Puslapio vaizdai
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3 Pleb. The noble Brutus is afcended: Silence.

Bru. Be patient till the laft.

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Romans, country-men, and lovers, hear me for my cause; and be filent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour; and have refpect to mine honour, that you may believe: cenfure me in your wisdom; and awake your fenfes, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cafar's, to him I fay, that " Brutus' love to Cafar was no lefs than his: If then that friend demand, why Brutus rofe against Cafar, this is my answer: Not that I lov'd Cafar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cafar were living, and dye all flaves; than that Cafar were dead, to live all free-men? As Cæfar loy'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 is here fo bafe that would be a bondman? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo rude that would not be a Roman? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo vile, that will not love his country? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended, I paufe for a reply.

All. None, Brutus, none, qa

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Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæfar than you shall do to Brufus. The question of his death is inroll'd in the capitol his glory not extenuated,

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wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforc'd, for which he' fuffer'd death.

Enter Mark Antony with Cæfar's body.

Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark Antony who, though he had no hand in his death, fhall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the common-wealth; 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 fame dagger for myself, when it fhall please my country to need my death.

All. Live, Brutus, live, live!

1 Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his houfe.

2 Pleb. Give him a ftatue with his ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cafar. 4 Pleb Cafar's better parts Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

Pleb. We'll bring him to his houfe with fhouts and clamour's.

Bru. My countrymen,

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2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus fpeaks.

Pleb. Peace, ho!

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Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And for my fake, ftay here with Antony:
Do grace to Cæfar's corps, and grace
his fpeech
Tending to Cafar's glories, which Mark Antony
By our permiffion is allow'd to make.
I do intreat you, not a man depart,
SavedI alone, till Antony have fpoke.

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4*P. H. and C. read Sball now be crown'd,

1 Plib.

Pleb. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
3
Pleb. Let him go up into the public chair;
We'll hear him: Noble Antony, go up.

Ant. For Brutus fake, I am

beholden to you.

4 Pleb. What does he fay of Brutus?

3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake

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He finds himself beholding to us all.

4 Pleb. 'Twere beft" he speak no harm of Brutus here. 1 Pleb. This Cafar, was a tyrant.

3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain:

We are bleft that Rome is rid of him.

2 Pleb. Peace; let us hear what Antony can fay, I

Ant. You gentle Romans,

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All. Peace, ho! let us hear him.):

1

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

I come to bury Cafar, 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. The noble Brutus

▾ Here begins the sixth scene in P. balden). And perhaps the very reason H. W. and J.ORG why Shakespeare makes the fourth Ple

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• The three firft fo's and C. bebolding beian ask the question, What does be fay for bebolden. of Brutus? was, that the third Plebeian, by repeating what Antony had said, might make this blunder.

The three laft fo's omit be

The three laft fo's, R. P and H. glad for bleft. C. inferts wig before bleft.

So the three first fo's and G; the rest, bebolden for bebolding. Thus we fee that all the editions put the fame word into Antony's and the third Plebejan's mouth; by which means, I fancy, a piece of humour is loft: bebolden is fpoken properly by Antony; but when it comes to be repeated by the Plebeian, for their. it migrates into bebolding (a word at this day used by fome of the vulgar for be

The fourth f. and R.'s octavo, the

y P. and all after, except 6.

The

omit

Hath

Hath told you Cafar was ambitious:
If it were fo, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cafar anfwer'd it.
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 fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whofe ranfoms did the general coffers fill;
Did this in Cafar feem ambitious?

When that the poor have cry'd, Cafar hath wept;
Ambition fhould be made of fterner ftuff:
Yet Brutus fays, 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 refufe: Was this ambition?

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;

And fure 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 caufe,

What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?

O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beafts,
And men have loft their reason!-Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cafar,
And I muft paufe till it come back to me.

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↑ Pleb. Methinks there is much reason in his fayings.

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* 2 Pleb. If thou confider rightly of the matter,

Cafar has had great wrong.

3 Pleb. Has he, b mafters?

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.

1 Pleb. If it be found fo, fome will dear abide it.

2 Pleb. Poor foul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping. 3 Pleb. There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.

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Pleb. Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

Ant. But yesterday the word of Cafar might

Have ftood against the world; now lyes he there,
And none fo poor to do him reverence.

O masters, if I were difpos'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 choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong fuch honourable men.
But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cafar,
I found it in his closet, 'tis his will;
Let but the commons hear this testament,
(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read)

J

a The three laft fo's, and all after except C, make this speech a part of the firft Plebeian's foregoing speech. C. inferts my before mafters.

c T.'s duodecimo omits agais, ; aż error, I fuppose, of the prefs, but which has crept into the editions of W, and J.

And

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