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.* ^note

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 Cæsar.

1 Pleb.
We'll bring him to his house.
With shouts and clamours.

Bru.
My countrymen—

2 Pleb.
Peace! silence! Brutus speaks.

1 Pleb.
Peace, ho!

Bru.
Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony;
Do grace to Cæsar's corps, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories; which Mark Antony
By our permission is allow'd to make.
I do intreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, 'till Antony have spoke. [Exit.

1 Pleb.
Stay, ho, and let us hear Mark Antony.

3 Pleb.
Let him go up into the public chair.
We'll hear him: noble Antony, go up.

Ant.
For Brutus's sake, I am beholden to you.

4 Pleb.
What does he say of Brutus?

3 Pleb.
He says, for Brutus's sake,
He finds himself beholden to us all.

4 Pleb.
'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus, here.

1 Pleb.
This Cæsar was a tyrant.

2 Pleb.
Nay, that's certain;
We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

2 Pleb.
Peace, let us hear what Antony can say.

Ant.
You gentle Romans—

All.
Peace, ho, let us hear him.

Ant.
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;* ^note
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! 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.
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 cry'd, Cæsar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious,
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.* ^note
I speak not to disprove what Brutu spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment! 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.

1 Pleb.
Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.
If thou consider rightly of the matter,
Cæsar has had great wrong.

3 Pleb.

Has he masters? I fear there will a worse come in his place.

4 Pleb.
Mark'd ye his words? he would not take the crown;
Therefore, 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

1 Pleb.
If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

2 Pleb.
Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire, with weeping.

3 Pleb.
There's not a nobler man in Rome, than Antony.

4 Pleb.
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 Pleb.
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 Pleb.
Read the Will, we will hear it, Antony:
You shall read us the Will, Cæsar's Will.

Ant.
Will you be patient? will you stay a while?
(I have over shot myself, to tell you of it)

I fear I wrong the honourable men,
Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar—I do fear it.

4 Pleb.
They were traitors—honourable men!

All.
The Will! the Testament!

2 Pleb.

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 corps of Cæsar,
And let me shew you him, that made the Will.
Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?

All.
Come down.

2 Pleb.
Descend. [He comes down from the pulpit.

3 Pleb.
You shall have leave.

4 Pleb.
A ring; stand round.

1 Pleb.
Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.

2 Pleb.
Room for Antony—most noble Antony.

Ant.
Nay, press not so upon me, stand far off.

All.
Stand back—room—bear back—

Ant.* ^note
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, oh you Gods! how dearly Cæsar lov'd him:
This, this, was the 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, by traitors.

1 Pleb.
O piteous spectacle!

2 Pleb.
O noble Cæsar!

3 Pleb.
O woful day!

4 Pleb.
O traitors, villains!

1 Pleb.
O most bloody sight!

2 Pleb.

We will be reveng'd: revenge: about— seek—burn—fire—kill—slay! let not a traitor live.

Ant.

Stay, countrymen—

1 Pleb.

Peace there, hear 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 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 well, a plain, blunt man,
That love my friend; 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 mens blood; I only speak right on.
I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Shew 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* ^note.

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, sev'nty-five drachma's.

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 arbors, 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!—How now, fellow! Enter a Servant.

Ser.
Octavius is already come to Rome.

Ant.
Where is he?

Ser.
He and Lepidus are at Cæsar's house.

Ant.* ^note