Bru. Prepare the body, then, and follow us.
[Exeunt all but ANTONY.
Ant. 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 livéd in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy

(Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips

To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue),
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men:

Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy:
Blood and destruction shall be so in use,
And dreadful objects so familiar,

That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quartered with the hands of war;
All pity choaked with custom of fell deeds:
And Cæsar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até by his side, come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry"Havock!" and let slip the dogs of war:
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion-men, groaning for burial.

Serv. He lies to-night within seven leagues of

Rome.

Ant. Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanced.

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,
No Rome of safety for Octavius yet :

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet stay awhile:
Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse
Into the market-place: there shall I try,
In my oration, how the people take
The cruel issue of these bloody men :
According to the which thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.
Lend me your hand.

[Exeunt, with CESAR's body.

I will hear Brutus speak. 2nd Cit. I will hear Cassius: and compare their reasons,

When severally we hear them renderéd.

[Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUS goes into the Rostrum.

3rd Cit. The noble Brutus is ascended: si

lence!

Bru. Be patient till the last.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honor; and have respect to mine honor, 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' love to Cæsar was not less than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar,

take the crown:

Therefore 't is certain he was not ambitious.

1st Cit. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

2nd Cit. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.

3rd Cit. There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.

Whose daggers have stabbed Cæsar: I do fear it. 4th Cit. They were traitors. Honorable men! Cit. The will! the testament!

2nd 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 corpse of Cæsar,

speak.

Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæsar might Have stood against the world: now lies he there, And none so poor to do him reverence. O masters! if I were disposed to stir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, Who, you all know, are honorable men. I will not do them wrong: I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you, Than I will wrong such honorable men. But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæsar: I found it in his closet; 't is 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 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; Bequeathing it, as a rich legacy, Unto their issue.

Shall I descend; and will you give me leave?

Cit. Come down.

2nd Cit. Descend. [Ile comes from the pulpit. 3rd Cit. You shall have leave. 4th Cit. A ring; stand round!

1st Cit. Stand from the hearse; stand from the body!

2nd Cit. Room for Antony: most noble Antony!

Ant. Nay, press not so 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 Cæsar put it on:
'T was on a summer's evening, in his tent:
That day he overcame the Nervii: —
Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this the well-belovéd Brutus stabbed:
And, as he plucked his curséd steel away,

Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it;
As rushing out of doors to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knocked or no:
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all:
For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude more strong than traitors' arms
Quite vanquished him. Then burst this mighty
heart:

And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.
O what a fall was there, my countrymen !
Then I, and you, and all of us, fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourished over us!
O now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls! what, weep you when you but behold
Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? - Look you here!
Here is himself, marred as you see with traitors.
1st Cit. O piteous spectacle!
2nd Cit. O noble Cæsar!
3rd Cit. O woful day!

4th Cit. O traitors, villains!

1st Cit. O most bloody sight!

2nd Cit. We will be revenged.

Revenge!

about, — seek, — burn, — fire, — kill, — slay ! — Let not a traitor live!

Ant. Stay, countrymen.

1st Cit. Peace there! hear the noble Antony. 2nd Cit. We'll hear him; we'll follow him;

we 'll die with him!

To stir men's blood. I only speak right on:
I tell you that which you yourselves do know:
Shew you sweet Cæsar's wounds, (poor, poor dumb
mouths!)

And bid them speak 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 Cæsar, that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.
Cit. We'll mutiny!

1st Cit. We'll burn the house of Brutus !
3rd Cit. Away, then: come, seek the conspir-

ators!

Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen: yet hear me speak.

Cit. Peace, ho! hear Antony; most noble Antony!

Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know not

what?

Wherein hath Cæsar thus deserved your loves? Alas! you know not: I must tell you, then : You have forgot the will I told you of.

Cit. Most true: the will! let's stay, and hear

the will.

Ant. Here is the will, and under Cæsar's seal. To every Roman citizen he gives,

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.

2nd Cit. Most noble Cæsar! we 'll revenge his

death.

3rd Cit. O royal Cæsar!

Ant. Hear me with patience.

Cit. Peace, ho!

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

stir you up

To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honorable:
What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it: they are wise and honor-
able,

And will, no doubt, with reasons 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 public leave to speak of him:
For I have neither wit nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,

On this side Tyber: he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever: common pleasures,
To walk abroad and recreate yourselves.
Here was a Cæsar! when comes such another?

1st 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.

2nd Cit. Go, fetch fire!

3rd Cit. Pluck down benches!

4th Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, anything! [Exeunt Citizens with the body. Mischief, thou art

Ant. Now let it work!

afoot;