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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.

[Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies.

Have I the aspick 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

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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. 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 Cæsar, ass
Unpolicied!5

* Have I the aspick in my lips?] Are my lips poison'd by the aspick, that my kiss has destroyed thee?

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Dost fall?] Iras must be supposed to have applied an asp to her arm while her mistress was settling her dress, or I know not why she should fall so soon.

STEEVENS.

* He'll make demand of her;] He will enquire of her concerning me, and kiss her for giving him intelligence.

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Unpolicied!] i. e. an ass without more policy than to leave the means of death within my reach, and thereby deprive his triumph of its noblest decoration.

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Act V.Sc.II.(a room in the Monument, enter guards, rushing in:

1. Guard. Where is the Queen ?

Charmian.

Speak softly, wake her not.

Published by C&F Rivington. London. May 1. 1304.

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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 gen

tle,

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.-Downy windows, close;
And golden Phœbus never be beheld

Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry;
I'll mend it, and then play."

Enter the Guard, rushing in.

1 Guard. Where is the queen ? Char.

1 Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar.

Speak softly, wake her not.

Too slow a messenger. [Applies the Asp.

O, come; apace, despatch: I partly feel thee.

6

1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Cæsar's

beguil'd.

2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar ;call him.

- Downy windows, close ;] Charmian, in saying this must be conceived to close Cleopatra's eyes; one of the first ceremonies performed toward a dead body.

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and then play.] i. e. play her part in this tragick scene by destroying herself: or she may mean, that having performed her last office for her mistress, she will accept the permission given her before, to "play till doomsday."

1 Guard. What work is here? -Charmian, is this well done?

Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess

Descended of so many royal kings.

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[Dies.

Cæsar, thy thoughts

Touch their effects in this: Thyself art coming

To see perform'd the dreaded act, which thou

So sought'st to hinder.

Within.

A way there, way for Cæsar!

Enter CÆSAR, and Attendants.

Dol. O, sir, you are too sure an augurer;

That you did fear, is done.

Cæs. 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

figs; This was his basket.

Cæs.

1 Guard.

Poison'd then.

O Cæsar,

This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and spake:

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood,

And on the sudden dropp'd.

Cæs.

O noble weakness!

If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear

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