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 do32. 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 kind33.

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. [Exit.

Re-enter IRAs, with a Robe, Crown, &c. Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me34: Now no more The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip:

32 Warburton observes that Shakspeare's clowns are always jokers, and deal in sly satire: but he would have all and half change places. I think with Steevens that the confusion was designed to heighten the humour of the clown's speech.

33 i. e. act according to his nature.

34 From hence probably Addison in Cato:

This longing after immortality.'

Yare, yare35, good Iras; quick.-Methinks, I hear
Antony call; I see him rouse himself

To praise my noble act; I hear him mock
The luck of Cæsar, which the gods give men
To excuse their after wrath: Husband, I come:
Now to that name my courage prove my title!
I am fire, and air; my other elements

I give to baser life36.-So,-have you done?
Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips.
Farewell, kind Charmian;--Iras, long farewell.

[Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies. Have I the aspick in my lips? Dost fall37? 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? If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world It is not worth leave-taking.

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 Of life at once untie; poor venomous fool, Be angry, and despatch. O, could'st thou speak! That I might hear thee call great Cæsar, ass Unpolicied 38!

35 i. e. be nimble, be ready. See Act iii. Sc. 5, note 6.

36 Thus in King Henry V.:-' He is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him.' Homer speaks as contemptuously of the grosser elements we spring from, Iliad vii. v. 99:

'Αλλ' ὑμεῖς μὲν πάντες ὕδωρ καὶ γαῖα γένοισθε. 37 Iras must be supposed to have applied an asp to her arm, while her mistress was settling her dress, to account for her

falling so soon.

38 i. e. an ass without more wit or policy than to leave the means of death within my reach, and thereby defeat his own purpose.

Peace, peace!

Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,
That sucks the nurse asleep?

Char.

O, break! 0, break! Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle,O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too;—

[Applying another Asp to her Arm.
What should I stay- [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, close39;
And golden Phoebus never be beheld

Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry;
I'll mend it, and then play40.

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.

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.

39 Charmian may be supposed to close Cleopatra's eyes, the first melancholy office performed after death.

40 Charmian remembers the words uttered to her by her beloved mistress just before :

when thou hast done this chare, I'll give thee leave,

To play till doomsday.'

Cæsar, thy thoughts

Touch their effects in this: Thyself art coming
To see perform'd the dreaded act, which thou
So sought'st to hinder.

Within.

A way there, a 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.

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.

O noble weakness!

Cœs.
If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear
By external swelling: but she looks like sleep;
As she would catch another Antony

In her strong toil of grace.

Dol.

Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood, and something blown41: The like is on her arm.

1 Guard. This is an aspick's trail: and these figleaves

41 i. e. swelled, puffed. See p. 457, note 2.

Have slime upon them, such as the aspick leaves
Upon the caves of Nile.

Cæs.
Most probable,
That so she died; for her physician tells me,
She hath pursu'd conclusions 42 infinite

Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed;
And bear her women from the monument :
She shall be buried by her Antony:
No grave upon the earth shall clip in it
A pair so famous. High events as these
Strike those that make them: and their story is
No less in pity, than his glory, which

Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall,
In solemn show, attend this funeral;
And then to Rome.-Come, Dolabella, see
High order in this great solemnity.

[Exeunt.

42 To pursue conclusions is to try experiments. So in Hamlet :

Such an ·

6

like the famous ape

To try conclusions.'

easy way to die' was by the aspick's venom. Thus

Lucan, lib. ix. 1. 1815:

At tibi Leve miser fixus præcordia pressit

Niliaca serpente cruor; nulloque dolore

Testatus morsus subita caligine mortem

Accipis, et Stygias somno descendis ad umbras.”