Bru. You fhall, Mark Antony.

Caf. Brutus, a word with you.

You know not what you do; do not confent, [Afide.
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 myfelf into the Pulpit first,
And fhew the reason of our Cafar's death.
What Antony fhall speak, I will proteft
He speaks by leave, and by permiffion;
And that we are contented, Cafar fhall
Have all due rites, and lawful ceremonies:
It fhall 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 fpeech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devise of Cæfar,
And fay, you do't by our permiffion,
Elfe fhall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral. And you fhall speak
In the fame Pulpit whereto I am going,
After my fpeech is ended.

Ant. Be it fo;

I do defire no more.

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

SCENE

[Exeunt Confpirators.

IV.

Manet Antony.

Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth!

That I any meek and gentle with these butchers.
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man,

That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand, that fhed this coftly blood!

in the tide of times.] That is, in the courfe of times.

Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,

7

Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue,
A curfe fhall light upon the limbs of men;
Domeftick fury, and fierce civil ftrife,
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and deftruction shall be so in use,
And dreaful objects fo familiar,

That mothers fhall but fmile, when they behold
Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war:
All pity choak'd with custom of fell deeds;
Ad Cafar's fpirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até 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.

7

upon the LIMBS of men;] tained in the Black Book of

We fhould read,

the Admiralty, there is the following chapter.

"The peyne of hym that "crieth havock & of them that "followeth hym. etit. v."

Item Si quis inventus fuerit qui clamorem inceperit qui vocatur Havok."

Alfo that no man be fo hardy to crye Havok upon peyne "that he that is begynner shall "be deede therefore: & the re

Enter Octavius's Servant.

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

Ant. Cafar dia write for you to come to Rome. Serv. He did receive his letters, and is coming; And bid me fay to you by word of mouth

O Cafar!

[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,
Began to water. Is thy mafter coming?

Serv. He lies to-night within feven leagues of Rome. Ant. Poft back with fpeed, 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 to. Yet ftay a while;
Thou shalt not back, 'till I have borne this corfe
Into the market-place: there fhall I try
In my Oration, how the people take
The cruel iffue of thefe bloody men;
According to the which, thou fhalt difcourfe

To young Olavius of the ftate of things.

-Lend me your hand. [Exeunt with Cæfar's body.

SCEN E V.

Changes to the Forum.

Enter Brutus, and mounts the Roftra; Caffius, with

Pleb.

WE

the Plebeians.

E will be fatisfied. Let us be fatisfied. Bru. Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.

Caffius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.

Thofe that will hear me fpeak, let 'em ftay here;

Thofe,

Thofe that will follow Caffius, go with him,
And publick reafons fhall be rendered
Of Cafar's death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus speak.

2 Pleb. I will hear Caffius, and compare their reafons,

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 laft.

9

Romans, Countrymen, and Lovers! hear me for my caufe; 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 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 rose against Cæfar, this is my Answer: Not that I lov❜d Cæfar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cæfar were living, and dye all flaves; than that Cefar 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.

9 Countrymen, and Lovers! &c. There is no where, in all ShakeSpeare's works, a ftronger proof of his not being what we call a fcholar, than this; or of his not knowing any thing of the genius of learned antiquity. This fpeech of Brutus is wrote in imitation of his famed laconic brevity, and is very fine in its kind. But no more like that brevity, than his times were like Brutus's. The ancient laconic brevity was

fimple, natural and eafy: this is quaint, artificial, gingling, and abounding with forced antithefis's. In a word a brevity, that for its falfe eloquence would have fuited any character, and for its good fenfe would have become the greateft of our author's time; but yet, in a ftile of declaiming, that fits as ill upon Brutus as our author's trowfers or collar-band would have done,

WARB.

Who

Who is 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 paufe 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 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 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 shall 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 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 ftatue with his Ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cafar.

4 Pleb. Cafar's better Parts

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

1 Pleb. We'll bring him to his houfe

With fhouts and clamours.

Bru. My Countrymen

2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus fpeaks,
1 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

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