The Multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the Cause,
Why I, that did love Cafar when I strook him,
Have thus proceeded.

Ant. I doubt not of your Wisdom.
Let each Man render me his bloody Hand;
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;
Next, Caius Caffius, do I take your Hand;
Now Decins Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus;
Yours, Cinna; and my valiant Caska, yours;
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius;
Gentlemen all-alas, what shall I say,
My Credit now stands on such slippery Ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a Coward, or a Flatterer.
That I did love thee, Cafar, O 'tis true;
If then thy Spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy Death,
To fee thy Antony making his Peace,
Shaking the bloody Fingers of thy Foes,
Most Noble! in the presence of thy Coarse ?
Had I as many Eyes, as thou hast Wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy Blood,
It would become me better, than to close
In terms of Friendship with thine Enemies.
Pardon me, Julius --- here wast thou bay'd, brave Hart,
Here didst thou fall, and here thy Hunters stand
Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimfon'd in thy Lethe.
O World! thou wast the Forest to this Hart,
And this indeed, O World, the Hart of thee.
How like a Deer, stricken by many Princes,
Dost thou here lye ?

Cas. Mark Antony

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Caffius;
The Enemies of Casar shall say this:
Then, in a Friend, it is cold Modesty.

Caf. I blame you not for praising Cafar so,
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our Friends,
Or shall we on; and not depend on you?

Ant. Therefore I took your Hands, but was indeed

:

Sway'd

Sway'd from the Point, by looking down on Cafar.
Friends am I with you all, and love you all,
Upon this hope, that you shall give me Reasons,
Why, and wherein Cafar was dangerous.

Bru. Or else were this a savage Spectacle.
Our Reasons are so full of good regard,
That were you Antony the Son of Cafar,
You should be satisfied.

Aut. That's all I seek;
And am moreover Suitor, that I may
Produce his Body to the Market-place,
And in the Pulpit, as becomes a Friend,
Speak in the Order of his Funeral.

Bru. You shall, Mark Antony.
Caf. Brutus, a word with you
You know not what you do; do not confent
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 my felf into the Pulpit first,
And shew the Reason of our Casar's Death.
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave, and by permiffion;
And that we are contented Cafar shall
Have all true Rites, and lawful Ceremonies;
It shall advantage more, than do us wrong.
Caf. I know not what may fall, I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here take you Casar's Body;
You shall not in your Funeral Speech blame as,
But speak all good you can devise of Cafar,
And say you do't by our Permission:
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his Funeral. And you shall speak
In the fame Pulpit whereto I am going,
After my Speech is ended.

Ant. Be it fo;

I do defire no more.

Bru. Prepare the Body then, and follow us.

OL. V.

1

f

[Afide

[Exeunt.

Manet Manet Antony.

Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of Earth, That I am meek and gentle with these Butchers. Thou art the Ruins of the nobleft Man

That ever lived in the Tide of Times.

Woe to the Hand that shed this costly Blood !
Over thy Wounds, now do I prophefie,
(Which, like dumb Mouths, do ope their ruby Lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my Tongue)
A Curse shall light upon the Limbs of Men ;
Domestick Fury, and fierce civil Strife,
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and Destruction shall be so in use,
And dreadful Objects so familiar,
That Mothers shall but smile, when they behold
Their Infants quartered with the Hands of War:
All Pity choak'd with Custom of fell Deeds,
And Cafar's Spirit ranging for Revenge,
With Ate 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 shall smell above the Earth
With Carrion Men, groaning for burial.

Enter Octavius's Servant.

You ferve Octavius Cafar, do you not?
Ser. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cafar did write for him to come to Rome.
Ser. He did receive his Letters, and is coming,
And bid me say 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 Sorrow stand in thine,
Began to water. Is thy Master coming ?

Ser. Helyesto Night within seven Leagues of Rome.
Ant. Post back withspeed, and tell him what hath chanc'd.

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,
No Rome of Safety for Octavius yet ;

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet stay a while,
Thou shalt not back, 'till I have born this Coarse
Into the Market-place: There shall I try

V

In my Oration, how the People take
The cruel ifssue of these bloody Men;
According to the which, thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your Hand.

[Exeunt with Cæfar's Body.

SCENE II. The Forum.

Enter Brutus, and goes into the Pulpit; and Cashus, with the Plebeians.

Pleb. We 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 :

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;

Those that will follow Caffius, go with him,

And publick Reasons shall be rendred

Of Cafar's Death.

I Pleb. I will hear Brutus speak.

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

When feverally we hear them rendred.

[Exit Caffius with some of the Plebeians.

3 Pleb. The Noble Brutus is ascended: Silence. Bru. Be Patient 'till the last.

Romans, Country-men, and Lovers, hear me for my Cause, and be filent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine Honour, and have respect to mine Honour, that you may believe. Cenfure me in your Wisdom, and awake your Senfes, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this Assembly, any dear Friend of Casar's, to them I fay, That Brutus love to Cafar was no less than his. If then, that Friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cafar, this is my Answer: Not that I lov'd Cafar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cafar were living, and dye all Slaves; than that Cafar were dead, to live all Free-men? As Casar lov'd me, I weep for him ; as he was Fortunate, I rejoyce at it; as he was Valiant, I honour him; but as he was Ambitious, I flew him. There is Tears for his Love, Joy for his Fortune, Honour for his Valour, and Death for his Ambition. Who is here fo base that would be a Bond-man? If any, speak; for him have

Ο 2

have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile, that will not love his Country ? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a Reply

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cafar than you shall do to Brutus. The Question of his Death is inroll'd in the Capitol; his Glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; not his Offences enforced, for which he suffered Death.

Enter Mark Antony, with Cæsar's Body. Here comes his Body, mourn'd by Mark Antony; who though he had no hand in his Death, shall 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 same Dagger for my self, when it thall please my Country to need my Death.

All. Live, Brutus, live, live.

1 Pleb. Bring him with Triumphhome unto his House. 2 Pleb. Give him a Statue 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 House

With Shouts and Clamors.

Bru. My Countrymen

2 Pleb. Peace! Silence! Brutus speaks. 1 Pleb. Peace, Ho!

Bru. Good Countrymen, let me depart alone,

And, for my fake, stay here with Antony;
Do grace to Cafar's Corps, and grace his Speech
Tending to Cafar's Glories, which Mark Antony,
By our Permiffion, is allow'd to make.
I do intreat you, not a Man depart,
Save I alone, 'till Antony have spoke.

I 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's fake I am beholden to you.

[Exis