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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 faft as they ftream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.

Pardon me, Julius!-Here waft thou bay'd, brave
hart;

Here didft thou fall; and here thy hunters ftand,
Sign'd in thy fpoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe.
O world! thou waft the foreft to this hart;
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee-
How like a deer, ftrucken by many princes,
Doft thou here lie!

Caf. Mark Antony,

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Caffius:

The enemies of Cæfar fhall fay this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modefty.

;

Caf. I blame you not for praifing Cæfar fo
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends;
Or fhall we on, and not depend on you?

Ant. Therefore I took your hands; but was, in-
deed,

Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Cæfar.
Friends am I with you all, and love you all;
Upon this hope, that you fhall give me reafons,
Why, and wherein, Cæfar was dangerous.
Bru. Or elfe were this a favage fpectacle:

Our reasons are fo full of good regard,
That were you, Antony, the fon of Cæfar,
You should be fatisfied.

Ant. That's all I feek:

And am moreover fuitor, 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.

Bru. You fhall, Mark Antony.

Caf. Brutus, a word with you..

You know not what you do; Do not confent, [Afide.
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 myfelf into the pulpit firft,

And fhew the reafon of our Cæfar's death:
What Antony fhall fpeak, I will proteft
He speaks by leave and by permiffion;
And that we are contented, Cæfar fhall
Have all true rites, and lawful ceremonies.
It fhall advantage more, than do us wrong.

Caf. I know not what may fall; I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here take your Cæfar's body.,
You fhall not in your funeral fpeech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devife of Cæfar;
And fay, you do't by our permiffion;
Elfe fhall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral: And you fhall speak
In the fame pulpit whereto I am going,
After my fpeech is ended.

Ant. Be it fo;

I do defire no more.

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

Manet ANTONY.

[Exeunt Confpirators.

Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! Thou art the ruins of the noblest man,

That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand that fhed this coftly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophefy,-

Which, like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue ;-
A curfe fhall light upon the limbs of men;
Domeftic fury, and fierce civil ftrife,
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy:

Blood

Blood and deftruction fhall be so in use,
And dreadful objects fo familiar,

That mothers fhall but fmile, when they behold.
Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war;
All pity chok'd with custom of fell deeds:
And Cæfar's fpirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até by his fide, come hot from hell,
Shall in thefe confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry Havock, and let flip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed fhall fmell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter a Servant.

You ferve Octavius Cæfar, do you not?
Serv. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cæfar did write for him, to come to Rome.
Serv. He did receive his letters, and is coming:
And bid me fay to you by word of mouth,-

O Cæfar!

[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 forrow ftand in thine, Began to water. Is thy mafter coming?

Serv. He lies to-night within feven leagues of Rome.

Ant. Poft back with fpeed, and tell him what hath chanc'd:

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

Hie hence, and tell him fo. Yet, ftay a while;
Thou shalt not back, 'till have borne this corse
Into the market-place: there fhall I try,

In my orátion, how the people take

The cruel iffue of thefe bloody men ;
According to the 'which thou shalt difcourfe

To young Octavius of the ftate of things.

Lend me your hand. [Exeunt, with CESAR's body.

SCENE

SCENE II. The Forum.

Enter BRUTUS, and CASSIUS, 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 fireet,

And part the numbers.—

Thofe that will hear me fpeak, let them ftay here;
Those that will follow Caffius, go with him;
And public reafons fhall be rendered

Of Cæfar's death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus fpeak.

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

When feverally we hear them rendered.

[Exit CASSIUS, with fome of the Plebeians. BRUTUS ges into the Roftrum.

3 Pleb. The noble Brutus is afcended: Silence ! Bru. Be patient 'till the laft.

;

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my caufe; 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 affembly, any dear friend of Cæfar's, to hin I fay, that Brutus' love to Cæfar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rofe againft Cæfar, this is my anfwer,-Not that I lov'd Cæfar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cæfar were living, and die all flaves'; than that Cæfar 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 is here fo bafe, that would be a bond-man? 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, speak; for him I have offended. I paufe for a reply.

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæfar, than you fhall do to Brutus. The queftion of his death is enroll'd in the Capitol: his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforc'd, for which be fuffer'd death.

Enter MARK ANTONY, &c. with CAESAR'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 commonwealth; As which of you fhall not? With this I depart; That, as I flew iny beft lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame dagger for myfelf, when it fhall please my country to need my death.

All Live, Brutus, live! live!

I Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

2 Pleb. Give him a ftatue with his ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cæfar.

4 Pleb. Cæfar's better parts

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

2 Pleb. We'll bring him to his houfe with fhouts and clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,

2 Pleb. Peace; filence! Brutus fpeaks.

I Pleb. Peace, ho!

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my fake, ftay here with Antony:
Do grace to Cæfar's corpfe, and grace his fpeech
Tending to Cæfar's glories: which Mark Antony
By our permiffion is allow'd to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, 'till Antony have spoke.

[Exit.

1 Pleb. Stay, hol and let us hear Mark Antony.

3 Pleb.

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