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 Casar, 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.

I

Cit. Peace, no! let us hear him.

Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me yous ears;

;

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, Caesar was ambitious; If it were so, it was a grievous fault And grievously hath Caesar 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 Caesar'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, Casar hath wept Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious; Cit. None, Brutus, none. And Brutus is an honourable man. [Several speaking at once. You all did see, that on the Lupercal, Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done I thrice presented him a kingly crown, no more to Cæsar, than you shall do to Brutus. Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition The question of his death is enrolled in the Capi-Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious; tol: his glory not extenuated, wherein he was And, sure, he is an honourable man. worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he | I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, suffered death.

Enter ANTONY and others, with CÆSAR'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. Cit. Live, Brutus, live! live!

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

2 Cit. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

3 Cit. Let him be Cæsar. 4 Cit.

Caesar's better parts

Shall now be crown'd in Brutus.

1 Cit. We'll bring him to his house with shouts and clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,——
2 Cit.

Peace; silence! Brutus speaks.
1 Cit. Peace, ho!
Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:
Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech
grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories; which Mark Antony,
By our permission, is allow'd to make.
I do entreat you not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

[Exit.

1 Cit. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony. 3 Cit. Let him go up into the public chair; We'll hear him:-Noble Antony, go up. Ant. For Brutus' sake, I am beholden to you. 4 Cit. What does he say of Brutus? 3 Cit. He says, for Brutus' sake,

He finds himself beholden to us all.

4 Cit. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus

here.

1 Cit. This Cæsar was a tyrant. 3 Cit. Nay, that's certain : We are bless'd, that Rome is rid of him.

2 Cit. Peace; let us hear what Antony can say. Ant. You gentle Romans,

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?
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason!-Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Casar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

1 Cit. Methinks, there is much reason in his
sayings.

2 Cit. If thou consider rightly ɔf the matter, Cæsar has had great wrong. 3 Cit.

Has he, masters?

I fear, there will a worse come in his place.
4 Cit. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take
the crown;

Therefore, 'tis certain, he was not ambitious.

1 Cit. If it be found so, some will dear abide it. 2 Cit. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.

3 Cit. There's not a nobler man in Rome, thar

Antony.

4 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,
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,
I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
Who, you all know, are honourable men :
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you,
Than I will wrong such honourable men.
But here's a parchment, with the scal of Cæsar,
I found it in his closet, 'tis his will:
Let but the commons hear his testament,
And they would go and kiss dead Cesar's wounds
(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read,)
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.

4 Cit. We'll hear the will: Read it, Mark Antony.

at the bar. It may therefore be regarded rather as an mitation of the false eloquence then in vogue, than as a specimen of laconic brevity. It is worthy of remark,tors. It would not have been again noticed, but for Mr. that Voltaire, who has stolen and transplanted into his tragedy of Brutus the fine speech of Antony to the people, and has unblushingly received the highest compliments upon it from the King of Prussia, Count Algarotti, and others, affects to extol this address of Brutus, while he 's most disingenuously silent on the subject of that of tony, which he chose to purloin.

Lover and friend were synonymous with our ances.

Reed's whimsical notion that it was not authenticated
by examples, and that Shakspeare found it in North's
Plutarch alone. Malone has adduced a host of exam-
ples, but any old Latin Dictionary, under the word
amicus, would serve to confute Mr. Reed.
2 The meanest man 19 ow too high to do reverence
to Cæsar.'

3 Handkerchiefs

Cu. The will, the will; we will hear Cæsar's

will.

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

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!
4 Cit. Read the will; we will 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.
4 Cit. They were traitors: Honourable men!
Cit. The will! the testament!

2 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 Caesar,
And let me show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? And will you give me leave?
Cit. Come down.

2 Cit. Descend.

3 Cit. O, woful day!

4 Cit. O, traitors, villains!
1 Cit. O, most bloody sight!

2 Cit. We will be revenged: revenge: about,seek,-burn,-fire,-kill,—slay !-let not a traitor

live.

Ant. Stay, countrymen.

1 Cit. Peace there;-Hear the noble Antony 2 Cit. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.

Ant. Good friends, sweet friends, let me not s't 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;

[He comes down from the Pulpit. Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor duml

3 Cit. You shall have leave. 2 Cit. A ring; stand round.

1 Cit. Stand from the hearse, stand from the body. 2 Cit. Room for Antony;-most noble Antony. Ant. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off. Cit. 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
That day he overcame the Nervii :-
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:1
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;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statua,2
Which all the while ran blood,3 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'u over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what, weep you, when you but behold
Our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr'd,' as you see, with traitors.
1 Cit. O, piteous spectacle!

2 Cit. O, noble Cæsar!

1 i. e. his guardian angel, or the being in whom he put most trust.

2 See Act ii. Sc. 2. Beaumont in his Masque writes this word statua, and its plural statuaes. Even is generally used as a dissyllable by Shakspeare.

3 The image seems to be that the blood flowing from Cæsar's wounds appeared to run from the statue; the words are from North's Plutarch:- Against the very base whereon Pompey's image stood, which ran all a gore of blood, till he was slain.'

4 Dint anciently written dent; a stroke, and the impression which it makes on any thing.'

mouths,

And bid them speak for me: But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, here 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.
Cit. We'll mutiny.

1 Cit. We'll burn the house of Brutus.
3 Cit. Away then, come, seek the conspirators.
Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear m.

speak.

Cit. Peace, ho! Hear Antony, most noble An tony.

Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know no

what:

Wherein hath Cæsar thus deserv'd your loves?
Alas, you know not:-I must tell you,
then:
You have forgot the will I told you of.
Cit. Most true;-the will ;-let's stay, and hear

the will.

