Antony's Sword.
Cæs.
Wherefore is that? and what art thou, that dar'st
Appear thus to us?
Der.
I am call'd Dercetas;
Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy
Best to be serv'd: whilst he stood up, and spoke,
He was my master; and I wore my life,
To spend upon his haters: If thou please
To take me to thee, as I was to him
I'll be to Cæsar; if thou pleaseth not,
I yield thee up my life.
Cæs.
What is't thou say'st?
Der.
I say, o Cæsar, Antony is dead.
Cæs.
The breaking of so great a thing should make
A greater crack in nature: the round world
Should have shook lions into civil streets,
And citizens to their dens: The death of Antony
Is not a single doom; in that name note lay
A moiety of the world.
Der.
He is dead, Cæsar;
Not by a publick minister of justice,
Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,
Which writ his honour in the acts it did,
Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,
Splitted the heart itself. This † is his sword,
I rob'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd
With his most noble blood.
Cæs.
Look you sad, friends?
The gods rebuke me, but it is a note tidings
-- 106 --
To wash the eyes of kings.
Agr.
And note strange it is,
That nature must compell us to lament
Our most persisted deeds.
Mec.
His taints and honours
Weigh'd equal note note with him.14Q1130
Agr.
A note rarer spirit never
Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us
Some faults to mark us note men. Cæsar is touch'd.
Mec.
When such a spacious mirror's set before him,
He needs must see himself.
Cæs.
O Antony!
I have follow'd thee to this;—But we do launch
Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
Have shewn to thee such a declining day,
Or look on note thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world: But yet let me lament,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle,—that our stars,
Unreconciliable, should divide
Our equalness to this.—Hear me, good friends,—
Enter a Messenger.
But I will tell you at some meeter season;
The business of this man looks out of him,
We'll hear him what he says.—Whence are you, sir?
Mes.
A poor Egyptian: The note queen my mistress,
Confin'd in all she has, her monument,
Of thy intents desires instruction;
-- 107 --
That she preparedly may frame herself
To the way she's forc'd to.
Cæs.
Bid her have good heart;
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourably note and how kindly we
Determin'd note have for her: for Cæsar cannot
Leave to be gentle note.
Mes.
So the gods preserve thee!
[Exit Messenger.
Cæs.
Come hither, Proculeius; Go, and say
We purpose her no shame: give her what comforts
The quality of her passion shall require;
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
She do defeat us: for her life in Rome
Would be eternaling note our triumph: Go,
And, with your speediest, bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.
Pro.
Cæsar, I shall.
[Exit Proculeius.
Cæs.
Gallus, go you along. [Exit Gall. Where's Dolabella,
To second Proculeius?
all.
Dolabella!
Cæs.
Let him alone, for I remember now
How he's employ'd; he shall in time be ready.
Go with me to my tent: where you shall see,
How hardly I was drawn into this war;
How calm and gentle I proceeded still
In all my writings: Go with me, and see
What I can shew in this.
[Exeunt.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
