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Began to water. Is thy Mafter coming?

Ser. He lyes to night within feven leagues of Rome. Ant. Poft back with speed, 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 thefe bloody mens
According to the which, thou shalt difcourfe
To young Octavius of the ftate of things.
Lend me your hand.

[Exeunt with Cæsar's body,

SCENE changes to the Forum.

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

Pleb.

WE will be fatisfied; let us be satisfied,

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

Caffius, go you into the other ftreet,

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.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus fpeak.

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

[Exit Caffius, with fome of the Plebeians.

Copies, Beads; which was certainly the Poet's Word. Thus Lady Conflance in King John;'

I; with thefe eryftal Beads Heav'n fhall be brib d

To do bim fuftice, and Revenge on You.:

And fo Lady Percy in the 1. Henry IV.

Thy Spirit within thee hath been fo at War,
And thus bath fo beftir'd thee in thy Sleep,
That Beads of Sweat have stood upon thy Brow.

3 Pleb.

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

Romans, Country-men, and Lovers! hear me for my cause; and be filent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe. Cenfure me in your wif dom, 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 less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæfar, this is my Anfwer: Not that I lov'd Cæfar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cefar were living, and dye all flaves; than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free-men? As Cafar lov'd me, I weep for him, as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it, as he was valiant, I ho nour 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 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 pause for a Reply

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended.

The

I have done no more to Cæfar, than you fhall do to Bratus. 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 suffered 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 best lover for the good of Rome; I have the fame dagger for my felf, when it fhall please my Country to need my death.

All.

All. Live, Brutus, live! live!

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

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

Bru. My Countrymen →→

2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus speaks.' 1 Pleb. Peace, ho!

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

Do grace to Cæfar's corps, and grace
his speech
Tending to Cæfar'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.

Pleb. Stay, ho, and let us hear Mark Antony. 3 Pleb. Let him go up into the publick 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

He finds himfclf 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 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! noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cafar was ambitious;
If it were fo, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæfar anfwer'd it.

Here,

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,
Whose ranfoms did the general coffers fill;
Did this in Cafar feem ambitious?

When that the Poor bave cry'd, Cafar hath wept,
Ambition fhould be made of fterner stuff.

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 refuse.

Was this ambition?

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious,
And, fure, he is an honourable man.

I speak not to difprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without caufe:
What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have loft their reafon-bear with me,
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar,
And I must paufe 'till it come back to me.

1 Pleb. Methinks, there is much reason in his sayings. If thou confider rightly of the matter,

Cafar has had great wrong.

3 Pleb. Has he, Masters? 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.

I 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 An

tony,

4 Pleb.

4 Pleb. Now mark him, he begins again to speak. Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæfar might Have stood against the world; now lies he there, And none fo poor to do him reverence. O mafters! if I were difpos'd to ftir

you;

Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should de Brutus wrong, and Caffius wrong;
Who, you all know, are honourable men.
I will not do them wrong: I rather chufe
To wrong the dead, to wrong my felf and
Than I will wrong fuch honourable men.
But here's a parchment, with the feal of Cafar,
I found it in his clofet, 'tis his Will;
Let but the Commons hear this Teftament,
(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read)
And they would go and kifs dead Cæfar's wounds,
And dip their napkins in his facred blood;
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,

And dying, mention it within their Wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their iffue.

4 Pleb. We'll hear the Will, read it, Mark Antony. All. The Will, the Will; we will hear Cafar's Will. Ant. Have patience, gentle friends, I muft not read it;

It is not meet you know how Cesar lov'd you.
You are not wood, you are not ftones, but men:
And, being men, hearing the Will of Cæfar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
'Tis good you know not, that you are his heirs;
For if you shouldO what would come of it?
4 Pleb. Read the Will, we will hear it, Antony :
You fhall read us the Will, Cæfar's Will.

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay a while? (I have o'er-fhot my felf, to tell you of it.) I fear, I wrong the honourable men, Whofe daggers have ftabb'd Cæfar. 4 Pleb, They were traitors All The Will! the Teftament !

I do fear it. honourable men!

2 Pleb.

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