By our permiffion is allow'd to make. SCENE [Exit. VI. 1 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 fay of Brutus? 3 Pleb. He fays, for Brutus' fake He finds himself beholden to us all. 4 Pleb. 'Twere beft he fpeak no harm of Brutus here. 1 Pleb. This Cafar was a Tyrant. 3 Pleb. Nay, that's certain. We are bleft, that Rome is rid of him. 2 Pleb. Peace; let us hear what Antony can fay. Ant. You gentle Romans All Peace, ho, let us hear him. Ant. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Cafar, not to praise him. He was my friend, faithful and just to me, He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Did this in Cæfar feem ambitious? When that the poor have cry'd, Cæfar hath wept; Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious; Was this ambition? Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious; You all did love him once, not without cause ; 1 Pleb. Methinks, there is much reason in his fay- If thou confider rightly of the matter, Cafar has had great wrong. 3 Pleb. Has he, Mafters? I fear there will a worfe come in his place. 4 Pleb. Mark'd ye his words? he would not take the crown; • Cæfar has had great wrong.] 3 Pleb. Cæfar had never wrong but with juft caufe. If ever there was such a line written by ShakeSpeare, I could fancy it might have its place here, and very humorously in the character of a Plebeian. One might believe Ben Johnson's remark was made upon no better credit than fome blunder of an actor in speaking that verfe near the beginning of the third act. Know, Cæfar doth not wrong ; nor without caufe Will he be fatisfied.But the verse, as cited by Ben Johnson, does not connect with, Will he be fatisfied. Perhaps this play was never printed in Ben Johnson's time, and fo he had nothing to judge by but as the actor pleased to speak it. POPE I have inferted this note, becaufe it is Pope's, for it is otherwife of no value. It is ftrange that he fhould fo much forget the date of the copy before him, as to think it not printed in Johnfon's time. Therefore, Therefore, 'tis certain he was not ambitious. 1 Pleb. If it be found fo, fome 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 to fpeak. Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, Let but the Commons hear this Teftament, And dying, mention it within their Wills, Unto their iffue. 4 Pleb. We'll hear the Will, read it, Mark Antony. All. The Will, the Will. We will hear Cafar's Will. Ant. Have patience, gentle, friends, I must not read it; It is not meet you know how Cafar lov'd you. And none to poor - The meanest man is now too high to do reverence to Cafar. 'Tis good you know not, that you are his heirs ; For if you should, O what would come of it? 4 Pleb. Read the Will, we will hear it, Antony; You fhall read us the Will, Cafar's Will. Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay a while? I have o'erfhot myself, to tell you of it. I fear, I wrong the honourable men, Whofe daggers have ftabb'd Cæfar. I do fear it. 4 Pleb. They were traitors. Honourable men! All. The Will! the Teftament! 2 Pleb. They were villains, murderers. The Will! read the Will! Ant. You will compel me then to read the Will? 2 Pleb. Defcend. 3 [He comes down from the pulpit. Pleb. You fhall have leave. 4 Pleb. A ring; ftand round. 1 Pleb. Stand from the hearfe, ftand from the body. Ant. If you have tears, prepare to fhed them now. The first time ever Cafar put it on, 'Twas on a fummer's evening in his tent, That day he overcome the Nervii. Look! in this place, ran Caffius dagger through; Ι This This was the most unkindeft cut of all; For when the noble Cæfar faw him ftab, Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell, O what a fall was there, my countrymen! Then I, and you, and all of us fell down: 2 Pleb. O noble Cæfar! 2 Pleb. We will be reveng'd: revenge: about- feek tor live. Ant. Stay, Countrymen 3 And, in his mantle, &c.] Read the lines thus, And, in his mantle mufling up bis face, Plutarch tells us, that Cæfar received many wounds in the face on this occafion, fo that it might he faid to run blood. But, inftead of that, the Statue, in this reading, and not the face, is faid to do fo; it is plain these two lines fhould be tranfpofed: And -flay! let not a trai |