Antony and Cleopatra Part 23

Cleo. They do not go together

Ant. Gentle heare me, None about Caesar trust, but Proculeius

Cleo. My Resolution, and my hands, Ile trust, None about Caesar

Ant. The miserable change now at my end, Lament nor sorrow at: but please your thoughts In feeding them with those my former Fortunes Wherein I liued. The greatest Prince o'th' world, The n.o.blest: and do now not basely dye, Not Cowardly put off my Helmet to My Countreyman. A Roman, by a Roman Valiantly vanquish'd. Now my Spirit is going, I can no more

Cleo. n.o.blest of men, woo't dye?

Hast thou no care of me, shall I abide In this dull world, which in thy absence is No better then a Stye? Oh see my women: The Crowne o'th' earth doth melt. My Lord?

Oh wither'd is the Garland of the Warre, The Souldiers pole is falne: young Boyes and Gyrles Are leuell now with men: The oddes is gone, And there is nothing left remarkeable Beneath the visiting Moone

Char. Oh quietnesse, Lady

Iras. She's dead too, our Soueraigne

Char. Lady

Iras. Madam

Char. Oh Madam, Madam, Madam

Iras. Royall Egypt: Empresse

Char. Peace, peace, Iras

Cleo. No more but in a Woman, and commanded By such poore pa.s.sion, as the Maid that Milkes, And doe's the meanest chares. It were for me, To throw my Scepter at the iniurious G.o.ds, To tell them that this World did equall theyrs, Till they had stolne our Iewell. All's but naught: Patience is sortish, and impatience does Become a Dogge that's mad: Then is it sinne, To rush into the secret house of death, Ere death dare come to vs. How do you Women?

What, what good cheere? Why how now Charmian?

My n.o.ble Gyrles? Ah Women, women! Looke Our Lampe is spent, it's out. Good sirs, take heart, Wee'l bury him: And then, what's braue, what's n.o.ble, Let's doo't after the high Roman fas.h.i.+on, And make death proud to take vs. Come, away, This case of that huge Spirit now is cold.

Ah Women, Women! Come, we haue no Friend But Resolution, and the breefest end.

Exeunt., bearing of Anthonies body.

Enter Caesar, Agrippa, Dollabella, Menas, with his Counsell of Warre.

Caesar. Go to him Dollabella, bid him yeeld, Being so frustrate, tell him, He mockes the pawses that he makes

Dol. Caesar, I shall.

Enter Decretas with the sword of Anthony.

Caes Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar'st Appeare thus to vs?

Dec. I am call'd Decretas, Marke Anthony I seru'd, who best was worthie Best to be seru'd: whil'st he stood vp, and spoke He was my Master, and I wore my life To spend vpon his haters. If thou please To take me to thee, as I was to him, Ile be to Caesar: if y pleasest not, I yeild thee vp my life

Caesar. What is't thou say'st?

Dec. I say (Oh Caesar) Anthony is dead

Caesar. The breaking of so great a thing, should make A greater cracke. The round World Should haue shooke Lyons into ciuill streets, And Cittizens to their dennes. The death of Anthony Is not a single doome, in the name lay A moity of the world

Dec. He is dead Caesar, Not by a publike minister of Iustice, Nor by a hyred Knife, but that selfe-hand Which writ his Honor in the Acts it did, Hath with the Courage which the heart did lend it, Splitted the heart. This is his Sword, I robb'd his wound of it: behold it stain'd With his most n.o.ble blood

Caes Looke you sad Friends, The G.o.ds rebuke me, but it is Tydings To wash the eyes of Kings

Dol. And strange it is, That Nature must compell vs to lament Our most persisted deeds

Mec. His taints and Honours, wag'd equal with him

Dola. A Rarer spirit neuer Did steere humanity: but you G.o.ds will giue vs Some faults to make vs men. Caesar is touch'd

Mec. When such a s.p.a.cious Mirror's set before him, He needes must see him selfe

Caesar. Oh Anthony, I haue followed thee to this, but we do launch Diseases in our Bodies. I must perforce Haue shewne to thee such a declining day, Or looke on thine: we could not stall together, In the whole world. But yet let me lament With teares as Soueraigne as the blood of hearts, That thou my Brother, my Compet.i.tor, In top of all designe; my Mate in Empire, Friend and Companion in the front of Warre, The Arme of mine owne Body, and the Heart Where mine his thoughts did kindle; that our Starres Vnreconciliable, should diuide our equalnesse to this.

Heare me good Friends, But I will tell you at some meeter Season, The businesse of this man lookes out of him, Wee'l heare him what he sayes.

Enter an aegyptian.

Whence are you?

aegyp. A poore Egyptian yet, the Queen my mistris Confin'd in all, she has her Monument Of thy intents, desires, instruction, That she preparedly may frame her selfe To'th' way shee's forc'd too

Caesar. Bid her haue good heart, She soone shall know of vs, by some of ours, How honourable, and how kindely Wee Determine for her. For Caesar cannot leaue to be vngentle aegypt. So the G.o.ds preserue thee.

Enter.

Caes Come hither Proculeius. Go and say We purpose her no shame: giue her what comforts The quality of her pa.s.sion shall require; Least in her greatnesse, by some mortall stroke She do defeate vs. For her life in Rome, Would be eternall in our Triumph: Go, And with your speediest bring vs what she sayes, And how you finde of her

Pro. Caesar I shall.

Exit Proculeius.

Caes Gallus, go you along: where's Dolabella, to second Proculeius?

All. Dolabella

Caes Let him alone: for I remember now How hee's imployd: he shall in time be ready.

Go with me to my Tent, where you shall see How hardly I was drawne into this Warre, How calme and gentle I proceeded still In all my Writings. Go with me, and see What I can shew in this.

Exeunt.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian.

Cleo. My desolation does begin to make A better life: Tis paltry to be Caesar: Not being Fortune, hee's but Fortunes knaue, A minister of her will: and it is great To do that thing that ends all other deeds, Which shackles accedents, and bolts vp change; Which sleepes, and neuer pallates more the dung, The beggers Nurse, and Caesars.

Enter Proculeius.

Pro. Caesar sends greeting to the Queene of Egypt, And bids thee study on what faire demands Thou mean'st to haue him grant thee

Cleo. What's thy name?

Pro. My name is Proculeius

Cleo. Anthony Did tell me of you, bad me trust you, but I do not greatly care to be deceiu'd That haue no vse for trusting. If your Master Would haue a Queene his begger, you must tell him, That Maiesty to keepe decorum, must No lesse begge then a Kingdome: If he please To giue me conquer'd Egypt for my Sonne, He giues me so much of mine owne, as I Will kneele to him with thankes

Pro. Be of good cheere: Y'are falne into a Princely hand, feare nothing, Make your full reference freely to my Lord, Who is so full of Grace, that it flowes ouer On all that neede. Let me report to him Your sweet dependancie, and you shall finde A Conqueror that will pray in ayde for kindnesse, Where he for grace is kneel'd too

Cleo. Pray you tell him, I am his Fortunes Va.s.sall, and I send him The Greatnesse he has got. I hourely learne A Doctrine of Obedience, and would gladly Looke him i'th' Face