The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra

  DIOMEDES. Where's Antony?  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    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.  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 dispos'd with Caesar, and that your rage    Would not be purg'd, 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.  DIOMEDES. What, ho! the Emperor's guard! The guard, what ho!    Come, your lord calls!

Enter four or five of the guard of ANTONY

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

SCENE XV

Alexandria. A monument

Enter CLEOPATRA and her maids aloft, with CHARMIAN and IRAS  CLEOPATRA. O Charmian, I will never go from hence!  CHARMIAN. Be comforted, dear madam.  CLEOPATRA. 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    As that which makes it.

Enter DIOMEDES, below

    How now! Is he dead?  DIOMEDES. His death's upon him, but not dead.    Look out o' th' other side your monument;    His guard have brought him thither.

Enter, below, ANTONY, borne by the guard

  CLEOPATRA. O sun,    Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in! Darkling stand    The varying shore o' th' world. O Antony,    Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian; help, Iras, help;    Help, friends below! Let's draw him hither.  ANTONY. Peace!    Not Caesar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,    But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.  CLEOPATRA. So it should be, that none but Antony    Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!  ANTONY. I am dying, Egypt, dying; only    I here importune death awhile, until    Of many thousand kisses the poor last    I lay upon thy lips.  CLEOPATRA. I dare not, dear.    Dear my lord, pardon! I dare not,    Lest I be taken. Not th' imperious show    Of the full-fortun'd Caesar ever shall    Be brooch'd with me. If knife, drugs, serpents, have    Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe.    Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes    And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour    Demuring upon me. But come, come, Antony-    Help me, my women- we must draw thee up;    Assist, good friends.  ANTONY. O, quick, or I am gone.  CLEOPATRA. Here's sport indeed! How heavy weighs my lord!    Our strength is all gone into heaviness;    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,                          [They heave ANTONY aloft to CLEOPATRA]    And welcome, welcome! Die where thou hast liv'd.    Quicken with kissing. Had my lips that power,    Thus would I wear them out.  ALL. A heavy sight!  ANTONY. I am dying, Egypt, dying.    Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.  CLEOPATRA. No, let me speak; and let me rail so high    That the false huswife Fortune break her wheel,    Provok'd by my offence.  ANTONY. One word, sweet queen:    Of Caesar seek your honour, with your safety. O!  CLEOPATRA. They do not go together.  ANTONY. Gentle, hear me:    None about Caesar trust but Proculeius.  CLEOPATRA. My resolution and my hands I'll trust;    None about Caesar  ANTONY. 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 liv'd the greatest prince o' th' world,    The noblest; and do now not basely die,    Not 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.  CLEOPATRA. 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 sty? O, see, my women, [Antony dies]    The crown o' th' earth doth melt. My lord!    O, wither'd is the garland of the war,    The soldier's pole is fall'n! Young boys and girls    Are level now with men. The odds is gone,    And there is nothing left remarkable    Beneath the visiting moon. [Swoons]  CHARMIAN. O, quietness, lady!  IRAS. She's dead too, our sovereign.  CHARMIAN. Lady!  IRAS. Madam!  CHARMIAN. O madam, madam, madam!  IRAS. Royal Egypt, Empress!  CHARMIAN. Peace, peace, Iras!  CLEOPATRA. No more but e'en a woman, and commanded    By such poor passion as the maid that milks    And does the meanest chares. It were for me    To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;    To tell them that this world did equal theirs    Till they had stol'n our jewel. All's but nought;    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.    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 hearing off ANTONY'S body

ACT V. SCENE I

Alexandria. CAESAR'S camp

Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, MAECENAS, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, and others, his Council of War

  CAESAR. Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield;    Being so frustrate, tell him he mocks    The pauses that he makes.  DOLABELLA. Caesar, I shall. Exit

Enter DERCETAS With the sword of ANTONY

  CAESAR. Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar'st    Appear thus to us?  DERCETAS. 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 Caesar; if thou pleasest not,    I yield thee up my life.  CAESAR. What is't thou say'st?  DERCETAS. I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.  CAESAR. The breaking of so great a thing should make    A greater crack. 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 the name lay    A moiety of the world.  DERCETAS. He is dead, Caesar,    Not by a public 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. This is his sword;    I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd    With his most noble blood.  CAESAR. Look you sad, friends?    The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings    To wash the eyes of kings.  AGRIPPA. And strange it is    That nature must compel us to lament    Our most persisted deeds.  MAECENAS. His taints and honours    Wag'd equal with him.  AGRIPPA. A rarer spirit never    Did steer humanity. But you gods will give us    Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touch'd.  MAECENAS. When such a spacious mirror's set before him,    He needs must see himself.  CAESAR. O Antony,    I have follow'd thee to this! But we do lance    Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce    Have shown to thee such a declining day    Or look on 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 an EGYPTIAN

