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

Antony.

4 Cit. Now mark him; he begins again to 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 dispos'd 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.

4 Cit. We'll hear the will. Read it, Mark Antony. All. The will, the will! we will hear Cæsar's will. Ant. Have patience, gentle friends; I must not read it:

It is not meet you know how Cæsar lov'd 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?

4 Cit. Read the will! we'll hear it, Antony; You shall read us the will: Cæsar's will!

Ant. Will you be patient? Will you stay a while? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it.

12

I fear, I wrong the honourable men,

Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar: I do fear it. 4 Cit. They were traitors: honourable men!

All. The will! the testament !

2 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, And let me show you him that made the will. Shall I descend? and will you give me leave? All. Come down.

2 Cit. Descend.

3 Cit. You shall have leave.

4 Cit. A ring: stand round.

[He comes down.

1 Cit. Stand from the hearse; stand from the body. 2 Cit. Room for Antony ;-most noble Antony! Ant. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off. All. 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;

"Twas 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-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And, as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar follow'd it,
As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,

Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his 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 flourish'd 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, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
1 Cit. O piteous spectacle!

2 Cit. O noble Cæsar!

3 Cit. O woful day!

4 Cit. O traitors! villains!

1 Cit. O most bloody sight!

2 Cit. We will be revenged: revenge! about,-seek, -burn,-fire,-kill,-slay!-let not a traitor live. Ant. Stay, countrymen.

1 Cit. Peace there! hear the noble Antony.

2 Cit. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.

Ant. Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you

up

To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honourable :

What private griefs they have, alas! I know not,

That made them do it; they are wise and honourable, 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 writ2, nor words, nor worth,

1 Even at the base of Pompey's STATUE,] "Statue" is here also to be pronounced as a trisyllable, but not therefore to be printed statua, as in many modern editions. See note, p. 39.

2 For I have neither WRIT,] So the folio, 1623; which we feel bound to

Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

I tell you that, which you yourselves do know,

Show 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.
All. We'll mutiny.

1 Cit. We'll burn the house of Brutus.

3 Cit. Away then! come, seek the conspirators.
Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.
All. Peace, ho! Hear Antony; most noble Antony.
Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know not
what.

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

All. 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.

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

3 Cit. O royal Cæsar!

Ant. Hear me with patience.

All. Peace, ho!

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
His private arbours, and new-planted orchards,
On this side Tyber: he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.

follow, as the meaning is sufficiently clear; but the folio, 1632, substitutes wit for "writ," with some appearance of propriety. Johnson preferred" writ,” and understood it to mean, a penned or premeditated oration.

Here was a Cæsar: when comes such another?
1 Cit. Never, never!-Come, away, away!
We'll burn his body in the holy place,

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses 3.
Take up the body.

2 Cit. Go, fetch fire.

3 Cit. Pluck down benches.

4 Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.

[Exeunt Citizens, with the Body.

Ant. Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!-How now, fellow!

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.
Ant. Where is he?

Serv. He and Lepidus are at Cæsar's house.
Ant. And thither will I straight to visit him.
He comes upon a wish: Fortune is merry,
And in this mood will give us any thing.

Serv. I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius
Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.
Ant. Belike, they had some notice of the people,
How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The Same. A Street.

Enter CINNA, the Poet.

Cin. I dreamt to-night, that I did feast with Cæsar, And things unluckily charge my fantasy.

I have no will to wander forth of doors,

Yet something leads me forth.

3

fire the traitors' houses.] The folio, 1632, reads, "fire all the traitors' houses;" but needlessly, as "fire" was often used as a dissyllable.