ACT III.

But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæsar :
I found it in his closet; 't is his will:
Let but the commons hear this testament
(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read),
And they would go and kiss dead Cæsar's wounds,
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.

4th Cit. We'll hear the will. Read it, Marc Antony.

Cit. The will; the will! we will hear Caesar's will.

Ant. Have patience, gentle friends: I must not read it:

It is not meet you know how Cæsar loved you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men :
And being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,
It will inflame you; it will make you mad.
'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs:
For if you should, O what would come of it!

4th Cit. Read the will: we will hear it, Antony. You shall read us the will: Cæsar's will!

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay awhile? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it. I fear I wrong the honourable men Whose daggers have stabbed Cæsar: I do fear it. 4th Cit. They were traitors. Honourable men! Cit. The will! the testament!

2nd 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 shew you him that made the will. Shall I descend; and will you give me leave? Cit. Come down.

2nd Cit. Descend. [He comes from the pulpit. 3rd Cit. You shall have leave. 4th Cit. A ring: stand round!

1st Cit. Stand from the hearse; stand from

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 flourished 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, marred as you see with traitors. 1st Cit. O piteous spectacle! 2nd Cit. O noble Cæsar! 3rd Cit. O woful day! 4th Cit. O traitors, villains! 1st Cit. O most bloody sight!

2nd Cit. We will be revenged. Revenge! about,-seek,-burn,-fire,-kill,-slay! Let

not a traitor live!

Ant. Stay, countrymen.

1st Cit. Peace there! hear the noble Antony. 2nd 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 wit, nor words, nor worth,
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 :
Shew 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.
Cit. We'll mutiny!

1st Cit. We'll burn the house of Brutus !

3rd Cit. Away, then come, seek the conspirators!

Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen: yet hear me speak.

Cit. Peace, ho! hear Antony; most noble Antony!

Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know not what?

Wherein hath Cæsar thus deserved your loves? Alas! you know not :-I must tell you, then :You have forgot the will I told you of.

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

3rd Cit. O royal Cæsar!

Ant. Hear me with patience.
Cit. 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.
Here was a Cæsar! when comes such another?
1st Cit. Never, never!-Come, away, away!
We'll burn his body in the holy place,

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

up

2nd Cit. Go, fetch fire!

3rd Cit. Pluck down benches!

4th Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, anything! [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 anything.

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 moved 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.

Enter Citizens.

1st Cit. What is your name?

2nd Cit. Whither are you going? 3rd Cit. Where do you dwell?

4th Cit. Are you a married man or a bachelor? 2nd Cit. Answer every man directly? 1st Cit. Ay, and briefly.

4th Cit. Ay, and wisely.

3rd 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.

2nd 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. 1st Cit. As a friend or an enemy?

Cin. As a friend.

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

Cin. Truly, my name is Cinna.

1st Cit. Tear him to pieces! he's a conspirator. Cin. I am Cinna the poet; I am Cinna the poet. 4th Cit. Tear him for his bad verses; tear him for his bad verses!

Cin. I am not Cinna the conspirator.

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

3rd 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!

Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live, Who is your sister's son, Marc Antony.

Ant. He shall not live: look, with a spot I damn him.

But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar's house :
Fetch the will hither, and we will determine
How to cut off some charge in legacies.

Lep. What, shall I find you here?
Oct. Or here or at the Capitol.

[Exit LEPIDUS.

And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in commons.

Oct.

You may do your will;

But he's a tried and valiant soldier.

Ant. So is my horse, Octavius; and for that I do appoint him store of provender. It is a creature that I teach to fight,

To wind, to stop, to run directly on:

His corporal motion governed by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so:

He must be taught, and trained, and bid go forth.
A barren-spirited fellow : one that feeds
On objects, arts, and imitations;

Which, out of use, and staled by other men,
Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him
But as a property. And now, Octavius,
Listen great things:-Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers: we must straight make head:
Therefore, let our alliance be combined,
Our best friends made, and our best means
stretched out;

And let us presently go sit in council
How covert matters may be best disclosed,
And open perils surest answered.

Oct. Let us do so: for we are at the stake,

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and Soldiers: TITINIUS and PINDARUS meeting them. Bru. Stand, ho!

Luc. Give the word, ho! and stand.

Bru. What now, Lucilius: is Cassius near? Luc. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come To do you salutation from his master.

[PINDARUS gives a letter to BRUTUS. Bru. He greets me well.-Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change or by ill officers,
Hath given me some worthy cause to wish
Things done, undone: but if he be at hand
I shall be satisfied.

A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforcéd ceremony.
There are no tricks in plain and simple faith:
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;
But when they should endure the bloody spur
They fall their crests, and like deceitful jades
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Luc. They mean this night in Sardis to be
quartered:

The greater part, the horse in general,
Are come with Cassius.

SCENE III. Within the Tent of BRUTUS. LUCIUS and TITINIUS at some distance from it.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

Cas. That you have wronged me doth appear

in this :

You have condemned and noted Lucius Peila,
For taking bribes here of the Sardians :
Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.
Bru. You wronged yourself to write in such

And chastisement doth therefore hide his head. Cas. Chastisement!

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March

remember!

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touched 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 grasped thus ?—