Thou know'st, that we two went to school together; lumnius. Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep ; Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest, [Alarum. Cry within, Fly, fly, fly. Cli. Fly, my lord, fly. Bru. Hence; I will follow thee. [Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius. I pr'ythee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord: Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it: Bru. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæsar, now be still: I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. [He runs on his sword, and dies. Alarum. Retreat. Enter Octavius, Antony, Messala, Lucilius, and their Army. Oct. What man is that? Mes. My master's man.-Strato, where is thy master? Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala; The conquerors can but make a fire of him; And no man else hath honour by his death. Luc. So Brutus should be found.-I thank thee, Brutus, That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true. Oct. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain* them. Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me? Stra. Ay, if Messala will prefer† me to you. Oct. Do So, Messala. Mes. How died my master, Strato? Stra. I held the sword, and he did run on it. Mes. Octavius, then take him to follow thee, That did the latest service to my master. Ant. This was the noblest Roman of them all : Did that they did in envy of great Cæsar; Oct. According to his virtue let us use him, [Exeunt. Of this tragedy many particular passages deserve regard, and the contention and reconcilement of Brutus and Cassius, is universally celebrated; but I have never been strongly agitated in perusing it, and think it somewhat cold and unaffecting, compared with some other of Shakspeare's plays: his adherence to the real story, and to the Roman manners, seem to have impeded the natural vigour of his genius.-JOHNSON. * Receive into my service. + Recommend. Taurus, lieutenant-general to Casar. Canidius, lieutenant-generul to Antony. Silius, an officer in Ventidius's army. Euphronius, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar. Alexas, Mardian, Seleucus, and Diomedes; attendants on Cleopatra. A Soothsayer. A Clown. Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. Octavia, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony. Charmian, attendants on Cleopatra. Iras, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. Scene, dispersed; in several parts of the Roman empire. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. ACT I. A SCENE I. Alexandria. 4 room in Cleopatra's palace. Enter Demetrius and Philo. Philo. NAY, but this dotage of our general's Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart, Flourish. Enter Antony and Cleopatra, with their trains; Eunuchs fanning her. Take but good note, and you shall see in him Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Cleo. I'll set a bourn† how far to be belov'd. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth. Enter an Attendant. Att. News, my good lord, from Rome. |