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.

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 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 fo, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cæfar anfwer'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 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 that the poor have cry'd, Cæfar hath wept;
Ambition fhould be made of sterner stuff;

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee that, on 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 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 must paufe 'till it come back to me.

I Pleb. Methinks there is much reafon in his fay-
If theu confider rightly of the matter,
Cæfar has had great wrong.

[ings.

3 Pleb. Has he, masters? I fear there will a worfe 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 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 to speak.

Ant, But yesterday the word of Cæfar might.
Have ftood against the world; now lyes he there,
And none to 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 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,
And dip their napkins in his facred blood;
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
D d

VOL. VIII.

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. 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 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 fhould, O what would come of it?

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

Ant. Will you be patient? will you flay a while? I have o'erfhot myself to tell you of it.

I fear I wrong the honourable men

Whofe daggers have ftabb'd Cæfar: I do fear it. 4 Pleb. They were traitors. Honourable men! All. The will! the testament!

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

Ant. You will compell me then to read the will? Then make a ring about the corps 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. Pleb. You fhall have leave.

3

4 Pleb. A ring; ftand round.

Pleb. Stand from the hearse, stand from the 'body.

2 Pleb Room for Antony-most 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 Cæfar put it on;

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

That day he overcame the Neryii.

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 steel 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 Cæfar's angel:
Judge, oh you Gods! how dearly Cæfar lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For when the noble Cæfar faw him ftab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquish'd him; then burft his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the bafe of Pompey's ftatue,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell.
O what a fall was there, my countrymen !
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down;
Whilft bloody treafon flourifh'd over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive you feel
The dint of pity; thefe are gracious drops.
Kind fouls! what, weep you when you but behold
Our Cæfar's venture wounded? look you here!
Here is himself, marr'd, as you fee, by traitors.
1 Pleb. O piteous fpectacle!

2 Pleb. O noble Cæfar!

3 Pleb. O woful day!

4 Pleb. O traitors, villains! i Pleb. O moft bloody fight!

2 Pleb. We will be reveng'd: revenge: aboutfeek-burn-fire-kill-flay! 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, fweet friends, let me not ftir 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, That made them do it; they are wife and honourable, And will, no doubt, with reafons anfwer you.

I come not, friends, to fteal 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 public leave to fpeak of him;
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action nor utt'rance, nor the power of fpeech
To ftir men's blood; I only fpeak right on.
I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Shew you fweet Cæfar's wounds, poor, poor dumb

mouths!

And bid them fpeak for me. But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would rufle up your fpirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæfar, that fhould move
The ftones of Rome to rife and mutiny.
All. We'll mutiny-

1 Pleb. We'll burn the houfe of Brutus.
3 Pleb. Away then, come, feek 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 has Cæfar thus deferv'd your loves?
Alas, you know not, I must tell you then.
You have forgot the will I told you of.

All. Moft true-the will-Let's ftay and hear the will.

Ant. Here is the will, and under Cæfar's feal. To ev'ry Roman citizen he gives,

To ev'ry fev'ral man, fev'nty-five drachmas.

2 Pleb. Most noble Cæfar! we'll revenge his death. 2 Pleb. O royal Cæfar!

Ant. Hear me with patience.

All. Peace, ho!

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbours, and new-planted orchards, On that fide Tiber; he hath left them you, And to your heirs for ever; common pleafures, To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves. Here was a Cæfar! when comes fuch another?

1 Pleb. Never, never; come, away, away