than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rofe against Cæfar, this is my anfwer: Not that I lov'd Cæfar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cafar 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's here fo bafe, 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.- -I pause for a reply

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended.-I have done no more to Cæfar, than you fhall do to Brutus. The queftion 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 fuffered 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 Commonwealth; 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 myself, when it fhall please my Country to need my death.

All. Live, Brutus, live! live!

1 Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his houfe. 2 Pleb. Give him a ftatue with his Ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cæfar.

4

Pleb. Cafar's better Parts

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

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

Bru. My Countrymen

2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Bratus fpeaks.

C 2

Plebe

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 fpeech
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 fpoke.

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.
Pleb. What does he fay of Brutus?

4

3

Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake

He finds himfelf beholden to us all.

[Exit.

4 Pleb. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here. 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 Cafar, 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 Cefar 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 just to me;
But Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many Captives home to Rome,
Whofe ranfoms did the general coffers fill;
Did this in Cæfar feem ambitious ?

When

When that the Poor have cry'd, Cafar 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 on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him a kingly Crown;
Which he did thrice refufe.

Was this ambition F

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious,
And, fure, he is an honourable man.
I fpeak not to difprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without caufe:
What caufe with-holds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have loft their reafon

bear with me,

My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar,
And I muft pause till it come back to me.

1 Pleb. Methinks, there is much reafon in his fayings. If thou confider rightly of the matter,

Cafar has had great wrong.

3 Pleb. Has he, Mafters? I fear, there will a worfe come in his place.

4 Pieb. Mark'd ye Crown;

his words he would not take the

Therefore, 'tis certain, he was not ambitious.

1 Pleb. If it be found fo, fome 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 again to speak. Ant. But yesterday the word of Cafar might

Have stood against the world; now lies he there,
And none fo poor to do him reverence.
O masters! if I were difpos'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 chufe
To wrong the dead, to wrong myfelf and
Than I will wrong fuch honourable men.

C 3

you;

But

But here's a parchment, with the feal of Cafar,
I found it in his clofet, 'tis his Will;

Let but the Commons hear this Teftament,
(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read)
And they would go and kiss dead Cæfar'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

Unto their iffue.

4 Pleb. We'll hear the Will, read it, Mark Antony. Al. The Will, the Will; we will hear Cafar's Will. Ant. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read It is not meet you know how Cæfar lov'd you. [it ; You are not wood, you are not ftones, 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 fhall read us the Will, Cafar's Will.

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay a while? I have o'er-fhot myfelf, to tell you.of it.)

I fear, I wrong the honourable men,

Whofe daggers have stabb'd Cæfar.I do fear it. 4 Pleb. They were traitors -honourable men!

Al. The Will! the Teftament!

2 Pleb. They were villains, murderers; the Will! read the Will!

At. You will compel me then to read the Will ?
Then make a ring about the corpfe of Cæfar,
And let me fhew 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 Pieb. You fhall have leave.

4 Peb. A ring; ftand round.

Pleh Stand from the hearfe, ftand from 'the body. 2 Pleb. Room for Antonymoft noble Antony. Ant. Nay, prefs not fo upon me, ftand far off.

All. Stand back- -room -bear back

Ant. If you have tears, prepare to fhed them now. You all do know this mantle; I remember,

The first time ever Cafar put it on,

'Twas on a fummer's evening in his tent,

That day he overcame the Nervii -

~(22)

Look in this place, ran Caffius' dagger through ;-
See, what a rent the envious Cafca made..
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And as he pluck'd his curfed feel away,
Mark, how the blood of Cæfar follow'd it!
As rufhing out of doors, to be refolv'd,
If Brutus fo unkindly knock'd, or no?
For Brutus, as you know, was Gafar's angel.
Judge, oh you Gods! how dearly Crfar lov'd him;
This, this, was the unkindeft cut of all;
For when the noble Cajar faw him ftab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors arms,
Quite vanquish'd him; then burst his mighty heart:
And, in his mantle mutting up his face,
Even at the Bafe of Pompey's ftatue,

(Which all the while ran blood) great Cafr fell.

(22) That day be overcame the Nervii.] This circumftance about Cafar's mantle, (which I prefume to be purely the poet's invention) abtracted from the chronology, is very pretty. Perhaps, it has not fo much propriety, as beauty, if we confider one thing. The Nervii were conquer'd in the 2d year of his Gaulish expedition, 17 years before his allaffination, and 'tis hardly to be thought, that Cæfar preferv'd one robe of ftate for fo long a period. Another circumftance, pretty like this, we meet with in Hamlet; the Ghoft of the old king appearing, Horatio, in defcribing the garb and figure he had aflum'd, Lays;

Such was the very armour he had on,

When he th' ambitious Norway combated.

Now Horatio, being a school-fellow of young Hamlet, could hardly know in what armour the old king kill'd Fortinbras of Norway; which happen'd on the very day whereon young Hamlet was born. Besides, in ftrictness, why should the Ghost of the old king walk in armour, who was murther'd in time of peace, fleeping in his garden? But thefe circumftances and ftrokes of fancy dress up an amufing picture, for which the poet, perhaps, is neither accountable to propriety, nor probability,