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With carrion men, groaning for burial,

Enter a Servant.

You ferve Octavius Cæfar, do you not?

Serv. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cæfar did write for him, to come to Rome.

Serv. He did receive his letters, and is coming:

And bid me fay to you by word of mouth,

O Cæfar!

[Seeing the Body.

Ant. Thy heart is big; get thee apart and weep.

Paffion, I fee, is catching; for mine eyes,
Seeing those beads of forrow stand in thine,
Began to water. Is thy mafter coming?

Serv. He lies to-night within seven leagues of Rome. 3. Ant. Poft back with speed, 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 corse
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 difcourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your hand. [Exeunt, with CÆSAR's body.

SCENE II. The Forum.

Enter BRUTUS, and CASSIUS, with the Plebeians.
Pleb. We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.
Bru. Then follow me, and give me audience,

friends.

Caffius, go you into the other street,

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And

And part the numbers.-
Those that will hear me speak, let them stay here;
Those that will follow Caffius, go with him;

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Cæfar's death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus fpeak.

2 Pleb. I will hear Caffius; and compare their rea

When severally we hear them rendered.

[fons,

[Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Plebeians. BRUTUS goes into the Roftrum.

3 Pleb. The noble Brutus is ascended: Silence! Bru. Be patient 'till the last.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause; and be filent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this affembly, any dear friend of Cæfar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Cæfar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæfar, this is my answer,-Not that I lov'd Cæfar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cæfar were living, and die all flaves; /than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free men ? As Cæfar lov'd me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: bat as he was ambitious, I flew him: There are tears for his love; joy, for his fortune; honour, for his valour; and death, for his ambition. Who is here fo bafe, that would be a bond-man? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile, that will not love his country!

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country? If any, speak; for him have I offended.

hat I paufe for a reply.

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæfar, than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enroll'd in the Capitol: his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforc'd, for which he suffered death.

Enter MARK ANTONY, &c. with CÆSAR's body. Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; As which of you shall not? With this I depart; That, of Rome, ome. I have en it shall please my

as I flew

my best lover for the good the fame dagger for myself, when it Country to need my death.

All. Live, Brutus, live! live!

1 Pleb. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

2 Pleb. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

3 Pleb. Let him be Cæfar.

4 Pleb. Cæfar's better parts

Shall be crowned in Brutus.

1 Pleb. We'll bring him to his house with shouts

and clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,

2 Pleb. Peace; filence! Brutus speaks.

1 Pleb. Peace, ho!

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my fake, stay here with Antony:
Do grace to Cæfar's corpfe, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæfar's glories: which Mark Antony

By our permiffion is allowed to make.

Ido entreat you, not a man depart,

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[Exit

Save I alone, 'till Antony have spoke.
I Pleb. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
3 Pleb. Let him go up into the public chair;

We'll hear him:-Noble Antony, go up.
Ant. For Brutus' fake, I am beholden to you.
4 Pleb. What does he say of Brutus?
3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake,

He finds himself beholden to us all.

4 Pleb. "Twere best he fpeak noharm of Brutus here. I Pleb. This Cæfar was a tyrant.

3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain.

We are blest, 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

I come to bury Cæfar, not to praife him.
The evil, that men do, lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cæfar! The noble Brutus

Hath told you, Cæfar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievoufly hath Cæfar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest
(For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men),
Come I to speak in Cæfar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ranfoms did the general coffers filt:
Did this in Cæfar seem ambitious?

Eears;

When that the poor have cry'd, Cæfar hath wept:

Ambition

JULIUS CÆSAR

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious :
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee, that, on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?

Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious;
And fure he is an honourable man.

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I fpeak not to difprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause ; What caufe with-holds you then to mourn for him?O judgment, thou art fled to brutish hearts, And men have loft their reason ! - Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar, And I must pause 'till it come back to me.

1 Pleb. Methinks, there is much reason in his fayings. 2 Pleb. If thou confider rightly of the matter,

Cæfar has had great wrong.

3 Pleb. Has he, masters?

I fear there will a worse come in his place.

4 Plet. 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 foul! 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. Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæfar might Have ftood against the world: now lies he there, And none fo poor to do him reverence. O mafters! if I were difpos'd to ftir

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