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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [996]

By Root 18609 0
hill near Alexandria

Enter ANTONY and SCARUS

ANTONY.

Yet they are not join'd. Where yond pine does stand

I shall discover all. I'll bring thee word

Straight how 'tis like to go. Exit

SCARUS. Swallows have built

In Cleopatra's sails their nests. The augurers

Say they know not, they cannot tell; look grimly,

And dare not speak their knowledge. Antony

Is valiant and dejected; and by starts

His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear

Of what he has and has not.

[Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight]

Re-enter ANTONY

ANTONY.

All is lost!

This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me.

My fleet hath yielded to the foe, and yonder

They cast their caps up and carouse together

Like friends long lost. Triple-turn'd whore! 'tis thou

Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart

Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly;

For when I am reveng'd upon my charm,

I have done all. Bid them all fly; begone. Exit SCARUS

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more!

Fortune and Antony part here; even here

Do we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts

That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave

Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets

On blossoming Caesar; and this pine is bark'd

That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am.

O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm-

Whose eye beck'd forth my wars and call'd them home,

Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end-

Like a right gypsy hath at fast and loose

Beguil'd me to the very heart of loss.

What, Eros, Eros!

Enter CLEOPATRA

Ah, thou spell! Avaunt!

CLEOPATRA.

Why is my lord enrag'd against his love?

ANTONY.

Vanish, or I shall give thee thy deserving

And blemish Caesar's triumph. Let him take thee

And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians;

Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot

Of all thy sex; most monster-like, be shown

For poor'st diminutives, for doits, and let

Patient Octavia plough thy visage up

With her prepared nails. Exit CLEOPATRA

'Tis well th'art gone,

If it be well to live; but better 'twere

Thou fell'st into my fury, for one death

Might have prevented many. Eros, ho!

The shirt of Nessus is upon me; teach me,

Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage;

Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o' th' moon,

And with those hands that grasp'd the heaviest club

Subdue my worthiest self. The witch shall die.

To the young Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall

Under this plot. She dies for't. Eros, ho! Exit

ACT_4|SC_13

SCENE XIII.

Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN

CLEOPATRA.

Help me, my women. O, he is more mad

Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly

Was never so emboss'd.

CHARMIAN.

To th'monument!

There lock yourself, and send him word you are dead.

The soul and body rive not more in parting

Than greatness going off.

CLEOPATRA.

To th' monument!

Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself;

Say that the last I spoke was 'Antony'

And word it, prithee, piteously. Hence, Mardian,

And bring me how he takes my death. To th' monument!

Exeunt

ACT_4|SC_14

SCENE XIV.

CLEOPATRA'S palace

Enter ANTONY and EROS

ANTONY.

Eros, thou yet behold'st me?

EROS.

Ay, noble lord.

ANTONY.

Sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish;

A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,

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;

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.

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-

Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine,

Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't

A million moe, now lost- she, Eros, has

Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory

Unto an enemy's triumph.

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros;

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