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' sake I am beholden to you.

4 Pleb.
What does he say of Brutus?

3 Pleb.
He says, for Brutus' 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.

3 Pleb.
Nay, that's certain;
We are glad 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;
&plquo;I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
&plquo;The evil that men do, lives after them,
&plquo;The good is oft interred with their bones;
&plquo;So let it be with Cæsar! noble Brutus
&plquo;Hath told you, Cæsar was ambitious;
&plquo;If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
&plquo;And grievously hath Cæsar answer'd it.
&plquo;Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest,
&plquo;(For Brutus is an honourable man,
&plquo;So are they all, all honourable men)
&plquo;Come I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.
&plquo;He was my friend, faithful and just to me;
&plquo;But Brutus says, he was ambitious;
&plquo;And Brutus is an honourable man.
&plquo;He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
&plquo;Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill;
&plquo;Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?
&plquo;When that the poor have cry'd, Cæsar hath wept;
&plquo;Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
&plquo;Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious,
&plquo;And Brutus is an honourable man.
&plquo;You all did see, that at the Lupercal

&plquo;I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
&plquo;Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?
&plquo;Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious,
&plquo;And sure he is an honourable man.
&plquo;I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
&plquo;But here I am to speak what I do know.
&plquo;You all did love him once, not without cause,
&plquo;What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him?
&plquo;O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
&plquo;And men have lost their reason—bear with me,
&plquo;My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar,
&plquo;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.* ^note

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.

&plquo;Ant.
&plquo;But yesterday the word of Cæsar might
&plquo;Have stood against the world; now lies he there,

&plquo;And none so poor to do him reverence.
&plquo;O masters! if I were dispos'd to stir
&plquo;Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
&plquo;I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong;
&plquo;Who, you all know, are honourable men.
&plquo;I will not do them wrong: I rather chuse
&plquo;To wrong the dead, to wrong my self and you,
&plquo;Than I will wrong such honourable men.
&plquo;But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæsar,
&plquo;I found it in his closet, 'tis his Will,
&plquo;Let but the commons hear this testament,
&plquo;(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read)
&plquo;And they would go and kiss dead Cæsar's wounds,
&plquo;And dip their napkins in his sacred blood;
&plquo;Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
&plquo;And dying, mention it within their wills,
&plquo;Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
&plquo;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.

&plquo;Ant.
&plquo;Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it,
&plquo;It is not meet you know how Cæsar lov'd you.
&plquo;You are not wood, you are not stones, but men:
&plquo;And being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,
&plquo;It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
&plquo;'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs,
&plquo;For if you should—O what would come of it?

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

&plquo;Ant.
&plquo;Will you be patient? will you stay a while?
&plquo;(I have o'er-shot my self to tell you of it.)
&plquo;I fear I wrong the honourable men,
&plquo;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!

&plquo;Ant.
&plquo;You will compel me then to read the will?
&plquo;Then make a ring about the corps of Cæsar,
&plquo;And let me shew you him that made the will.
&plquo;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—

&plquo;Ant.
&plquo;If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
&plquo;You all do know this mantle; I remember
&plquo;The first time ever Cæsar put it on,
&plquo;'Twas on a summer's evening in his tent.
&plquo;That day he overcame the Nervii—
&plquo;Look! in this place, ran Cassius' dagger through—
&plquo;See what a rent the envious Casca made—
&plquo;Through this, the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
&plquo;And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
&plquo;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?
&plquo;For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel.
&plquo;Judge, oh you Gods! how dearly Cæsar lov'd him!
&plquo;This, this, was the unkindest cut of all;
&plquo;For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
&plquo;Ingratitude, more strong than traitors arms,
&plquo;Quite vanquish'd him; then burst his mighty heart:

&plquo;And in his mantle muffling up his face,
&plquo;Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
&plquo;(Which all the while ran blood,) great Cæsar fell.
&plquo;O what a fall was there, my countrymen!
&plquo;Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
&plquo;Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.
&plquo;O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
&plquo;The dint of pity; these are gracious drops.
&plquo;Kind souls! what, weep you when you but behold
&plquo;Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? look you here!
&plquo;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 the noble Antony.

2 Pleb.

We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll dye with him—

&plquo;Ant.
&plquo;Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
&plquo;To such a sudden flood of mutiny:
&plquo;They that have done this deed, are honourable.
&plquo;What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
&plquo;That made them do it; they are wise and honourable;
&plquo;And will no doubt with reasons answer you.
&plquo;I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts;
&plquo;I am no Orator, as Brutus is:
&plquo;But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
&plquo;That love my friend; and that they know full well,
&plquo;That give me publick leave to speak of him:

&plquo;For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
&plquo;Action nor utt'rance, nor the power of speech,
&plquo;To stir mens blood; I only speak right on.
&plquo;I tell you that which you your selves do know,
&plquo;Shew you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths!
&plquo;And bid them speak for me. But were I Brutus,
&plquo;And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
&plquo;Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
&plquo;In every wound of Cæsar, that should move
&plquo;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.

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 several 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 this side Tiber, he hath left them you.
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate your selves.
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.

2 Pleb.
Go fetch fire.

3 Pleb.
Pluck down benches.

4 Pleb.
Pluck down forms, windows, any thing. [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.
And thither will I straight, to visit him;
He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,
And in this mood will give us any thing.

Ser.
I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius
Are rid, like madmen, through the gates of Rome.

Ant.
Belike they had some notice of the people,
How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius. [Exeunt.

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