ACT IV.

A MASTER TAKING LEAVE OF HIS SERVANTS.

Tend me to-night;

May be it is the period of your duty:

*

Haply, you shall not see me more; or if,

A mangled shadow. perchance, to-morrow
You'll serve another master.

I look on you,

As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death:
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield† you for't!

EARLY RISING THE WAY TO EMINENCE.

This morning, like a spirit of a youth
That means to be of note, begins betimes.

ANTONY TO CLEOPATRA, AT HIS RETURN WITH
VICTORY.

O thou day o' the world,

`Chain mine arm'd neck: leap thou, attire and all, Through proof of harnesst to my heart, and there Ride on the pants triumphing.

LOATHED LIFE.

O sovereign mistress of true melancholy, The poisonous damp of night disponges upon me; That life, a very rebel of my will,

May hang no longer on me.

ANTONY'S DESPONDENCY.

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 Cesar; and this pine is bark'd,
That overtopp'd them all.

DEPARTING GREATNESS.

The soul and body rive|| not more in parting Than greatness going off.

Armour of proof.

§ Discharge, as a sponge when squeezed discharges the moisture it has imbibed.

II Split.

ANTONY'S REFLECTIONS ON HIS FADED GLORY.

Sometime, we see a cloud that's dragonish:
A vapour, sometimes, like a bear, or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendant 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.

Ant. 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.

Ant. My good knavet 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, while it was mine, had annex'd unto't
A million more, now lost,-she, Eros, has
Pack'd cards with Cesar, and false play'd my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph.—

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
Ourselves to end ourselves.

DESCRIPTION OF CLEOPATRA'S SUPPOSED DEATH.

Death of one person can be paid but once; And that she has discharged: What thou would'st do, Is done unto thy hand; the last she spake

Was Antony! most noble Antony!

Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
The name of Antony; it was divided

Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
Thy name so buried in her.

CLEOPATRA'S REFLECTIONS

ON THE DEATH OF

It were for me

ANTONY.

To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;

The fleeting clouds.

† Servant.

To tell them, that this world did equal theirs,
Till they had stolen our jewel. All's but naught:
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, Char mian?

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.

ACT V.

DEATH.

My desolation does begin to make
A better life: 'Tis paltry to be Cesar;
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 dung,
The beggar's nurse and Cesar's.

CLEOPATRA'S DREAM, AND DESCRIPTION OF ANTONY,
Cleo. I dream'd, there was an emperor Antony;-
O, such another sleep, that I might see

But such another man!

Dol.

If it might please you,

Cleo. His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck A sun, and moon; which kept their course, and lighted

The little O, the earth.

Dol.

Most sovereign creature,

Cleo. 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:

• Servant

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 lived in: In his livery

Walk'd crowns, and crownets; realms and islands

were

As platest dropp'd from his pocket.

FIRM RESOLUTION.

How 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.

CLEOPATRA'S SPEECH ON APPLYING THE ASP.
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 Cesar, 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.
Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall?

If 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 thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world
It is not worth leave-taking.

Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may

say,

† Silver money.

+ Inconstant.

* Crush.
§ Make haste.

This proves me base:

The gods themselves do weep!

Cleo.

If she first meet the curled Antony,

He'll make demands of her; and spend that kiss,
Which is my heaven to have. Come, mortal wretch
To the 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 despatch. O, could'st thou speak!
That I might hear thee call great Cesar, ass
Unpolicied!

Char.

Cleo.

O eastern star!

Peace, peace!

Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,
That sucks the nurse asleep?

Char.

O, break! O, break. Cleo. 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-- [Falls on a bed, and dies. Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well.Now boast thee, death! in thy possession lies A lass unparallel'd.

CORIOLANUS.

ACT I.

A MOB.

WHAT would you have, you curs,

That like nor peace, nor war? the one affrights yo
The other makes you proud. He that trusts you,
Where he should find you lions, finds you hares;
Where foxes, geese: You are no surer, no,
Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,

Or hails one in the sun. Your virtue is,

To make him worthy, whose offence subdues him, And curse that justice did it. Who deserves great

ness,

*Unpolitic to leave me to myself.