Bru. Or elfe this were a favage fpectacle.
Our reasons are fo full of good regard,

That were you, Antony, the Son of Cæfar,
You fhould 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, [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 myself into the Pulpit firft,

And fhew the reafon of our Cæfar's death.
What Antony fhall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave, and by permission:
And that we are contented, Cæfar fhall
Have all due 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 you Cafar's body:
You fhall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devife of Cæfar;
And fay, you do't by our permission:
Elfe fhall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral. And you fhall fpeak
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.

[Exeunt Confpirators.

SCENE

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

That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand, that fhed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophefie,
(Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue)
A curfe fhall light upon the line of men;
Domeftick fury, and fierce civil ftrife,
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and deftruction fhall be fo in ufe,
And dreadful objects fo familiar,

That mothers fhall but fmile, when they behold
Their infants quarter'd by the hands of war:
All pity choak'd with cuftom of fell deeds;
"And Cefar'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 Octavius's Servant.

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

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

[Seeing the Body.

5 -upon the LIMBS of men ;] We should read,

LINE of men;

i.e. human race.

E 3

Ant.

Ant. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and Paffion I fee is catching; for mine eyes, Seeing thofe Beads of forrow stand in thine, Began to water. Is thy mafter coming?

weep;

Ser. He lyes 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 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 fhalt difcourfe
To young Olavius of the ftate of things.

Lend me your hand. [Exeunt with Cæfar's body.

S

CEN E

Changes to the Forum.

V.

Enter Brutus, and mounts the Roftra; Caffius, with

Pleb.

WI

the Plebeians,

7 E will be fatisfied; let us be fatisfied.
Bru. Then follow me, and give me

audience, friends.

Caffius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers:

Thofe, that will hear me fpeak, let 'em ftay here;
Thofe, that will follow Caffius, go with him;
And publick reafons fhall be rendered

Of Cafar's death.

Pleb. I will hear Brutus fpeak,

2 Pleb. I will hear Caffius, and compare their

reafons,

When

When fev'rally we hear them rendered.

[Exit Caffius, with fome of the Plebeians.

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

Romans, Countrymen, 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 wifdom, and awake your fenfes, that you may the better judge.

If there be any in this affembly, any dear friend of 'Cæfar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's love to Cæfar

was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæfar, this is my Answer: 'Not that I lov'd Cæfar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome ' more. Had Had you rather Cæfar were living, and dye '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, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who's 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

6-Countrymen and Lovers! &c.] There is no where, in all Shakespear's works, a stronger proof of his not being what we call a fcholar, than this; or of his not knowing any thing of the genius of learned antiquity. This fpeech of Brutus is wrote in imitation of his famed laconic brevity, and is very fine in its kind. But no more like that brevity, than his times were like Brutus's. The ancient laconic brevity was fimple, natural and easy this is quaint, artificial, gingling, and abounding with forced antithefis's. In a word a brevity, that for its falfe eloquence would have fuited any character, and for its good fenfe would have become the greatest of our author's time; but yet, in a tile of declaiming, that fits as ill upon Brutus as our author's trowfers or collar-band would have done.

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended-I have done no more to Cafar, 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 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 my 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!

1 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. Cafar's better Parts Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

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

Bru. My Countrymen

2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus fpeaks.
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.

3

Pleb. Stay, ho, and let us hear Mark Antony.
Pleb. Let him go up into the publick Chair,

We'll