ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.
With one that

me

Beneath the fall I have. Pr'ythee, go hence;
[To SELEUCUS.
Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits
[CLEOPATRA kneels. Through the ashes of my chance-Wert thou a
Thou would'st have mercy on me.
Ces. Forbear, Seleucus.

man,

Scene II.

Enter CESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECENAS,
SELEUCUS, and Attendants.

Ces. Which is the queen
Of Egypt f

Mega

Del. Tis the emperor, madam.

Ces. Arise :

You shall not kneel:

I pray you, rise: rise, Egypt.

Cleo. Sir, the gods

Will have it thus; my master and my lord
I must obey.

Ces. Take to you no hard thoughts:
The record of what injuries you did us,
Though written in our flesh, we shall remember
As things but done by chance.

find

A benefit in this change: but if you seek
To lay on me a cruelty, by taking
Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself
Of my good purposes, and put your children
To that destruction which I'll guard them from,
If thereon you rely. I'll take my leave.

Cleo. And may, through all the world: 'tis
yours: and we

shall

[lord.
Your 'scutcheons, and your signs of conquest,
Hang in what place you please. Here, my good
Cer. You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra.
Clea. This is the brief of money, plate, and
jewels,
I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued;
Not petty things admitted.-Where's Seleucus ?
Sel. Here, madam.

Cles. This is my treasurer: let him speak, my
lord,

Upon his peril, that I have reserv'd
To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus.
Sel. Madam,

1 had rather seel+ my lips, than, to my peril,
Speak that which is not.

Cles. What have I kept back?

Sel. Enough to purchase what you have made

known.

I have bred? The gods! It sinites.

+ Sew up. Cour's wife and

mine.
The ingratitude of this Seleucus does

Te

make me wild:-O slave, of no more trust
love that's hir'd -What, goest thou
back 1-thou shalt
Back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes,
gh they had wings: Slave, soulless villain,
dog!
marely base!
Ces. Good queen, let us entreat you.
Cles. O Cesar, what a wounding shame is And forc'd to drink their vapour.

Iras. The gods forbid !

Cleo. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: Saucy
[mers
lictors +
Ballad us out o'tune: the quick comedians
Will catch at us, like strumpets! and scald rhy-
Extemporally will stage us, and present
Our Alexandrian revels: Antony

Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see
Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness
P'the posture of a whore.

+ Uncommonly.
Common.
Sister

6 Female characters

Iras. I never for it; for, I am sure, my Immortal longings in me: Now no more
The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this
nails
lip :-

Are stronger than mine eyes.
Cleo. Why that's the way

Yare, yare, ⚫ good Iras; quick.-Methinks, I

hear

To fool their preparation, and to conquer
Their most absurd intents.-Now, Charmian ?- Antony call; I see him rouse himself

Enter CHARMIAN.

Show me, my women, like a queen ;-Go fetch
My best attires;-I am again for Cydnus,
To meet Mark Antony :-Sirrah, Iras, go.-
Now, noble Charmian, we'll despatch indeed:
And, when thou hast done this chare, I'll give
thee leave

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.

To play till doomsday.-Bring our crown and all.
Wherefore's this noise?
[Erit IRAS. A Noise within.
Enter one of the GUARD.

Farwell, kind Charmian ;-Iras, long farewell.
[Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies.
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?

Guard. Here is a rural fellow,

That will not be denied your highness' pre- If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world
It is not worth leave-taking.

Char. Dissolve, thick cloud and rain; that I

sence: He brings you figs.

ment

Cleo. Let him come in. How poor an instru-
(Exit GUARD.
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.

Re-enter GUARD, with a CLOWN bringing a
Basket.
Guard. This is the man.

Cleo. Avoid, and leave him.

Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell.

Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm.
Cleo. Farewell.

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

[Exit GUARD. Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, 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. Remembers't thou any that have died on't f

O

Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterdaya 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.

kiss,

Which is my heaven to have. Come, mortal wretch,

[CLOWN sets down the Basket. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind. t

• Serpent.

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate
Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool,
Oh! could'st thou
Be angry, and despatch.

Act according to his nature.

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.

[To the Asp, which she applies to her Breast.

speak!
That I might hear thee call great Cesar, Ass
Unpolicied!

Char. O eastern star!

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 But, truly, gods, if the devil dress her not. these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five.

worm.

Cleo. Well, get thee gone: farewell.
Clown. Yes, forsooth; I wish you joy of the
[Exit.
Re-enter IRAs, with a Robe, Crown, &c.
Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I
have

Cleo. 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, is soft as air, as gentle,

Antony - Nay, I will take thee too :[Applying another Asp to her Arm. What should I stay

[Falls on a Bed and Dies. fare thee Char. In this wild world ?-So well.

Now boast thee, death! in thy possession lies
A lass unparallel'd.-Downy windows, close;
And golden Phoebus never be beheld
Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry;
I'll mend it, and then play.

CLEOPATRA

Del. Cesar, thy thoughts
Touch their effects in this Thyself art coming
To see perform'd the dreaded act, which thou
So songht'st to hinder.

Within. A way there, way for Cesar!

Enter CESAR, and Attendants.

Del. O Sir, you are too sure an augurer; That you did fear, is done.

Ces. 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.

she would catch another Antony In her strong toil of grace.

Ces. O noble weakness !

