But I am conftant as the northern star,
Of whofe true-fix'd, and refting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament.

The fkies are painted with unnumber'd 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 furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive 7;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unaffailable holds on his rank,
Unshak'd of motion': and, that I am he,
Let me a little fhew it, even in this;

That I was conftant Cimber fhould be banish'd,
And conftant do remain to keep him fo.
Cin. O Cæfar,

Caf. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?
Dec. Great Cæfar,

.

Caf. Doth not Brutus bootlefs kneel?

Cafca. Speak, hands, for me,

[Cafca tabs Cæfar in the neck. Cæfar catches hold of his arm. He is then ftabb'd by feveral other confpirators, and at laft by Marcus Brutus Caf. Et tu, Brute:-Then fall, Cæfar.

[Dies. The fenators and people retire in confufion Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. Caf. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchifement!

Bru. People, and fenators! be not affrighted; Fly not; ftand ftill:-ambition's debt is paid. Cafca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Dec. And Caffius too.

Bru. Where's Publius 2

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
Met. Stand faft together, left fome friend of Cæfar's

7 Sufceptible of fear, or other paffions. 8- but one- -] One and only one.

Should

9 Perhaps, bolds on bis race; continues his courfe. We commonly fay, To bold a rank, and To bold on a course or way.

Unfhak'd by fuit or folicitation, of which the object is to move the perfon addreffed.

Should chance

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

Caf. And leave us, Publius; left that the people,
Rufhing on us, should do your age fome mischief.
Bru. Do fo;-and let no man abide this deed,
But we the doers.

Re-enter TREBONIUS.

Caf. Where is Antony?

Tre. Fled to his houfe amaz'd:

Men, wives, and children, ftare, cry out, and run,
As it were doomsday.

Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures:-
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men ftand upon.

Caf. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life,
Cuts off fo many years of fearing death.

Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
So are we Cæfar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death.-Stoop, Romans, ftoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Cæfar's blood
Up to the elbows, and befmear our fwords:
Then walk we forth, even to the market-place;
And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads,
Let's all cry, Peace! Freedom! and Liberty!

Caf. Stoop then, and wash.-How many ages hence, Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,

In ftate unborn 2, and accents yet unknown?
Bru. How many times fhall Cæfar bleed in sport,
That now on Pompey's bafis lies along,

No worthier than the duft?

Cal. So oft as that shall be,

So often fhall the knot of us be call'd
The men that gave our country liberty.
Dec. What, hall we forth?
Caf. Ay, every man away:

2 In theatrick pomp yet undisplayed.

Brutes

Brutus fhall lead ; and we will grace his heels
With the most boldest and beft hearts of Rome.

Enter a Servant.

Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's..
Serv. Thus, Brutus, did my mafter bid me kneel;
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down;
And, being proftrate, thus he bade me fay..
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest';
Cæfar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:
Say, Nove Brutus, and I honour him;

Say, I fear'd Cæfar, honour'd him, and lov'd him.
If Brutus will vouchfafe, that Antony
May fafely come to him, and be refolv'd
How Cæfar hath deserv'd to lie in death,.
Mark Antony fhall not love Cæfar dead
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state
With all true faith. So fays my mafter Antony.
Bru. Thy mafter is a wife and valiant Roman ; :
I never thought him worse.

Tell him, fo please him come unto this place,
He fhall be fatisfied; and, by my honour,

Depart untouch'd.

Serv. I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit Servant.

Bru. I know, that we shall have him well to friend.

Caf. I wish, we may : but yet have I a mind, That fears him much; and my misgiving still

Falls fhrewdly to the purpose.

Re-enter ANTONY.

Bru. But here comes Antony.-Welcome, Mark An tony.

Ant. O mighty Cæfar! Doft thou lie fo low?
Are all thy conquefts, glories, triumphs, fpoils,
Shrunk to this little measure ?-Fare thee well.
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank3:

If

3 Who else may be supposed to have overtopped his equals, and grown too bigh for the publick safety.

་

If I myself, there is no hour fo fit

As Cæfar's death's hour; nor no inftrument
Of half that worth, as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do befeech ye, if you bear me hard,

Now, whilft your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die :

No place will please me fo, no mean of death,
As here by Cæfar, 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 prefent act,
You fee we do; yet fee you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done:
Our hearts you fee not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, fo pity, pity,)

Hath done this deed on Cæfar. For your part,
To you our fwords have leaden points, Mark Antony:
Our arms, in ftrength of malice, and our hearts,
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in

With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.
Caf. Your voice fhall be as ftrong as any man's,
In the difpofing of new dignities.

Bru. Only be patient, till we have appeas'd

The multitude, beside themselves with fear,

And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Cæfar when I ftruck him,
Have thus proceeded.

Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand:
First, Marcus Brutus, will I fhake with you ;-
Next, Caius Caffius, do I take your hand ;-
Now, Decius Brutus, yours ;-now yours, Metellus ;
Yours, Cinna :-and, my valiant Cafca, yours;-
Though laft, not leaft in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all,-alas! what fhall I fay?
My credit now ftands on fuch flippery ground,

That

That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward, or a flatterer.-

That I did love thee, Cæfar, O, 'tis true:
If then thy fpirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy death,
To fee thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Moft noble! in the prefence of thy corfe?
Had I as many eyes as thou haft wounds,
Weeping as faft as they ftream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to clofe
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius!
Here didft thou fall;

-

Here waft thou bay'd, brave hart and here thy hunters ftand, Sign'd in thy fpoil, and crimfon'd in thy lethe. O world! thou waft the foreft to this hart; And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.How like a deer, ftricken by many princes, Doft thou here lie?

Caf. Mark Antony,

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Caffius: The enemies of Cæfar fhall fay this; Then, in a friend, it is cold modefty.

Caf. I blame you not for praifing Cæfar fo; But what compact mean you to have with us? Will you be prick'd in number of our friends; Or fhall we on, and not depend on you?

Ant. Therefore I took your hands; but was, indeed, Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Cæsar. Friends am I with you all, and love you all;

Upon this hope, that you fhall give me reasons,
Why, and wherein, Cæfar was dangerous.

Bru. Or elfe were this a favage fpectacle :
Our reasons are so full of good regard,
That were you, Antony, the fon of Cæfar,
You fhould be fatisfied.

Ant. That's all I feek:

By

4 Lethe is ufed by many of the old tranflators of novels, for death; and we meet with lethal for deadly in the information for Mungo Campbell.