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 beafts,
And men have loft their reason !-Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar,
And I must paufe till it come back to me.

1. Cit. Methinks, there is much reason in his fayings. 2. Cit. If thou confider rightly of the matter, Cæfar 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 foul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping. Cit. There's not a nobler man in Rome, than Antony. 4. Cit. Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

3.

Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæfar might Have ftood against the world: now lies he there, And none fo poor to do him reverence.

6

O mafters! if I were difpos'd to fir

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 fuch honourable men.
But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæfar,
I found it in his closet, '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,

The meaneft man is now too high to do reverence to Cæfar. 7 i. e. their handkerchiefs. Napery was the ancient term for all kinds of linen.

Napkin is the northern term for bandkerchief, and is ufed in this fenfe at this day in Scotland. Our authour frequently uses the word.

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

Unto their iffue.

4. Cit. We'll hear the will: Read it, Mark Antony. Cit. 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 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 should, O, what would come of it! 4. Cit. 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 myself, to tell you of it.

I fear, I wrong the honourable men,

Whofe daggers have stabb'd Cæfar: I do fear it. 4. Cit. They were traitors: Honourable men! Cit. The will! the teftament!

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 corpfe of Calar,
And let me fhew you him that made the will.
Shall I defcend? And will you give me leave?
Cit. Come down.

2. Cit. Defcend. [He comes down from the pulpit.
3. Cit. You shall have leave.

4. Cit. A ring; ftand round.

1. Cit. Stand from the hearfe, ftand from the body.
2. Cit. Room for Antony;-moft noble Antony.
Ant. Nay, prefs not fo 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 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:
VOL. VI.

D

See

See, what a rent the envious Cafca made:
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus ftabb'd;
And, as he pluck'd his curfed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæfar follow'd it;
As rushing 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 unkindeft cut of all:

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more ftrong 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 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 treafon flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity 9: these are gracious drops.
Kind fouls, what, weep you, when you but behold
Our Cæfar's vefture wounded? Look you here!
Here is himself, marr'd, as you fee, with traitors..
1. Cit. O piteous fpectacle!

2. Cit. O noble Cæfar!

3. Cit. O woeful day!

4. Cit. O traitors, villains!

1. Cit. O most bloody fight!

2. Cit. We will be reveng'd: revenge; about,-feek, -burn,-fire,-kill,-flay!-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, fweet friends, let me not ftir you up To fuch a fudden flood of mutiny.

They, that have done this deed, are honourable;

What

8 The image feems to be, that the blood of Cæfar few upon the ftatue, and trickled down it.

9 The dint of pity :] is the impression of pity.

What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it; they are wife, and honourable,
And will, no doubt, with reafons 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 publick leave to speak of him.
For I have neither writ', nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To ftir men's blood: I only fpeak right on;
I tell you that, which you yourselves do know;
Shew you fweet Cæfar's wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths!
And bid them fpeak for me: But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your fpirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæfar, that should move
The ftones of Rome to rife and mutiny.
3. Cit. We'll mutiny.

i. Cit. We'll burn the house of Brutus.

3. Cit. Away then, come, feek the confpirators. Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me fpeak. Cit. Peace, ho! Hear Antony, moft noble Antony. Ant. Why friends, you go to do you know not what; Wherein hath Cæfar thus deferv'd your loves? Alas, you know not:-I must tell you

You have forgot the will I told you of.

then :

Cit. Molt true;-the will;-let's stay, and hear the will. Ant. Here is the will, and under Cæfar's feal.

To every Roman citizen he gives,

To every feveral man, feventy five drachmas 2.

2. Cit. Most noble Cæfar!-We'll revenge his death. 3. Cit. O royal Cæfar!

Ant. Hear me with patience,

Cit. Peace, ho!

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,

·D 2

I I have no penned and premeditated oration.

His

2 A drachma was a Greek coin, the fame as the Roman denier, of

the value of four fefterces, 74, ob.

is private arbours, and new-planted orchards,
On this fide Tiber; he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
Here was a Cæfar: When comes fuch another?
1. Cit. Never, never: -- Come, away, away:
We'll burn his body in the holy place,

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.
Take up the body.

2. Cit. Go, fetch fire.

3. Cit. Pluck down benches.

4. Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.

[Exeunt Citizens, with the body.
Ant. Now let it work: Mifchief, thou art afoot,
Take thou what courfe thou wilt!-How now, fellow ?
Enter a Servant.

Serv. Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.
Ant. Where is he?

Serv. He and Lepidus are at Cæfar's house.
Ant. And thither will I ftraight to visit him:
He comes upon a wifh. Fortune is merry,
And in this mood will give us any thing,

Serv. I heard him fay, Brutus and Caffius Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome. Ant. Belike, they had fome notice of the people, How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The fame. A Street.

Enter CINNA the Poet.

Cin. I dreamt to-night, that I did feaft with Cæfar, And things unluckily charge my fantasy :

I have no will to wander forth of doors,

Yet fomething leads me forth.

Enter Citizens.

1. Cit. What is your name?
2. Cit. Whither are you going?