fhould not do, but in the way of honefty. How she dy'd of the biting of it, what pain fhe felt! truly, fhe makes a very good report o' th' worm: but he, that will believe all that they fay, fhall never be faved by half that they do. But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm.

Cleo. Get thee hence, farewel.

Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm.

Cleo. Farewel.

Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind.

Cleo. Ay, ay, farewel.

Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trufted but in the keeping of wife 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 fo fimple, but I know, the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a difh for the Gods, if the devil drefs her not. But, truly, these fame whore-fon 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, farewel.

Clown. Yes, forfooth, I wish you joy o'th' worm. [Exit.

9 but he, that will believe all that they fay, fhall never be faved by half that they do:] Shakepeare's Clowns are always jokers, and deal in fly fatire. It is plain this must be read the con

trary way, and all and half change places. WARBURTON.

I will do his kind.] The ferpent will act according to his na

ture.

SCENE

Cleo. Give me my Robe, put on my Crown; I

have

Immortal Longings in me. Now no more
The juice of Egypt's grape fhall moift this lip.
Yare, yare, good Iras; quick. Methinks, I hear
Antony call, I fee him roufe himself.

To praife my noble act. I hear him mock
The luck of Cafar, which the Gods give men:
T'excuse their after-wrath. Hufband, I come;
Now to that name my courage prove my title!
I am fire, and air; my other elements

I give to bafer life. So have you done?
Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips.
Farewel, kind Charmion. Iras, long farewel.

[To Iras.

[Applying the afp. Have I the afpick in my lips? dost fall? If thou and nature can fo gently part, The ftroke of death is as a lover's pinch, Which hurts, and is defir'd. Doft thou lie ftill ? If thus thou vanifheft, thou tell'st the world,

It is not worth leave-taking.

[Iras dies. Char. Diffolve, thick Cloud, and rain, that I may

fay,

The Gods themselves do weep.

Cleo. This proves me base

If fhe first meet the curled Antony,

2 He'll make demand of her, and spend that kifs,

Which is my heav'n to have.

Come, mortal wretch, With thy fharp teeth this knot intrinficate

[To the ferpent. Of life at once untie; poor venomous fool, Be angry, and dispatch. Oh, couldft thou speak,

2 He'll make demand of her,-] He will enquire of her concern

ing me, and kifs her for giving him intelligence.

That

That I might hear thee call great Cæfar afs,
Unpolicied!

Char. Oh eastern star !

Cleo. Peace, peace!

Doft thou not fee my baby at my breast,

That fucks the nurse afleep?

Char. O break! O break!

Cleo. As fweet as balm, as foft as air, as gentle, 30 Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too.

[Applying another Afp to her arm. What fhould I ftay, [Dies. Char. In this wild world? fo, fare thee well. Now, boast thee, Death; in thy poffeffion lies A lafs unparallel'd. Downy windows, clofe; And golden Phabus never be beheld

Of eyes again fo royal! 4 Your Crown's awry;
I'll mend it, and then play-

Enter the Guard, rushing in.

1 Guard. Where is the Queen ?
Char. Speak foftly, wake her not.
I Guard. Cafar hath fent-
Char. Too flow a meffenger.

[Charmion applies the afp. Oh, come. Apace, dispatch. I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! all's not well. Cefar's

beguil❜d.

2 Guard. There's Dolabella fent from Cæfar. Call him.

3 O Antony! nay, I will take

thee too. As there has been hitherto no break in this verse, nor any marginal direction, thee neceffarily must feem to refer to Antony. But Cleopatra is here defigned to apply one afpick to as fhe had before clap'd

her arm,

4

one to her breaft. And the laft speech of Dolabella in the Flay is a confirmation of this.

The like is on her arm. THEOB. 4 Your Crown's awry ;] This is well amended by the editors. The old editions had, -Your Crown's away. 1 Guard.

1 Guard. What work is here, Charmion? Is this well done?

Char. It is well done, and fitting for a Princess Defcended of fo many royal Kings.

Ah, foldiers!

Enter Dolabella.

[Charmian dies.

Dol. How goes it here?

2 Guard. All dead!

Dol. Cafar, thy thoughts

Touch their effects in this; thyself art coming
To fee perform'd the dreaded act, which thou
So fought'ft to hinder.

Enter Cæfar and Attendants.

All. Make way there, make way for Cæfar. Dol. Oh, Sir, you are too fure an augurer; That, you did fear, is done.

Caf. Braveft at laft:

She levell❜d at our purpose, and, being royal,
Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?-
I do not fee them bleed.

Dol. Who was laft with them?

1 Guard. A fimple countryman, that brought her figs:

This was his basket.

Cef. Poifon'd then!

1 Guard. Oh Cæfar!

This Charmion liv'd but now, fhe flood and spake:
I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead miftrefs; tremblingly fhe ftood,
And on the fudden dropt.

Caf. Oh noble weakness!

If they had twallow'd poifon, 'twould appear
By external fwelling; but the looks like sleep;
As fhe would catch another Antony

.

In her ftrong toil of grace.

Dol. Here, on her breast,

There is a vent of blood, and 5 something blown;
The like is on her arm.

Guard. This is an afpick's trail; and these fig-
leaves

Have flime upon them, fuch as th' afpick leaves
Upon the caves of Nile.

Caf. Moft probable,

That fo fhe dy'd; for her physician tells me,
She has purfu'd conclufions infinite

Of eafy 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 fhall clip in it
A pair fo famous. High events as these
Strike thofe that make them; and their story is
No lefs in pity, than his glory, which

Brought them to be lamented. Our army fhall,
In folemn fhew, attend this funeral;
And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, fee
High order in this great folemnity.

something blown ;] The fleth is fomewhat puffed or fwoin.

THIS Play keeps curiofity always bufy, and the paffions always interefted. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick fucceffion of one perfonage to another, call the mind forward without intermiffion from the firft Act to the laft. But the power of delight. ing is derived principally from the frequent changes of the fcene; for, except the feminine arts, fome of which are too low, which diftinguish Cleopatra, no

4

[Exeunt omnes.

character is very ftrongly difcriminated. Upton, who did not eafily miss what he defired to find, has difcovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and fuperb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not diftinguishable from that of others: the most tumid speech in the Play is that which Cefar makes to Octavia.

The events, of which the prin- . cipal are defcribed according to hiftory, are produced without any art of connection or care of difpofition.

CYM BE