A million more, now lost!) she, Eros, has
Packt cards with Cæfar, and false play'd my Glory
Unto an enemy's triumph
Nay, weep not, gentle Eros, there is left us
Our selves to end our selves.

Enter Mardian.
Oh, thy vile Lady !
Sh' has robb'd me of my sword.

Mar. No, Antony,
My Mistress lov’d thee, and her fortunes mingled
With thine intirely.
Ant. Hence, fawcy Eunuch, peace, she hath betray'd

me, And she shall die the death.

Mar. Death of one person can be paid but once,
And that she has discharg'd. What thou would'st do,
Is done unto thy hand; the last she spake
Was, Antony! most noble Antony !
Then in the midst a tearing Groan did break
The name of Antony; it was divided
Between her heart and lips; she rendred life,
Thy name so buried in her.

Ant. Dead then ?
Mar. Dead.

Ant. Unarm me, Eros, the long day's task is done,
And we must sleep; that thou depart'st hence safe,
Does pay thy labour richly; go. [Exit Mardian.
Off, pluck off;
The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
The battery from my heart. Oh cleave; my fides !
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
Crack thy frail case! apace, Eros, apace.
No more a Soldier bruised pieces, go;

[Unarming himself. You have been nobly borne; from me a while —

[Exit Eros. I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and Weep for my pardon. So't must be, for now All length is torture; since the torch is out,

Lye

Lye down and stray no further. Now all labour
Marrs what it does, yea, very force entangles
It self with strength; (53) seal then, and all is done.
Eros ! I come, my Queen - Eros ! - stay for me,
Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
And with our sprightly port make the Ghosts gaze;
(54) Dido and her Æneas shall want troops,
And all the haunt be ours. -Come, Eros, Eros!

Enter Eros.
Eros. What would my Lord?

Ant. Since Cleopatra died,
I've liv'd in such dishonour, that the Gods
Deteit my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back,
With thips, made cities; condemn my self, to lack

(53) Seal then, and all is done.) Antony had offended Cleopatra with
his Suspicions; he is here about doing something to deserve her Pardon:
and he thinks, ftabbing himself will feal That Pardon.
(54) Dido and her Æneas shall want Troops,

And all the Haunt be ours. - ] Tho' I have not alter'd the Text, I must subjoin Mr. Warburton's ingenious Conjecture and Com. ment on this Passage. “ Virgil was the Inventor of the Amours of Di“ do and Æneas ; (who, by the Bye, wrote this Tale after Antony's “ Death ;), but the same Virgil tells us, her Fondness did not reach to the

other World. She there despis’d Æneas, and return'd to her old Af6. fection for Sichæus.

Tandem corripuit seje, atque inimica refugit
In Nemus umbriferum : Conjunx ubi pristinus illi

Respondet curis, æquatque Sichæus amorem. Æneid. VI. “ I say therefore, Shakespeare wrote ;

Dido and ber Sichæus "And the Allusion of Antony to Sichæus is perfectly just and fine : Si“ chæus was murther’d by his Brother Pygmalion for his Wealth, on “ which, his Wife Dido Aed. So Antony was fought and defeated at “ Aetium by his Brother Oétavius for his Share of the Mastership of the

World : whereon, Cleopatra fled from the Victor's Rage into Ægypt.' However, on the other hand, perhaps, Shakespeare might have no Intention of copying Virgil, in making Dido return to her Affection for her Husband : Perhaps, he might chuse to make Antony mention Æneas, as an Anceftor : and I observe besides, that Beaumont and Fletcher, (in their Twa Noble Kinsmen; a Play, in which, it is said, our Author had a Share:) suppose Dido to have retain'd her Passion for Æneas after Death.

For in the next World will Dido fee Palamon, and then will she be out of Love with Æneas.

The

X 3

The courage of a woman ; less noble-minded
Than she, which, by her death, our Cæfar tells,
“ I'm conqueror of my self.” Thou art sworn, Eros,
That when the exigent should come, which now
Is come indeed, when I should see behind me
Th' inevitable prosecution of disgrace
And horrour, that on my command thou then
Wouldft kill me. Do it, for the time is come :
Thou strik'st not me, 'tis Cæfar thou defeat'st.
Put colour in thy cheek.

Eros. The Gods with-hold me!
Shall I do That, which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, loft aim, and could not?

Ant. Eros,
Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome, and see
Thy master thus with pleachp arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdu'd
To penetrative shame : whilst the wheel'd feat
Of fortunate Cæfar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued ?

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. Oh, Sir, pardon me,
Ant. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not

then
To do this when I bad 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 of the whole world lies.
Ant. Lo thee.

[Turning from bim. Eros. My sword is drawn.

Ant. Then let it do at once
The thing why thou hast drawn it.

Eros. My dear Master,
My Captain, and my Emp'ror! Let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewel.
Ant. 'Tis faid, man, - and farewel.

Eros.

Eros. Farewel, great Chief. Shall I strike now?
Ant. Now, Eros.
Eros. Why, there then

[Eros kills himself. Thus I do escape the sorrow Of Antony's death.

[Dyes. Ant. Thrice nobler than my self! Thou teachest me, oh, 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 A Bridegroom in my death, 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 learnt of thee. How, not yet dead? not dead? The Guard ho!

-oh, dispatch me.

Enter Dercetas, and Guard. I Guard. What's the noise ?

Ant. I've done my work ill, friends :
O, make an end of what I have begun.

2 Guard. The star is faln.
i Guard. And time is at his period !
All. Alas, and woe!
Ant. Let him, that loves me, strike me dead.

I Guard. Not I.
"2 Guard. Nor I.
3 Guard. Nor any one.

[Exeunt. Der. Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly: This sword but shewn to Cæfar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

Enter Diomedes. Dio. Where's Antony ? Der. There, Diomed, there. Dio. Lives he? wilt thou not answer, man? Ant. Art thou there, Diomed? draw thy sword, and

give me Sufficing strokes for death.

Dis.

X 4

Dio. Most ablolute Lord,
My Mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee,

Ant. When did she send thee?
Dio. Now, my Lord.
Ant. Where is she?
Dio. Lockt in her Monument. She had a prophe:

fying fear
Of what hath come to pass; for when she saw,
(Which never shall be found) you did suspect
She had dispos’d with Cæfar; and that your rage
Would not be purg'd, the sent word she was dead.
But fearing ấnce 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, hoa! Come, your Lord calls.

3

Enter the Guard. Ant. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides, 'Tis the last service that I shall command you.

Guard. Woc are we, Sir! you may not live to wear All your true follow'rs out.

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

Fate
To 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:

SCENE