seek-burn-fire-kill-slay! let not a

traitor live.

Ant. Stay, countrymen――

1 Pleb. Peace there, hear the noble Antony. 2 Pleb. 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 honour-
able,

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 well, a plain, blunt man,
That love my friends, and that they know full well,
That give me public leave to speak of him;
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action or utt'rance, 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 Pleb. We'll burn the house of Brutus.
3 Pleb. 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 ev'ry Roman citizen he gives,

To ev'ry sev'ral man, seventy-five drachmas.

2 Pleb. Most noble Cæsar! we'll revenge his death. 3 Pleb. 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 that side Tiber; he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
Here was a Cæsar! when comes such another?
1 Pleb. Never, never: come, away, away!
We'll burn his body in the holy place,

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

[Exeunt PLEBEIANS with the Body. Ant. Now let it work; Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!

[Exit.

ACT THE FOURTH.

SCENE I.

ANTONY'S House.

ANTONY, OCTAVIUS, and LEPIDUS, discovered.

Ant. These many, then, shall die; their names are

prick'd.

Oct. Your brother too must die; consent you, Le

pidus?

Lep. I do consent.

Oct. Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live, Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.

Ant. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.

But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar's house;

Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine

How to cut off some charge in legacies.

Lep. What, shall I find you here?
Oct. Or here, or at the capitol.

[Exit LEPIDUS.

Ant. This is a slight unmeritable man,

Meet to be sent on errands; is it fit,

The threefold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it ?

Oct. So you thought him,

And took his voice who should be prick'd to die,
In our black sentence and proscription.

Ant. Octavius, I have seen more days than you;
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers sland'rous loads;
He shall but bear them, as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Or led or driven, as we point the way;

And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in commons.

Oct. You may do your will;

But he's a try'd and valiant soldier.

Ant. So is my horse, Octavius: and, for that,
I do appoint him store of provender.
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on;
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so:

Do not talk of him,

But as a property. And now, Octavius,

Listen great things

-Brutus and Cassius

Are levying powers; we must straight make head. Therefore let our alliance be combin❜d,

Our best friends made, and our best means stretch'd out:

And let us presently go sit in council,

How covert matters may be best disclos'd,

And open perils surest answered.

Oct. Let us do so; for we are at the stake,
And bay'd about with many enemies:

And some, that smile, have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

BRUTUS' Tent, in the Camp at Sardis.

Drum.

Enter BRUTUS, TREBONIUS, and SOLDIERS: PINDARUS meeting them.

Bru. Stand, hoa!

Tre. Give the word, hoa! and stand.

Bru. What now, Trebonius, is Cassius near?

Tre. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come

To do you salutation from his master.

Bru. He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change, or by ill officers,

Has given me some worthy cause to wish

Things done, undone; but if he be at hand,

1 shall be satisfied.

Pind. I do not doubt,

But that my noble master will appear,
Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

Bru. He is not doubted. A word, TreboniusHow he receiv'd you, let me be resolv'd..

Tre. With courtesy and with respect enough,
But not with such familiar instances,

Nor with such free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.

Bru. Thou hast describ'd

A hot friend, cooling: ever note, Trebonius,
When love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith:
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crest, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Tre. They mean this night in Sardis to be quar

ter'd:

The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Cassius.

[Low March within.

Enter CASSIUS and CASCA.

Bru. Hark! he is arriv'd.

Cas. Stand, hoa!

Bru. Stand, hoa! speak the word along.

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me

wrong.

Bru. Judge me, ye gods! Wrong I mine enemies? And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs, And when you do them

Bru. Cassius, be content,

Speak your griefs softly, I do know you well.
Before the eyes of both our armies here,

(Which should perceive nothing but love from us)