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party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those that do die of it, do seldom or

never recover.

Cleo. Remember'st thou any that have died on't?

Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday; a very honest woman, but something given to lie; as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty; how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt.-Truly, she makes a very good report o'the worm; but he that will believe all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do. But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell.

Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm.

Cleo. Farewell.

[Clown sets down the basket. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind.1

Cleo. Ay, ay; farewell.

Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted, but in the keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm.

Cleo. Take thou no care; it shall be heeded.

Clown. Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding.

Cleo. Will it eat me?

Clown. You must not think I am so simple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman; I know that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five.

Cleo. Well, get thee gone; farewell.

Clown. Yes, forsooth; I wish you joy of the worm.

Re-enter IRAS, with a robe, crown, &c.

[Exit.

Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me.

Now no more

1 i. e. act according to his nature.

The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip.-
Yare, yare, good Iras; quick.-Methinks I hear
Antony call; I see him rouse himself

To praise my noble act; I hear him mock
The luck of Cæsar, which the gods give men
To excuse their after-wrath. Husband, I come.
Now to that name my courage prove my title!
I am fire, and air; my other elements

I give to baser life. So, have you done?
Come, then, and take the last warmth of my lips.
Farewell, kind Charmian ;-Iras, long farewell.

[Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies.

Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall? 2

If thou and nature can so gently part,

The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch,

Which hurts, and is desired. Dost thou lie still?
If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world

It is not worth leave-taking.

Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may

say,

The gods themselves do weep!

Cleo.

This proves me base.

If she first meet the curled Antony,

He'll make demand of her; and spend that kiss,

Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch, [To the asp, which she applies to her breast.

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate
Of life at once untie; poor venomous fool,
Be angry, and despatch. O, couldst thou speak!
That I might hear thee call great Cæsar, ass
Unpolicied!

Char.

3

O Eastern star!

Cleo.

Peace, peace!

Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,
That sucks the nurse asleep!

1 i. e. be nimble, be ready. See Act iii. Sc. 5.

2 Iras must be supposed to have applied an asp to her arm while her mistress was settling her dress, to account for her falling so soon.

3 i. e. an ass without more wit or policy than to leave the means of death within my reach, and thereby defeat his own purpose.

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Char.

O break! O break!

Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle,O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too;—

What should I stay

[Applying another asp to her arm. [Falls on a bed and dies. Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well.— Now boast thee, death! in thy possession lies A lass unparalleled.-Downy windows, close; And golden Phoebus never be beheld

Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry;
I'll mend it, and then play.

Enter the Guard, rushing in.

1 Guard. Where is the queen? Char.

Speak softly, wake her not.

1 Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar.

Too slow a messenger. [Applies the asp.

O, come; apace, despatch; I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho!

beguiled.

All's not well; Cæsar's

2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar;-call

him.

1 Guard. What work is here?-Charmian, is this

well done?

Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess Descended of so many royal kings.

Ah, soldier!

[Dies.

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Enter CESAR and Attendants.

Dol. O sir, you are too sure an augurer; That you did fear, is done.

Cæs.

Bravest at the last.

She levelled at our purposes, and, being royal,
Took her own way.-The manner of their deaths?

I do not see them bleed.

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This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spake.

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood,
And on the sudden dropped.

Cæs.

O noble weakness!

If they had swallowed poison, 'twould appear
By external swelling; but she looks like sleep,
As she would catch another Antony

In her strong toil of

Dol.

grace.

Here, on her breast,

There is a vent of blood, and something blown.'
The like is on her arm.

1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail; and these figleaves

Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves

Upon the caves of Nile.

Cæs.

Most probable,

That so she died; for her physician tells me,

She hath pursued conclusions 2 infinite

Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed;
And bear her women from the monument.-
She shall be buried by her Antony:
No grave upon the earth shall clip in it

1 i. e. swelled, puffed.

2 To pursue conclusions is to try experiments.

A pair so famous. High events as these
Strike those that make them; and their story is
No less in pity, than his glory, which
Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall,
In solemn show, attend this funeral;
And then to Rome.-Come, Dolabella, see
High order in this great solemnity.

[Exeunt.

THIS play keeps curiosity always busy, and the passions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one personage to another, call the mind forward without intermission from the first act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts, some of which are too low, which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguishable from that of others. The most tumid speech in the play is that which Cæsar makes to Octavia.

The events, of which the principal are described according to history, are produced without any art of connection or care of disposition.

JOHNSON.

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