Sway'd from the Point, by looking down on Cafar.
Friends am I with you all, and love you all,
Upon this hope, that you fhall give me Reasons,
Why, and wherein Cefar was dangerous.

Bra. Or elfe were this a favage Spectacle.
Our Reasons are fo full of good regard,
That were you Antony the Son of Cafar,
You should be fatisfied.

Ant. That's all I feek;

And am moreover Suitor, that I may
Produce his Body to the Market-place,
And in the Pulpit as becomes a Friend,
Speak in the Order of his Funeral.:
Bru. You fhall, Mark Antony,
Caf. Brutus, a word with you

You know not what you do; do not confent
That Antony speak in his Funeral:

Know you how much the People may be mov'd
By that which he will utter ?

Bru. By your Pardon,

I will my felf into the Pulpit firft, q

And fhew the Reafon of our Cafar's Death.
What Antony fhall fpeak, I will protest
He fpeaks by leave, and by permiffion;
And that we are contented Cafar fhall
Have all true Rites, and lawful Ceremonies;
It shall advantage more, than do us wrong.

Caf. I know not what may fall, I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here take you Cafar's Body;"
You shall not in your Funeral Speech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devife of Cafar, ol
And fay you do't by our Permiffion:

Elfe you fhall not have any hand at all
About his Funeral. And you fhall fpeak
In the fame Pulpit whereto I am going,
After my Specch is ended.

Ant. Be it fo;

I do defire no more.

Bru. Prepare the Body then, and follow us.

VOL. V.

[Afide.

[Exeunt.

Manet

Manet Antony.

Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of Earth,
That I am meek and gentle with the fe Butchers.
Thou art the Ruins of the nobleft Man
That ever lived in the Tide of Times.
Woe to the Hand that shed this coftly Blood!
Over thy Wounds, now do I prophefie,
(Which, like dumb Mouths, do ope their ruby Lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my Tongue)
A Curfe fhall light upon the Limbs of Men;
Domestick Fury, and fierce civil Strife,
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and Destruction fhall be fo in ufe,
And dreadful Objects fo familiar,

That Mothers hall but fmile, when they behold
Their Infants quartered with the Hinds of War:
All Piry choak'd with Cuftom of fill Deeds,
And Cafar's Spirit ranging for Revenge,
With Ate by his fide, come hot from Hell,
Shalt in thefe Confines, with a Monarch's Voice,
Cry havock, and let flip the Dogs of War,
That this foul Deed fhall fmell above the Earth
With Carrion Men, groaning for burial.
Enter Octavius's Servant.

You ferve Octavius Cafar, do you not?
Ser. I do, Mark Anthony.

Ant. Cafar did write for him to come to Rome.
Ser. He did receive his Letters, and is coming,
And bid me fay to you by word of Mouth-

O Cafar!

2

[Seeing the Body: Ant. Thy Heart is big, get thee apart and weep; Paffion I fee is catching, for mine Eyes,

Seeing thofe Beads of Sorrow ftand in thine,

Began to water. Is thy Mafter coming?

Ser. He lyes to Night within feven Leagues of Rome. Ant. Poft back with speed, and tell him what hath chanc'd. Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,

No Rome of Safety for Octavius yet;

Hie hence, and tell him fo. Yet ftay a while,
Thou shalt not back, 'till I have born this Coarfe
Into the Market-place: There fhall I try

In my Oration, how the People take
The cruel iffue of thefe bloody Men;
According to the which, thou shalt difcourfe
To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your Hand

[Exeunt with Cæfar's Body..

SCENE II. The Forum.

Enter Brutus, and goes into the Pulpit; and Caffius, with the Plebeians.

Pleb. We will be fatisfied; let us be fatisfied.

Bru. Then follow me, and give me Audience, Friends. Caffins, go you into the other Street,

And part the Numbers:

Thole that will hear me fpeak, let 'em ftay here;
Those that will follow Caffius, go with him,

And publick Reafons fhall be rendred

Of Cafar's Death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus fpeak.

2 Pleb. I will hear Caffius, and compare their Reasons, When severally we hear them rendred.

[Exeunt Caffius, with fome of the Plebeians. 3 Pleb. The Noble Brutus is afcended: Silence. Bru. Be Patient 'till the laft.

Romans, Country-men, and Lovers, hear me for my Caufe, and be filent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine Honour, and have refpect to mine Honour, that you may believe. Cenfure me in your Wifdom, and awake your Senfes, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this Affembly, any dear Friend of Cafar's, to them I fay, That Brutus love to Cafar was no less than his. If then, that Friend demand, why Brutus rofe against Cefar, this is my Answer: Not that I lov'd Cafar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cafar were living, and dye all Slaves; than that Cafar were dead, to live all Free-men? As Cafar 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 flew him. There is Tears for his Love, Joy for his Fortune, Honour for his Valour, and Death for his Ambition. Who is here fo bafe that would be a Bond-man? If any, fpeak; for him

have

have I offended. Who is here fo rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo vile, that will not love his Country? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended.--I paufe for a Reply

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cafar than you fhall do to Brutus. The Question of his Death is inroll'd in the Capitol; his Glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; not his Offences enforc'd, for which he suffered Death.

Enter Mark Antony 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 Renefit of his dying, a Place in the Commonwealth; as which of you fhall not? With this I depart, That as I flew my beft Lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame Dagger for my felf, when it shall please my Country to need my Death.

All Live, Brutus, live, live.

1 Pleb. Bring him with Triumph home unto his House. 2 Pleb. Give him a Statue with his Ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cafar.

4 Pleb. Cafar's better Parts

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

1 Pleb. We'll bring him to his House With Shouts and Clamors.

Bru. My Countrymen

2 Pleb. Peace! Silence! Brutus fpeaks. I Pleb. Peace, Ho!

Bru. Good Countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my fake, ftay here with Antony;

Do grace to Cafar's Corps, and grace his Speech
Tending to Cafar's Glories, which Mark Antony,
By our Permiffion, is allow'd to make.

I do intreat you, not a Man depart,
Save I alone, 'till Antony have spoke.

1 Pleb. Stay, Ho, and let us hear Mark Antony. 3 Pleb. Let him go up into the publick Chair, We'll hear him: Noble Antony, go up.

Ant. For Brutus's fake I am beholden to you.

[Exit.

4 Pleb.

4 Pleb. What does he fay of Brutus ? 3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus's fake He finds himself beholden to us all.

4 Pleb. 'Twere beft fpeak no harm of Brutus here. 1 Pleb. This Cafar was a Tyrant.

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 the Bones;
So let it be with Cafar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cafar was ambitious;
If it were fo, it was a grievous Fault,
And grievously hath Cafar anfwer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the reft,
(For Brutus is an honourable Man,
So are they all, all honourable Men)
Come I to speak in Cafar's Funeral.
He was my Friend, faithful and juft to me;
But Brutus fays, He was ambitious,

And Brutus is an honourable Man.

He hath brought many Captives home to Rome,
Whofe Ranfoms did the general Coff.rs fill;
Did this in Cafar feem ambitious?

When that the poor have cry'd, Cafar hath wept;
Ambition fhould be made of fterner Stuff:

Yet Brutus fays, He was Ambitious,

And Brutus is an honourable Man.

You all did fee, that on the Lupercal,

I thrice prefented him a Kingly Crown,

Which he did thrice refufe. Was this Ambition?
Yet Brutus fays, He was ambitious,

And fure he is an honourable Man.

I fpeak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause,