Enter Mark Anthony with Cæfar's body. Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark Antony: who though he had no hand in his death, fhall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the common-wealth; as which of you fhall not? With this I depart, that as I flew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame dagger for my felf, when it fhall please my country to need my death. All. Live, Brutus, live! 1 Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his houfe. 2 Pleb. Give him a ftatue with his ancestors. 3 Pleb. Let him be Cæfar. 4 Pleb. Cafar's better parts Shall now be crown'd in Brutus: 1 Pleb. We'll bring him to his houfe With fhouts and clamours. Bru. My countrymen 2 Pleb. Peace! filence! Brutus fpeaks. Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone, 1 Pleb. Stay, ho, and let us hear Mark Antony. We'll hear him: noble Antony, go up. Ant. For Brutus fake I am beholden to you. 3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake He finds himself beholden to us all. [Exit. 4 Pleb. 'Twere beft he fpeak no harm of Brutus here. i Pleb. This Cæfar was a tyrant. 3 Pleb. 3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain; We are glad that Rome is rid of him. 2 Pleb. Peace, let us hear what Antony can fay. 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 their bones; So let it be with Cæfar! noble Brutus Hath told you, Cafar was ambitious; If it were fo, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Cæfar anfwer'd 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 Cæfar'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, When that the poor have cry'd, Cæfar hath wept Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious; Was this ambition? Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious; I fpeak not to disprove what Brutus fpoke, My My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar, And I muft paufe 'till it come back to me. 1 Pleb. Methinks there is much reafon in his fayings. If thou confider rightly of the matter, Cafar has had great wrong. a 3 Pleb. Has he, mafters? I fear there will a worfe come in his place. 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 foul! 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 yesterday the word of Cafar might Have stood 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, Q3 (a) Cafar has had great wrong. 3 Pleb. Cafar had never wrong, but with juft caufe. And If ever there was fuch a line written by Shakespear, I should fancy it might have its place here, and very humorously in the character of a Plebeian. One might believe Ben Johnson's remark was made upon no better credit than fome blunder of an actor in speaking that verfe near the beginning of the third a&t, Know Cafar doth not wrong, nor without cause But the verfe as cited by Ben Johnson does not connect with -Will he be fatisfy'd. Perhaps this play was never printed in Ben Johnson's time, and fo be bad nothing to judge by, but as the actor pleas'd to Speak it. Pope. And they would go and kifs dead Cæfar's wounds, And dying, mention it within their Wills, Unto their iffue. 4 Pleb. We'll hear the Will; read it, Mark Antony. All. The Will, the Will; we will hear Cefar'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 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 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, Whofe daggers have stabb'd Cæfar-I do fear it. 4 Pleb. They were traitors All. The Will! the teftament! honourable men! [the Will! 2 Pleb. They were villains, murderers; the Will! read 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; ftand round. 1 Pleb. Stand from the hearfe, ftand from the body. Ant. If you have tears, prepare to fhed them now. The The first time ever Cæfar put it on, Look! in this place, ran Caffius' dagger through- 2 Pleb. O noble Cafar! i Pleb. O moft bloody fight! 2 Pleb. We will be reveng'd: revenge: about-feekburn-fire-kill-flay! let not a traitor live. Ant. Stay, Countrymen 1 Pleb. Peace there, hear the noble Antony. ran blood, Q4 2 Pleb. |