Peace, peace! Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, Char. O, break! O, break! Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gen tle, O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too : [Applying another Asp to her Arm. 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 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. 6-Downy windows, close ;] Charmian, in saying this must be conceived to close Cleopatra's eyes; one of the first cere monies performed toward a dead body. 7 -- and then play.] i. e. play her part in this tragick scene by destroying herself: or she may mean, that having performed her last office for her mistress, she will accept the permission given her before, to "play till doomsday." 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 Within. A way there, way for Cæsar! Enter CESAR, and Attendants. 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, Took her own way. The manner of their deaths? I do not see them bleed. Dol. Who was last with them? 1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought her figs; This was his basket. Cæs. 1 Guard. Poison'd then. O Cæsar, This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spake: I found her trimming up the diadem On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood, And on the sudden dropp'd. Cas. 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: 8 The like is on her arm. 1 Guard. This is an aspick's trail: and these figleaves Have slime upon them, such as the aspick leaves Upon the caves of Nile. Cæs. Most probable, Of Our army shall, [Exeunt.3 8 - something blown :] The flesh is somewhat puffed or swoln. She hath pursu'd conclusions infinite-] To pursue conclusions, is to try experiments. 1 2 shall clip-] i. e. infold. their story is No less in pity, than his glory, &c.] i. e. the narrative of such events demands not less compassion for the sufferers, than glory on the part of him who brought on their sufferings. 3 This play keeps curiosity always busy, and the passions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one personage to another, call the mind forward without intermission from the first Act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts, |