Have all due 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. Antony. I do desire no more." Be it so ; Mark Antony's soliloquy follows, beginning 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!" And then Brutus to the people, in the forum: 66 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 Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus's 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 Cæsar were dead, to live all freemen? 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 are 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 I have 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. All. 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!" Warburton says, that "this speech is in imitation of Brutus's famed laconic brevity, and is very fine in its kind, but no more like that brevity than the times were like Brutus's."* Of the similarity I do not pretend to judge; * Bosw., 92. but the speech is surely a very skilful performance, and the oratory of the downright Brutus is well contrasted with that of the artful and facund Antony : "Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him ; The good is oft interred with their bones: He was my friend, faithful and just to me; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept; Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honourable man. Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, This pause gives an opportunity to the people, as Antony intended that it should, of expressing to each other the feeling which he had excited :Cæsar has had great wrong." Antony resumes his speech "But yesterday the word of Cæsar might Have stood against the world: now lies he there, O masters! if I were disposed to stir I will not do them wrong, I rather choose 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, Unto their issue." Then, when the people call for the will- "Read the will; we will hear it, Antony; 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. *The people are so called in Boswell's edition; Johnson and Steevens style them plebeians. |