I fear, I wrong the honourable men,

Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar: I do fear it. 4 Cit. They were traitors: honourable men!

All. The will! the testament!

2 Cit. 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 corpse of Cæsar, And let me show you him that made the will. Shall I descend? and will you give me leave? All. Come down.

2 Cit. Descend.

3 Cit. You shall have leave.

4 Cit. A ring: stand round.

[He comes down.

1 Cit. Stand from the hearse; stand from the body. 2 Cit. Room for Antony;-most noble Antony! Ant. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off. All. Stand back! room! bear back!

Ant. 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, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar lov'd him!
This was the most 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, with traitors.
1 Cit. O piteous spectacle!

2 Cit. O noble Cæsar!

3 Cit. O woful day!

4 Cit. O traitors! villains!

1 Cit. O most bloody sight!

2 Cit. We will be revenged: revenge! about,—seek, -burn,-fire,-kill,-slay!-let not a traitor live. Ant. Stay, countrymen.

1 Cit. Peace there! hear the noble Antony.

2 Cit. 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 all, a plain blunt man,

That love my friend; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him.

For I have neither writ2, nor words, nor worth,

1 Even at the base of Pompey's STATUE,] "Statue" is here also to be pronounced as a trisyllable, but not therefore to be printed statua, as in many modern editions.

See note, p. 39.

2 For I have neither WRIT,] So the folio, 1623; which we feel bound to

Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

I tell you that, which you yourselves do know,

Show 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 Cit. We'll burn the house of Brutus.

3 Cit. 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 every Roman citizen he gives,

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.

2 Cit. Most noble Cæsar !—we'll revenge his death.

3 Cit. O royal Cæsar!

Ant. Hear me with patience.

All. Peace, ho!

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
His private arbours, and new-planted orchards,
On this side Tyber: he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.

follow, as the meaning is sufficiently clear; but the folio, 1632, substitutes wit for "writ," with some appearance of propriety. Johnson preferred "writ," and understood it to mean, a penned or premeditated oration.

Here was a Cæsar: when comes such another?
1 Cit. Never, never!—Come, away, away!
We'll burn his body in the holy place,

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses 3.
Take up the body.

2 Cit. Go, fetch fire.

3 Cit. Pluck down benches.

4 Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.

[Exeunt Citizens, with the Body.

Ant. Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!-How now, fellow!

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.
Ant. Where is he?

Serv. 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.

Serv. 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.

SCENE III.

The Same. A Street.

Enter CINNA, the Poet.

Cin. I dreamt to-night, that I did feast with Cæsar, And things unluckily charge my fantasy.

I have no will to wander forth of doors,

Yet something leads me forth.

3 fire the traitors' houses.] The folio, 1632, reads, "fire all the traitors' houses;" but needlessly, as "fire" was often used as a dissyllable.

Enter Citizens.

1 Cit. What is your name?
2 Cit. Whither are you going?

3 Cit. Where do you dwell?

4 Cit. Are you a married man, or a bachelor? 2 Cit. Answer every man directly.

1 Cit. Ay, and briefly.

4 Cit. Ay, and wisely.

3 Cit. Ay, and truly; you were best.

Cin. What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell? Am I a married man, or a bachelor? Then, to answer every man directly, and briefly, wisely, and truly wisely I say, I am a bachelor.

2 Cit. That's as much as to say, they are fools that marry :—you'll bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed; directly.

Cin. Directly, I am going to Cæsar's funeral.

1 Cit. As a friend, or an enemy?

Cin. As a friend.

2 Cit. That matter is answered directly.
4 Cit. For your dwelling,-briefly.
Cin. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.
3 Cit. Your name, sir, truly.

Cin. Truly, my name is Cinna.

1 Cit. Tear him to pieces: he's a conspirator.

Cin. I am Cinna the poet; I am Cinna the poet.

4 Cit. Tear him for his bad verses; tear him for his bad verses.

Cin. I am not Cinna the conspirator.

2 Cit. It is no matter; his name's Cinna: pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.

3 Cit. Tear him, tear him! Come: brands, ho! firebrands! To Brutus, to Cassius; burn all. Some to Decius' house, and some to Casca's; some to Ligarius. Away! go!

[Exeunt.