Imatges de pàgina
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And mock our eyes with air: Thou hast seen these signs; They are black vesper's pageants.

Eros.

8

Ay, my lord. Ant. That, which is now a horse, even with a thought, The rack dislimns"; and makes it indistinct,

As water is in water.

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Ant. My good knave, Eros, now thy captain is
Even such a body: here I am Antony;
Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.

I made these wars for Egypt; and the queen, —
Whose heart, I thought, I had, for she had mine ;
Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't

A million more, now lost, she, Eros, has

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Pack'd cards with Cæsar, and false play'd my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph.

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us

Ourselves to end ourselves. O, thy vile lady!

Enter MARDIAN.

She has robb'd me of my sword.

Mar.

No, Antony;

My mistress lov'd thee, and her fortunes mingled
With thine entirely.

Ant.

Hence, saucy eunuch; peace;

She hath betray'd me, and 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

• They are black vesper's pageants.] The beauty both of the expression and the illusion is lost, unless we recollect the frequency and the nature of these shows in Shakspeare's age.

9 The rack dislimns ;] i. e. the fleeting away of the clouds destroys the picture.

Between her heart and lips; she render'd life,

Thy name so buried in her.

Ant.

Mar.

Dead then?

Dead.

Ant. Eros, unarm+; the long day's task is done,
And we must sleep:- That thou depart'st hence safe,
Does pay thy labour richly; Go. -Off, pluck off;
[Exit MARDIAN.

The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent.2

Crack thy frail case!

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Apace, Eros, apace. -
Bruised pieces, go;

borne. From me awhile.

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[Exit EROS.

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture: - Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no further: Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength: Seal then, and all is done.3-
Eros! I come, my queen:
Stay for me:
Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:
Dido and her Æneas shall want troops,

Eros!

And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!

Re-enter EROS.

Since Cleopatra died,

Eros. What would my lord?

Ant.

I have liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods

+ "Unarm, Eros;" - MALONE.

2

thy continent,] i. e. the thing that contains thee. Seal then, and all is done.] Metaphor taken from civil contracts, where, when all is agreed on, the sealing compleats the contract; so he hath determined to die, and nothing remained but to give the stroke.

Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
With ships made cities, condemn myself, to lack
of a woman; less noble mind

The courage
Than she, which, by her death, our Cæsar tells,
I am conqueror of myself. Thou art sworn, Eros,
That, when the exigent should come, (which now
Is come, indeed,) when I should see behind me
The inevitable prosecution of

Disgrace and horror that, on my command,

Thou then would'st kill me: do't; the time is come: Thou strik'st not me, 'tis Cæsar thou defeat'st.

Put colour in thy cheek.

Eros.

Shall I do that, which all the Parthian darts,

The gods withhold me!

Eros,

Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?

Ant.
Would'st thou be window'd in great Rome, and see
Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdued

To penetrative shame; whilst the wheel'd seat
Of fortunate Cæsar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued?6

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.

O, sir, pardon me.

Ant. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not

then

To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;

pleach'd arms,] Arms folded in each other.

5 His corrigible neck.] Corrigible for corrected, and afterwards penetrative for penetrating.

• His baseness that ensued?] The poor conquered wretch that followed. JOHNSON.

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 !

Eros. My sword is drawn.

Ant.

[Turning from him.

Then let it do at once

The thing why thou hast drawn it.

My dear master,

Eros.
My captain, and my emperor! let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
Ant. 'Tis said, man; - and farewell.

Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?

Ant.

Eros. Why, there then :

Thus do I escape the sorrow

Of Antony's death.

Ant.

Now, Eros.

[Falls on his Sword.

[Dies.

Thrice nobler than myself!

Thou teachest me, O 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 learn'd of thee. How! not yet dead +? not dead? The guard!-ho! - O, despatch me.

1 Guard.

Enter DERCETAS and Guard.

What's the noise?

Ant. I have done my work ill, friends; O, make an end Of what I have begun.

7

2 Guard.

The star is fallen.

the worship of the whole world-] The worship, is the dignity, the authority.

Mr. Malone omits yet.

1 Guard. And time is at his period.

All.

Ant. Let him that loves me, strike me dead.

1 Guard.

2 Guard. Nor I.

3 Guard. Nor any one.

Alas, and woe!

Not I.

[Exeunt Guard.

Der. Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly. This sword but shown to Cæsar, with this tidings, Shall enter me with him.

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Ant. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and

give me

Sufficing strokes for death.

Dio.

Most absolute lord,

My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

Ant. When did she send thee?

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Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw
(Which never shall be found,) you did suspect
She had dispos'd with Cæsar, and that your rage
Would not be purg'd, she sent you word she was dead;
But, fearing since 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.

She had dispos'd with Cæsar,] To dispose, in this instance, perhaps signifies to make terms, to settle matters.

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