If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear
By external swelling; but she looks like sleep,

Dol. Here, on her breast,

There is a vent of blood, and something blown,
The like is on her arm.

1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and these
fig-leaves

Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves
Upon the caves of Nile.

Del. Who was last with them?

1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought She shall be buried by her Antony:

her figs :

This was his basket.

Ces. Poison'd then.

Ces. Most probable,

That so she died; for her physician tells me,
She had pursu'd conclusions + infinite

Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed;
And bear her women from the monument :-

1 Guard. O Cesar,

This Charmian lived but now; she stood, and Brought them to be lamented.

spake:

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood,
And on the sadden dropp'd.

No grave upon the earth shall clip in it
A pair so famous. High events as these
Strike those that make them, and their story is
No less in pity, than his glory, which

Our army shall,

In solemn show, attend the funeral;
And then to Rome.-Come, Dolabella, see
High order in this great solemnity.

Some part of the flesh puffed. + Tried experiments.

[Exeunt

Enfold.

TITUS ANDRONICUS.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE.

AS it is intended, in the present collection of Shakspeare's Dramatic Works, to present in regular succession all such as have the scenery, characters, or manners, drawn from the same country, the sanguinary and disgusting Tragedy of Titus Andronicus is placed in immediate sequence to those that are essentially of Roman origin. The events, however, are not of historical occurrence, but were probably borrowed from an old ballad entered on the books of the Stationers' Company in the year 1593, about which period it may also have been written. Its identity, however, as one of Shakspeare's productions, rests on a very doubtful foundation. Dr. Percy supposes it only to have been corrected and re-touched by aim; but, says Dr. Johnson, "I do not find his touches very discernible." It is devoid of any striking sentiment it has none of the philosophic stateliness which generally distinguishes his plays---the anachronisms are gross---the language throughout is a tumid and laboured as the plot is horrid and unnatural ;---and the only approach to energy discernible in the play, occurs in the scene between Aaron, the nurse, and Demetrius. Indeed, there is internal evidence enough (in the versification, the character of the composition, the total difference of conduct, language, and sentiment, and also in its resemblance to several dramas of much more ancient date) to prove, with irresist ible force, that it has been erroneously ascribed to Shakspeare. Dr. Johnson says, "All the editors and critics agree with Mr. Theobald in supposing this play spurious. I see no reason for differing from them; for the colour of the style is wholly different from that of the other play, and there is an attempt at regular ver sification and artificial closes, not always inelegant, yet seldom pleasing. The barbarity of the spectacle, and the general massacre which are here exhibited, can scarcely be conceived tolerable to any audience; yet we are told by Jonson, that they were not only borne but applauded. That Shakspeare wrote any part, though Theobald declares it incontestible, I see no reason for believing."

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

SATURNINUS, Son to the late Emperor of Rome, EMILIUS, a noble Roman.
and afterwards declared Emperor
himself.
BASSIANUS, Brother to Saturninus: in love
with Lavinia.
TITUS ANDRONICUs, a noble Roman, General
against the Goths.

ALARBUS,
CHIRON,
DEMETRIUS,

Sons to Tamora.

AARON, a Moor, beloved by Tamora.
A CAPTAIN, TRIBUNE, MESSENGER, and CLOWN;
Romans.
Goths and Romans.

MARCUS ANDRONICUS, Tribune of the People;
and Brother to Titus.

LUCIUS,
QUINTUS,
MARTIUS,
MUTIUS,

YOUNG LUCIUS, a Boy, Son to Lucius.
PUBLIUS, Son to Marcus the Tribune.

}

Sons to Titus Andronicus.

TAMORA, Queen of the Goths.
LAVINIA, Daughter to Titus Andronicus.
A NURSE, and A BLACK CHILD.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Rome.-Before the Capitol. The tomb of the ANDRONICI appearing; the TRIBUNES and SENATORS aloft, as in the Senate. Enter, below, SATURNINUS and his Followers, on one side; and BASSIANUS and his Followers on the other; with Drum and Colours.

Kinsmen of Titus, Senators, Tribunes, Officers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

SCENE: Rome, and the Country near it.

Keep then this passage to the Capitol :
And suffer not dishonour to approach
The imperial seat, to virtue consecrate,
But let desert in pure election shine;
To justice, continence, and nobility:
And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.
Enter MARCUS ANDRONICUS, aloft, with the

Crown.

Mar. Princes, that strive by factions and by friends, Ambitiously for rule and empery,—

Know, that the people of Rome, for whom we stand

Sat. Noble patricians, patrons of my right,
Defend the justice of my cause with arms;
And, countrymen, my loving followers,
Plead my successive title with your swords:
I am his first-born son, that was the last
That wore the imperial diadem of Rome,
Then let my father's honours live in me,
Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.

Bas. Romans, friends, followers, favourers of A nobler man, a braver warrior,
of my right,-
If ever Bassianus, Cesar's son,
Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,

• My title to the succession.

A special party, have, by their common voice,
In election for the Roman empery,
Chosen Andronicus, surnamed Pius

For many good and great deserts to Rome;

Lives not this day within the city walls:
He by the senate is accited hoine,
From weary wars against the barbarous Goths,

• Summoned.

In peace and honour rest you here, my sons.
Rome's readiest champions, repose you here,

her Goths have given me leave to sheath my Secure from worldly chances and mishaps!
Here lurks no treason, here no envy swells,
Here grow no damned grudges, here are no

storms.