Another room in Cleopatra's Palace.
 Enter ANTONY and EROS.

Antony	Eros, thou yet behold'st me?

Eros									Ay, noble lord.

Antony	Sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish;
	A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,
	A towered citadel, a pendent rock,
	A forkd 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.

Antony	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.

Antony	My good knave 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, whilst it was mine, had annexed unto't
	A million more, now lost - she, Eros, has
	Packed cards with Caesar, and false-played my glory
	Unto an enemy's triumph.
	Nay, weep not, gentle Eros, there is left us
	Ourselves to end ourselves.

                              Enter MARDIAN.

								O, thy vile lady!
	She has robbed me of my sword.

Mardian										No, Antony;
	My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled
	With thine entirely.

Antony							Hence, saucy eunuch, peace!
	She hath betrayed me, and shall die the death.

Mardian	Death of one person can be paid but once,
	And that she has discharged. What thou wouldst 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 rendered life,
	Thy name so buried in her.

Antony							Dead, then?

Mardian										Dead.

Antony	Unarm, Eros: the long day's task is done,
	And we must sleep.
		[To MARDIAN.]	That thou depart'st hence safe
	Does pay thy labour richly. Go.
													[Exit MARDIAN.
										Off, pluck off!
	The sevenfold shield of Ajax cannot keep
	The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
	Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
	Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace!
	No more a soldier. Bruisd pieces, go;
	You have been nobly borne. - From me awhile.
													[Exit EROS.
	I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
	Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
	All length is torture. Since the torch is out
	Lie down and stray no farther. Now all labour
	Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
	Itself with strength. Seal then, and all is done.
	Eros! - I come, my queen - Eros! - Stay for me.
	Where souls do couch on flowers we'll hand in hand,
	And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze.
	Dido and her Aeneas shall want troops,
	And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!

                              Re-enter EROS.

Eros 	What would my lord?

Antony							Since Cleopatra died
	I have lived in such dishonour that the gods
	Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
	Quartered the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
	With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
	The courage of a woman; less noble mind
	Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
	"I am conqueror of myself". Thou art sworn, Eros,
	That when the exigent should come - which now
	Is come indeed - when I should see behind me
	The inevitable prosecution of
	Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,
	Thou then wouldst kill me. Do't, the time is come.
	Thou strik'st not me; 'tis Caesar thou defeat'st.
	Put colour in thy cheek.

Eros								The gods withhold me!
	Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
	Though enemy, lost aim and could not?

Antony										Eros,
	Wouldst thou be windowed in great Rome and see
	Thy master thus with pleached arms, bending down
	His corrigible neck, his face subdued
	To penetrative shame, whilst the wheeled seat
	Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
	His baseness that ensued?

Eros								I would not see't.

Antony	Come then; for with a wound I must be cured.
	Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
	Most useful for thy country.

Eros										O, sir, pardon me.

Antony	When I did make thee free, swor'st thou not then
	To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once,
	Or thy precedent services are all
	But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.

Eros	Turn from me then that noble countenance,
	Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.

Antony	Lo thee!
													[Turns from him.
Eros				My sword is drawn.

Antony									Then let it do at once
	The thing why thou hast drawn it.

Eros										My dear master,
	My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
	Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.

Antony	'Tis said, man; and farewell.

Eros	Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?

Antony										Now, Eros

Eros	Why, there then! Thus I do escape the sorrow
	Of Antony's death.
													[Kills himself.

Antony							Thrice-nobler than myself,
	Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
	I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
	Have by their brave instruction got upon me
	A nobleness in record. But I will be
	A bridegroom in my death, and run into't
	As to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,
	Thy master dies thy scholar. To do thus
													[Falls on his sword.
	I learned of thee. How? Not dead? Not dead?
	The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!

                 Enter a GUARD; DECRETAS following them.

1st Guard										What's the noise?

Antony	I have done my work ill, friends. O, make an end
	Of what I have begun.

2nd Guard							The star is fall'n.

1st Guard	And time is at his period.

All								Alas, and woe!

Antony	Let him that loves me strike me dead.

1st Guard										Not I!

2nd Guard	Nor I.

3rd Guard	Nor anyone.
													[Exeunt GUARD.

Decretas	Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.
	This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,
	Shall enter me with him.

                             Enter DIOMEDES.

Diomedes	Where's Antony?

Decretas				There, Diomed, there.

Diomedes										Lives he?
	Wilt thou not answer, man?
													[Exit DECRETAS.

Antony	Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me
	Sufficing strokes for death.

Diomedes								Most absolute lord,
	My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

Antony	When did she send thee?

Diomedes							Now, my lord,

Antony										Where is she?

Diomedes	Locked in her monument. She had a prophesying fear
	Of what hath come to pass; for when she saw-
	Which never shall be found - you did suspect
	She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
	Would not be purged, she sent you word she was dead;
	But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
	Me to proclaim the truth, and I am come,
	I dread, too late.

Antony	Too late, good Diomed. Call my guard, I prithee.

Diomedes	What ho! The emperor's guard! The guard, what ho!
	Come, your lord calls.

                Enter four or five of the GUARD of Antony.

Antony	Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;
	'Tis the last service that I shall command you.

1st Guard	Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
	All your true followers out.

All Guards									Most heavy day!

Antony	Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
	To grace it with your sorrows. Bid that welcome
	Which comes to punish us, and we punish it,
	Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up.
	I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,
	And have my thanks for all.
											[Exeunt, bearing ANTONY.

