_Enter_
CHARMION
_and_ IRAS.
Dryden - Complete
Before Octavia went, you might have treated:
Now 'twill look tame, and would not be received.
Come, rouse yourself, and let's die warm together.
_Ant. _ I will not fight: there's no more work for war.
The business of my angry hours is done.
_Vent. _ Cæsar is at your gates.
_Ant. _ Why, let him enter;
He's welcome now.
_Vent. _ What lethargy has crept into your soul?
_Ant. _ 'Tis but a scorn of life, and just desire
To free myself from bondage.
_Vent. _ Do it bravely.
_Ant. _ I will; but not by fighting. O, Ventidius!
What should I fight for now? my queen is dead.
I was but great for her; my power, my empire,
Were but my merchandise to buy her love;
And conquered kings, my factors. Now she's dead,
Let Cæsar, take the world,--
An empty circle, since the jewel's gone
Which made it worth my strife: my being's nauseous;
For all the bribes of life are gone away.
_Vent. _ Would you be taken?
_Ant. _ Yes, I would be taken;
But, as a Roman ought,--dead, my Ventidius:
For I'll convey my soul from Cæsar's reach,
And lay down life myself. 'Tis time the world
Should have a lord, and know whom to obey.
We two have kept its homage in suspence,
And bent the globe, on whose each side we trod,
Till it was dented inwards. Let him walk
Alone upon't: I'm weary of my part.
My torch is out; and the world stands before me,
Like a black desert at the approach of night:
I'll lay me down, and stray no farther on.
_Vent. _ I could be grieved,
But that I'll not out-live you: chuse your death;
For, I have seen him in such various shapes,
I care not which I take: I'm only troubled,
The life I bear is worn to such a rag,
'Tis scarce worth giving. I could wish, indeed,
We threw it from us with a better grace;
That, like two lions taken in the toils,
We might at last thrust out our paws, and wound
The hunters that inclose us.
_Ant. _ I have thought on it.
Ventidius, you must live.
_Vent. _ I must not, sir.
_Ant. _ Wilt thou not live, to speak some good of me?
To stand by my fair fame, and guard the approaches
From the ill tongues of men?
_Vent. _ Who shall guard mine,
For living after you?
_Ant. _ Say, I command it.
_Vent. _ If we die well, our deaths will speak themselves,
And need no living witness.
_Ant. _ Thou hast loved me,
And fain I would reward thee. I must die;
Kill me, and take the merit of my death,
To make thee friends with Cæsar.
_Vent. _ Thank your kindness.
You said I loved you; and, in recompence,
You bid me turn a traitor:--Did I think
You would have used me thus? that I should die
With a hard thought of you?
_Ant. _ Forgive me, Roman.
Since I have heard of Cleopatra's death,
My reason bears no rule upon my tongue,
But lets my thoughts break all at random out.
I've thought better; do not deny me twice.
_Vent. _ By heaven I will not.
Let it not be to out-live you.
_Ant. _ Kill me first,
And then die thou; for 'tis but just thou serve
Thy friend, before thyself.
_Vent. _ Give me your hand.
We soon shall meet again. Now, farewell, emperor! -- [_Embrace. _
Methinks that word's too cold to be my last:
Since death sweeps all distinctions, farewell, friend!
That's all--
I will not make a business of a trifle:
And yet I cannot look on you, and kill you;
Pray turn your face.
_Ant. _ I do: strike home, be sure.
_Vent. _ Home, as my sword will reach. [_Kills himself. _
_Ant. _ O thou mistak'st;
That wound was none of thine: give it me back:
Thou robb'st me of my death.
_Vent. _ I do indeed;
But think 'tis the first time I e'er deceived you,
If that may plead my pardon. --And you, gods,
Forgive me, if you will; for I die perjured,
Rather than kill my friend. [_Dies. _
_Ant. _ Farewell! Ever my leader, even in death!
My queen and thou have got the start of me,
And I'm the lag of honour. --Gone so soon?
