Cæs.
The ides of March are come.

Sooth.
Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

Art.
Hail, Cæsar! read this schedule ^note.

Dec.
Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Art.
O Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit
That touches Cæsar nearer ^note: read it, great ^note Cæsar.

Cæs.
What touches us ourself ^note shall be last served.

Art.
Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.

Cæs.
What, is the fellow mad?

Pub.
Sirrah, give place.

Cas.
What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol. Cæsar ^note goes up to the Senate-house, the rest following. ^note

Pop.
I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.

Cas.
What enterprise, Popilius?

Pop.
Fare you well. [Advances to Cæsar. ^note

Bru.
What said Popilius Lena?

Cas.
He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.

Bru.
Look, how he makes to Cæsar: mark him ^note.

Cas.
Casca,
Be sudden, for we fear prevention. ^note
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, ^note
Cassius or ^note Cæsar never shall turn back, ^note
For I will slay myself.

Bru.
Cassius, be constant:
Popilius Lena ^note speaks not of our purposes ^note;
For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.

Cas.
Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way. [Exeunt Antony ^note and Trebonius.

Dec.
Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,
And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

Bru.
He is address'd: press near and second him.

Cin.
Casca, you are the first that rears your ^note hand. ^note

Cæs.
Are we ^note all ready? ^note What is now amiss
That Cæsar and his senate must redress?

Met.
Most high, most mighty and most puissant Cæsar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart:— ^note [Kneeling. ^note

Cæs.
I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings ^note and these lowly courtesies ^note
Might fire ^note the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first ^note decree
Into the law ^note of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood
That will be thaw'd from the true quality
With that which melteth fools, I mean, sweet words,
Low-crooked ^note court'sies and base spaniel-fawning ^note.
Thy brother by decree is banished:
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know, Cæsar doth not wrong, nor ^note without cause
Will he be satisfied.

Met.
Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear

For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

Bru.
I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar,
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

Cæs.
What, Brutus!

Cas.
Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon:
As low ^note as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

Cæs.
I could be well moved, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd ^note and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks;
They are all fire and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So in the world; 'tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank ^note,
Unshaked of motion ^note: and that I am he, ^note
Let me a little show it, even in this;
That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

Cin. ^note
O Cæsar,— ^note

Cæs.
Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

Dec.
Great Cæsar,— ^note

Cæs.
Doth not Brutus bootless kneel? ^note

Casca.
Speak, hands ^note, for me! [Casca ^note first, then the other Conspirators and Marcus Brutus stab Cæsar.

Cæs.
Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Cæsar! [Dies. ^note

Cin.
Liberty! freedom! Tyranny is dead!
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

Cas.
Some to the common pulpits, and cry out
‘Liberty, freedom and enfranchisement!’

Bru.
People, and senators, be not affrighted;
Fly not; stand still: ambition's debt is paid.

Casca.
Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Dec.
And Cassius too.

Bru.
Where's Publius?

Cin.
Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

Met.
Stand fast together, lest some friend ^note of Cæsar's
Should chance—

Bru.
Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer;
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.

Cas.
And leave us, Publius; lest that the people
Rushing on us should do your age some mischief.

Bru.
Do so: and let no man abide this deed ^note
But we the doers. Re-enter ^note Trebonius. ^note

Cas.
Where is ^note Antony?

Tre.
Fled to his house amazed:
Men, wives and children stare, cry out and run
As it were doomsday.

Bru.
Fates, we will ^note know your pleasures:
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

Cas. ^note
Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life

Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

Bru.
Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
So are we Cæsar's friends, that have abridged
His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Cæsar's blood
Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords:
Then walk we forth, even to the market-place,
And waving our red weapons o'er our heads,
Let's all cry ‘Peace, freedom and liberty! ^note’ ^note

Cas.
Stoop then, and wash. How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over ^note
In states ^note unborn and accents yet unknown!

Bru. ^note
How many times shall Cæsar bleed in sport,
That now on Pompey's basis lies ^note along
No worthier than the dust!

Cas. ^note
So oft ^note as that shall be ^note,
So often shall the knot of us be call'd
The men that gave their ^note country liberty.

Dec.
What ^note, shall we forth?

Cas.
Ay, every man away: ^note
Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels
With the most boldest and best ^note hearts of Rome. Enter ^note a Servant.

Bru.
Soft! who comes here? A friend of Antony's. ^{note note}

Serv.
Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel;
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down;

And, being prostrate, thus he bade ^note me say:
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant and honest;
Cæsar was mighty, bold, royal ^note and loving:
Say I love Brutus and I honour him;
Say I fear'd Cæsar, honour'd him and loved him.
If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
May safely come to him and be resolved
How Cæsar hath deserved to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Cæsar dead
So well as Brutus living, but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state
With all true faith. So says my master ^note Antony.

