ROME AFTER THE DEATH OF CÆSAR.

(Julius Cæsar.)

The Forum.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.

Citizens. WE will be satisfied: let us be satisfied. Brutus. Then follow me, and give me audience, friends. Cassius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;

Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Cæsar's death.

First Citizen. I will hear Brutus speak.

Second Citizen. I will hear Cassius; and compare their

reasons,

When severally we hear them rendered.

[Exit CASSIUS with some of the Citizens.

BRUTUS goes into the pulpit.

Third Citizen. The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!

Brutus. 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 honour, and have respect to mine honour, 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 no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus r

against Cæsar, this is my answer :— -Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman ? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman ? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country?

If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

All. None, Brutus, none.

Brutus. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

Enter ANTONY and others with CESAR's body.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not ? With this I depart,-that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

All. Live, Brutus! live, live!

First Citizen. Bring him with triumph home unto his house. Second Citizen. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Third Citizen. Let him be Cæsar.

Second Citizen. Peace, silence! Brutus speaks.

First Citizen.

Peace, ho!

Brutus. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony :

Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories: which Mark Antony,
By our permission, is allowed to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart,

Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

[Exit

First Citizen. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony. Third Citizen. Let him go up into the public chair; We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.

Antony. For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.

Fourth Citizen. What does he say
Third Citizen.

[Goes into the pulpit.

of Brutus ?

He says, for Brutus' sake,

He finds himself beholding to us all.

Fourth Citizen. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

First Citizen. This Cæsar was a tyrant.

Third Citizen.

We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

Nay, that's certain:

Second Citizen. Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.
Antony. You gentle Romans,—
Citizens.

Peace, ho let us hear him.

Antony. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Cæsar, 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 Cæsar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cæsar answered 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 Cæsar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept ;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an honourable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;

My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Citizen. Methinks there is much reason in his sayings. Second Citizen. If thou consider rightly of the matter, Cæsar has had great wrong.

Third Citizen.

Has he, masters ?

I fear there will be a worse come in his place.

Fourth Citizen. Marked ye his words? He would not take

the crown;

Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

First Citizen. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

Second Citizen. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with

weeping.

Third Citizen.

Antony.

There's not a nobler man in Rome than

Fourth Citizen. Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

Antony. 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 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 seal of Cæsar;
I found it in his closet, '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 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.

Fourth Citizen. We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony. All. The will, the will! we will hear Caesar's will.

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

It is not meet you know how Cæsar loved you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men ;
And, being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,
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!