Is death no more? he used him carelessly,
With a familiar kindness: ere he knocked,
Ran to the door, and took him in his arms,
As who should say--You're welcome at all hours,
A friend need give no warning. Books had spoiled him;
For all the learned are cowards by profession.
'Tis not worth
My farther thought; for death, for aught I know,
Is but to think no more. Here's to be satisfied.
[_Falls on his sword. _
I've mist my heart. O unperforming hand!
Thou never could'st have erred in a worse time.
My fortune jades me to the last; and death,
Like a great man, takes state, and makes me wait
For my admittance. -- [_Trampling within. _
Some, perhaps, from Cæsar:
If he should find me living, and suspect
That I played booty with my life! I'll mend
My work, ere they can reach me. [_Rises upon his knees. _
_Enter_ CLEOPATRA, CHARMION, _and_ IRAS.
_Cleo. _ Where is my lord? where is he?
_Char. _ There he lies,
And dead Ventidius by him.
_Cleo. _ My fears were prophets; I am come too late.
O that accursed Alexas! [_Runs to him. _
_Ant. _ Art thou living?
Or am I dead before I knew, and thou
The first kind ghost that meets me?
_Cleo. _ Help me seat him.
Send quickly, send for help! [_They place him in a chair. _
_Ant. _ I am answered.
We live both. Sit thee down, my Cleopatra:
I'll make the most I can of life, to stay
A moment more with thee.
_Cleo. _ How is it with you?
_Ant. _ 'Tis as with a man
Removing in a hurry; all packed up,
But one dear jewel that his haste forgot;
And he, for that, returns upon the spur:
So I come back for thee.
_Cleo. _ Too long, ye heavens, you have been cruel to me:
Now show your mended faith, and give me back
His fleeting life!
_Ant. _ It will not be, my love;
I keep my soul by force.
Say but, thou art not false.
_Cleo. _ 'Tis now too late
To say I'm true: I'll prove it, and die with you.
Unknown to me, Alexas feigned my death:
Which, when I knew, I hasted to prevent
This fatal consequence. My fleet betrayed
Both you and me.
_Ant. _ And Dolabella--
_Cleo. _ Scarce esteemed before he loved; but hated now.
_Ant. _ Enough: my life's not long enough for more.
Thou say'st, thou wilt come after: I believe thee;
For I can now believe whate'er thou sayest,
That we may part more kindly.
_Cleo. _ I will come:
Doubt not, my life, I'll come, and quickly too:
Cæsar shall triumph o'er no part of thee.
_Ant. _ But grieve not, while thou stayest,
My last disastrous times:
Think we have had a clear and glorious day;
And heaven did kindly to delay the storm,
Just till our close of evening. Ten years love,
And not a moment lost, but all improved
To the utmost joys,--what ages have we liv'd?
And now to die each others; and, so dying,
While hand in hand we walk in groves below,
Whole troops of lovers' ghosts shall flock about us,
And all the train be ours.
_Cleo. _ Your words are like the notes of dying swans,
Too sweet to last. Were there so many hours
For your unkindness, and not one for love?
_Ant. _ No, not a minute. --This one kiss--more worth
Than all I leave to Cæsar. [_Dies. _
_Cleo. _ O, tell me so again,
And take ten thousand kisses for that word.
My lord, my lord! speak, if you yet have being;
Sign to me, if you cannot speak; or cast
One look! Do any thing, that shows you live.
_Iras. _ He's gone too far to hear you;
And this you see, a lump of senseless clay,
The leavings of a soul.
_Char. _ Remember, madam,
He charged you not to grieve.
_Cleo. _ And I'll obey him.
I have not loved a Roman, not to know
What should become his wife; his wife, my Charmion!
For 'tis to that high title I aspire;
And now I'll not die less. Let dull Octavia
Survive, to mourn him dead: My nobler fate
Shall knit our spousals with a tie, too strong
For Roman laws to break.
_Iras. _ Will you then die?
_Cleo. _ Why should'st thou make that question?
_Iras. _ Cæsar is most merciful.
_Cleo. _ Let him be so
To those that want his mercy: My poor lord
Made no such covenant with him, to spare me
When he was dead. Yield me to Cæsar's pride?
