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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 stir 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 reasons answer 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 publick leave to speak of him;
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action nor utt'rance, nor the power of speech,
To ftir men's blood; I only speak right on.
I tell you that, which you yourselves do know;
Shew you fweet Cafar's wounds, poor, poor, dumb

mouths!

And bid them fpeak for me. But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your fpirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cafar, 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, feck the confpirators. Ant. Yet hear me, Countrymen; yet hear me fpeak. All. Peace, ho. Hear Antony, most noble Antony. Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know not what.

Wherein hath Cefar thus deferv'd your loves?
Alas, you know not.

I must not tell you

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then,

which may mean, I have no pen, ned and premeditated oration.

F

You

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 drachma's.

2 Pleb. Moft noble Cæfar! 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 arbours, and new-planted orchards,
5 On that fide Tiber; he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
Here was a Cafar. When comes fuch another?

I Pleb. 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. Ant. Now let it work. Mifchief, thou art afoot, Take thou what courfe thou wilt! How now,

fellow?

5 On this fide Tiber;] The fcene is here in the Forum near the Capitol, and in the most frequented part of the city; but Cafar's gardens were very remote from that quarter.

Trans Tiberim longe cubat is,

prope Cæfaris hortos, fays Horace: And both the Naumachia and Gardens of Cafar were feparated on the main city by the river; and lay out

wide, on a line with Mount Janiculum. Our Author therefore certainly wrote;

On that fide Tiber ;

And Plutarch, whom ShakeSpeare very diligently ftudied, in the life of Marcus Brutus, fpeaking of Cafar's Will, exprefly fays, That he left to the publick his gardens, and walks, beyond the Tiber.

THEOBALD.

Enter

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Oavius is already come to Rome.
Ant. Where is he?

Serv. He and Lepidus are at Cafar's houfe.
Ant. And thither will I ftraight, to visit him.
He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,
And in this mood, will give us any thing.

Serv. I heard him fay, Brutus and Callus Are tid, like madmen, through the gates of Rome. Ant. Belike, they had some notice of the people, How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius. [Exeunt.

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Enter Cinna the Poet, and after him the Plebeians.

Cin. I dreamt to-night, that I did feaft with Cafar, And things unluckily charge my fantafy,

I have no will to wander forth of doors,

Yet fomething leads me forth.

1 Pleb. What is your name?
2 Pleb. Whither are you going?
3 Pleb. Where do you dwell?

4 Pleb. Are you a married man, or a bachelor?
2 Pleb. Answer every man, directly.

1 Pleb. Ay, and briefly.

4 Pleb. Ay, and wifely.

3

Pleb. Ay, and truly, you were best.

Cin. What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell? am I a married man, or a bachelor? then to answer every man directly and briefly, wifely and truly. Wifely, I fay-I am a bachelor.

2 Pleb. That's as much as to, fay, they are fools F 2

that

that marry; you'll bear me a bang for that, I fear, Proceed. Directly.

Cin. Directly, I am going to Cafar's funeral.
1 Pleb. As a friend, or an enemy?
Cin. As a friend.

2 Pleb. That matter is answer'd directly.
4 Pleb. For your dwelling. Briefly.
Cin. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.
3 Pleb. Your name, Sir. Truly.
Cin. Truly, my name is Cinna.

1 Pleb. Tear him to pieces, he's a confpirator. Cin. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet. 4 Pleb. Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.

Cin. I am not Cinna the conspirator.

4 Pleb. It is no matter, his name's Cinna; pluck out his name out of his heart, and turn him going. Pleb. Tear him, tear him. Come, brands, ho, firebrands.

3

To Brutus, to Caffius, burn all.

house,

Some to Decius's

And fome to Cafca's, fome to Ligarius. Away. Go.

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT IV. SCENE I

Afmall Island near Mutina.

Enter Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus

THES

ANTONY:

HESE many then shall die. Their names are prickt.

Ota. Your brother too muft die; confent you

Lepidus?

Lep. I do confent.

Octa. Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition,

Publius fhall not live;

Look, with a spot I damn

Who is your fifter's fon, Mark Antony.

Ant. He shall not live.

him.

But, Lepidus, go you to Cafar's house;

Fetch the Will hither, and we fhall determine

How to cut off fome charge in legacies.
Lep. What, fhall I find you here?
Octa. Or here, or at the Capitol.

[Exit Lepidus:

Ant. This is a flight, unmeritable, man,
Meet to be fent on errands. Is it fit,

The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to fhare it?

A Small Island Mr. Rowe, and Mr. Pope after him, have mark'd the scene here to be at Rome. The old copies fay nothing of the place. Shakespeare, I dare fay, knew from Plutarch, that thefe Triumvirs met upon

F 3

the profcription, in a little island which Appian, who is more particular, fays, lay near Mutina, upon the river Lavinius. THEOB.

A fmall ifland in the little river Rhenus, near Bononia.

HANMER

Θεια:

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