Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know not what. Wherein hath 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

Will.

the Will

lets stay and hear the

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 Cefar!

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, (13)
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
Here was a Cæfar, when comes fuch another?
1 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.

(13) On this fide Tiber:] The Scene is here in the Forum near the Capitol, and in the most frequented Part of the City; but Cæfar'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 from 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 Cæfar's Will, exprefly fays, That he left to the Publick his Gardens, and Walks, beyond the Tiber.

C. 4

Ant.

Ant. Now let it work; Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!

Enter a Servant.

How now, fellow?

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

Serv. He and Lepidus are at Cæfar's house.
Ant. And thither will I ftraight, to vifit 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 Caffius
Are rid, like madmen, through the gates of Rome.
Ant, Belike, they had fome notice of the people,
How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cinna the Poet, and after him the Plebeians.

Cin. I dreamt to-night, that I did feast with Cafar, And things unluckily charge my fantasy;

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

a Pleb. Anfwer 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 that marry; you'll bear me a bang for that, I fear; proceed directly.

Gin. 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 anfwer'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 confpirator.

4 Pleb. It is no matter, his name's Cinna; pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.

3 Pleb. Tear him, tear him; come, brands, ho, firebrands:

To Brutus, to Caffius, burn all. Some to Decius's house, And fome to Cafca's, fome to Ligarius: away, go.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, a fmall Island near Mutina. (14)

Enter Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus. ·

ΤΗ

ANTON Y.

HESE many. then shall die, their names are prickt.
Octa. Your brother too must die; confent you,
Lepidus ?

Lep. I do confent.

(14) SCENE, 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 the Profcription, in a little Island: which Appian, who is more particular, fays, lay near Mutina upon the River Lavinius,

Octa. Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition, Publius fhall not live; Who is your filter's fon, Mark Antony.

Ant. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn hím. 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 ?

Octa. So you thought him;

And took his voice who fhould be prick'd to die,
In our black fentence and profcription.

Ant. Octavius, I have feen more days than you;
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To eafe ourselves of divers fland'rous loads ;
He shall but bear them, as the afs bears gold,
'To groan and fweat under the bufinefs,
Or led or driven, as we point the way;

And, having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in Commons.

Octa. You

may do your

will;

But he's a try'd and valiant soldier.

Ant. So is my horse, Octavius: and, for that,
I do appoint him ftore of provender.
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to ftop, to run directly on ;
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And, in fome tafte, is Lepidus but fo;
He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go
A barren-fpirited fellow, one that feeds (15)

(15) A barren-spirited Fellow, one that feeds

On Objects, Arts, and Imitations, &c.

forth;

On abject Orts, and imitations;

Which, out of use, and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him,
But as a property. And now, Octavius,
Liften great things-Brutus and Caffius
Are levying powers; we must ftraight make head.
Therefore let our alliance be combin'd;

Our best friends made, and our best means ftretcht out; And let us presently go fit in council,

How covert matters may be beft difclos'd,

And open perils fureft answered.

Oata. Let us do fo; for we are at the stake,

And bay'd about with many enemies ;

And fome, that smile, have in their hearts, I fear,

Millions of mifchiefs.

[Exeunt.

SCENE before Brutus's Tent, in the camp

near Sardis.

Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, and Soldiers : Titiniuś and Pindarus meeting them.

Bru.

TAND, ho!

STAN

Luc. Give the word, ho! and stand'!'

Bru. What now, Lucilius ? is Caffius near?
Luc. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come

To do you falutation from his mafter.

Bru. He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change, or by ill officers,

Hath given me fome worthy cause to wish
Things done, undone; but if he be at hand,,

"Tis hard to conceive, why he fhould be call'd a barren-fpirited Fellow, that could feed either on Objects, or Arts: that is, as I prefume, form his Ideas and Judgment upon them: ftale and obfolete Imitation, indeed, fixes fuch a Character. I am perfuaded, to make the Poet confonant to himself, we must read, as I have reftored the Text.

On abject Orts,

in e. on the Scraps and Fragments of Things rejected and defpised by others.