The rids our dogs of languish ? Pro. Cleopatra, Do not abuse my master's bounty, by The undoing of yourself: let the world see His nobleness well acted, which your death Will never let come forth. Cleo. Where art thou, death? Come hither, come! Come, come, and take a queen Pro. O, temperance, lady! Cleo. Sir, I will at no meat, I'll not drink, Sir; I'll not sleep neither: this mortal house I'll ruin, Pro. You do extend These thoughts of horror further than you shall Enter DOLABELLA. Dol. Proculeius, What thou hast done thy master Cæsar knows, Pro. So, Dolabella, It shall content me best; be gentle to her. [Exeunt Proculeius, and Soldiers. Dol. Most noble empress, you have heard of me? Cleo. I cannot tell. Dol. Assuredly, you know me. Cleo. No matter, Sir, what I have heard, or You laugh, when boys, or women, tell their dreams; Dol. I understand not, madam. Cleo. I dream'd, there was an emperor Antony 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 were As plates dropp'd from his pocket. fancy; yet, to imagine An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, Condemning shadows quite. Dol. Hear me, good madam: Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it By the rebound of yours, a grief that shoots Cleo. I thank you, Sir. Know you, what Cæsar means to do with me? Dol. I am loth to tell you what I would you knew. You shall not kneel :- I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt. [Cleopatra kneels. Will have it thus; my master and my lord Cas. Take to you no hard thoughts: The record of what injuries you did us, Though written in our flesh, we shall remember Cleo. Sole Sir o' the world, I cannot project mine own cause so well Cas. Cleopatra, know, We will extenuate rather than enforce: If you apply yourself to our intents (Which towards you are most gentle), you shall find A benefit in this change; but if you seek Cleo. And may, through all the world: 'tis Your 'scutcheons, and your signs of conquest, shali Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord. Cas. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra. Cleo. This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued ; Not petty things admitted.-Where's Seleucus? Cleo. This is my treasurer; let him speak, my Upon his peril, that I have reserved To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Selencus. I had rather seel my lips, than, to my peril, Cleo. What have I kept back? Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made known. Cas. Nay, blush not, Cleopatra ; I approve Cleo. See, Cæsar! O, behold, How pomp is follow'd! Mine will now be yours; Even make me wild :-0 slave, of no more trust Cleo. Think you, there was, or might be, such a Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, Not what you have reserved, nor what acknowledged, Put we i' the roll of conquest: still be it yours, Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd; Iras. I'll never see it; for, I am sure, my nails To tool their preparation, and to conquer Shew me, my women, like a queen;-Go fetch To play till doomsday.-Bring our crown and all.. Guard. Here is a rural fellow, That will not be denied your highness' presence; He brings you figs. Cleo. Lei him come in. How poor an instrument Re-enter GUARD, with a CLOWN bringing a Basket. [Exit Guard. Make not your thoughts your prisons: no, dear Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, queen; For we intend so to dispose you, as Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep: [Exeunt Cæsar, and his Train. Cleo. He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not Be noble to myself: but hark thee, Charmian. Cleo. Hie thee again: I have spoke already, and it is provided; Go, put it to the haste. Char. Madamı, I will. Cleo. Dolabella, I shall remain your debtor. Dot. I your servant. Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Cæsar. Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shewn Cleo. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: Sancy lictors ** Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see That kills and pains not? Clown. Truly I have him: but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those, that do die of it, do seldom or never recover. Cleo. Remember'st thou any that have died on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them to longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but something given to lie; as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty: how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt,—Truly, she makes a very good report o' the worm: but he that will believe all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do: but this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm. Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell. Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm. Cleo. Farewell. [Clown sets down the Basket. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm wil do his kind s. Cleo. Ay, ay; farewell. Clown. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted, but in the keeping of wise 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 so simple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, these same whoreson 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; farewell. Clown. Yes, forsooth; I wish you joy of the [Exit. worm. Re-enter IRAs, with a Robe, Crown, &c. To praise my noble act; I hear him mock If thou and nature can so gently part, Which hurts, and is desired. Dost thou lie still? It is not worth leave-taking. Dol. Cæsar, thy thoughts Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I To see perform'd the dreaded act, which thou may say, The gods themselves do weep! Cleo. This proves me base: If she first meet the curled Antony, He'll make demand of her; and spend that kiss, Which is my heaven to have. wretch, Come, mortal [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, couldst thou speak! That I might hear thee call great Cæsar, ass Unpolicied! Char. O eastern star ! Cleo. Peace, peace! Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, 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. Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry : Enter the GUARD, rushing in. 1 Guard. Where is the queen? Char. Speak softly, wake her not. 1 Guard. Cæsar hath sent Char. Too slow a messenger. [Applies the Asp. O, come; apace, despatch: I partly feel thee." 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Cæsar's beguiled. 2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar; call him. So sought'st to hinder. Within. A way there, way for Cæsar! Enter CESAR, and Attendants. Dol. O, Sir, you are too sure an augurer; That you did fear, is done. Cas. Bravest at the last : She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, Took her own way.-The manner of their deaths? I do not see them bleed. Dol. Who was last with them? 1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought her This was his basket. [figs; Cas. Poison'd then. 1 Guard. O Cæsar, This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spake: And on the sudden dropp'd. Cas. O noble weakness! If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear Dol. Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood, and something blown; The like is on her arm. [leaves 1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and these fig Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves Upon the caves of Nile. Cas. Most probable, That so she died; for her physician tells me, • Graceful appearance. Tried experiments. [Exeunt. + Enfold. Enter KENT, GLOSTER, and EDMUND. Kent. I thought, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall. Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety t. Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? Glo. His breeding, Sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it. Kent. I cannot conceive you. Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-womb'd; and had, indeed, Sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper 1. Glo. But I have, Sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledg ed.-Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund? Edm. No, my lord. Glo. My noble of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend, Edm. My services to your lordship. Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better. Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again :-The king is coming. [Trumpet sound within. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster. Glo. I shall, my liege. [Exeunt Gloster and Edmund. Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker purpose §. Give me the map there.-Know, that we have divided, In three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent || To shake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger strengths, while we Part or division. § More secret. Most scrupulous nicety. Handsome. Determined resolution. Unburden'd crawl toward death.-Our son of And you, our no less loving son of Albany, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, ters, (Since now we will devest us, both of rule, Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? Gon. Sir, I Do love you more than words can wield the nour: As much as child e'er loved, or father found. Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister, sesses; Cor. So young, my lord, and true. Kent. See better, Lear; and let me still remain Lear. Now, by Apotio,- Laying his Hand on his Sword. Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear. Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow Lear, Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance hear me ! Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow To come betwixt our sentence and our power Lear. Let it be so.-Thy truth then be thy dower: Upon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day following, For, by the sacred radiance of the sun : The mysteries of Hecate, and the night; By all the operations of the orbs, From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Hold thee, from this for ever. The barbarous Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Kent. Good my liege, Lear. Peace, Kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath: sight! my So be my grave my peace, as here I give Call Burgundy.-Cornwall, and Albany, With my two daughter's dowers digest this third: That troop with majesty.-Ourself, by monthly Whom I have ever honour'd as my king, Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade man? Think'st thon, that duty shall have dread to speak, When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom; This hideous rashness: answer my life my judg ment, Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least; Lear. Kent, on thy life, no more. Kent. My hte I never held but as a pawn Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions, Kent. Fare thee well, king: since thus thou wilt Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.— [Exit. Re-enter GLOSTER; with FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and Attendants. Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. Lear. My lord of Burgundy, We first address towards you, who with this king I tell you all her wealth.-For you, great king, I would not from your love make such a stray, France. This is most strange! That she, that even but now was your best object, To wage against thine enemies; nor fear to lose it, That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd†† affection |