4

Pleb. What does he fay of Brutus ? 3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus's fake

He finds himself beholden to us all.

4

Pleb. 'Twere beft fpeak no harm of Brutus here. i Pleb, This Cafar was a Tyrant.

3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain;

We are glad that Rome is rid of him.

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

All. Peace, Ho, let us hear him.

Ant. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your Ears;
I come to bury Cafar, not to praise him.
The Evil that Men do lives after them,
The Good is oft interred with the Bones;
So let it be with Cafar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cafar was ambitious;
If it were fo, it was a grievous Fault,
And grievously hath Cafar anfwer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the reft,
(For Brutus is an honourable Man,
So are they all, all honourable Men)
Come I to fpeak in Cafar'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 Cafar feem ambitious?

When that the poor have cry'd, Cafar hath wept ;
Ambition fhould be made of fterner Stuff:
Yet Brutus fays, He was Ambitious,

And Brutus is an honourable Man.

You all did fee, that on the Lupercal,

I thrice presented him a Kingly Crown,

Which he did thrice refufe. Was this Ambition?
Yet Brutus fays, He was ambitious,

And fure he is an honourable Man.

I fpeak not to difprove what Brutus fpoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause,

03

What

What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him?
O Judgment thou art fled to brutish Beafts,
And Men have loft their Reafon

Bear with me,

My Heart is in the Coffin there with Cafar,
And I muft paufe 'till it come back to me.

I Pleb. Methinks there is much Reafon in his Sayings.
If thou confider rightly of the matter,

Cafar has had great wrong.

(his place. 3 Pleb. Has he, Masters? I fear there will a worfe come in 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 Soul! 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 Yefterday the word of Casar might Have food against the World; now lyes he there, And none fo poor to do him Reverence. O Masters! If I were difpos'd to ftir

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 chuse
To wrong the Dead, to wrong my self and you,
Than I will wrong fuch Honourable Men.
But here's a Parchment, with the Seal of Cafar,
I found it in his Clofet, '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 Cafar'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 Cafar's Will. Ant. Have Patience, gentle Friends, I must not read it, It is not meet you know how Cafar lov'd you. You are not Wood, you are not Stones, but Men:

And

And being Men, hearing the Will of Cafar,
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'll hear it, Antony: You fhall read us the Will, Cafar's Will.

Ant. Will you be Patient? will you stay a while? I have o'er-fhot my felf to tell you of it.

I fear I wrong the Honourable Men,

Whose Daggers have ftabb'd Cafar. I do fear it. 4 Pleb. They were Traitors

All. The Will! the Teftament !

Honourable Men!

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 Corps of Cafar,
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.

3 Pleb. You fhall have leave.

4

Pleb. A Ring, stand round.

i Pleb. Stand from the Hearfe, ftand from the Body.
2 Pleb. Room for Antony moft noble Antony!
Ant. Nay prefs not fo upon me, ftand far off.
All. 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 Cafar put it on,

'Twas on a Summers Evening in his Tent.
That Day he overcame the Nervii

Look! in this place, ran Caffius's Dagger through.
See what a Rent the envious Caska made
Through this, the well beloved Brutus stab'd,
And as he pluck'd his curfed Steel away,
Mark how the Blood of Cafar followed it
As rushing out of Doors, to be refolv'd,
If Brutus fo unkindly knock'd, or no.
For Brutus, as you know, was Cafar's Angel.
Judge, O you Gods! how dearly Cafar lov'd him!

This

This was the most unkindeft Cut of all;

For when the Noble Cafar faw him ftab,
Ingratitude, more ftrong than Traitors Arms,
Quite vanquish'd him; then burft his mighty Heart;
And in his Mantle muffling up his Face,
Even at the Bafe of Pompey's Statue,

Which all the while ran Blood, great Cafar 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; thefe are gracious drops.
Kind Souls! what weep you, when you but behold
Our Cafar's Vefture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr'd as you fee with Traitors,
1 Pleb. O piteous Spectacle !

2 Pleb. O Noble Cafar!

3 Pleb. O woful Day!

4

Pleb. O Traitors, Villains!

1 Plek. O most bloody fight!

2 Pleb. We will be reveng'd: Revenge!

burn fire kill

Ant. Stay Countrymen

1 Pleb. Peace there, hear the noble Antony.

flay!

2 Pleb. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll dye with him

Ant. Good Friends, fweet Friends, let me not ftir

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 wife and honourable;
And will no doubt with Reasons answer you.
I come not, Friends, to fteal 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 give me publick leave to fpeak of him:
For I have neither Wit, nor Words, nor Worth,

Action nor Utterance, nor the power of Speech,
To ftir Mens Blood; I only fpeak right on.
I tell you that, which you your felves do know,
Shew you fweet Cafar'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 Spirits, and put a Tongue
In every Wound of Cafar, that fhould move
The Stones of Rome to rife and mutiny.
All. We'll mutiny.

i Pleb. We'll burn the Houfe of Brutus.

3 Pleb. Away then, come, feek the Confpirators, Ant. Yet hear me, Countrymen, yet hear me fpeak, All. Peace ho, hear Antony, moft Noble Antony. Ant. Why, Friends, you go to do you know not what. Wherein hath Cafar thus deferv'd your Loves? Alas you know not; I must tell you then: You have forgot the Will I told you of.

All. Moft true---the Will----let's ftay and hear the Will
Ant. Here is the Will, and under Cafar's Seal.
To every Roman Citizen he gives,

To every feveral Man, feventy five Drachma's.
2 Pleb. Moft Noble Cafar! we'll revenge his Death,
3 Pleb. O Royal Cefar!

Ant. Hear me with patience,

All Peace ho!

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his Walks,
His private Arbors, 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 your felves.
Here was a Cafar, when comes fuch another?
1 Pb. Never, never; come, away, away;
We'll burn his Body in the holy Place,

And with the Brands fire all the Traitors Houfes
Take up the Body.

2 Pleb. Go fetch Fire.

3 Pleb. Pluck down Benches.

4

Pleb. Pluck down Forms, Windows, any thing.
[Exeunt Plebeians with the Body.