She hath betray'd me, and shall die the death.
MARDIAN. Death of one person can be paid but once,
And that she has discharg'd. What thou wouldst 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 rend'red life,
Thy name so buried in her.
ANTONY. Dead then?
MARDIAN. Dead.
ANTONY. Unarm, 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 sevenfold
shield of Ajax cannot keep
The
battery from my heart. O,
cleave, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
Crack thy frail case. Apace, Eros, apace.-
No more a soldier. Bruised pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne.- From me
awhile. 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 farther. Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength. 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.
Dido and her Aeneas shall want troops,
And all the haunt be ours.- Come, Eros, Eros!
Re-enter EROS
EROS. What would my lord?
ANTONY. Since Cleopatra died,
I have liv'd in such dishonour that the gods
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
The courage of a woman; less noble mind
Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
'I am
conqueror" target="_blank" title="n.征服者,胜利者">
conqueror of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros,
That, when the exigent should come- which now
Is come indeed- when I should see behind me
Th'
inevitableprosecution of
Disgrace and
horror, that, on my command,
Thou then wouldst kill me. Do't; the time is come.
Thou strik'st not me; 'tis Caesar thou defeat'st.
Put colour in thy cheek.
EROS. The gods
withhold me!
Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, lost aim and could not?
ANTONY. Eros,
Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see
Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdu'd
To penetrative shame,
whilst the wheel'd seat
Of
fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued?
EROS. I would not see't.
ANTONY. 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!
ANTONY. When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not then
To do this when I bade 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.
ANTONY. Lo thee! [Turning from him]
EROS. My sword is drawn.
ANTONY. Then let it do at once
The thing why thou hast drawn it.
EROS. My dear master,
My captain and my
emperor, let me say,
Before I strike this
bloody stroke,
farewell.
ANTONY. 'Tis said, man; and
farewell.
EROS. Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?
ANTONY. Now, Eros.
EROS. Why, there then! Thus do I escape the sorrow
Of Antony's death. [Kills himself
ANTONY. Thrice nobler than myself!
Thou teachest me, O
valiant Eros, what
I should, and thou
couldst 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 dead? not dead?-
The guard, ho! O,
dispatch me!
Enter DERCETAS and a guard
FIRST GUARD. What's the noise?
ANTONY. I have done my work ill, friends. O, make an end
Of what I have begun.
SECOND GUARD. The star is fall'n.
FIRST GUARD. And time is at his period.
ALL. Alas, and woe!
ANTONY. Let him that loves me, strike me dead.
FIRST GUARD. Not I.
SECOND GUARD. Nor I.
THIRD GUARD. Nor any one. Exeunt guard
DERCETAS. Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.
This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,
Shall enter me with him.
Enter DIOMEDES
DIOMEDES. Where's Antony?
DERCETAS. There, Diomed, there.
DIOMEDES. Lives he?
Wilt thou not answer, man? Exit DERCETAS
ANTONY. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword and give me
Sufficing strokes for death.
DIOMEDES. Most
absolute lord,
My
mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.
ANTONY. When did she send thee?
DIOMEDES. Now, my lord.
ANTONY. Where is she?
DIOMEDES. Lock'd in her
monument. She had a prophesying fear
Of what hath come to pass; for when she saw-
Which never shall be found- you did suspect
She had dispos'd with Caesar, 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.
ANTONY. Too late, good Diomed. Call my guard, I prithee.
DIOMEDES. What, ho! the Emperor's guard! The guard, what ho!
Come, your lord calls!
Enter four or five of the guard of ANTONY
ANTONY. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;
'Tis the last service that I shall command you.
FIRST GUARD. Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
All your true followers out.
ALL. Most heavy day!
ANTONY. Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
To grace it with your sorrows. Bid that
welcomeWhich 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,
hearing ANTONY
SCENE XV.
Alexandria. A
monumentEnter CLEOPATRA and her maids aloft, with CHARMIAN
and IRAS
CLEOPATRA. O Charmian, I will never go from hence!
CHARMIAN. Be comforted, dear madam.
CLEOPATRA. No, I will not.
All strange and terrible events are
welcome,
But comforts we
despise; our size of sorrow,
Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great
As that which makes it.
Enter DIOMEDES, below
How now! Is he dead?
DIOMEDES. His death's upon him, but not dead.
Look out o' th' other side your
monument;
His guard have brought him thither.
Enter, below, ANTONY, borne by the guard
CLEOPATRA. O sun,
Burn the great
sphere thou mov'st in! Darkling stand
The varying shore o' th' world. O Antony,
Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian; help, Iras, help;
Help, friends below! Let's draw him hither.
ANTONY. Peace!
Not Caesar's
valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.
CLEOPATRA. So it should be, that none but Antony
Should
conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!
ANTONY. I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
I here importune death
awhile, until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.
CLEOPATRA. I dare not, dear.
Dear my lord,
pardon! I dare not,
Lest I be taken. Not th'
imperious show
Of the full-fortun'd Caesar ever shall
Be brooch'd with me. If knife, drugs, serpents, have
Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe.
Your wife Octavia, with her
modest eyes
And still
conclusion, shall
acquire no honour
Demuring upon me. But come, come, Antony-
Help me, my women- we must draw thee up;
Assist, good friends.
ANTONY. O, quick, or I am gone.
CLEOPATRA. Here's sport indeed! How heavy weighs my lord!
Our strength is all gone into heaviness;
That makes the weight. Had I great Juno's power,
The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee up,
And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little.
Wishers were ever fools. O come, come,
[They heave ANTONY aloft to CLEOPATRA]
And
welcome,
welcome! Die where thou hast liv'd.
Quicken with kissing. Had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.
ALL. A heavy sight!
ANTONY. I am dying, Egypt, dying.
Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.
CLEOPATRA. No, let me speak; and let me rail so high
That the false huswife Fortune break her wheel,
Provok'd by my offence.