Puslapio vaizdai
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His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,

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And let us bathe our hands in Cafar's blood
Up to the elbows, and befmear our fwords;
Then walk we forth even to the market-place,
And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads,
Let's all cry peace, freedom, and liberty!

• P. gives the remainder of this fpeech "he, bids you expect confiftency and

to Cafca, because he thinks nothing is more inconfiftent with Brutus's mild and philofophical character: and is followed by W. In answer to this, T. tells us that Shakespeare is strictly copying a fact in history, and that Plutarch, in the life of Cafar, fays, "Brutus and his followers, "being yet bot with the murther, marched "in a body from the fenate-house to the "capitol, with their drawn fwords, with

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"feadiness from his behaviour: he "thought the killing of Antony, when "Cafar's affaffination was refolved on, "would appear too bloody and unjusti "Let us be facrificers, but not butchers: "Let's carve him as a dish fit for the " gods.

"The hero, therefore, full of this idea "of facrificing Cæfar to his injured

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country, after stabbing him in the "fenate, tells the Romans to ftoop, and " befmear their hands and their swords "in the blood of the facrifice. This

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an air of confidence and affurance." And in the life of Brutus," Brutus and "his party betook themselves to the "capitol, and in their way fhewing their "bands all bloody, and their naked "fwords, proclaimed liberty to the people." But T. has offered nothing to the pur pofe against P,'s emendation; for the question is not whether Brutus, with the reft of his party, bathed his hands in Cafar's blood; but whether Shakespeare intended him the first mover to this unSeemly action (as P. feems to think it)" fwords in the blood of the victim. By

by putting the controverted words into his mouth. Yet, after what Upton has written on this paffage no one can fcruple giving thefe lines to Brutus. The “philofophical character of Brutus, lays

was agreeable to an ancient and reli"gious custom. So in fcbylus we " read, that the feven captains, who came against Thebes, facrificed a bull, "and dipped their hands in the gore, " &c. And Xenophon tells us, that "when the barbarians ratified their "treaty with the Greeks, they made a "facrifice, and dipped their fpears and

this folemn action Brutus gives the

affaffination of Cæfar a religious aft "and turn, &c." Crit. Obf. ad edit. p. 78.

Caj

Caf. Stoop then, and wafh.-How many ages hence [P Dipping their fwords in Cæfar's blood.

Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,

In ' ftates unborn, and accents yet unknown!

Bru. How many times fhall Cæfar bleed in fport,

That now on Pompey's bafis lyes along,

No worthier than the duft!

t

Caf. So oft as that shall be,

So often fhall the knot of us be call'd

The men that gave their country liberty.
Dec. "What, fhall we forth?

Caf. Ay, every man away:

Brutus fhall lead, and we will grace his heels

With the moft boldest and best hearts of Rome.

Enter a Servant.

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Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's.
Ser. Thus, Brutus, did my mafter bid me kneel;

Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down;
And, being proftrate, thus he bad me say.
Brutus is noble, wife, valiant, and honest;
Cafar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:

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[ Kneeling.

P There is no direction in the fo's and C.

4 So the fo's, R. and C; the reft, o'er for over.

The first f. ftate for ftates.

s P. and H. have put this fpeech in to Cafea's mouth, without giving any reafon for it.

u R. reads, What, what shall we forth?

w R. P. and H. read, With the mot bold, and the best bearts, &c.

× P. and H. make the fervant's speech begin here.

y No direction in the fo's and C.
2 P. T. H. and W. read, mighty, royal,

And this into Brutus's, without bald and loving. giving a reason.

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CASAR

Say, I love Brutus, and I honour him;
Say, I fear'd Cafar, honour'd him, and lov'd him.
If Brutus will vouchfafe, that Antony

May fafely come to him, and be refolv'd
How Cafar hath deferv'd to lye in death,
Mark Antony fhall not love Cæfar dead
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state,
With all true faith. So fays my mafter Antony.
Bru. Thy mafter is a wife and valiant Roman;
I never thought him worse.

Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He fhall be fatisfied, and by my honour,
Depart untouch'd.

Ser. I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit Servant.

Bru. I know that we fhall have him well to friend.

a

Caf. I wish we may; but yet have I a mind

That fears him much; and my misgiving still

Falls fhrewdly to the purpose.

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b Enter Antony.

Bru. But here comes Antony.-Welcome, Mark Antony

Ant. O mighty Cæfar! doft thou lye fo low?

Are all thy conquefts, glories, triumphs, fpoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.-
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who elfe must be let blood, who elfe is rank:
If I myself, there is no hour fo fit

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As Cafar's death's hour; nor no inftrument

Of half that worth, as thofe your fwords, made rich
With the moft noble blood of all this world.

I do befeech ye, if you bear me hard,

Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and fmoak,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thoufand

I fhall not find myself fo apt to die:

years,

No place will please me fo, no mean of death
As here by Cafar, and by you cut off,
The choice and mafter fpirits of this age.

Bru. O Antony, beg not your death of us..
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands, and this our present act,
You fee we do; yet fee you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done;
Our hearts you see not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, fo pity, pity)

Hath done this deed on Cafar. For your part,
To you our fwords have leaden points, Mark Antony,
Our arms no strength of malice; and our hearts,
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in,
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.
Caf. Your voice fhall be as ftrong as any man's,
In the difpofing of new dignities.

Bru. Only be patient till we have appeas'd
The multitude, befide themselves with fear,

W. and F. ye for you.

So C; the fo's and H. for no read ;

d The two first fo's, T.and W. meane; P. and the reft for no ftrength of read

P, and H. means,

exempt from.

F 2

And

And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Cæfar when I ftruck him, f Have thus proceeded.

Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand,

First, Marcus Brutus, will I fhake with you;-
Next, Caius Caffius, do I take your hand;-

Now, Decius Brutus, yours;-now yours, Metellus ;-
Yours, Cinna;-and, my valiant Cafea, yours;-
Though laft, not leaft in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all, alas! what fhall I say?

My credit now ftands on fuch flippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward, or a flatterer.-

That I did fove thee, Cafar, O'tis true:

If then thy fpirit 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,
Moft noble! in the prefence of thy corfe?

Had I as many eyes as thou haft wounds,

Weeping as fast as they ftream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to close

In terms of friendship with thine eneinies.

g

Pardon me, Julius! Here waft thou-bay'd, brave hart, Here didft thou fall, and here thy hunters ftand,

f For Have thus proceeded P. reads cept C.

Proceeded thus, followed by all after, ex

8 The three laft fo's, bears for bars.

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