Bru. Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause; and be filent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæfar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Cæfar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæfar, this is my answer:-Not that I loved Cæfar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæfar were living, and die all flaves; than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæfar lov'd me, I weep for him ; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but as he was ambitious, I flew him: There are tears for his love; joy, for his fortune; honour, for his valour; and death, for his ambition. Who is here so base, that would be a bond man? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile, that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended.I pause for a reply.

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæfar, than you shall do to Brutus. The queftion of his death is enrolled in the Capitol: his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he fuffered death.

as

Enter MARK ANTONY with CÆSAR's Body. Here comes his body mourn'd by Mark Antony: who though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth ; which of you shall not ? With this I depart; that, as I flew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

All. Live, Brutus, live! live!

1 Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his house. 2 Pleb. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Pleb. We'll bring him to his house with shouts and

clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,

2 Pleb. Peace; filence! Brutus speaks.

1 Pleb. Peace, ho!

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,

And, for my fake, stay here with Antony:
Do grace to Cæfar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæfar's glories; which Mark Antony
By our permiffion is allow'd to make.
I do intreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

I Pleb. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
3 Pleb. Let him go up into the public chair;

We'll hear him :-Noble Antony, go up.
Ant. For Brutus' fake, I am beholden to you.
4 Pleb. What does he say of Brutus ?

3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake,

He finds himself beholden to us all.

[Exit.

1

4 Pleb. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

I Pleb. This Cæfar was a tyrant.

3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain.

We are bleft that Rome is rid of him.

2 Pleb. Peace; let us hear what Antony can fay.
Ant. You gentle Romans,

All. Peace, ho! let us hear him.

Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Cæfar, not to praise him.
The evil, that men do, lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cæfar! The noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cæfar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæfar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest
(For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men)
Come I to speak in Cæfar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me :
But Brutus says, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill :
Did this in Cæfar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cry'd, Cæfar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

You all did see that, on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: Was this ambition ?

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And fure he is an honourable man.

I speak not to difprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause ;
What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him?-
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beafts,
And men have loft their reafon !-Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

Pleb. Methinks, there is much reason in his sayings,

If thou confider rightly of the matter,
Cæfar has had great wrong.

3 Pleb. Has he, masters ?

I fear there will a worse come in his place.

4 Pleb. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the

crown;

Therefore, 'tis certain, he was not ambitious.

1 Pleb. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

2 Pleb. Poor foul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping. 3 Pleb. There's not a nobler man in Rome, than Antony. 4 Pleb. Now mark him; he begins to speak.

Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæfar might Have stood against the world: now lies he there, And none so poor to do him reverence. O masters! if I were dispos'd to stir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Caffius wrong, Who, you all know, are honourable men: I will do them no wrong; I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you, Than I will wrong fuch honourable men. But here's a parchment with the feal of Cæfar; I found it in his closet; 'tis his will: Let but the commons hear this testament (Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read) And they would go and kiss dead Cæfar's wounds, VOL. VI.

X

And dip their napkins in his sacred blood;
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it, as a rich legacy,

Unto thei their issue.

4 Pleb. We'll hear the will :-Read it, Mark Antony. All. The will, the will; we will hear Cæfar's will. Ant. Have patience, gentle friends; I must not read it: It is not meet you know how Cæfar lov'd you. You are not wood, you are not stones, but men; And, being men, hearing the will of Cæfar, It will inflame you, it will make you mad. 'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs; For if you should, O, what would come of it!

4 Pleb. Read the will; we will hear it, Antony; You shall read us the will; Cæfar's will.

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay a while ? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it. I fear, I wrong the honourable men, Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæfar: I do fear it. 4 Pleb. They were traitors: Honourable men! All. The will! the teftament !

2 Pleb. They were villains, murderers: the will! read the will!

Ant. You will compel me then to read the will?Then make a ring about the corpse of Cæfar, And let me shew you him that made the will. Shall I defcend? And will you give me leave ?

All. Come down.

2 Pleb. Defcend. [He comes down from the Pulpit. 3 Pleb. You shall have leave.

4 Pleb. A ring; stand round.

I Pleb. Stand from the hearse, stand from the body. 2 Pleb. Room for Antony ;-most noble Antony. Ant. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off. All. Stand back! room! bear back!

Ant. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.

You all do know this mantle: I remember
The first time ever Cæfar put it on;
'Twas on a fummer's evening in his tent;
That day he overcame the Nervii.-
Look! in this place, ran Caffius' dagger through:
See, what a rent the envious Casca made :
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;

And, as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark, how the blood of Cæfar follow'd it;
As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd,
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæfar's angel:
Judge, O you Gods, how dearly Cæfar lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all :
For when the noble Cæfar saw him ftab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell.(6)
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen !
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilft bloody treason flourish'd over us.
O now you weep, and I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity :(7) these are gracious drops.
Kind fouls, what, weep you, when you but behold
Our Cæfar's vesture wounded? Look you here !
Here is himself, marr'd, as you fee, by traitors.

I Pleb. O piteous spectacle!.

2 Pleb. O noble Cæfar!

3 Pleb. O woeful day!

4 Pleb. O traitors, villains !

I Pleb. O most bloody fight!

eng'd: Revenge: About,-

2 Pleb. We will be reveng'o

Seek,-burn,-fire,-kill,-lay ! -let not a traitor live.

Ant. Stay, countrymen,

I Pleb. Peace there! Hear the noble Antony.

2 Pleb. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.

Ant. Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
To fuch a fudden flood of mutiny.
They, that have done this deed, are honourable;
What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,

T