No better than a ftye? O fee, my women! And there is nothing left remarkable, Beneath the vifiting moon. Char. Oh, quietness, Lady! Iras. She's dead too, our fovereign. Char. Lady! Iras. Madam! Char. Oh Madam, Madam, Madam Iras. Royal Egypt! Emprefs! Char. Peace, peace, Iras. [She faints. Cleo. No more but a meer woman, and commanded By fuch poor paffion as the maid that milks, And does the meanest chares! It were for me To throw my fcepter at th' injurious Gods; To tell them, that this world did equal theirs, Ere death dare come to us? how do you, women? Come away, [Exeunt, bearing off Antony's body. ACT ACT V. SCENE, Cæfar's Camp. (32) Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Mecænas, Gallus, and Train. CESAR. NO to him, Dolabella, bid him yield; G Being fo frustrate, tell him, He mocks the pauses that he makes. Dol. Cæfar, I fhali. (33) [Exit Dolabella. (32) Enter Cæfar, Agrippa, Dolabella, and MenAS.] But Menas and Menecrates, we may remember, were the two famous Pirates link'd with Sextus Pompeins, and who assisted him to infeft the Italian Coast. We no where learn, exprefly in the Play, that Menas ever attach'd himself to Octavius's Party. Notwithstanding the old Folio's concur in marking the Entrance thus, yet in the two places in the Scene, where this Character is made to speak, they have mark'd in the Margin, MEC. fo that, as Dr Thirlby fagaciously conje&ur'd, we must cashier Menas, and substitute Mecanas in his Room. Menas, indeed, deferted to Cafar no less than twice, and was preferr'd by him. But then we are to confider, Alexandria was taken, and Antony kill'd himself, Anno U. C. 723. Menas made the fecond Revolt over to Augustus, U. C. 717: and the next Year was flain at the Siege of Belgrade in Pannonia, five Years before the Death of Antony. (33) Dol. Cæfar, I shall.] I make no Doubt, but it should be mark'd here, that Dolabella goes out. "Tis reasonable to imagine, he should presently depart, upon Cafar's Command; fo that the Speeches, placed to him in the Sequel of this Scene, must be transferr'd to Agrippa, or he is introduced as a Mute. Befides, that Dolabella fhould be gone out, appears from This, that when Cafar asks for him. he recollects that he had fent him on Bufinefs, Enter Enter Dercetas, with the fword of Antony. Caf. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, that dar'ft Appear thus to us? Der. I am call'd Dercetas ; Mark Antony I ferv'd, who beft was worthy To spend upon his haters. If thou please Caf. What is't thou fay'ft? Der. I fay, oh, Cæfar, Antony is dead. Cef. The breaking of fo great a thing should make A greater crack. The round world should have shook Lions into civil ftreets, and citizens Into their dens -The death of Antony Is not a fingle doom, in that name lay Der. He is dead, Cæfar, Not by a publick minifter of juftice, 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,. I robb'd his wound of it: behold it ftain'd With his moft noble blood. Caf. Look you fad, friends: The Gods rebuke me, but it is a tiding Agr. And frange it is, That nature muft compel us to lament Our moft perfified deeds. Mec. His taints and honours Weigh'd equal in him. Agr. A rarer fpirit never Did fteer humanity; but you Gods will give us Mec Mec. When fuch a fpacious mirror's fet before him, He needs muft fee himself. Caf. O Antony ! I've follow'd thee to this Diseases in our bodies. -but we do lance I must perforce Have fhewn to thee fuch a declining day, Our equalnefs to this. Hear me, good friends, Egypt. A poor Egyptian yet; the Queen my miftrefs, Confin'd in all she has, (her monument) Of thy intents desires instruction; That the preparedly may frame herself Caf. Bid her have good heart; She foon shall know of us, by fome of ours, How honourably and how kindly we Determine for her. For Cefar cannot live, To be ungentle. Egypt. May the Gods preferve thee! Caf. Come hither, Proculeius; go, and fay, We purpose her no fhame; give her what comforts Left in her greatnefs by fome mortal stroke [Exit. Pro Pro. Cafar, I fhall. [Exit Proculeius. Caf. Gallus, go you along;-where's Dolabella, To fecond Proculeius? All. Dolabella! [Exit Gallus. Caf. Let him alone; for I remember now, [Exeunt SCENE changes to the Monument. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, Mardian, and Se Cleo. M leucus, above. Y defolation does begin to make Enter Proculeius. Pro. Cafar fends Greeting to the Queen of Egypt, And bids thee study on what fair demands Thou mean'it to have him grant thee. Cleo. What's thy name? Pro. My name is Proculeius. Cleo. Antony Did tell me of you, bade me truft you, but I do not greatly care to be deceiv'd, That have no use for trufting. If your mafter Would have a Queen his beggar, you must tell him, No lefs beg than a Kingdom; if he please |