Plays and Poems

My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.

That I did love thee, Cæsar, O! 'tis true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble in the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better than to clo-e
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd,
brave hart;

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And am moreover suitor 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 shall, Mark Antony.
Cas.
Brutus, a word with you.
Aside to BRUTUS. You know not what you do;
do not consent

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 show the reason of our Cæsar's death:
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission,
And that we are contented Cæsar shall
Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.
Cas. I know not what may fall; I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here, take you Cæsar's
body.

You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Cæsar,
And say you do 't by our permission;
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral; and you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.

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Ant.

I do desire no more.

Be it so;

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us. E eunt all but ANTONY.

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 shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,
Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue,
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and destruction shall be so in use,
And dreadful objects so familiar,
That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war;
All pity chok'd with custom of fell deeds:
And Cæsar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter a Servant.

You serve Octavius Cæsar, do you not? Serv. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cæsar did write for him to come to Rome. Serv. He did receive his letters, and is coming; And bid me say to you by word of mouth- * O Cæsar!Seeing the body.

Ant. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep, Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes, Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, Began to water. Is thy master coming?

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

Ant. Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanc'd:

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,
No Rome of safety for Octavius yet;
Hie hence and tell him so. Yet stay awhile;
Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corpse
Into the market-place; there shall I try,
In my oration, how the people take
The cruel issue of these bloody men ;
According to the which thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.
Lend me your hand.

Excunt, with CAESAR's body.

SCENE II.-The Same. The Forum, Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.

Citizens. We will be satisfied: let us be satis fied.

Bru. Then follow me, and give me audience.
friends.

Cassius, go you into the other street,
And part the numbers.

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;
250 And public reasons shall be rendered
Of Caesar's death.

First Cit.
I will hear Brutus speak.
Second Cit. I will hear Cassius; and compare
their reasons,

When severally we hear them rendered.

Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUS goes into the pulpit. Third Cit. The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!

Bru. Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved 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 slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base, that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile, that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

Citizens. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

Enter ANTONY and Others, with CESAR'S body. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony. who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart: that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

Citizens. Live, Brutus! live! live!

shouts and clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,—

Second Cit.

First Cit. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.

Third Cit. Let him go up into the public chair; We'll hear him Noble Antony, go up.

Ant. For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.
Fourth Cit. What does he say of Brutus ?
Third Cit.
He says, for Brutus' sake,

He finds himself beholding to us all.
Fourth it. "Twere best he speak no harm of
Brutus here.

First Cit. This Cæsar was a tyrant.
Third Cit.

Nay, that's certain:
We are bless'd that Rome is rid of him.
Second Cit. Peace! let us hear what Antony
can say.

Ant. You gentle Romans,-
Citizens.

Peace, ho! let us hear him. Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Cæsar, 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 Cæsar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious;
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cæsar answer'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 Cæsar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, 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 cause:
What cause withholds you then to mourn for
him?

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Peace! silence! Brutus speaks. I fear there will a worse come in his place. First Cit. Peace, ho!

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone, And, for my sake, stay here with Antony.

Do grace to Cæsar's corpse, and grace his speech

Tending to Cæsar's glories, which Mark Antony, By our permission, is allow'd to make.

Fourth Cit. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;

Therefore, 'tis certain, he was not ambitious. First Cit. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

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Second Cit. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.

Third Cit. There's not a nobler man in Rome | That day he overcame the Nervii. than Antony.

Fourth Cit. Now mark him; he begins again to speak.

Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæsar might Have stood against the world; now lies he there,

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And none so poor to do him reverence.
O masters! if I were dispos'd to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius 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 such honourable men.
But here's a parchment with the seal of Cæsar;
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,
And they would go and kiss dead Cæsar's wounds,
And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their issue.

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Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar follow'd it,
As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel:
Judge, O you gods! how dearly Cæsar lov'd him.
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty
heart;

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And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statua,
Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.
O! what a fall was there, my countrymen;
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.
140 O now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity; these are gracious drops. 200
Kind souls, what! weep you when you but behold
Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? Look you here,

Fourth Cit. We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
Antony.

Citizens. The will, the will! we will hear
Cæsar's will.

Ant. Have patience, gentle friends; I must
not read it:

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It is not meet you know how Cæsar lov'd you.
You are not wood you are not stones, but men ;
And, being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs ;
For if you should, O! what would come of it.
Fourth Cit. Read the will! we'll hear it,
Antony;

You shall read us the will, Cæsar's will.

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay
awhile?

