5 ΙΟ * MARK ANTONY'S ORATION.-Shakspeare. FRIENDS, Romans, countrymen ! lend me your ears; * I come to bury Cæsar,* not to praise him. * He was my friend-faithful and just to me- 15 And Brutus is an honourable man! 20 ; Cæsar was the leader of the popular party among the Romans. He became the foremost man in all the world, and the greatest general of his time. Brutus, the nephew The rest, the other some of whom had To speak, &c. It was the custom in Rome He hath brought many captives home to Rome, for the nearest friend When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath Ambition should be made of sterner stuff!- * And Brutus is an honourable man! * of any great man to attend his funeral and deliver a speech in his praise. Coffer, a chest to hold money. Lupercal, the place in Rome where Romulus and Remus, 25 Which he did thrice refuse: was this am- the founders of the bition ? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke; 30 You all did love him once; not without cause: O judgment thou hast fled to brutish beasts, me; My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar; 35 And I must pause till it come back to me ! * Mark Antony was connected with the family of Cæsar through his mother. being defeated by Augustus at Actium, B. C. 31, he stabbed himself. This famous speech is taken from Shakspeare's "Julius Caesar," Act III., Scene II. After Against the world, the Roman Empire, over which Cæsar ruled, included nearly the whole of the then known world. Cassius was a Roman noble, upon whom Cæsar bestowed great honours. He was the author of the conspi racy to murder his benefactor. Parchment, the skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing Closet, a private on. room. But yesterday, the word of Cæsar might 40 Have stood against the world *-now lies he Legacy, anything left Bequeathing it, as a rich legacy,* by will, Issue, children. * If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. You all do know this mantle. I remember The first time that ever Cæsar put it on: 'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tentThe Nervii were the That day he overcame the Nervii ! * Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through! most warlike of the Belgic tribes. Their country was in the north-eastern portion of France. In 57 B. C. Cæsar so totally defeated them, that they had only 500 fighting Casca was the conspirator who aimed men left out of 60,000. the first thrust at Cæsar. See what a rent the envious Casca * made !- heart; And, in his mantle muffling up his face, fell! Oh! what a fall was there, my countrymen ! 45 55 60 65 70 75 Whilst bloody treason * flourished over us ! Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? look you here! traitors! 85 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 ! That made them do it: they are wise and honourable, 90 And will, no doubt, with reason answer you. full well man, 95 That gave me public leave to speak of him- Blunt, honest and straightforward. * Worth, influence. Dumb mouths, here ; to the wounds of Cæsar are compared mouths having no power of speech. 100 Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor, poor And Brutus Antony, dumb mouths! And bid them speak for me. But, were I And Brutus Antony,* there were an Antony &c. If Antony were as clever a speaker as Brutus, he would so work upon their feelings as to make them instantly rise up against the traitors who had so foully murdered their greatest benefactor. FLEETING PLEASURES.-Burns. BUT pleasures are like poppies spread, That flit ere you can point their place: K MERCHANT OF VENICE,* ACT IV., SCENE I. Shakspeare. Magnificoes were Enter the DUKE; the MAGNIFICOES ;* ANTONIO, BAssanio, GRATIANO, SALARINO, SALANIO, and others. the higher or chief nobles of Venice. Antonio, a young merchant, who used to lend money to dis tressed people any interest for Duke. What, is Antonio * here? Ant. Ready, so please your grace. Duke. I am sorry for thee; thou art come to answer without receiving A stony adversary,* an inhuman wretch Uncapable of pity, void and empty From any dram of mercy. it. Adversary, an enemy. Uncapable (now written incap able), not being able to pity. Dram, the small- tion. Ant. * I have heard, * Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify Duke. Go one, and call the Jew* into the court. lord. Enter SHYLOCK. Duke. Make room, and let him stand before our face. * Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, And, where thou now exact'st the penalty, But, touch'd with human gentleness and love, * Moiety, portion. Forgive a moiety of the principal, That have of late brought down such ruin on him, * Venice was once an important commercial city. 5 10 15 20 25 It is situated on the islands at the mouth of the river Po, in northern Italy. It has canals for streets, and above 300 bridges over them, the chief of which is the Rialto, built of white marble. 30 Enough to press a royal merchant* down. 35 40 We all expect a gentle answer, Jew. Royal merchant, the great Italian merchants who Shy. I have possess'd* your grace of what I had claims on purpose; And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn But Upon your charter * and your city's freedom. 45 To excuse the current* of thy cruelty. Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my answer. Ant. I pray you, think you question with the You may as well go stand upon the beach, 55 kingdoms, and sometimes acquired principalities for themselves. Possessed, informed. Bond, a binding agreement. Charter, that on which the laws were written. Ducat, a silver coin, varying in value in different countries, so called because coined in the dominions of a Duke. Baned, destroyed, poisoned. Current, course. Think you ques- ocean. Bate, or abate, Ewe, a female sheep. Why he hath made the ewe * bleat for the lamb, Shy. What judgment* shall I dread, doing no The pound of flesh, which I demand of him, * There is no force in the decrees of Venice: * * Duke. Upon my power I may dismiss this court, 65 Unless Bellario,* a learned doctor, Whom I have sent for to determine * this, Salar. My lord, here stays without 70 New come from Padua.* Duke. Bring us the letters; call the messenger. Judgment, punishment, sentence, Decrees, laws. Judgment here means a verdict. Upon my power, on my authority. Bellario, a cele brated doctor of laws. Determine, de cide. Padua, a celebrated and an cient city in Lom bardy, about twenty miles from Venice. |