Have stood against the world; now lies he there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.

O masters, if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,

40

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—

45

And they would go and kiss dead Cæsar's wounds, 50
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.

If

55

[ANTONY comes down from the pulpit, and stands by the dead body of CÆSAR.

you have tears, prepare to shed them now. You all do know this mantle; I remember

The first time ever Cæsar put it on;

38. And none so poor to do him reverence.-This means that Cæsar was now so low, that there were none lower-none who could look up to him.

46. A parchment.-Parchment is used for important writings, such as wills, &c.; it is made of sheepskin.

48. The commons.-The common people; citizens of Rome.

48. Testament.-A will; the directions given by a person as to the disposal of his property after his death.

51. Their napkins. Their handkerchiefs.

55. Unto their issue.--Unto their children. Here occurs another pause, during which the people clamour to hear the will read, and Antony descends for that purpose-but does not immediately proceed to read it-preferring to stir the people's minds still further.

'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,

That day he overcame the Nervii:

60

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 cursèd 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;

65

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;

70

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 statua,

75

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 savage treason flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity; these are gracious drops.

80

60. The Nervii.-A number of tribes occupying what is now known as Belgium. The victory alluded to was one of Cæsar's most famous exploits.

62. The envious Casca.-One of the conspirators.

63. The well-beloved Brutus.-Throughout the play, and indeed as a matter of history, it appears that Brutus was on terms of great friendship with Cæsar.

66. To be resolv'd.-To make sure; to ascertain.

68. Cæsar's angel.—That is, beloved and revered by Cæsar, and as closely connected with him, as if he had been Cæsar's guardian angel. 70. Most unkindest.—This is an instance of a double superlative, much in use in Shakespeare's time. See § XIV. note 28.

75. Pompey's statua.-Statua is used for statue, an image in stone. Pompey was a famous general, and one of the leading men of

Rome; he had been assassinated shortly before these events.

81. The dint of pity.-The stroke, or impression made by pity.

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.

Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up 85
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.

90

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

95

I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor dumb

mouths,

100

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.

83. Vesture.-Garments.

105

84. With traitors.-With is used for by. Another pause here occurs, during which the people become furious, and threaten to have the lives of the conspirators, and to break out into mutiny. Having allowed this to work for a time, Antony continues. 92. Orator.-Speaker; one who is gifted with the power of speaking well.

103. Put a tongue in every wound of Cæsar.-That is, make the wounds of Cæsar appeal to the hearts of the people as eloquently, and with as much effect, as if each wound were itself a tongue.

XXVIII.

JULIUS CÆSAR.

ACT iv. SCENE 3.-BRUTUS AND CASSIUS.

[After the death of Cæsar, spoken of in § XXVII. the government of Rome was carried on by a Triumvirate, that is, by three men possessing equal powers; of these triumvirs, Mark Antony, the speaker of the oration, was one. Brutus and Cassius, with their fellow-conspirators, having fled from Rome for fear of the people's fury, raised the eastern portion of the empire against Mark Antony and his friends. In the progress of this war, Brutus and Cassius quarrelled upon a matter involving the authority of the former. It is this quarrel, and the subsequent reconciliation, which forms the subject of the present selection.]

Cas.

SCENE: Camp near Sardis; the tent of Brutus.

That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this;
You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.
In such a time as this it is not meet

Cas.

Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself

5

That every nice offence should bear his comment.

Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;

10

To sell and mart your offices for gold

To undeservers.

2. Noted.-Marked; set a mark against.

2. Lucius Pella.-A Roman who had filled high offices of trust in Asia Plutarch says it was embezzlement that he was charged

Minor.
with.

3. The Sardians.-The inhabitants of Sardis, a town in Asia Minor, which at that time formed part of the Roman Empire. It was this portion of the empire, together with Macedonia (now European Turkey) that Brutus and Cassius overran after their departure from Rome.

5. Were slighted off.-Were put aside, and unnoticed.

8. Should bear his comment.-Should be taken notice of. His is used, as is usual by Shakespeare, for its. See § IV. note 53.

10. An itching palm.—The palm is the hand; the meaning is, a hand ever ready to receive bribes.

11. Mart.-The word is here used as a verb, meaning to exchange.

Cas.

Bru.

Cas.

Bru.

Cas.

Bru.

I an itching palm!

You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.
Chastisement !

Remember March, the ides of March remember;
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honours
For so much trash as may be graspèd thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.

Brutus, bay not me;
I'll not endure it; you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

15. This speech were else your last.— Were is subjunctive singular agreeing with speech.

19. The ides of March remember.--In the Roman calendar the 13th day of some months, and the 15th of others, was called the ides of that month. In this instance it is the 15th of March that is meant, the date of the murder of Julius Cæsar.

20. Great Julius. -Julius Cæsar. See introduction to § XXVI. and XXVII.

21. What villain.-Implying that no villain was concerned in the murder; but that it was done for political reasons.

25. Contaminate.-Taint; soil.

27. As may be grasped thus.-Here Brutus doubtless suits the action to the word; clenching his fist as though he were grasping the bribes he speaks of.

28. Bay the moon. -To buy the moon is to stand barking at the moon,

like an animal at bay.

35. Go to.-See § VIII. note 105.