I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it.
I fear I wrong the honourable men
Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar; I do fear it.
Fourth Cit. They were traitors: honourable
men !

Citizens. The will! the testament!

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Second Cit. They were villains, murderers. The will! read the will!

Ant. You will compel me then to read the
will?

Then make a ring about the corpse of Cæsar,
And let me show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?
Citizens. Come down.

Second Cit. Descend. ANTONY comes down.
Third Cit. You shall have leave.
Fourth Cit. A ring; stand round.
First Cit. Stand from the hearse; stand from
the body.

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Second Cit. Room for Antony; most noble
Antony.

Ant. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off.
Citizens. Stand back! room! bear back!
Ant. If you have tears, prepare to shed them

now.

You all do know this mantle: I remember
The first time ever Cæsar put it on ;
'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,

First Cit. O piteous spectacle !
Second Cit. O noble Cæsar!
Third Cit. O woeful day!
Fourth Cit. O traitors! villains!
First Cit. O most bloody sight!
Second Cit. We will be revenged.
Citizens. Revenge!-About!-Seek!-Burn!-
Fire!-Kill!-Slay!-Let not a traitor live.
Ant. Stay, countrymen.

First Cit. Peace there! Hear the noble
Antony.

Second Cit. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.

Ant. Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up

To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honourable:
What private griefs they have, alas! I know not,
That made them do it; they are wise and
honourable,

And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:
I am no orator, as Brutus is;

But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
That love my friend; and that they know full
well

That gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech.
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;
I tell you that which you yourselves do know,
Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor poor
dumb mouths,

And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæsar, that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.
Citizens. We ll mutiny.

First Cit. We'll burn the house of Brutus
Third Cit. Away then! come, seek the con-
spirators.

Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbours, and new-planted orchards, On this side Tiber; he hath left them you, And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures, To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves. Here was a Cæsar! when comes such another? First Cit. Never, never! Come, away, away! We'll burn his body in the holy place, And with the brands fire the traitors' houses. Take up the body.

Second Cit. Go, fetch fire.

Third Cit. Pluck down benches.

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Cin. What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell? Am I a married man or a bachelor? Then, to answer every man directly and briefly, wisely and truly; wisely I say, I am a bachelor.

Second Cit. That's as much as to say they are fools that marry; you'll bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed; directly.

Cin. Directly, I am going to Cæsar's funeral. First Cit. As a friend or an enemy?

Cin. As a friend.

Second Cit. That matter is answered directly.
Fourth Cit. For your dwelling, briefly.

Cin. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.
Third Cit. Your name, sir, truly.

Cin. Truly, my name is Cinna.

First Cit. Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator.

Cin. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.

Fourth Cit. Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.

Cin. I am not Cinna the conspirator. Second Cit. It is no matter, his name 's Cinna; pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.

Third Cit. Tear him, tear him! Come, brands, ho! firebrands! To Brutus, to Cassius; burn all. Some to Decius' house, and some to Casca's; some to Ligarius'. Away! go!

ACT IV.

Exeunt.

He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth;

A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds
On abject orts and imitations,

Which, out of use and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion: do not talk of him
But as a property. And now, Octavius,
Listen great things: Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers; we must straight make
head;

Therefore let our alliance be combin'd,

Our best friends made, and our best means stretch'd out;

And let us presently go sit in council,
How covert matters may be best disclos'd,
And open perils surest answered.

Oct. Let us do so: for we are at the stake,
And bay'd about with many enemies ;
And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs.
Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Camp near Sardis. Before
BRUTUS'S Tent.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and
Soldiers; TITINIUS and PINDARUS meet them.
Bru. Stand, ho!

Lucil. Give the word, ho! and stand.

Bru. What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near? Lucil. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come To do you salutation from his master.

Bru. He greets me well. Your master Pindarus, In his own change, or by ill officers, Hath given me some worthy cause to wish Things done undone; but, if he be at hand, I shall be satisfied.

Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along. First Sold. Stand!

Second Sold. Stand!

Third Sold. Stand!

Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.

Bru. Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies?

And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother? Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides

Cas. In such a time as this it is not meet That every nice offence should bear his comment. Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm; To sell and mart your offices for gold To undeservers.

Cas.

I an itching palm!

You know that you are Brutus that speak this, Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last. Bru. The name of Cassius honours this corruption,

And chastisement doth therefore hide his head. Cas. Chastisement !

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remember:

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake!
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What! shall one of us.
That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honours
For so much trash as may be grasped thus!
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.

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