4 Pleb. What does he say of Brutus ?
3 Pleb. He says, for Brutus's fake
He finds hinself beholden to us all.
4 Pleb. 'Twere best speak no harm of Brutus here.
1 Pleb, This Cafar was a Tyrant.
3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain;
We are glad 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 Cafar, not to praise him.
The Evil that Men do lives after them,
The Good is oft interred with the Bones;
So let it be with Cafar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cafar was ambitious;
If it were so, it was a grievous Fault,
And grievously hath Cafar 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 Cafar'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 Cafar seem ambitious ?
When that the poor have cry'd, Cafar hath wept;
Ambition should be made of sterner Stuff:
Yet Brutus says, He was Ambitious,
And Brutus is an honourable Man.
You all did fee, 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 disprove 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 Beasts,
And Men have lost their Reason-Bear with me,
My Heart is in the Coffin there with Cafar,
And I must pause 'till it come back to me.
1 Pleb. Methinks there is much Reason in his Sayings.
If thou confider rightly of the matter,
Cafar has had great wrong.
3 Pleb. Has he, Masters? I fear there will a worse come in 4 Pleb. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the Crown,
Therefore 'tis certain, he was not ambitious.
I Pleb. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.
2 Pleb. Poor Soul! 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 again to speak. Ant. But Yesterday the word of Cafar might Have stood against the World; now lyes 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 not do them wrong: I rather chuse To wrong the Dead, to wrong my self and you, Than I will wrong such Honourable Men. But here's a Parchment, with the Seal of Cafar, 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 Cafar's Wounds, And dip their Napkins in his facred Blood; Yea, beg a Hair of him for Memory, And dying, mention it within their Wills, Bequeathing it as a rich Legacy
4 Pleb. We'll hear the Will, read it, Mark Antony. All. The Will, the Will; we will hear Cafar's Will. Ant. Have Patience, gentle Friends, I must not read it,
It is not meet you know how Cafar lov'd you.
You are not Wood, you are not Stones, but Men :
And being Men, hearing the Will of Cafar,
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'll hear it, Antony:
You shall read us the Will, Cafar's Will.
Ant. Will you be Patient? will you stay a while?
I have o'er-shot my self to tell you of it.
I fear I wrong the Honourable Men,
Whose Daggers have stabb'd Cefar ----I do fear it.
4 Pleb. They were Traitors
All. The Will! the Teftament !
2 Pleb. They were Villains, Murderers; the Will! read
Ant. You will compel me then to read the Will;
Then make a Ring about the Corps of Cafar,
And let me shew you him that made the Will.
Shall I defcend? and will you give me leave ?
All. Come down.
2 Pleb. Descend.
[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 Casar put it on,
'Twas on a Summers Evening in his Tent.
That Day he overcame the Nervii
Look! in this place, ran Cassius's Dagger through -----
See what a Rent the envious Caska made
Through this, the well beloved Brutus stab'd,
And as he pluck'd his cursed Steel away,
Mark how the Blood of Cafar followed it
As rushing out of Doors, to be resolv'd,
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no.
For Brutus, as you know, was Cafar's Angel.
Judge, O you Gods! how dearly Cafar lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest Cut of all;
For when the Noble Cafar saw him stab,
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 Cafar fell.
O what a Fall was there, my Countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody Treason flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of Pity; these are gracious drops.
Kind Souls! what weep you, when you but behold
Our Cafar's Vesture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr'd as you see with Traitors.
Pleb. O piteous Spectacle !
2 Pleb. O Noble Cafar!
3 Pleb. O woful Day !
4 Pleb. O Traitors, Villains!
I Plea. O most bloody fight!
2 Pleb. We will be reveng'd: Revenge!
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 dye with
Ant. Good Friends, sweet Friends, let me not stir
To fuch a sudden Flood of Mutiny:
They that have done this Deed, are Honourable;
What private Griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it; they are wife and honourable;
And will no doubt with Reasons answer you.
I come not, Friends, to steal away your Hearts;
I am no Orator, as Brutus is;
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt Man,
That love my Friend, and that they know full well,
That give me publick leave to speak of him:
For I have neither Wit, nor Words, nor Worth,
Action nor Utterance, nor the power of Speech,
To ftir Mens Blood; I only speak right on.
I tell you that, which you your selves do know,
Shew you sweet Cafar's Wounds, poor, poor dumb Mouths,
And bid them speak for me; but were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your Spirits, and put a Tongue
In every Wound of Cafar, that should move
The Stones of Rome to rife and mutiny.
All. We'll mutiny-
Pleb. We'll burn the House of Brutus.
3 Pleb. Away then, come, seek the Conspirators,
Ant. Yet hear me, Countrymen, yet hear me speak.
All. Peace ho, hear Antony, most Noble Antony.
Ant. Why, Friends, you go to do you know not what.
Wherein hath Cafar thus deferv'd your Loves?
Alas you know not; I must tell you then:
You have forgot the Will I told you of.
All. Most true----the Will----let's stay and hear the Will
Ant. Here is the Will, and under Cafar's Seal.
To every Roman Citizen he gives,
To every feveral Man, seventy five Drachma's.
2 Pleb. Most Noble Casar! we'll revenge his Death.
3 Pleb. O Royal Cafar!
Ant. Hear me with patience.
All. Peace ho!
Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his Walks,
His private Arbors, and new-planted Orchards,
On this fide Tiber, he hath left them you,
And to your Heirs for ever; common Pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate your selves.
Here was a Cafar, when comes such another?
1 Pub. Never, never; come, away, away;
We'll burn his Body in the holy Place,
And with the Brands fire all the Traitors Houses,
Take up the Body.
2 Pleb. Go fetch Fire.
3 Pleb. Pluck down Benches.
4 Pleb. Pluck down Forms, Windows, any thing.
[Exeunt Plebeians with the Body.
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