I have not known/ when his affections/ swayed And there'fore, thi'nk him as a serpent's egg/ Whi'ch hatc'hed/ wo'uld, as his kin'd, grow mis'chievous; APPEAL OF BRUTUS TO THE ROMAN PEOPLE, ON THE DEATH OF CÆSAR. SHAKSPEARE. ROMANS, coun'trymen, and lo'vers! hear me for my cause', and be silent, that you may hear. Belie've me/ for mine hon`our, and have respect' to mine ho'nour, that you may believe'. Cen'sure me/ in your wis'dom, and awake your sen ́ses, that you may the better judge'. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Ca'sar's, to him' I say', that Brutus'* love to Cæ'sar, was no le'ss than h'is. If then that friend deman'd, why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Cæsar less', but that I loved Rome' mo^re. Had you rather Cæsar were li ́ving, and die all sla^ves; than that Cæsar were dead', to live all free'men? As Cæsar lo'ved me, I weep' for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice' at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambi'tious, I slew him. There are tear's/ for his love', joy' for his fortune, ho`nour/ for his va'lour, but de^ath/ for his ambition. Who's here-so base', that would be a bond'man? If any', * In giving the preference to this form of the genitive case, the Editor has followed Mr. Kemble's manner of delivering the speech, which is not only more harmonious, but more agreeable to the rhythmical structure of the sentence than the other form, "Brutus's." speak'; for him' have I offend'ed. Who's here so rude', that would not be a Ro'man? If any, speak'; for him' have I offen'ded. Who's here so vi'le, that will not love his country ?* If any, speak'; for him' have I offen'ded.—I pause' for a reply'. No ne? then none' have I offended. -I have done no more to Cæsar, than you should do to Brutus. The question of his death'/ is enrolled in the Ca'pitol: his gl'ory not exten'uated, wherein he was wor'thy: nor his offe'nces enforced, for which he suffered death'. Here comes his bo'dy, mourn'ed/ by Mark An'tony: wh'o, though he had no han'd in his death', shall receive the be^nefit of his d'ying (a place/ in the com'monwealth ;) as whic'h of you sh'all not? With th'is/ I depart', that, as I slew my best lo'ver/ for the good of Rome', I have the same dag'ger for my self, when it shall please' my coun'try to nee'd my death'. ANTONY'S FUNERAL ORATION OVER SHAKSPEARE. FRIENDS', Ro'mans, Country'men, lend' me your ears'. He was my friend', faithful and just to me; * This is one of those indefinite notes of interrogation that require to be read definitely, for we are not warranted to suppose that any man is 66 so vile" as not to "love his country." + In blank verse the participial termination ed must always be pronounced as a distinct syllable, where the syllables in a line make only nine without it. But Bru'tus says, he was ambitious ; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome', When that the poor' have cri'ed, Cæ'sar hath wept'; And Bru'tus is an honourable man. I thrice presented him a kingly crown'; Which he did thrice refuse'.-Was this' ambition? Yet Bru'tus says, he wa's ambitious ; And sure' he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove' what Brutus spoke', You all did love' him once', (not without ca'use.) Look'! in this place ran Cas'sius' dagger thro`ugh; For, when the noble Cæsar saw him' stab, (Even at the base of Pompey's statue, Which all the while ran bloo'd) great Cæsar fell'; Το They that have done this deed are honourable. I come not', friends', to steal away' your hearts'; I am no orator, as Brutus is: But, as you know me all', a plain', blunt' man', There is a liquid sound of the k, c, and g hard, before the vowels a and i, which gives a smooth and elegant sound to the words in which they occur, and which distinguishes the polite pronunciation of London, from that of every other part of the island. This pronunciation is nearly as if the a and i were preceded by e. Thus kind is pronounced as if written ke-ind; card, as ke-ard; and regard, as re-ge-ard. The words that require this liquid sound, are sky, kind, guide, girl, garden, guise, guile, card, cart, guard, and regard, &c.; these, and their compounds, are nearly all of the words where this sound occurs; but these are so much in use, as to be sufficient to mark a speaker as either coarse or elegant, as he adopts or neglects it. This sound is taken notice of by Steele, in his English Grammar, so long ago as the reign of Queen Anne. QUARREL OF BRUTUS AND CASSIUS. SHAKSPEARE. Cas. THAT you have wronged-me, doth appear/ in this`, Bru. You wronged yourself, to write in such a c ́ase. That every nice o'ffence/ should bear its co'mment. you yourself To undeservers. Cas. I an itching pa'lm? You know that you are Bru^tus/ that spake th ́is, Bru. The name of Ca^ssius/ honours this corr'uption, And cha'stisement/ doth therefore hi'de its hea'd. Cas. Chastisement ! Bru. Remember Marc'h, the i'des-of-March/ remember! Did not great Julius bleed for jusˇtice-sake? What villain touched his bo'dy, that did stab, And no't for justice? Wh'at! shall one of us', That struck the fore`most man of all this world, (But for supporting* ro'bbers), shall we no'w Contaminate our fin'gers with base bri'bes, And sell the mighty me'ed of our large honours For so much tra'sh/ as may be grasped th'us? I'd rather be a do'g, and bay the mo`on, Than su'ch a R'oman. *The ringing sound of the participial termination ING must always be carefully and fully preserved, except where the verb, in its simple state, ends in ing, as sing, bring, filing, &c., where it seems proper that the terminational ing should slide nearly into the sound of in, to avoid the tautological repetition of the ringing sound. |