What! to be led in triumph through the streets,
A spectacle to base plebeian eyes;
While some dejected friend of Antony's,
Close in a corner, shakes his head, and mutters
A secret curse on her, who ruined him!
I'll none of that.
_Char. _ Whatever you resolve,
I'll follow, even to death.
_Iras. _ I only feared
For you; but more should fear to live without you.
_Cleo. _ Why, now, 'tis as it should be. Quick, my friends,
Despatch; ere this, the town's in Cæsar's hands:
My lord looks down concerned, and fears my stay,
Lest I should be surprised;
Keep him not waiting for his love too long.
You, Charmion, bring my crown and richest jewels;
With them, the wreath of victory I made
(Vain augury! ) for him, who now lies dead:
You, Iras, bring the cure of all our ills.
_Iras. _ The aspicks, madam?
_Cleo. _ Must I bid you twice? [_Ex. _ CHAR. _and_ IRAS.
'Tis sweet to die, when they would force life on me,
To rush into the dark abode of death,
And seize him first; if he be like my love,
He is not frightful, sure.
We're now alone, in secresy and silence;
And is not this like lovers? I may kiss
These pale, cold lips; Octavia does not see me:
And, oh! 'tis better far to have him thus,
Than see him in her arms. --O welcome, welcome!
_Enter_ CHARMION _and_ IRAS.
_Char. _ What must be done?
_Cleo. _ Short ceremony, friends;
But yet it must be decent. First, this laurel
Shall crown my hero's head: he fell not basely,
Nor left his shield behind him. --Only thou
Could'st triumph o'er thyself; and thou alone
Wert worthy so to triumph.
_Char. _ To what end
These ensigns of your pomp and royalty?
_Cleo. _ Dull, that thou art! why,'tis to meet my love;
As when I saw him first, on Cydnos' bank,
All sparkling, like a goddess: so adorned,
I'll find him once again; my second spousals
Shall match my first in glory. Haste, haste, both,
And dress the bride of Antony.
_Char. _ 'Tis done.
_Cleo. _ Now seat me by my lord. I claim this place;
For I must conquer Cæsar too, like him,
And win my share of the world. --Hail, you dear relicks
Of my immortal love!
O let no impious hand remove you hence;
But rest for ever here! Let Egypt give
His death that peace, which it denied his life. --
Reach me the casket.
_Iras. _ Underneath the fruit the aspick lies.
_Cleo. _ Welcome, thou kind deceiver! [_Putting aside the leaves. _
Thou best of thieves; who, with an easy key,
Dost open life, and, unperceived by us,
Even steal us from ourselves; discharging so
Death's dreadful office, better than himself;
Touching our limbs so gently into slumber,
That death stands by, deceived by his own image,
And thinks himself but sleep.
_Serap. _ The queen, where is she? [_Within. _
The town is yielded, Cæsar's at the gates.
_Cleo. _ He comes too late to invade the rights of death.
Haste, bare my arm, and rouse the serpent's fury.
[_Holds out her arm, and draws it back. _
Coward flesh,
Would'st thou conspire with Cæsar to betray me,
As thou wert none of mine? I'll force thee to it,
And not be sent by him,
But bring myself, my soul, to Antony.
[_Turns aside, and then shows her arm bloody. _
Take hence; the work is done.
_Serap. _ Break ope the door, [_Within. _
And guard the traitor well.
_Char. _ The next is ours.
_Iras. _ Now, Charmion, to be worthy
Of our great queen and mistress. [_They apply the aspicks. _
_Cleo. _ Already, death, I feel thee in my veins:
I go with such a will to find my lord,
That we shall quickly meet.
A heavy numbness creeps through every limb,
And now 'tis at my head: My eye-lids fall,
And my dear love is vanished in a mist.
Where shall I find him, where? O turn me to him,
And lay me on his breast! --Cæsar, thy worst;
Now part us, if thou canst. [_Dies. _
[IRAS _sinks down at her feet, and dies;_ CHARMION
_stands behind her chair, as dressing her head. _
_Enter_ SERAPION, _two Priests,_ ALEXAS _bound, Egyptians. _
_Priest. _ Behold, Serapion, what havock death has made!
