With one' that I have bred? The gods! It smites me Beneath the fall I have. Pr'ythee, go hence; [To SELEUCUs. Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits Cæs. Forbear, Seleucus. [Exit SELEUCUS. Cleo. Be it known, that we, the greatest, are mis thought For things that others do; and, when we fall, We answer others' merits3 in our name, Are therefore to be pitied. Cæs. Cleopatra, Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledg'd, Cæsar's no merchant, to make prize with you Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd; Make not your thoughts your prisons: no, dear queen; For we intend so to dispose you, as Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep: Our care and pity is so much upon you, That we remain your friend; And so adieu. Cleo. My master, and my lord! Cæs. Not so: Adieu. [Exeunt CESAR, and his Train. Cleo. He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not With one-] With, in the present instance, has the power of by. 2 Through the ashes of my chance :] Or fortune. The meaning is, Begone, or I shall exert that royal spirit which I had in my prosperity, in spite of the imbecility of my present weak condition. 3 We answer others' merits—] As demerits was often used, in Shakspeare's time, as synonymous to merit, so merit might have been used in the sense which we now affix to demerit; or the meaning may be only, -we are called to account, and to answer in our own names for acts, with which others, rather than we, deserve to be charged. Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian. [Whispers CHARMIAN. Iras. Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, And we are for the dark. Cleo. I have spoke already, and it is provided; Go, put it to the haste. Char. Hie thee again: Madam, I will. Re-enter DOLABELLA. Dol. Where is the queen? Char. Cleo. Dolabella? Behold, sir. [Exit CHARMIAN. Dol. Madam, as thereto sworn by your command, Which my love makes religion to obey, I tell you this: Cæsar through Syria Cleo. I shall remain your debtor. Dol. Dolabella, I your servant. Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cæsar. Cleo. Farewell, and thanks. [Exit DoL.] Now, Iras, what think'st thou ? Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shown Iras. 4 - and scald rhymers] Scald was a word of contempt, implying poverty, disease, and filth. Ballad us out o'tune: the quick comedians 5 6 Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see Iras. Cleo. Nay, that is certain. O the good gods! Iras. I'll never see it; for, I am sure, my nails Are stronger than mine eyes. Cleo. Why, that's the way To fool their preparation, and to conquer Enter CHARMIAN. Show me, my women, like a queen; My best attires: -I am again for Cydnus, To meet Mark Antony: - Sirrah, Iras, go. — And, when thou hast done this chare, I'll give thee leave Guard. Enter one of the Guard. Here is a rural fellow, That will not be denied your highness' presence; He brings you figs. Cleo. Let him come in. How poor† an instrument [Exit Guard. May do a noble deed! he brings me liberty. 5— the quick comedians-] The lively, inventive, quick-witted comedians. 6 boy my greatness-] The parts of women were acted on the stage by boys. +"What poor," &c. - MALONE. I am marble-constant: now the fleeting moon' Re-enter Guard, with a Clown bringing a basket. Guard. This is the man. [Exit Guard. 8 Cleo. Avoid, and leave him. 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. 9 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. 7 now the fleeting moon-] Fleeting is inconstant. 81 the pretty worm of Nilus-] Worm is the Teutonick word for serpent; we have the blind-worm and slow-worm still in our language, and the Norwegians call an enormous monster, seen sometimes in the Northern ocean, the sea-worm. 9 ·will do his kind.] The serpent will act according to his 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? [Kisses them. Have I the aspick in my lips ?2 IRAS falls and dies. Dost fall ?3 If thou and nature can so gently part, The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, Which hurts, and is desir'd. Dost thou lie still? 1 Yare, yare,] i. e. make haste, be nimble, be ready. 2 Have I the aspick in my lips?] Are my lips poison'd by the aspick, that my kiss has destroyed thee? 3 -Dost fall?] Iras must be supposed to have applied an asp to her arm while her mistress was settling her dress, or I know not why she should fall so soon. STEEVENS. |