would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for
him have I offended. Who is here so vile that
will not love his country? If any, speak; for
him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

All None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended.

I have done no

more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The 40
question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol;
his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy,
nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered
death.

Enter Antony and others, with Cæsar's body. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart, that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death. 0

All. Live, Brutus! live, live!

First Cit. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.
Sec. Cit. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Third Cit. Let him be Cæsar.

Fourth Cit.

Cæsar's better parts

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

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First Cit. We'll bring him to his house with shouts and

clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,

Sec. Cit.

First Cit. Peace, ho!

Peace! silence! Brutus speaks.

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:
Do grace to Cæsar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories, which Mark Antony
By our permission is allow'd to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

First Cit. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
Third Cit. Let him go up into the public chair;

We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.

Ant. For Brutus' sake I am beholding to you.

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[Exit.

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[Goes into the pulpit.

Fourth Cit. What does he say of Brutus ?
Third Cit.

He says, for Brutus' sake,

He finds himself beholding to us all. Fourth Cit. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here. First Cit. This Cæsar was a tyrant. Third Cit.

Nay, that's certain :

We are blest that Rome is rid of him.
Sec. Cit. Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.
Ant. You gentle Romans,-

All.

Peace, ho! let us hear him.

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Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Cæsar, 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 Cæsar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious:

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,-
For Brutus is an honourable man;

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So are they all, all honourable men,—

Come I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept :
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious s;

And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an honourable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,

But here I am to speak what I do know.

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You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgement: thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.
First Cit. Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.
Sec. Cit. If thou consider rightly of the matter,

Cæsar has had great wrong.

Third Cit.

Has he, masters?

I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Fourth Cit. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the

crown;

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Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

First Cit. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

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Sec Cit. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.
Third Cit. There's not a nobler man in Rome than

Antony.

Fourth 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 disposed 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.

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

It is not meet you know how Cæsar loved you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;
And, being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,

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It will inflame you, it will make you mad:

'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs; 150
For if you should, O, what would come of it!
Fourth 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 awhile?
I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it:

I fear I wrong the honourable men

Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar; I do fear it.
Fourth Cit. They were traitors: honourable men!
All. The will! the testament!

Sec. Cit. They were villains, murderers: the will! read

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.

Sec. Cit. Descend.

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[He comes down from the pulpit.

Third Cit. You shall have leave.

Fourth Cit. A ring; stand round.

First Cit. Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.
Sec. 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:

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