Began to water. Is thy Master coming?"
Ser. He lyes to night within seven leagues of Rome.
Ant. Post back with speed, 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 borne this corse
Into the Market-place: there shall I try

In my Oration, how the People take

The cruel issue of these bloody men;

J

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 changes to the Forum.

Enter Brutus, and mounts the Rostra; Caffius, with

4

the Plebeians.

E will be fatisfied; let us be satisfied.

Pleb.

WE will

dience, friends.

Bru. Then follow me, and give me au

Caffius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers :

Thofe, that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;
Those, that will follow Caffius, go with him;

And publick reasons shall be rendered

Of Cafar's death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus speak.

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

When sev'rally we hear them rendered.

[Exit Caffius, with some of the Plebeians.

Copies, Beads; which was certainly the Poet's Word. Thus Lady Conflance in King John;

I; with these crystal Beads Head'n shall be brib d

To do bim Justice, and Revenge on You.

And fo Lady Percy in the 1. Henry IV.

Thy Spirit within thee hath been so at War,

And thus bath fo beftir'd thee in thy Sleep,

That Beads of Sweat have stood upon thy Brow.

4

3. Pleb.

3 Pleb. The noble Brutus is ascended: filence! 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. Censure me in your wif dom, and awake your senses that you may the better judge. If there be any in this afssembly, any dear friend of Cæfar's, to him I say, that Brutus's love to Cafar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cefar, this is my Answer: Not that I lov'd Cafar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cefar were living, and dye all flaves; than that Cafar 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. Who's here so base, that would be a bond-man? if any, speak; for him 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 Bratus. 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 suffered death.

Enter Mark Antony with Cæfar's body.

1

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 felf, when it shall please my Country to need my death.

:

All.

All. Live, Brutus, live! live!

1 Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his house. Pleb. Give him a statue with his Ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cafar.

4 Pleb. Cæfar's better Parts

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

Pleb. We'll bring him to his house

With shouts and clamours.

Bru. My Countrymen --
2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus speaks.
1 Pleb. Peace, ho!

Bru. Good Countrymen, let me depart alone,

And, for my fake, stay here with Antony;
Do grace to Cefar's corps, and grace his speech
Tending to Cefar'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.

१०

[Exit.

1 Pleb. Stay, ho, and let us hear Mark Antony. 13 Pleb. Let him go up into the publick Chair, We'll hear him: noble Antony, go up.

:

Ant. For Brutus' fake, I am beholden to you.

4 Pleb. What does he say of Brutus ?

3 Pleb. He says, for Brutus' fake

He finds himself beholden to us all.

4 Pleb. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

I Pleb. This Cefar was a Tyrant.

3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain;

We are blest, that Rome is rid of him.

2 Pleb. Peace; let us hear what Antony can say.

Ant. You gentle Romans -

All. Peace, ho, let us hear him.

Ant. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Cefar, not to praise him.
The Evil, that men do, lives after them;
The Good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cafar! noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cæfar was ambitious;
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cefar answer'd it.

Here,

Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honourable man,
So are they all, all honourable men)
Come I to speak in Cæfar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me;
But Brutus says, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many Captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill;
Did this in Cæfar seem ambitious?
When that the Poor have cry'd, Cefar hath wept;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.

Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

You all did fee, that on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him a kingly Crown;
Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious,
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have loft their reason bear with me,
My heart is in the coffin there with Cafar,
And I must pause 'till it come back to me.

1 Pleb. Methinks, there is much reason in his sayings. If thou confider rightly of the matter, Cafar has had great wrong.

3 Pleb. Has he, Masters? I fear, there will a worse come in his place.

4 Pleb. Mark'd ye his words? he would not take the

Crown;

Therefore, 'tis certain, he was not ambitious.

I Pleb. If it be found so, some will dear abide it. 2 Pleb. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with

weeping.

3 Pleb. There's not a nobler Man in Rome than An4 Pleb. Now mark him, he begins again to speak. Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæfar might Have stood against the world; now lies he there, And none so poor to do him reverence. O masters! if I were dispos'd to ftir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Caffius wrong; Who, you all know, are honourable men. I will not do them wrong: I rather chuse To wrong the dead, to wrong my felf and you; Than I will wrong fuch honourable men. But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cafar, I found it in his clofet, 'tis his Will; Let but the Commons hear this Testament, (Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read) And they would go and kiss dead Cæfar's wounds, And dip their napkins in his facred blood; Yea, beg a hair of him for memory, And dying, mention it within their Wills, Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their issue.

4 Pleb. We'll hear the Will, read it, Mark Antony. All. The Will, the Will; we will hear Cefar's Will. Ant. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not

read it;

It is not meet you know how Cefar lov'd you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men:
And, being men, hearing the Will of Cefar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
'Tis good you know not, that you are his heirs;
For if you should - O what would come of it?

4 Pleb. Read the Will, we will hear it, Antony: You shall read us the Will, Cæfar's Will.

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay a while ? (I have o'er-shot my self, to tell you of it.) I fear, I wrong the honourable men, Whose daggers have stabb'd Cefar. 4 Pleb. They were traitors All. The Will! the Testament!

I do fear it.

honourable men !