    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?  EGYPTIAN. A poor Egyptian, yet the Queen, my mistress,    Confin'd in all she has, her monument,    Of thy intents desires instruction,    That she preparedly may frame herself    To th' way she's forc'd to.  CAESAR. Bid her have good heart.    She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,    How honourable and how kindly we    Determine for her; for Caesar cannot learn    To be ungentle.  EGYPTIAN. So the gods preserve thee! Exit  CAESAR. 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 eternal in our triumph. Go,    And with your speediest bring us what she says,    And how you find her.  PROCULEIUS. Caesar, I shall. Exit  CAESAR. Gallus, go you along. Exit GALLUS    Where's Dolabella, to second Proculeius?  ALL. Dolabella!  CAESAR. 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 show in this. Exeunt

SCENE II

Alexandria. The monument

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN

  CLEOPATRA. My desolation does begin to make    A better life. 'Tis paltry to be Caesar:    Not being Fortune, he's but Fortune's knave,    A minister of her will; and it is great    To do that thing that ends all other deeds,    Which shackles accidents and bolts up change,    Which sleeps, and never palates more the dug,    The beggar's nurse and Caesar's.Enter, to the gates of the monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS, and soldiers  PROCULEIUS. Caesar sends greetings to the Queen of Egypt,    And bids thee study on what fair demands    Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.  CLEOPATRA. What's thy name?  PROCULEIUS. My name is Proculeius.  CLEOPATRA. Antony    Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but    I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd,    That have no use for trusting. If your master    Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him    That majesty, to keep decorum, must    No less beg than a kingdom. If he please    To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son,    He gives me so much of mine own as I    Will kneel to him with thanks.  PROCULEIUS. Be of good cheer;    Y'are fall'n into a princely hand; fear nothing.    Make your full reference freely to my lord,    Who is so full of grace that it flows over    On all that need. Let me report to him    Your sweet dependency, and you shall find    A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness    Where he for grace is kneel'd to.  CLEOPATRA. Pray you tell him    I am his fortune's vassal and I send him    The greatness he has got. I hourly learn    A doctrine of obedience, and would gladly    Look him i' th' face.  PROCULEIUS. This I'll report, dear lady.    Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied    Of him that caus'd it.  GALLUS. You see how easily she may be surpris'd.      Here PROCULEIUS and two of the guard ascend the       monument by a ladder placed against a window,       and come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the guard                unbar and open the gates    Guard her till Caesar come. Exit  IRAS. Royal Queen!  CHARMIAN. O Cleopatra! thou art taken, Queen!  CLEOPATRA. Quick, quick, good hands. [Drawing a dagger]  PROCULEIUS. Hold, worthy lady, hold, [Disarms her]    Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this    Reliev'd, but not betray'd.  CLEOPATRA. What, of death too,    That rids our dogs of languish?  PROCULEIUS. Cleopatra,    Do not abuse my master's bounty by    Th' undoing of yourself. Let the world see    His nobleness well acted, which your death    Will never let come forth.  CLEOPATRA. Where art thou, death?    Come hither, come! Come, come, and take a queen    Worth many babes and beggars!  PROCULEIUS. O, temperance, lady!  CLEOPATRA. Sir, I will eat no meat; I'll not drink, sir;    If idle talk will once be necessary,    I'll not sleep neither. This mortal house I'll ruin,    Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I    Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court,    Nor once be chastis'd with the sober eye    Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up,    And show me to the shouting varletry    Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt    Be gentle grave unto me! Rather on Nilus' mud    Lay me stark-nak'd, and let the water-flies    Blow me into abhorring! Rather make    My country's high pyramides my gibbet,    And hang me up in chains!  PROCULEIUS. You do extend    These thoughts of horror further than you shall    Find cause in Caesar.

Enter DOLABELLA

  DOLABELLA. Proculeius,    What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows,    And he hath sent for thee. For the Queen,    I'll take her to my guard.  PROCULEIUS. So, Dolabella,    It shall content me best. Be gentle to her.    [To CLEOPATRA] To Caesar I will speak what you shall please,    If you'll employ me to him.  CLEOPATRA. Say I would die.                                  Exeunt PROCULEIUS and soldiers  DOLABELLA. Most noble Empress, you have heard of me?  CLEOPATRA. I cannot tell.  DOLABELLA. Assuredly you know me.  CLEOPATRA. No matter, sir, what I have heard or known.    You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams;    Is't not your trick?  DOLABELLA. I understand not, madam.  CLEOPATRA. I dreamt there was an Emperor Antony-    O, such another sleep, that I might see    But such another man!  DOLABELLA. If it might please ye-  CLEOPATRA. His face was as the heav'ns, and therein stuck    A sun and moon, which kept their course and lighted    The little O, the earth.  DOLABELLA. Most sovereign creature-  CLEOPATRA. His legs bestrid the ocean; his rear'd arm    Crested the world. His voice was propertied    As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends;    But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,    He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty,    There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas    That grew the more by reaping. His delights    Were dolphin-like: they show'd his back above    The element they liv'd in. In his livery    Walk'd crowns and crownets; realms and islands were    As plates dropp'd from his pocket.  DOLABELLA. Cleopatra-  CLEOPATRA. Think you there was or might be such a man    As this I dreamt of?  DOLABELLA. Gentle madam, no.  CLEOPATRA. You lie, up to the hearing of the gods.    But if there be nor ever were one such,    It's past the size of drearning. Nature wants stuff    To vie strange forms with fancy; yet t' imagine    An Antony were nature's piece 'gainst fancy,    Condemning shadows quite.  DOLABELLA. Hear me, good madam.    Your loss is, as yourself, great; and you bear it    As answering to the weight. Would I might never    O'ertake pursu'd success, but I do feel,    By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites    My very heart at root.  CLEOPATRA. I thank you, sir.    Know you what Caesar means to do with me?  DOLABELLA. I am loath to tell you what I would you knew.  CLEOPATRA. Nay, pray you, sir.  DOLABELLA. Though he be honourable-  CLEOPATRA. He'll lead me, then, in triumph?  DOLABELLA. Madam, he will. I know't. [Flourish]                              [Within: 'Make way there-Caesar!']Enter CAESAR; GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MAECENAS, SELEUCUS, and others of his train  CAESAR. Which is the Queen of Egypt?  DOLABELLA. It is the Emperor, madam. [CLEOPATPA kneels]  CAESAR. Arise, you shall not kneel.    I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt.  CLEOPATRA. Sir, the gods    Will have it thus; my master and my lord    I must obey.  CAESAR. Take to you no hard thoughts.    The record of what injuries you did us,    Though written in our flesh, we shall remember    As things but done by chance.  CLEOPATRA. Sole sir o' th' world,    I cannot project mine own cause so well    To make it clear, but do confess I have    Been laden with like frailties which before    Have often sham'd our sex.  CAESAR. Cleopatra, know    We will extenuate rather than enforce.    If you apply yourself to our intents-    Which towards you are most gentle- you shall find    A benefit in this change; but if you seek    To lay on me a cruelty by taking    Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself    Of my good purposes, and put your children    To that destruction which I'll guard them from,    If thereon you rely. I'll take my leave.  CLEOPATRA. And may, through all the world. 'Tis yours, and we,    Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall    Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord.  CAESAR. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.  CLEOPATRA. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels,    I am possess'd of. 'Tis exactly valued,    Not petty things admitted. Where's Seleucus?  SELEUCUS. Here, madam.  CLEOPATRA. This is my treasurer; let him speak, my lord,    Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd    To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.  SELEUCUS. Madam,    I had rather seal my lips than to my peril    Speak that which is not.  CLEOPATRA. What have I kept back?  SELEUCUS. Enough to purchase what you have made known.  CAESAR. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve    Your wisdom in the deed.  CLEOPATRA. See, Caesar! O, behold,    How pomp is followed! Mine will now be yours;    And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine.    The ingratitude of this Seleucus does    Even make me wild. O slave, of no more trust    Than love that's hir'd! What, goest thou back? Thou shalt    Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes    Though they had wings. Slave, soulless villain, dog!    O rarely base!  CAESAR. Good Queen, let us entreat you.  CLEOPATRA. O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this,    That thou vouchsafing here to visit me,    Doing the honour of thy lordliness    To one so meek, that mine own servant should    Parcel the sum of my disgraces by    Addition of his envy! Say, good Caesar,    That I some lady trifles have reserv'd,    Immoment toys, things of such dignity    As we greet modern friends withal; and say    Some nobler token I have kept apart    For Livia and Octavia, to induce    Their mediation- must I be unfolded    With one that I have bred? The gods! It smites me    Beneath the fall I have. [To SELEUCUS] Prithee go hence;    Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits    Through th' ashes of my chance. Wert thou a man,    Thou wouldst have mercy on me.  CAESAR. Forbear, Seleucus. Exit SELEUCUS  CLEOPATRA. Be it known that we, the greatest, are misthought    For things that others do; and when we fall    We answer others' merits in our name,    Are therefore to be pitied.  CAESAR. Cleopatra,    Not what you have reserv'd, nor what acknowledg'd,    Put we i' th' roll of conquest. Still be't yours,    Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe    Caesar's no merchant, to make prize with you    Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd;    Make not your thoughts your prisons. No, dear Queen;    For we intend so to dispose you as    Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed and sleep.    Our care and pity is so much upon you    That we remain your friend; and so, adieu.  CLEOPATRA. My master and my lord!  CAESAR. Not so. Adieu.                           Flourish. Exeunt CAESAR and his train  CLEOPATRA. He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not    Be noble to myself. But hark thee, Charmian!                                             [Whispers CHARMIAN]  IRAS. Finish, good lady; the bright day is done,    And we are for the dark.  CLEOPATRA. Hie thee again.    I have spoke already, and it is provided;    Go put it to the haste.  CHARMIAN. Madam, I will.

Re-enter DOLABELLA

  DOLABELLA. Where's the Queen?  CHARMIAN. Behold, sir. Exit  CLEOPATRA. Dolabella!  DOLABELLA. Madam, as thereto sworn by your command,    Which my love makes religion to obey,    I tell you this: Caesar through Syria    Intends his journey, and within three days    You with your children will he send before.    Make your best use of this; I have perform'd    Your pleasure and my promise.  CLEOPATRA. Dolabella,    I shall remain your debtor.  DOLABELLA. I your servant.    Adieu, good Queen; I must attend on Caesar.  CLEOPATRA. Farewell, and thanks. Exit DOLABELLA    Now, Iras, what think'st thou?    Thou an Egyptian puppet shall be shown    In Rome as well as I. Mechanic slaves,    With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall    Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths,    Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded,    And forc'd to drink their vapour.  IRAS. The gods forbid!  CLEOPATRA. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras. Saucy lictors    Will catch at us like strumpets, and scald rhymers    Ballad us out o' tune; the quick comedians    Extemporally will stage us, and present    Our Alexandrian revels; Antony    Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see    Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness    I' th' posture of a whore.  IRAS. O the good gods!  CLEOPATRA. Nay, that's certain.  IRAS. I'll never see't, for I am sure mine nails    Are stronger than mine eyes.  CLEOPATRA. Why, that's the way    To fool their preparation and to conquer    Their most absurd intents.

Enter CHARMIAN

    Now, Charmian!    Show me, my women, like a queen. Go fetch    My best attires. I am again for Cydnus,    To meet Mark Antony. Sirrah, Iras, go.    Now, noble Charmian, we'll dispatch indeed;    And when thou hast done this chare, I'll give thee leave    To play till doomsday. Bring our crown and all.                                       Exit IRAS. A noise within    Wherefore's this noise?

Enter a GUARDSMAN

  GUARDSMAN. Here is a rural fellow    That will not be denied your Highness' presence.    He brings you figs.  CLEOPATRA. Let him come in. Exit GUARDSMAN    What poor an instrument    May do a noble deed! He brings me liberty.    My resolution's plac'd, and I have nothing    Of woman in me. Now from head to foot    I am marble-constant; now the fleeting moon    No planet is of mine.

Re-enter GUARDSMAN and CLOWN, with a basket

  GUARDSMAN. This is the man.  CLEOPATRA. Avoid, and leave him. Exit GUARDSMAN    Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there    That kills and pains not?  CLOWN. Truly, I have him. But I would not be the party thatshould    desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; thosethat    do die of it do seldom or never recover.  CLEOPATRA. 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 somethinggiven    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 shemakes    a very good report o' th' worm. But he that will believe allthat    they say shall never be saved by half that they do. But thisis    most falliable, the worm's an odd worm.  CLEOPATRA. Get thee hence; farewell.  CLOWN. I wish you all joy of the worm.                                          [Sets down the basket]  CLEOPATRA. Farewell.  CLOWN. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his    kind.  CLEOPATRA. Ay, ay; farewell.  CLOWN. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in thekeeping    of wise people; for indeed there is no goodness in the worm.  CLEOPATRA. Take thou no care; it shall be heeded.  CLOWN. Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is notworth    the feeding.  CLEOPATRA. 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 dishfor    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.  CLEOPATRA. Well, get thee gone; farewell.  CLOWN. Yes, forsooth. I wish you joy o' th' worm. Exit

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

  CLEOPATRA. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have    Immortal longings in me. Now no more    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 Caesar, 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?    If thus thou and nature can so gently part,    The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch,    Which hurts and is desir'd. Dost thou lie still?    If thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world    It is not worth leave-taking.  CHARMIAN. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain, that I may say    The gods themselves do weep.  CLEOPATRA. 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 an 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 dispatch. O couldst thou speak,    That I might hear thee call great Caesar ass    Unpolicied!  CHARMIAN. O Eastern star!  CLEOPATRA. Peace, peace!    Dost thou not see my baby at my breast    That sucks the nurse asleep?  CHARMIAN. O, break! O, break!  CLEOPATRA. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle-    O Antony! Nay, I will take thee too:                               [Applying another asp to her arm]    What should I stay- [Dies]  CHARMIAN. In this vile world? So, fare thee well.    Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies    A lass unparallel'd. 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