Iras. Finish, good Lady, the bright day is done And we are for the dark.

Iras. Behold, Sir.

Cleo. Dolabella!

Dol. Madam, as thereto fworn, by your command, Which my love makes religion to obey,

I tell you this: Cæfar through Syria

Intends his journey, and within three days
You with your children will he fend before;
Make your beft ufe of this. I have perform'd
Your pleafure and my promise.

Cleo. Dolabella,

I fhall remain your debtor.

Dol. I your fervant.

Adieu, good Queen, I must attend on Cæfar.

[Exit.

Cleo. Farewel, and thanks. Now, Iras, what think'ft thou?

Thou, an Egyptian puppet, fhall be fhewn
In Rome as well as I: mechanick flaves

With greafie aprons, rules, and hammers, fhall
Uplift us to the view. In their thick breaths,
Rank of grofs diet, fhall we be enclouded,
And forc'd to drink their vapour.

Iras. The Gods forbid !

Cleo. Nay, 'tis moft certain, Iras: fawcy lictors Will catch at us like ftrumpets, and stall'd rhymers Ballad us out o' tune. The quick Comedians

Extemp'rally will ftage us, and present

Our Alexandrian revels: Antony

Shall be brought drunken forth, and I fhall fee
Some fqueaking Cleopatra boy * my greatness

I' th' pofture of a whore.

boys.

Heretofore the parts of women were acted upon the stage by

Tras. O the good Gods!

Cleo. Nay, that's certain.

Iras. I'll never fee it; for I'm fure my nails Are ftronger than mine eyes.

Cleo. Why, that's the way

To fool their preparation, and to conquer
Their most affur'd intents. Now, Charmian;
- Enter Charmian.

Shew me, my women, like a Queen: go fetch
My beft attires. I am again for Cydnus

To meet Mark Antony. Sirrah Iras, go→→→
Now, noble Charmian, we'll difpatch indeed,
And when thou'aft done this chare, I'll give thee leave
To play 'till dooms-day- bring our crown, and all.

Wherefore this noife?

Enter a Guardfman.

Guardf. Here is a rural fellow,"

[A noife within.

That will not be deny'd your Highness' prefence;
He brings you figs.

Cleo. Let him come in. How poor an inftrument

[Exit Guardsman.

May do a noble deed! he brings me liberty.
My refolution's plac'd, and I have nothing
Of woman in me; now from head to foot
I'm marble conftant: now the fleeting moon
No planet is of mine.

Enter Guardfman, and Clown with a basket.
Guardf. This is the man.

Cleo. Avoid and leave him.

[Exit Guardsman.

Haft 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 fhould defire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal: thofe that do die of it, do feldom or never re

cover.

Cleo. Remember'ft thou any that have dy'd on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday, a very honeft wo

man,

man, but fomething given to lie, as a woman should not do, but in the way of honefty. How the dy'd of the biting of it, what pain the felt! truly, the makes a very good report o' th' worm: but he that will believe half that they fay, fhall never be faved by all that they do: but this is moft fallible, the worm's an odd worm,

Cleo. Get thee hence, farewel.

Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm.
Cleo. Farewel.

Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind.

Cleo. Ay, ay, farewel.

Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trufted but in the keeping of wife people; for indeed there is no goodness in the worm.

Cleo. Take no care, it fhall 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 fimple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a difh for the Gods, if the devil dress her not. But truly, these fame whore-fon 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, farewel.

Clown. Yes forfooth, I wish you joy o' th' worm. [Exit.
SCENE V.

Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have
Immortal longings in me. Now no more
The juice of Egypt's grape fhall moift this lip.
Yare, yare, good Iras, quick- methinks I hear
Antory call, I fee him roufe himself

To praife my noble act. I hear him mock
The luck of Cafar, which the Gods give men
T' excuse their after-wrath. Hufband, I come;
Now to that name my courage prove my title!
I am fire, and air; my other elements
So have you done?

I give to bafer life.

Come

Come then, and take the laft warmth of my lips.
Farewel, kind Charmian; Iras, long farewel. [Kiffing them.
Have I the afpick in my lips? doft fall?

[To Iras, who falls down.

If thou and nature can fo gently part,

The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch,

Which hurts, and is defir'd. Doft thou lye ftill?
If thus thou vanisheft, thou tell'ft the world

It is not worth leave-taking.

[Iras dies

Char. Diffolve, thick cloud, and rain, that I may fay,

The Gods themselves do weep!

Cleo. This proves me base.

If the first meet the curled Antony,

He'll make demand of her, and spend that kifs
Which is my heav'n to have. Come, mortal wretch,
With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinficate

[To the Serpent, applying it to her breast
Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool,
Be angry and dispatch. Oh, couldft thou speak,
That I might hear thee call great Cæfar als,
Unpolicied!

Char. Oh eastern star!

Cleo. Peace, peace!

Doft thou not fee my baby at my breast,

That fucks the nurse asleep?

Char. O break! O break!

Cleo. As fweet as balm, as foft as air, as gentle. nay, I will take thee too.

O Antony !

What should I flay

[Applying another Afp to her arm.

Char. In this wild world? fo fare thee well:
Now boaft thee, Death, in thy poffeffion lyes
A lafs unparallel'd. Downy windows clofe,
And golden Phebus never be beheld

Of eyes again fo royal! your crown's awry,
I'll mend it, and then play-

Enter the Guard rushing in.

I Guard. Where is the Queen?

Char. Speak foftly, wake her not.

[Dies

1 Guard. Cafar hath fent- [Charmian applies the Afp.

VOL. VII.

Ff

Char

Char. Too flow a meffenger.

Oh come, apace, difpatch, I partly feel thee.

Guard. Approach, ho! all's not well: Cafar's beguil'd. 2 Guard. There's Dolabella fent from Cæfar; call him. 1 Guard. What work is here, Charmian? is this well done? Char. It is well done, and fitting for a Princess

Defcended of fo many royal Kings.

Ah, foldiers!

Enter Dolabella.

Dol. How goes it here?

2 Guard. All dead!

Dol. Cafar, thy thoughts

[Charmian dies,

Touch their effects in this; thy felf art coming
To fee perform'd the dreaded act which thou
So fought'ft to hinder.

Enter Cæfar and Attendants.

All. Make way there, way for Cafar.
Dol. Oh, Sir, you are too fure an augurer ;
That you did fear, is done.

Caf. Braveft at last,

She levell'd at our purpose, and being royal

Took her own way.

The manner of their deaths?

I do not fee them bleed.

Dol. Who was laft with them?

1 Guard. A fimple countryman, that brought her figs $ This was his basket.

Caf. Poison'd then!

1 Guard. Oh Cæfar!

This Charmian liv'd but now, fhe flood and spake &

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead miftrefs, tremblingly fhe flood,

And on the fudden dropt.

Caf. Oh noble weakness!

If they had fwallow'd poifon, 'twould appear
By external fwelling; but fhe looks like fleep;
As fhe would catch another Antony

In her ftrong toil of grace.

Dol. Here on her breaft

There is a vent of blood, and fomething blown :
The like is on her arm.

Guard