_Serap. _ 'Twas what I feared. --
Charmion, is this well done?
_Char. _ Yes, 'tis well done, and like a queen, the last
Of her great race: I follow her. [_Sinks down; dies. _
_Alex. _ 'Tis true,
She has done well: Much better thus to die,
Than live to make a holiday in Rome.
_Serap. _ See, how the lovers sit in state together,
As they were giving laws to half mankind!
The impression of a smile, left in her face,
Shows she died pleased with him for whom she lived.
And went to charm him in another
Cæsar's just entering: grief has now no leisure.
Secure that villain, as our pledge of safety,
To grace the imperial triumph. --Sleep, blest pair,
Secure from human chance, long ages out,
While all the storms of fate fly o'er your tomb;
And fame to late posterity shall tell,
No lovers lived so great, or died so well. [_Exeunt. _
Footnotes:
1. There was anciently some foolish idea about a wren soaring on an
eagle's back. Colley Cibber, as Dr Johnson observed, converted the
wren into a linnet:
Perched on the eagle's towering wing,
The lowly linnet loves to sing.
2. Approach there--Ay, you kite! --
--Now, gods and devils!
Authority melts from me: of late, when I cried ho!
Like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth
And cry, your will. --Have you no ears?
I am Antony yet. --
The same idea, which bursts from Shakespeare's Antony in a
transport of passion, is used by Dryden's hero. The one is goaded
by the painful feeling of lost power; to the other, absorbed in his
sentimental distresses, it only occurs as a subject of melancholy,
but not of agitating reflection.
3. Imitated, or rather copied, from Shakespeare.
_Don John. _ I came hither to tell you, and circumstances shortened
(for she hath been too long a talking of) the lady is disloyal.
_Claudia. _ Who? Hero?
_Don John. _ Even she; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.
EPILOGUE.
Poets, like disputants, when reasons fail,
Have one sure refuge left--and that's to rail.
Fop, coxcomb, fool, are thundered through the pit;
And this is all their equipage of wit.
We wonder how the devil this difference grows,
Betwixt our fools in verse, and yours in prose:
For, 'faith, the quarrel rightly understood,
'Tis civil war with their own flesh and blood.
The thread-bare author hates the gaudy coat;
And swears at the gilt coach, but swears a-foot;
For 'tis observed of every scribbling man,
He grows a fop as fast as e'er he can;
Prunes up, and asks his oracle, the glass,
If pink and purple best become his face.
For our poor wretch, he neither rails nor prays;
Nor likes your wit just as you like his plays;
He has not yet so much of Mr Bayes.
He does his best; and if he cannot please,
Would quietly sue out his _writ of ease_.
Yet, if he might his own grand jury call,
By the fair sex he begs to stand or fall.
Let Cæsar's power the men's ambition move,
But grace you him, who lost the world for love!
Yet if some antiquated lady say,
The last age is not copied in his play;
Heaven help the man who for that face must drudge,
Which only has the wrinkles of a judge.
Let not the young and beauteous join with those;
For should you raise such numerous hosts of foes,
Young wits and sparks he to his aid must call;
'Tis more than one man's work to please you all.
* * * * *
END OF THE FIFTH VOLUME.
Edinburgh:
Printed by James Ballantyne & Co.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Works of John Dryden, Volume 5 (of
18), by John Dryden
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF JOHN DRYDEN ***
***** This file should be named 16208-8. txt or 16208-8. zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www. gutenberg. org/1/6/2/0/16208/
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Fred Robinson and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www. pgdp. net.
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you! ) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
http://gutenberg. net/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1. A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1. E. 8.
1. B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1. C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1. E below.
1. C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1. D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1. E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1. E. 1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www. gutenberg. net
1. E. 2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1. E. 1
through 1. E. 7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1. E. 8 or
1. E. 9.
1. E. 3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1. E. 1 through 1. E. 7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1. E. 4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1. E. 5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1. E. 1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1. E. 6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form.
