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ON SHAKSPEARE. Let us find a paffage in which a juft parallel may be made. Homer, the father of poetry, was alfo the father of eloquence. Eloquence was an object of the utmost importance in the Grecian education. Homer, often mentions this; and when Peleus entrusted Achilles to the tuition of Phoenix, the two only things which he recommended to him were, to make his fon an eloquent man and a brave warrior*;

Μυθων τε ρητηρ' εμεναι, πρηκτηρα τε έργων.

It appears by the great number of fpeeches which Homer has introduced into the Iliad, that he had a particular predilection for eloquence. Many of them are very beautiful. Those in the ninth book are thought the best, and are really three mafter-pieces. The Grecian army put to flight by Hector, who had threatened to burn their fleet at fun-fet, had no hopes remaining but from the return of Achilles. The object was of no fmall importance. The taking of Troy was no longer the only point in queftion, but the preservation of their fleet, of their lives, and of thei· glory, of the glory of the Greeks, who were greedy of glory alone. Agamemnon was very fenfible of their fituation, and with the greateft difcernment he chofe as ambaffadors, Ajax, a blunt and brave warrior, to addrefs a warrior, Phoenix, who had educated him, and who knew every fibre of his heart; and Ulyffes, the profound, the crafty Ulyffes, the ableft in all the Grecian camp, to deceive him by eloquence. The ambaffadors are in the tent of Achilles. Go and read thei: fpeeches, and afterwards impartially compare them with what I am going to mention.

of war;

* He bade me teach thee all the ways
To thine in councils, and in camps to dare.

B 4

Plutarch

Plutarch fays, that, after the murder of Julius Cæfar, Brutus made an hárangue to calm the people; and that afterwards Antony made another; of which the confequence was, that the people, enraged, fet fire to the houses of the confpirators, and would have masfacred them if they had not fled. Shakspeare brings the Roman Roftra on the stage. Brutus afcends, and sets forth the reasons which determined him to kill Cæfar. He fays, that he was defirous to restore to his country that freedom of which Cæfar had deprived her; that he loved Cæfar much, but that he loved Rome more. "As Cæfar," fays he, "loved me, I weep for him; as he was valiant, I ❝ honour him; but as he was ambitious, I flew him." He thus clofes his fpeech: "With this I depart, that, as "I flew my beft lover for the good of Rome, I have "the fame dagger for myself, when it shall please my "country to need my death." The people, who had the highest opinion of the probity of Brutus, are thoroughly perfuaded of the juftice of the death of Cæfar, exclaim that Cæfar was a tyrant," would make Brutus dictator in his room, and prepare to "bring "him to his house with fhouts and clamours." Brutus entreats them to ftay and hear Antony, who enters at that inftant with the body of Gæfar.

Brutus departs, Antony goes up into the chair to harangue the people, who were in that difpofition of mind which I have just described. He fpeaks as follows:

Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Cæfar, 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! The noble Brutus

Hath

ON

SHAKSPEARE.

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Hath told you, Cæfar was ambitious:
If it were fo, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæfar 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 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 Cæfar feem ambitious?

When that the poor have cry'd, Cæfar hath wept:
Ambition fhould be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee, that, on the Lupercal,

I thrice prefented 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 disprove what Brutus fpoke,

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 fayings. 2 Pleb. If thou confider rightly of the matter,

Cæfar 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.

1 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 Antony.

4 Pleb. 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 fo poor to do him reverence.

O masters! if I were difpos'd to stir

Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do Brutus wrong, and Caffius 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 feal of Cæsar,
I found it in his clofet, '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 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 Cæfar's will.

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

It is not meet you know how Cæfar lov'd you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, 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 fhould, O, what would come of it!

4 Pleb. Read the will; we will hear it, Antony; You shall read us the will; Cæfar's will.

Ant. Will you be patient? Will you stay a while? I have o'er-fhot myfelf, to tell you of it.

I fear, I wrong the honourable men,

Whofe daggers have stabb'd Cæfar: I do fear it.

4 Pleb. They were traitors: Honourable men!

All. The will! the teftament!

2 Pleb. 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 corpfe of Cæfar,

And

ON

SHAKSPEARE.

And let me fhew you him that made the will.
Shall I defcend? And will you give me leave?
All. Come down.

2 Pleb. Defcend. [He comes down from the pulpit.
Pleb. You fhall have leave.

3

4 Pleb. A ring; stand round.

1 Pleb. Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.

2 Pleb. Room for Antony ;-most noble Antony. Ant. Nay, prefs not so upon me; stand far off. All. Stand back! room! bear back!

Ant. If you have tears, prepare to fhed them now. You all do know this mantle: I remember

The first time ever Cæfar put it on ;

'Twas on a fummer's evening, in his tent ;

That day he overcame the Nervii :

Look! in this place, ran Caffius' dagger through:
See, what a rent the envious Cafea made:
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus ftabb'd;
And, as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæfar follow'd it;
As rufhing out of doors, to be refolv'd
If Brutus fo unkindly knock'd, or no;

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæfar's angel:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæfar 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 vanquifh'd him: then burft his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's ftatue,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell.
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilft bloody treason flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel

The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.

Kind fouls, what, weep you, when you but behold
Our Cæfar's vesture wounded? Look you here!
Here is himself, marr'd, as you fee, with traitors.
1 Pleb. O piteous fpectacle!

2 Pleb. O noble Cæfar!

2

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3 Pleb