Anthony and Cleopatra, Act IV, Scene 14

[Enter MARK ANTONY and EROS]

• Antony. Eros, thou yet behold'st me?

• Eros. Ay, noble lord.

• Antony. Sometimes we see a cloud that's dragonish;
  A vapour sometime like a bear or lion, 2980
  A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,
  A forked mountain, or blue promontory
  With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,
  And mock our eyes with air: thou hast seen
  these signs; 2985
  They are black vesper's pageants.

• Eros. Ay, my lord,

• Antony. That which is now a horse, even with a thought
  The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct,
  As water is in water. 2990

• Eros. It does, my lord.

• Antony. My good knave Eros, now thy captain is
  Even such a body: here I am Antony:
  Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
  I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,— 2995
  Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;
  Which whilst it was mine had annex'd unto't
  A million more, now lost,—she, Eros, has
  Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory
  Unto an enemy's triumph. 3000
  Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
  Ourselves to end ourselves.
  [Enter MARDIAN]
  O! thy vile lady!
  She has robb'd me of my sword. 3005

• Mardian. No, Antony;
  My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled
  With thine entirely.

• Antony. Hence, saucy eunuch; peace!
  She hath betray'd me and shall die the death. 3010

• Mardian. Death of one person can be paid but once,
  And that she has discharged: what thou wouldst do
  Is done unto thy hand: the last she spake
  Was 'Antony! most noble Antony!'
  Then in the midst a tearing groan did break 3015
  The name of Antony; it was divided
  Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
  Thy name so buried in her.

• Antony. Dead, then?

• Mardian. Dead. 3020

• Antony. Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,
  And we must sleep.
  [To MARDIAN]
  That thou depart'st hence safe,
  Does pay thy labour richly; go. 3025
  [Exit MARDIAN]
  Off, pluck off:
  The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
  The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
  Heart, once be stronger than thy continent, 3030
  Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace.
  No more a soldier: bruised pieces, go;
  You have been nobly borne. From me awhile.
  [Exit EROS]
  I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and 3035
  Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
  All length is torture: since the torch is out,
  Lie down, and stray no farther: now all labour
  Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
  Itself with strength: seal then, and all is done. 3040
  Eros!—I come, my queen:—Eros!—Stay for me:
  Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
  And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:
  Dido and her AEneas shall want troops,
  And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros! 3045

[Re-enter EROS]

• Eros. What would my lord?

• Antony. Since Cleopatra died,
  I have lived in such dishonour, that the gods
  Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword 3050
  Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
  With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
  The courage of a woman; less noble mind
  Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
  'I am conqueror of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros, 3055
  That, when the exigent should come, which now
  Is come indeed, when I should see behind me
  The inevitable prosecution of
  Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,
  Thou then wouldst kill me: do't; the time is come: 3060
  Thou strikest not me, 'tis Caesar thou defeat'st.
  Put colour in thy cheek.

• Eros. The gods withhold me!
  Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
  Though enemy, lost aim, and could not? 3065

• Antony. Eros,
  Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see
  Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
  His corrigible neck, his face subdued
  To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat 3070
  Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
  His baseness that ensued?

• Eros. I would not see't.

• Antony. Come, then; for with a wound I must be cured.
  Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn 3075
  Most useful for thy country.

• Eros. O, sir, pardon me!

• Antony. When I did make thee free, sworest thou not then
  To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;
  Or thy precedent services are all 3080
  But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.

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

• Antony. Lo thee!

[Turning from him]

• Eros. My sword is drawn.

• Antony. Then let it do at once
  The thing why thou hast drawn it.

• Eros. My dear master,
  My captain, and my emperor, let me say, 3090
  Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.

• Antony. 'Tis said, man; and farewell.

• Eros. Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?

• Antony. Now, Eros.

• Eros. Why, there then: thus I do escape the sorrow 3095
  Of Antony's death.

[Kills himself]

• Antony. Thrice-nobler than myself!
  Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
  I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros 3100
  Have by their brave instruction got upon me
  A nobleness in record: but I will be
  A bridegroom in my death, and run into't
  As to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,
  Thy master dies thy scholar: to do thus 3105
  [Falling on his sword]
  I learn'd of thee. How! not dead? not dead?
  The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!

[Enter DERCETAS and Guard]

• First Guard. What's the noise? 3110

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

• Second Guard. The star is fall'n.

• First Guard. And time is at his period.

• All. Alas, and woe! 3115

• Antony. Let him that loves me strike me dead.

• First Guard. Not I.

• Second Guard. Nor I.

• Third Guard. Nor any one.

[Exeunt Guard]

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

[Enter DIOMEDES]

• Diomedes. Where's Antony? 3125

• Dercetas. There, Diomed there.

• Diomedes. Lives he?
  Wilt thou not answer, man?

[Exit DERCETAS]

• Antony. Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me 3130
  Sufficing strokes for death.

• Diomedes. Most absolute lord,
  My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

• Antony. When did she send thee?

• Diomedes. Now, my lord. 3135

• Antony. Where is she?

• Diomedes. Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying fear
  Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw—
  Which never shall be found—you did suspect
  She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage 3140
  Would not be purged, she sent you word she was dead;
  But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
  Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
  I dread, too late.

• Antony. Too late, good Diomed: call my guard, I prithee. 3145

• Diomedes. What, ho, the emperor's guard! The guard, what, ho!
  Come, your lord calls!

[Enter four or five of the Guard of MARK ANTONY]

• Antony. Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;
  'Tis the last service that I shall command you. 3150

• First Guard. Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
  All your true followers out.

• All. Most heavy day!

• Antony. Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
  To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome 3155
  Which comes to punish us, and we punish it
  Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:
  I have led you oft: carry me now, good friends,
  And have my thanks for all.

[Exeunt, bearing MARK ANTONY]