeare copied, runs thus: I am sorrie that having beene so great a captaine and emperour, I am indeed condemned to be judged of lesse corage and noble MINDE than a woman.'

12 i. e. arms folded in each other.

13 Corrigible for corrected, and afterwards penetrative for penetrating. So Virgil has ' penetrabile frigus' for penetrans frigus,' in his Georgicks.

Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensu'd 1?

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 15 of the whole world lies. Ant. Lo thee.

Eros. My sword is drawn.

Ant.

[Turning from him.

The thing why thou hast drawn it.

Then let it do at once

My dear master,

Eros.
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.
Eros. Why, there then :-[Falls on his Sword.]
Thus do I escape the sorrow

Of Antony's death.

Ant.

[Dies.

Thrice nobler than myself! Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what

I should, and thou could'st not. My queen and Eros Have, by their brave instruction, got upon me

A nobleness in record: But I will be

14 Branded with baseness the poor wretch that followed.' 15 i. e. the honour, the dignity.

A bridegroom in my death 16, 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.

1 Guard.

Enter DERCETAS and Guard.

What's the noise?

Ant. I have done my work ill, friends; O, make

an end

Of what I have begun.

2 Guard.

1 Guard. And time is at his period.

All.

The star is fallen.

Alas, and woe!

Not I.

Ant. Let him that loves me, strike me dead.

1 Guard.

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.

Wilt thou not answer, man?

[Exit DERCETAS.

Ant. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword,

and give.me

Sufficing strokes for death.

Dio.

Most absolute lord,

My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

16 This thought occurs in Measure for Measure:'I will encounter darkness as a bride,

And hug it in my arms.'

Ant. When did she send thee?

Dio.

Ant.

Now, my lord.

Where is she?

Dio. Lock'd in her monument. She had a pro

phesying fear

Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw
(Which never shall be found) you did suspect
She hath dispos'd 17 with Cæsar, and that your rage
Would not be purg'd, she sent you word she was dead;
But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
I dread, too late.

Ant. Too late, good Diomed :—Call my guard, I pr'ythee.

Dio. What, ho! the emperor's guard! The guard, what, ho!

Come, your lord calls.

Enter some of the Guard.

Ant. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides; 'Tis the last service that I shall command you. 1 Guard. Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live

All

Το

to wear

your true followers out.

All.

Most heavy day! Ant. Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate 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.

[Exeunt bearing ANTONY.

17 i. e. arranged with him, agreed with him. The word is used in this sense in Troilus and Cressida, Act ii. Sc. 3:

Agam. What's his excuse?

Ulyss.

He doth rely on none,

But carries on the stream of his dispose
Without observance or respect of any.'

SCENE XIII. The same. A Monument.

Enter above, CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS. Cleo. O Charmian, I will never go from hence. Char. Be comforted, dear madam.

Cleo. 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 DIOMEDES.

As that which makes it.-How now? is he dead?
Dio. His death's upon him, but not dead.
Look out o'the other side your monument,
His guard have brought him thither.

Cleo.

Enter ANTONY, borne by the Guard.

O thou sun, Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in1!-darkling

stand

The varying shore o'th'world. O Antony, Antony,
Antony !

Help, Charmian; help, Iras, help: help, friends
Below, let's draw him hither.

Ant.

Peace:

Not Cæsar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
But Antony's hath triumphed on itself.

Cleo. So it should be, that none but Antony
Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!
Ant. I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
I here impórtune death a while, until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.-

1 It should be remembered that, according to the old philosophy, the sun was accounted a planet, and thought to be whirled Round the earth by the motion of a solid sphere in which it was fixed. Supposing this consumed, the sun must wander in endless space, and the earth be involved in endless night.