That were you, Antony, the Son 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. You fhall, 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 myself into the Pulpit first,

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

[Afide,

Caf. I know not what may fall, I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here take you Cafar's body:
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devife of Casar;
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

Woe to the hand, that shed 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 ;
Domestick fury, and fierce civil ftrife,
Shall cumber all the Parts of Italy;
Blood and deftruction fhall be so in use,
And dreadful objects fo familiar,

That mothers fhall but smile, when they behold`
Their infants quarter'd by the hands of war.
All pity choak'd with custom of fell deeds;
And Cafar's Spirit, 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 Octavius's Servant.

You ferve Octavius Cæfar, do you not?
Ser. I do, Mark Antòny.

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

(21) Seeing thofe Beads of forrow ftand in thine, Began to water. Is thy Mafter coming?

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

(21) Seeing thofe Beds of forrow] Thus Mr. Pope's two editions, for what reafon I know not: but I have reftor'd from all the other copies, Beads; which was certainly the poet's word. Thus Lady Conftance in King John;

I; with thefe crystal Beads heav'n fhall be brib'd
To do him juftice, and revenge on you.

And fo Lady Percy, in the 1ft Part of Henry IV.
The fpirit within thee hath been fo at war,
And thus hath fo beftir'd thee in thy fleep,
That Beads of fweat have ftood upon thy brow.

VOL. VII.

C

Ant.

Ant. Poft back with speed, and tell him what hatħ 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 I have borne this corfe
Into the Market place: there fhall I try
In my Oration, how the People take
The cruel iffue of these bloody men ;
According to the which, thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the ftate of things.
Lend me your hand.

[Exeunt with Cæfar's body.

SCENE changes to the Forum.

Enter Brutus, and mounts the Roftra; Caffius, with the

Pleb.

Plebeians.

E will be fatisfied; let us be fatisfied.

WE Bru. 1 hen follow me, and give me au

dience, friends.

Caffius, go you into the other ftreet,

And part the numbers:

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

And publick reafons fhall be rendered

Of Cafar's death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus speak.

2 Pleb. I will hear Caffius, and compare their reasons, When fev'rally we hear them rendered.

[Exit Caffius, with fome of the Plebeians.

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

Romans, Countrymen, and Lovers! hear me for my Believe me caufe; and be filent, that you may hear.

for mine honour, and have respect 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 Cafar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's love to Cafar was no lefs

than

than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cafar, this is my answer: Not that I lov'd Cæfar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cafar 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's here fo bafe, that would be a bond-man? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo 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 Cæfar, than you fhall do to Brutus. The queftion 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 fuffered death.

Enter Mark Antony with Cæfar's body.

Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark ntony, 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 shall not? With this I depart, that as I flew my best lover for the good of Fame; I have the fame dagger for myself, when it shall please my Coun try to need my death.

All. Live, Brutus, live! live!

1 Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his houfe. 2 Pleb. Give him a flatue with his Ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cæfar.

4

Pleb Cafar's better Parts

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

1 Pleb We'll bring him to his house With fhouts and clamours.

Bru. My Countrymen.

2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus fpeaks.

C 2

x Pleb.

1 Pleb. Peace, ho!

Bru, Good Countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my fake, ftay here with Antony;

Do grace to Cafar'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,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

[Exit.

1 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 say of Brutus ?

3

Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake

He finds himself beholden to us all.

4 Pleb. 'Twere beft he speak no harm of Brutus here. Pleb. This Cæfar 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. 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 praife 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 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 Cafar'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,
Whose ranfoms did the general coffers fill;
Did this in Cæfar feem ambitious?

When