ACT III

Sc. I

If, then, thy Spirit look upon us now,

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

Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! in the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,

It would become me better than to close

In terms of friendship with thine enemies.

200

Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave Hart;
Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand,
Sign'd' in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe.2
O World, thou wast the forest to this hart;
And this, indeed, O World, the heart of thee.
How like a deer, strucken by many Princes,
Dost thou here lie!
CASS. Mark Antony--

ANT.

Pardon me, Caius Cassius;
The enemies of Cæsar shall say this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.
CASS. I blame you not for praising Cæsar so;
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends;
Or shall we on, and not depend on you?
ANT. Therefore I took your hands; but was indeed
Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Cæsar.
Friends am I with you all, and love you all,

Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons
Why and wherein Cæsar was dangerous.

BRU. Or else were this a savage spectacle:

Our reasons are so full of good regard

That, were you, Antony, the son of Cæsar,

You should be satisfied.

ANT.

That's all I seek:

And am moreover suitor 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 shall, Mark Antony.

1 marked, blazoned: cf. 'bloody as the hunter.' 2 'a term used by hunters to signify the blood shed by a deer at its fall.' Capel, Gloss., 8.v. Letum (or lethum)

210

220

230

CASS.

Brutus, a word with you.

ACT III

Sc. I

[aside to BRUTUS.] You know not what you do; do

not consent

That Antony speak in his funeral :

Know you how much the People may be mov'd

By that which he will utter?

BRU.

By your pardon:

I will myself into the pulpit first,

And shew the reason of our Cæsar's death:
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission ;
And that we are contented Cæsar shall
Have all true1 rites and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.
CASS. I know not what may fall; I like it not.
BRU. Mark Antony, here, take you Cæsar's body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Cæsar;
And say you do 't by our permission;
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral: and you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.

BRU. Prepare the body, then, and follow us.

240

250

[Exeunt all but ANTONY. ANT. O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of Earth,

That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!

Thou art the ruins of the noblest man

That ever lived in the tides of Time.

Woe to the hands that shed this costly blood!

Over thy wounds now do I prophesy

(Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips, 260

To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue)

A curse shall light upon the limbs of men ;
Domestic Fury and fierce Civil Strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and Destruction shall be so in use,
And dreadful objects so familiar,

VIII: F

1 just.

41

ACT III
Sc. I

That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quarter'd with the hands of War;
All Pity chok'd with custom of fell deeds:
And Cæsar's Spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até1 by his side come hot from Hell,
Shall in these confines with a Monarch's voice
Cry Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of War;
That this foul deed shall smell above the Earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter a Servant.

You serve Octavius Cæsar, do you not?

SERV. I do, Mark Antony.

ANT. Cæsar did write for him to come to Rome.
SERV. He did receive his letters, and is coming;

And bid me say to you by word of mouth-
[seeing the body.] O Cæsar!-

ANT. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep.
Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes,
Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine,
Begin to water. Is thy master coming?

270

280

SERV. He lies to-night within seven leagues of Rome,
ANT. Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanc'd.
Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,

No Rome of safety for Octavius yet;

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet, stay awhile;
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 discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.
Lend me your hand.

290

[Exeunt with CESAR's body.

SCENE II. The Same. The Forum.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.
CITIZENS. We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.
BRU. Then follow me, and give me audience, Friends.

Cassius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;

Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Cæsar's death.

FIRST CIT.

I will hear Brutus speak.

SEC. CIT. I will hear Cassius; and compare their

reasons,

When severally we hear them rendered.

ΤΟ

[Exit CASSIUS with some of the Citizens.
BRUTUS goes into the pulpit.

THIRD CIT. The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!

BRU. Be patient till the last.

Romans, Countrymen, and Lovers! hear me for my cause; and be silent, 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 assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that I lov'd Cæsar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar lov'd me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; 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? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

ALL. None, Brutus, none.

34

BRU. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enroll'd in the Capitol; his glory not

АСТ III
Sc. II

АСТ III
Sc. II

extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforc'd, for which he suffer'd death.

40

Enter ANTONY and others, with CESAR'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? shall not? With this I depart: That, as

I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

ALL. Live, Brutus! live, live!

FIRST CIT. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.
SEC. CIT. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

THIRD CIT. Let him be Cæsar.

FOURTH CIT.

Shall all be crown'd in Brutus.

Cæsar's better parts

50

FIRST CIT. We'll bring him to his house with shouts and

clamours.

BRU. My Countrymen

SEC. CIT.

FIRST CIT. Peace, ho!

Peace! silence! Brutus speaks.

BRU. Good Countrymen, let me depart alone,

And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:
Do grace to Cæsar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glory; which Mark Antony,
By our permission, is allow'd to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.
FIRST CIT. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
THIRD CIT. Let him go up into the public chair;
We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.
ANT. For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.

60

[exit.

[goes into the pulpit.

FOURTH CIT. What does he say of Brutus ?
THIRD CIT.

He says, for Brutus' sake,

He finds himself beholding to us all.

FOURTH CIT. "Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus

here.

FIRST CIT. This Cæsar was a tyrant.