Cassius, go you into the other street,
And part the numbers.
Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;
And public reasons shall be rendered
Of Cæsar's death.
FIRST CIT.
I will hear Brutus speak.
SEC. CIT. I will hear Cassius; and compare their
reasons,
When severally we hear them rendered.
[Exit CASSIUS with some of the Citizens.
BRUTUS goes into the pulpit.
THIRD CIT. The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!
BRU. Be patient till the last.
Romans, Countrymen, and Lovers! hear me for my
cause; and be silent, that you may hear: believe me
for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour,
that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom;
and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.
If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of
Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Cæsar was
no less than his. If, then, that friend demand why
Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that
I lov❜d Cæsar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had
you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than
that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar
lov'd me, I weep
for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice
at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was
ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy
for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for
his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a
bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.
Who is here so rude that 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.
34
ALL. None, Brutus, none.
BRU. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enroll'd in the Capitol; his glory not
extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforc'd, for which he suffer'd death.
Enter ANTONY and others, with CÆSAR's body. Here comes his body, mourn'd 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.
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 all be crown'd in Brutus.
FIRST CIT. We'll bring him to his house with shouts and
clamours.
BRU. My Countrymen—
SEC. CIT.
here.
FIRST CIT. This Cæsar was a tyrant.
Peace! silence! Brutus speaks.
FIRST CIT. Peace, ho!
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 glory; 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.
[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
THIRD CIT.
We are blest that Rome is rid of him.
SEC. CIT. Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.
ANT. You gentle Romans-
CITIZENS.
Nay, that's certain: ACT III 71 Sc. II
Peace, ho! let us hear him.
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 Cæsar answer'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 Cæsar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me :
But Brutus says he was ambitious ;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
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.
Ay, 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;
Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.
FIRST CIT. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.
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 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.
FOURTH 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;
140
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!
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 the will.
ANT. You will compel me, then, to read the will?
Then make a ring about the corpse of Cæsar,
And let me shew you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?
SEVERAL CIT. Come down.
SEC. CIT. Descend.
THIRD CIT. You shall have leave. [ANTONY comes down.
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.
SEVERAL CIT. 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;
|