Imatges de pàgina
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Why, and wherein Cæfar was dangerous.
Bru. Or elfe were this a favage fpectacle.
Our reasons are fo full of good regard,
That were you, Antony, the fon of Cæfar,
You should be fatisfied.

Ant. That's all I feek;

And am moreover fuitor, that I may
Produce his body to the market-place,
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.
Bru. You fhall, Mark Antony.
Caf. Brutus, a word with you-

You know not what you do, do not confent

That Antony speak in his funeral :

Know you how much the people may be mov'd

By that which he will utter?

Bru. By your pardon,

I will my felf into the pulpit first,

And fhew the reafon of our Cæfar's death,
What Antony shall fpeak, I will proteft
He fpeaks by leave, and by permiffion;
And that we are contented Cæfar fhall
Have all due rites, and lawful ceremonies :
It shall advantage more, than do us wrong.
Caf. I know not what may fall, I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here take you Cæfar's body:
You fhall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devife of Cæfar,
And fay you do't by our permiffion:
You fhall not elfe have any hand at all
About his funeral. And you fhall speak
In the fame pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.

Ant. Be it fo:

I do defire no more.

[Afide

[Exeunt,

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us. SCENE IV. Manet Antony. Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth! That I am meek and gentle with thefe butchers. Thou art the ruins of the nobleft man

S 3

That

That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand that fhed this coftly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophefic,

(Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of

my tongue)
A curfe fhall light upon the kind of men;
Domeftick fury, and fierce civil ftrife,
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and deftruction fhall be fo in ufe,
And dreadful objects fo familiar,

That mothers fhall but fmile, when they behold
Their infants quarter'd by the hands of war,
All pity choak'd with cuftom of fell deeds.
And Cafar's Spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his fide come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry Havock, and let flip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed fhall fmell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter Octavius's Servant.

You ferve Octavius Cæfar, do you not?
Ser. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cæfar did write for him to come to Rome.
Ser. He did receive his letters, and is coming,
And bid me fay to you by word of mouth

Q Cæfar!

[Seeing the body. Ant. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep; Paffion I fee is catching, for mine eyes

Seeing those beads of forrow stand in thine,

Begin to water. Is thy mafter coming?

Ser. He lyes to-night within feven leagues of Rome.
Ant. Poft back with speed, and tell him what hath chanc'd.

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,

No Rome of fafety for Octavius yet;

Hie hence, and tell him fo. Yet stay a while,
Thou shalt not back, 'till I have born this corfe
Into the market-place: there fhall I try
In my Oration, how the people take
The cruel iffue of these bloody men ;
According to the which, thou fhalt difcourfe

Το

To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your hand.

[Exeunt with Cæfar's body. SCENE V. The Forum.

Enter Brutus, and mounts the Roftra. Caffius, with
the Plebeians.

Pleb. We will be fatisfied; let us be fatisfied.

Bru. Then follow me, and give me audience, friends, Caffius, go you into the other fireet,

And part the numbers:

Thofe that will hear me fpeak, let 'em ftay here;
Thofe that will follow Caffius, go with him,

And publick reafons fhall be rendered

Of Cæfar's death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus speak,

2 Pleb. I will hear Caffius, and compare their reasons, When fev'rally we hear them rendered.

[Exit Caffius, with fome of the Plebeians. 3 Pleb. The noble Brutus is afcended: filence! Bru. Be patient 'till the last.

Romans, Countrymen, and Friends! hear me for my caufe, and be filent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honour, and have refpect to mine honour, that you may believe. Cenfure me in your wisdom, and awake your fenfes that you may the better judge. If there be any in this affembly, any dear friend of Cafar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's love to Cæfar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rofe against Caefar, this is my answer: Not that I lov'd Cæfar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cafar were living, and dye all flaves; than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free-men? As Cafar 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's here fo base that would be a bond-man? if any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo rude, that would not be a Roman? if any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo vile, that will not love his country? if any, fpeak; for him have I offended. paufe for a reply.

I

All

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended- I have done no more to Cæfar than you fhall do to Brutus. The question of his death is inroll'd in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforc'd, for which he fuffer'd death.

Enter Mark Antony with Cæfar's body.

Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark Antony: who though he had no hand in his death, fhall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the common-wealth; as which of you fhall not? With this I depart, that as I flew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame dagger for my felf, when it fhall please my country to need my death. All. Live, Brutus, live!

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

3 Pleb. Let him be Cæfar.

4 Pleb. Cæfar's better parts Shall now be crown'd in Brutus.

1 Pleb. We'll bring him to his house With fhouts and clamours.

Bru. My countrymen.

2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus fpeaks.
I Pleb. Peace, ho!

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And for my fake, ftay here with Antony;
Do grace to Cafar's corps, and grace his speech
Tending to Cafar'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.
SCENE VI.

1 Pleb. Stay, ho, and let us hear Mark Antony. 3 Pleb. Let him go up into the publick chair, We'll hear him: noble Antony, go up.

Ant. For Brutus fake I am beholden to you.
4 Pleb. What does he fay of Brutus ?
3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake

He finds himself beholden to us all.

[Exit.

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

1 Pleb.

1 Pleb. This Cæfar was a tyrant.

3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain

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We are glad that Rome is rid of him.

2 Pleb. Peace, let us hear what Antony can say. 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! noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cæfar was ambitious;
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cæfar anfwer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the reft,
(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 juft to me;
But Brutus fays, 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, Cæfar hath wept;
Ambition fhould be made of fterner stuff.

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee, that at the Lupercal
I thrice prefented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refufe.

Was this ambition?

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And fure he is an honourable man.
I fpeak not to difprove what Brutus fpoke,
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 fed to brutish beasts?
And men have loft their reafon
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar,

bear with me,

And

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