Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

ACT IV SCENE XIV	The same. Another room.
	Enter MARK ANTONY and EROS
MARK ANTONY	Eros, thou yet behold'st me?
EROS	Ay, noble lord.
MARK ANTONY	Sometimes we see a cloud that's dragonish;
	A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,	5
	A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,
	A forked mountain, or blue promontory
	With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,
	And mock our eyes with air: thou hast seen
	these signs;	10
	They are black vesper's pageants.
EROS	Ay, my lord,
MARK ANTONY	That which is now a horse, even with a thought
	The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct,
	As water is in water.	15
EROS	It does, my lord.
MARK ANTONY	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,--	20
	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
	Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory
	Unto an enemy's triumph.	25
	Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
	Ourselves to end ourselves.
	Enter MARDIAN
	O! thy vile lady!
	She has robb'd me of my sword.
MARDIAN	No, Antony;	30
	My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled
	With thine entirely.
MARK ANTONY	Hence, saucy eunuch; peace!
	She hath betray'd me and shall die the death.
MARDIAN	Death of one person can be paid but once,	35
	And that she has discharged: 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	40
	Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
	Thy name so buried in her.
MARK ANTONY	Dead, then?
MARDIAN	Dead.
MARK ANTONY	Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,	45
	And we must sleep.
	To MARDIAN
	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	50
	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.	55
	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	60
	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,	65
	And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!
	Re-enter EROS
EROS	What would my lord?
MARK ANTONY	Since Cleopatra died,
	I have lived in such dishonour, that the gods
	Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword	70
	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 of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros,	75
	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 wouldst kill me: do't; the time is come:	80
	Thou strikest 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?	85
MARK 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 subdued
	To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat	90
	Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
	His baseness that ensued?
EROS	I would not see't.
MARK ANTONY	Come, then; for with a wound I must be cured.
	Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn	95
	Most useful for thy country.
EROS	O, sir, pardon me!
MARK ANTONY	When I did make thee free, sworest thou not then
	To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;
	Or thy precedent services are all	100
	But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.
EROS	Turn from me, then, that noble countenance,
	Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.
MARK ANTONY	Lo thee!
	Turning from him
EROS	My sword is drawn.	105
MARK 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.	110
MARK ANTONY	'Tis said, man; and farewell.
EROS	Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?
MARK ANTONY	Now, Eros.
EROS	Why, there then: thus I do escape the sorrow
	Of Antony's death.	115
	Kills himself
MARK 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	120
	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!	125
	Enter DERCETAS and Guard
First Guard	What's the noise?
MARK ANTONY	I have done my work in, 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.	130
All	Alas, and woe!
MARK ANTONY	Let him that loves me strike me dead.
First Guard	Not I.
Second Guard	Nor I.
Third Guard	Nor any one.	135
	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.	140
DIOMEDES	Lives he?
	Wilt thou not answer, man?
	Exit DERCETAS
MARK ANTONY	Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me
	Sufficing strokes for death.
DIOMEDES	Most absolute lord,	145
	My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.
MARK ANTONY	When did she send thee?
DIOMEDES	Now, my lord.
MARK ANTONY	Where is she?
DIOMEDES	Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying fear	150
	Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw--
	Which never shall be found--you did suspect
	She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
	Would not be purged, she sent you word she was dead;
	But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent	155
	Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
	I dread, too late.
MARK 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!	160
	Enter four or five of the Guard of MARK ANTONY
MARK 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!	165
MARK ANTONY	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,	170
	And have my thanks for all.
	Exeunt, bearing MARK ANTONY