Welcome to PhiloLogic  
   home |  the ARTFL project |  download |  documentation |  sample databases |   
James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

Previous section

SCENE XIII. The Same. A Monument. Enter above, Cleopatra, Charmian, and Iras.

Cleo.
O Charmian, I will never go from hence.

Char.
Be comforted, dear madam.

Cleo.
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 Enter Diomedes.
As that which makes it.—How now? is he dead?

Dio.
His death's upon him, but not dead9 note
.
Look out o' the other side your monument,
His guard have brought him thither.
Enter Antony, borne by the Guard.

Cleo.
O sun,
Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!—darkling1 note

stand

-- 381 --


The varying shore o' th' world2 note


. O Antony, Antony, Antony,
Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help: help, friends
Below, let's draw him hither3 note




.

Ant.
Peace:
Not Cæsar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
But Antony's hath triumphed on itself.

Cleo.
So it should be, that none but Antony
Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!

Ant.
I am dying, Egypt, dying4 note
; only

-- 382 --


I here impórtune death5 note a while, until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.—

Cleo.
I dare not, dear,
(Dear my lord, pardon,) I dare not,
Lest I be taken6 note




: not the imperious show
Of the full-fortun'd Cæsar7 note
ever shall
Be brooch'd with me8 note




; if knife, drugs, serpents, have

-- 383 --


Edge, sting, or operation9 note





, I am safe:
Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes,
And still conclusion1 note, shall acquire no honour
Demuring upon me.—But come, come, Antony,—
Help me, my women,—we must draw thee up;—
Assist, good friends.

Ant.
O, quick, or I am gone.

Cleo.
Here's sport, indeed2 note

!—How heavy weighs my lord!

-- 384 --


Our strength is all gone into heaviness3 note,
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, come; [They draw Antony up.
And welcome, welcome! die, where thou hast liv'd4 note:
Quicken with kissing5 note


; had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.

All.
A heavy sight!

Ant.
I am dying, Egypt, dying:
Give me some wine6 note, and let me speak a little.

Cleo.
No, let me speak; and let me rail so high,
That the false housewife Fortune7 note

break her wheel,
Provok'd by my offence.

-- 385 --

Ant.
One word, sweet queen:
Of Cæsar seek your honour, with your safety.—O!

Cleo.
They do not go together.

Ant.
Gentle, hear me:
None about Cæsar trust, but Proculeius.

Cleo.
My resolution, and my hands, I'll trust;
None about Cæsar.

Ant.
The miserable change8 note now at my end,
Lament nor sorrow at: but please your thoughts,
In feeding them with those my former fortunes
Wherein I liv'd: the greatest prince o' the world,
The noblest: and do now not basely die,
Nor cowardly; put off my helmet to
My countryman, a Roman, by a Roman
Valiantly vanquish'd. Now, my spirit is going;
I can no more.
[Dies.

Cleo.
Noblest of men, woo't die?
Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide
In this dull world, which in thy absence is
No better than a stye?—O, see, my women,
The crown o' the earth doth melt:—My lord!—
O, wither'd is the garland of the war,
The soldier's pole9 note



is fallen; young boys, and girls,

-- 386 --


Are level now with men: the odds is gone,
And there is nothing left remarkable
Beneath the visiting moon1 note






. [She faints.

Char.
O, quietness, lady!

Iras.
She is dead too, our sovereign.

Char.
Lady,—

Iras.
Madam,—

Char.
O madam, madam, madam!

Iras.
Royal Egypt!
Empress!

Char.
Peace, peace, Iras.

Cleo.
No more, but e'en a woman2 note





; and commanded

-- 387 --


By such poor passion as the maid that milks,
And does the meanest chares3 note





.—It were for me
To throw my scepter at the injurious gods;
To tell them, that this world did equal theirs,
Till they had stolen our jewel. All's but naught;
Patience is sottish; and impatience does
Become a dog that's mad: Then is it sin,
To rush into the secret house of death,
Ere death dare come to us?—How do you, women?
What, what? good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian?
My noble girls!—Ah, women, women! look,
Our lamp is spent, it's out:—Good sirs, take heart:— [To the Guard below.
We'll bury him: and then, what's brave, what's noble,
Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
And make death proud to take us. Come, away:
This case of that huge spirit now is cold.
Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend
But resolution, and the briefest end. [Exeunt; those above bearing off Antony's Body.

-- 388 --

Previous section


James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
Powered by PhiloLogic