Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend

But resolution, and the briefest end.

[Exeunt; those above bearing off Antony's body.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Casar's camp before Alexandria.

Enter CESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA,

GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, and others.

MECENAS,

Ca. Go to him, Dolabella; bid him yield: Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks us by The pauses that he makes.

Dol.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exit Dolabella.

Enter DERCETAS, with the sword of Antony.

Ca. Wherefore is that? and what art thou, that darest

Appear thus to us?

Der.

I am call'd Dercetas ;

Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy

Best to be served: 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 Cæsar; if thou pleasest not,
I yield thee up my life.

Cœ.

What is 't thou say'st?

Der. I say, O Cæsar, Antony is dead.

Is not a single doom; in the name lay

A moiety of the world.

Der.

He is dead, Cæsar;

Not by a public minister of justice,

Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,
Which writ his honor 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.

The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings

To wash the eyes of kings.

Agr.

Look you sad, friends?

And strange it is,

That nature must compel us to lament

Our most persisted deeds.

Mec.

Waged equal with him.1

His taints and honors

A rarer spirit never

Agr.
Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us
Some faults to make us men. Cæsar is touch'd.

1 Were opposed to each other in just proportions.

Mec. When such a spacious mirror's set before

him,

He needs must see himself.

Cœ.

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 1 thoughts did kindle,-that our

stars,

Unreconciliable, should divide

Our equalness to this.-Hear me, good friends;
But I will tell you at some meeter season.

Enter MESSEnger.

The business of this man looks out of him;

We'll hear him what he says.-Whence are you? Mes. A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mis

tress,

Confined in all she has, her monument,

Of thy intents desires instruction;

That she preparedly may frame herself

1 For its.

To the way she's forced to.

Cœ.

Bid her have good heart;

She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honorable and how kindly we

Determine for her; for Cæsar cannot live
To be ungentle.

Mes.

So the gods preserve thee!

Ca. Come hither, Proculeius: go, and say,

[Exit.

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 of her.

Pro.

Cæsar, I shall. [Exit Proculeius. Ca. Gallus, go you along.-Where 's Dolabella, To second Proculeius?

[Exit Gallus.

Ca. 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. A room in the monument.

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS.

Cle. My desolation does begin to make
A better life: 'tis paltry to be Cæsar;
Not being Fortune, he's but Fortune's knave,1
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 dung,
The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's.

Enter, to the gates of the monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS, and Soldiers.

Pro. Cæsar sends greeting to the queen of

Egypt;

And bids thee study on what fair demands

Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.

Cle. [within.]

Pro. My name is Proculeius.

Cle. [within.]

What's thy name?

Antony

Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but

I do not greatly care to be deceived,

That have no use for trusting. If your master

Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,

1 Servant.