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Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As by our hands, and this our prefent act,
You fee, we do; yet fee you but our hands,
And this the bleeding bufinefs they have done:
Our hearts yon fee not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, fo pity, pity).

Hath done this deed on Cæfar: for your part,
To you our words have leaden points, Mark An-

tony;

Our arms exempt from malice, and our hearts
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in

With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.
Caf. Your voice fhall be as ftrong as any man's
In the difpofing of new dignities.

Bru. Only be patient, till we have appeased
The multitude, befide themselves with fear; ..
And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Cæfar when I ftrook him,
Proceeded thus.

Ant. I doubt not of your wifdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand;
Firft, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;
Next, Caius Caffius, do I take your hand;
Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus;
Yours, Cinna; and my valiant Casca, yours;
Though laft, not leaft in love, yours, good Tre-
bonius.

Gentlemen all------alas, what shall I fay?

My credit now ftands on fuch flippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward, or a flatterer.

That I did love thee, Cæfar, oh, 'tis true;
If then thy Spirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy death,
To fee thy Antony making his peace,

Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Moit Noble! in the prelence of thy corfe?
Had I as many eyes as thou halt wounds,
Weeping as faft as they ftream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to clofe
In terms of friendship with thine enemies. [hart;
Pardon me, Julius-----here waft thou bay'd, brave
Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters ftand
Sign'd in thy spoil, (20) and crimfon'd in thy death.
O world! thou waft the foreft to this hart,
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.
How like a deer, ftricken by many princes,
Dost thou here ly?

Caf. Mark Antony

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Caffius: The enemies of Cæfar fhall fay this: Then, in a friend, it is cold modefty.

Caf. I blame you not for praising Cæfar fo, But what compact mean you to have with us? Will you be prick'd in number of our friends, Or fhall we on, and not depend on you? [deed, Ant. Therefore I took your hands; but was, inSwayed from the point, by looking down on Cæfar. Friends am I with you all, and love you all; Upon this hope, that you fhall give me reasons, Why, and wherein Cæfar was dangerous,

Bru. Or elfe this were a favage ipectacle.

(20) And grimon'd in thy death. All the old copies that I have feen, read, Lethe. The dictionaries, indeed, acknowledge no fuch word; and as the L might have mistakingly been formed from an obfcure D, not taking the ink equally in all parts, I have fuffered the more known word to ftand in the text; though, indeed, I am not without fufpicion of our Poet's having either coined the other term, or copied it from fome obfolete author, who had adopted it from the lethum of the Latins, which 'tis well known, was ufed for death, as well as deftruction, ruin, bever, &c,

Our reasons are fo full of good regard,
That were you, Antony, the fon of Cæfar,
You fhould be fatisfied.

Ant. That's all I feek;

And am moreover fuitor, 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 [fide.
That Antony fpeak in his funeral:

Know you how much the people may be moved By that which he will utter?

Bru. By your pardon,

I will myfelf into the pulpit first,

;

And fhew the reafon of our Cæfar's death.
What Antony fhall fpeak, I will proteft
He speaks by leave and by permiffion
And that we are contented Cæfar fhall
Have all due rites and lawful ceremonies:
It fhall advantage more than do us wrong.
Caf. I know not what may fall, I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here take you Cæfar's body:
You fhall not in your funeral fpeech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devife of Cæfar;
And fay, you do't by our permiffion :
Elfe fhall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral. And you fhalf speak
In the fame pulpit whereto I am going,
After my fpeech is ended.

Ant. Be it fo;

I'do defire no more.

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

[Exeunt Confpirators..

Manet ANTONY.

Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of carth! 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 that thed this coltly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophefy,

(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;
Domestic fury, and fierce civil itrife,
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and deftruction fhall be fo in ufe,
And dreadful objects so familiar,

That mothers fhall but smile, when they behold
Their infants quarter'd by the hands of War.
All pity choak'd with custom of fell deeds;
And Cæfar's Spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his fide come hot from hell,
Shall in thefe confines with a monarch's voice,
Cry Havoc, and let flip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed fhall fiell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter Octavius's Servant.

You ferve Octavius Cæfar, do you not?

Ser. I do, Mark Antony.

O Cæfar!

Ant Cæfar 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[Seeing the Body. Ant. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep; Paffion I fee is catching; for mine eyes, (21) Seeing thofe beads of forrow ftand in thine,

(21) Seeing those beds of forrow-] Thus Mr Pope's two

Began to water. Is thy mafter coming? [Rome.
Ser. He lyes to-night within feven leagues of
Ant. Poit back with fpeed, and tell him what
hath chanc'd.

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,
No Rome of fafety for Octavius yet;

Hie hence, and tell him fo. Yet stay a while;
Thou shalt not back, till I have borne this corfe
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 ftate of things.
Lend me your hand. [Exeunt with Cæfar's Body

SCENE changes to the Forum.

Enter BRUTUS, and mounts the Roftra; CASSIUS, with the Flebeians.

Pleb. We will be fatisfied; let us be fatisfied. Bru. Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.

Caffius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers;

Thofe that will hear me fpeak, let 'em ftay here: Thofe that will follow Caffius, go with him; And public reafons fhall be rendered

Of Cæfar's death.

editions, for what reafon I know not; but I have reftored from all the other copies, beads; which was certainly the Poet's word. Thus Lady Conftance, in King John;

Ay, with thefe crystal heads heaven shall he bribed
To do him juftice, and revenge on you

And fo Lady Pe cy, in the first part of Henry IV..
The fpirit within thee hath been fo at war,.
And thus hath o beftirred thee in thy fleep,
That beads of fweat have food upon thy brow.

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