Ant. Here is the will, and under Cæsar's seal.
To every Roman citizen he gives,

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.
2 Cit. Most noble Cæsar!-we'll revenge hi
death.

3 Cit. O royal Cæsar!

Ant. Hear me with patience.
Cit. Peace, ho!

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
His private arbours, and new planted orchards,
On this side Tyber; 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?
1 Cit. Never, never:-Come, come, away:
We'll burn his body in the holy place,
And with the brands fire1o the traitors' houses.
Take up the body.

The context, I think, fully calls for the emendation,
which Steevens has well defended.

8 A drachma was a Greek coin, the same as the Roman denier, of the value of four sesterces, i. e. 71. 9 This scene (says Theobald) lies in the Forum, near the Capitol, and in the most frequented part of the city; but Caesar's gardens were very remote from that quarter:

Trans Tiberim longe cubat is. prope Cæsaris hortos, says Horace: and both the Naumachia and gardens of Cæsar were separated from the main city by the river, and lay out wide in a line with Mount Janiculum.' He would therefore read, on that side Tyber.' But Dr. Farmer has shown that Shakspeare's study lay in the old translation of Plutarch, 'He bequethed unto every 7 The first folio reads, "For I have neither writ.' The citizen of Rome seventy-five drachmas a man, and left second folio corrects it to wit, which Johnson supposed his gardens and arbours unto the people, which he had might mean a penned and premeditated oration. on this side of the river Tyber.' Malone perversely adheres to the erroneous reading. 10 Fire again as dissyllable

5 Marr'd is defaced, destroyed. Is is often, for the sake of the jingle, opposed to make. 6 Grievances.

2 The place of this scene is not marked in the old 6 Shakspeare had already woven this circumstance copy. It appears from Plutarch and Appian, that these into the character of Justice Shallow :-- He came ever riumvirs met, upon the proscription, in a little island in the rearward of the fashion; and sung those tunes ear Mutina, upon the river Lavinius. That Shak-that he heard the carmen whistle.' speare, however, meant the scene to be at Rome may be inferred from what almost immediately follows:'Lep. What, shall I find you here Oct. Or.here, or at the Capitol.'

SCENE II.-Before Brutus' Tent, in the Camp | SCENE III.—Within the Tent of Brutus. LUCIUS near Sardis. Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, Lucius, and Soldiers: TITINIUS and PINDARus, meeting them.

I said, an elder soldier, not a better:

Did I say, better?

Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me, Who, much enforced, slows a hasty spark,
Brutus ;
And straight is cold again.
Cas.
Hath Cassius liv'a
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief, and blood ill temper'd, vexeth him!
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill temper'd tor
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me you
hand.

Bru.

If you did, I care not.

Cas. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me.

Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempt

Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty,
That they pass by me, as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you

you

For certain sums of gold, which denied me:-
For I can raise no money by vile means:
By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,
And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash,
By any indirection. I did send

To you for gold to pay my legions,
Which you denied me: Was that done like Cassius?

Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!

Cas.

Bru. You did.
Cas.

I denied

you not.

I did not; he was but a fool

That brought my answer back.-Brutus hath riv'd

my heart:

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me.'
Cas. You love me not.
Bru.
I do not like your faults.
Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults.
Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do ap-

pear

As huge as high Olympus.

Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
For Cassius is aweary of the world:
Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother;
Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observ'd,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes!-There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast; within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:
If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;

that denied thee gold, will give my heart: Strike as thou didst at Cæsar; for, I know,

Bru.

O, Brutus !—

What's the matter

Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me
When that rash humour, which
Makes me forgetful?

my mother gave me
Bru. Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth
When you are over earnest with your Brutus,
He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.
[Noise within
Poet. [Within.] Let me go in to see the generals;
There is some grudge between them, 'tis not meet
They be alone.

Luc. [Within.] You shall not come to them.
Poet. [Within.] Nothing but death shall stay me.
Enter Poet.2

Cus. How now? What's the matter?
Poet. For shame, you generals; What do you
mean?

Love, and be friends, as two such men should be
For I have seen more years, I am sure, than ye.3

Cas. Ha, ha: how vilely doth this cynic rhyme!
Bru. Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him And grief, that young Octavius with Mark Antony Impatient of my absence;

better

Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius.

Bru.
Sheath your dagger:
Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.
O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb,
That carries anger as the flint bears fire;

1 The meaning is this:-'I do not look for your faults, I only see them, and mention them with vehemence, when you force them into my notice, by practising them on me.'

2 Shakspeare found the present incident in Plutarch. The intruder, however, was Marcus Phaonius, who had been a friend and follower of Cato; not a poet, but one who assumed the character of a cynic philosopher.

3 This passage is a translation from the first book of Homer's Iliad, which is thus given in Sir Thomas North's Plutarch:

'My lords I pray you hearken both to me,
For I have see inore years than such ye three.'
4 i.e these silly poets. A jig
A jig signified a ballad or

Have made themselves so strong:-for with her

death

That tidings came ;-With this she fell distract,
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.

Cas. And died so?

Bru. Even so.

Cas. O ye immortal gods!

Enter Lucius, with Wine and Tapers. Bru. Speak no more of her. Give me a bow! of wine :

In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. [Drinks ditty, as well as a dance. See note on Hamlet, Act ii. Sc. 2.

5 Companion is used as a term of contempt in many of the old plays; as we say at present fellow! Doll Tearsheet says to Pistol :

"I scorn you, scurvy companion,' &c.

6 This circumstance is taken from Plutarch. It is also mentioned by Valerius Maximus, iv. 6. Portia 1s however reported by Pliny to have diec' at Rome of a lingering illness while Brutus was abroad