Bru.
Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;
I never thought him worse ^note.
Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied and, by my honour,
Depart untouch'd.

Serv.
I'll fetch him presently. [Exit. ^note

Bru.
I know that we shall have him well to friend.

Cas.
I wish we may: but yet have I ^note a mind
That fears him much, and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose. Re-enter ^note Antony. ^note

Bru.
But here comes Antony. ^note Welcome, Mark Antony. ^note

Ant.
O mighty Cæsar! dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:
If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Cæsar's death's hour ^note, nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if you ^note bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:
No place will please me so, no mean ^note of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Bru.
O Antony, beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands and this our present act,
You see we do; yet see you but our hands
And this the bleeding business they have done:
Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome—
As fire drives out fire, so pity pity—
Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony ^note:
Our arms in strength of malice, ^note and our hearts
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in ^note
With all kind love, good thoughts and reverence.

Cas.
Your voice shall be as strong as any man's
In the disposing of new dignities.

Bru.
Only be patient till we have appeased
The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause
Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck ^note him,

Have thus proceeded ^note.

Ant.
I doubt not of your wisdom ^note. ^note
Let each man render me his bloody hand:
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;
Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus;
Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours;
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all,— ^note alas, what shall I say?
My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer. ^note
That I did love thee, Cæsar, O, 'tis true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! in the presence of thy corse? ^note
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart ^note;
Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand,
Sign'd in thy spoil and crimson'd in thy lethe ^note.
O world, thou wast the forest to this hart;
And this, indeed, O world, the heart ^note of thee.
How like a deer strucken ^note by many princes
Dost thou here lie! ^note

Cas.
Mark Antony,— ^note

Ant.
Pardon me, Caius Cassius ^note:
The enemies of Cæsar shall say this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Cas.
I blame you not for praising Cæsar so;
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends,
Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

Ant.
Therefore I took your hands, but was indeed
Sway'd from the point by looking down on Cæsar.
Friends am I with you all and love you all,
Upon this hope that you shall give me reasons
Why and wherein Cæsar was dangerous.

Bru.
Or else were this ^note a savage spectacle:
Our reasons are so full of good regard
That were you, Antony, ^note the son of Cæsar,
You should be satisfied.

Ant.
That's all I seek:
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 shall, Mark Antony.

Cas.
Brutus, a word with you ^note. [Aside to Bru. ^note]
You know not what you do: do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral:
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?

Bru.
By your pardon: ^note
I will myself into the pulpit first,
And show the reason of our Cæsar's death:
What Antony shall speak, I will protest

He speaks by leave and by permission,
And that we are contented Cæsar shall
Have all true ^note rites and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

Cas.
I know not what may fall; I like it not ^note.

Bru.
Mark Antony, here, take you ^note Cæsar's body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Cæsar;
And say you do 't by our permission;
Else shall you not ^note have any hand at all
About his funeral: and you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.

Ant.
Be it so;
I do desire no more.

Bru.
Prepare the body then, and follow us. [Exeunt ^note all but Antony. ^note

Ant.
O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of ^note earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever lived in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand ^note that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,
Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue,
A curse shall light upon the limbs ^note of men ^note;
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;

Blood and destruction shall be so in use,
And dreadful objects so familiar,
That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quarter'd ^note with ^note the hands of war;
All pity choked with custom of fell deeds:
And Cæsar's spirit ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry ‘Havoc ^note,’ and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With ^note carrion men, groaning for burial. Enter a Servant. ^note
You serve Octavius Cæsar, do you not?

Serv.
I do, Mark Antony.

Ant.
Cæsar did write for him ^note to come to Rome ^note.

Serv.
He did receive his letters, and is coming;
And bid me say to you by word of mouth—
O Cæsar! [Seeing the body. ^note

Ant.
Thy heart is big; get thee apart and weep.
Passion, I see, is catching, for ^note mine eyes,
Seeing those beads ^note of sorrow stand in thine,
Began ^note to water. Is thy master coming?

Serv.
He lies to-night within seven leagues of Rome.

Ant.
Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanced: ^note
Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,
No Rome ^note of safety for Octavius yet;

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet stay awhile;
Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse ^note
Into the market-place: there shall I try,
In my oration, how the people take
The cruel issue of these bloody men;
According to the which, thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.
Lend me your hand. [Exeunt with Cæsar's body. ^{note note}

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