1    Eros, thou yet behold'st me?

2    Ay, noble lord.

3    Sometimes we see a cloud that's dragonish;
4    A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,
5    A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,
6    A forked mountain, or blue promontory
7    With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,
8    And mock our eyes with air: thou hast seen
9    these signs;
10   They are black vesper's pageants.

11   Ay, my lord,

12   That which is now a horse, even with a thought
13   The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct,
14   As water is in water.

15   It does, my lord.

16   My good knave Eros, now thy captain is
17   Even such a body: here I am Antony:
18   Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
19   I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,--
20   Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;
21   Which whilst it was mine had annex'd unto't
22   A million more, now lost,--she, Eros, has
23   Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory
24   Unto an enemy's triumph.
25   Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
26   Ourselves to end ourselves.
Enter MARDIAN
27   O! thy vile lady!
28   She has robb'd me of my sword.

29   No, Antony;
30   My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled
31   With thine entirely.

32   Hence, saucy eunuch; peace!
33   She hath betray'd me and shall die the death.

34   Death of one person can be paid but once,
35   And that she has discharged: what thou wouldst do
36   Is done unto thy hand: the last she spake
37   Was 'Antony! most noble Antony!'
38   Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
39   The name of Antony; it was divided
40   Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
41   Thy name so buried in her.

42   Dead, then?

43   Dead.

44   Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,
45   And we must sleep.
To MARDIAN
46   That thou depart'st hence safe,
47   Does pay thy labour richly; go.
Exit MARDIAN
48   Off, pluck off:
49   The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
50   The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
51   Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
52   Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace.
53   No more a soldier: bruised pieces, go;
54   You have been nobly borne. From me awhile.
Exit EROS
55   I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
56   Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
57   All length is torture: since the torch is out,
58   Lie down, and stray no farther: now all labour
59   Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
60   Itself with strength: seal then, and all is done.
61   Eros!--I come, my queen:--Eros!--Stay for me:
62   Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
63   And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:
64   Dido and her AEneas shall want troops,
65   And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!

66   What would my lord?

67   Since Cleopatra died,
68   I have lived in such dishonour, that the gods
69   Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
70   Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
71   With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
72   The courage of a woman; less noble mind
73   Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
74   'I am conqueror of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros,
75   That, when the exigent should come, which now
76   Is come indeed, when I should see behind me
77   The inevitable prosecution of
78   Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,
79   Thou then wouldst kill me: do't; the time is come:
80   Thou strikest not me, 'tis Caesar thou defeat'st.
81   Put colour in thy cheek.

82   The gods withhold me!
83   Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
84   Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?

85   Eros,
86   Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see
87   Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
88   His corrigible neck, his face subdued
89   To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat
90   Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
91   His baseness that ensued?

92   I would not see't.

93   Come, then; for with a wound I must be cured.
94   Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
95   Most useful for thy country.

96   O, sir, pardon me!

97   When I did make thee free, sworest thou not then
98   To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;
99   Or thy precedent services are all
100  But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.

101  Turn from me, then, that noble countenance,
102  Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.

103  Lo thee!

104  My sword is drawn.

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

107  My dear master,
108  My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
109  Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.

110  'Tis said, man; and farewell.

111  Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?

112  Now, Eros.

113  Why, there then: thus I do escape the sorrow
114  Of Antony's death.

115  Thrice-nobler than myself!
116  Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
117  I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
118  Have by their brave instruction got upon me
119  A nobleness in record: but I will be
120  A bridegroom in my death, and run into't
121  As to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,
122  Thy master dies thy scholar: to do thus
Falling on his sword
123  I learn'd of thee. How! not dead? not dead?
124  The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!

125  What's the noise?

126  I have done my work in, friends: O, make an end
127  Of what I have begun.

128  The star is fall'n.

129  And time is at his period.

130  Alas, and woe!

131  Let him that loves me strike me dead.

132  Not I.

133  Nor I.

134  Nor any one.

135  Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.
136  This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,
137  Shall enter me with him.

138  Where's Antony?

139  There, Diomed there.

140  Lives he?
141  Wilt thou not answer, man?

142  Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me
143  Sufficing strokes for death.

144  Most absolute lord,
145  My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

146  When did she send thee?

147  Now, my lord.

148  Where is she?

149  Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying fear
150  Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw--
151  Which never shall be found--you did suspect
152  She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
153  Would not be purged, she sent you word she was dead;
154  But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
155  Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
156  I dread, too late.

157  Too late, good Diomed: call my guard, I prithee.

158  What, ho, the emperor's guard! The guard, what, ho!
159  Come, your lord calls!

160  Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;
161  'Tis the last service that I shall command you.

162  Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
163  All your true followers out.

164  Most heavy day!

165  Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
166  To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome
167  Which comes to punish us, and we punish it
168  Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:
169  I have led you oft: carry me now, good friends,
170  And have my thanks for all.