Treb. Cæsar, I will:-[Aside] and so near will I be,
That your best friends shall wish I had been farther."
Caes. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;
And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

Bru. [Aside] That every like is not the same, O Cæsar, The heart of Brutus yearns* to think upon? [Exeunt.

PART II.

SCENE-ROME. BEFORE THE CAPITOL; THE SENATE SITTING
ABOVE.

Enter CESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TRE-
BONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, and others.
Caes. [To the Soothsayer] The ides of March are come.
Sooth. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

CÆSAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest following.
Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.
Cas. What enterprise, Popilius?

Pop.

Fare you well. [Advances to Cæsar.

Bru. What said Popilius Lena?
Cas. He wished to-day our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæsar: mark him.
Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.-
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Cæsar never shall turn back,

For I will slay myself.

Bru.

Cassius be constant:

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.

Cas. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,

He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

10

[Exeunt Antony and Trebonius. Dcc. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go

And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

Bru. He is addressed: press near and second him.
Cin. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
Casca. Are we all ready?

C'œs.

What is now amiss

That Cæsar and his senate must redress?

Met. Most high, most mighty, and most puissant* Cæsar, Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

An humble heart,

20

[Kneeling.

Cæs.

I must prevent thee, Cimber.

These couchings* and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn preördinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond,*

To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood

That will be thawed from the true quality

With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words,
Low-crooked court'sies, and base spaniel-fawning.

Thy brother by decree is banished:

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him,

I

spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Cæsar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear
For the repealing* of my banished brother?

Bru. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar;
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may

Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Cas. What, Brutus !—

Cas.

Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon :

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Cæs. I could be well moved, if I were as you:

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So in the world; 'tis furnished well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshaked of motion: and that I am he,
Let me a little show it, even in this;

That I was constant Cimber should be banished,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

Cin. O Cæsar,

Cœs.

Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

70

Doth not Brutus bootless* kneel?

Dec. Great Cæsar,-
Cæs.
Casca. Speak, hands, for me!

[Casca first, then the other Conspirators and
Marcus Brutus stab Cæsar.

Cæs. Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Cæsar!
Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead !—
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

[Dies.

Cas. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out,
Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!"
Bru. People and senators, be not affrighted;
Fly not; stand still: ambition's debt is paid.
Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Dec.

Bru. Where's Publius?

And Cassius too.

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
Met. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar's
Should chance-

Bru. Talk not of standing.-Publius, good cheer;
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.

Cas. And leave us, Publius; lest that the people,
Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.
Bru. Do so;-and let no man abide this deed,
But we the doers.

Re-enter ANTONY.

Welcome, Mark Antony.

Ant. O mighty Cæsar! dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.

80

90

I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let-blood, who else is rank:

If I myself, there is no hour so fit

100

As Cæsar's death hour, nor no instrument

Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich

With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,

Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,

Fulfil your pleasure. Live I a thousand years,

I shall not find myself so apt to die:

No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you, cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Bru. O Antony, beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As by our hands, and this our present act,
You see we do, yet see you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done:
Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome-
As fire drives out fire, so pity pity-

110

Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,

To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony :

120

Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts,
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in

With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

Cas. Your voice shall be as strong as any man's In the disposing of new dignities.

Bru. Only be patient till we have appeased
The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

Ant.

That's all I seek:

And am moreover suitor that I may
Produce his body to the market-place;
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

Bru. You shall, Mark Antony.
Cas.

Brutus, a word with you.

[Aside to Bru.] You know not what you do: do not consent That Antony speak in his funeral:

Know you how much the people may be moved

By that which he will utter?

Bru.

By your pardon;
I will myself into the pulpit first,
And show the reason of our Cæsar's death:
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission,
And that we are contented Cæsar shall
Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

Cas. I know not what may fall; I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here, take you Cæsar's body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Cæsar,
And say you do't by our permission;
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral: and you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.

Ant.

I do desire no more.

Be it so;

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

130

140

150

160

[Exeunt all but Antony.

Ant. Oh, 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 lived 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

170

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 choked with custom of fell* deeds:
And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até by his side, come hot from Hell,
Shall in these confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.—

Enter a Servant.

You serve Octavius Cæsar, do you not?
Serv. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cæsar did write for him to come to Rome.
Serv. He did receive his letters, and is coming;
And bid me say to you by word of mouth-
O Cæsar!-

180

[Seeing the body.

190

Ant. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep. Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes,

Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine,

Began to water.-Is thy master coming?

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.

200

[Exeunt with Caesar's body.

SCENE THE FORUM.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.

Citizens. We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.

Bru. 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;

210