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That this foul deed fhall fmell above the earth
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 feven leagues of

Rome.

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 corfe
Into the market-place: there fhall I try,
In my oration, how the people take
The cruel iffue of these bloody men ;
According to the which, thou fhalt difcourfe
To young Octavius of the ftate of things.

-Lend me your hand.

[Exeunt with Cafar's body.

"reft of the Coneftable & Marefchall warde unto tyme that they "have made fyn; & founde furetie no morr to offende; & his "body in prifon at the Kyng wylle.-"

JOHNSON.

No Rome of Safety, &c.] If Shakespeare meant to quibble on the words Rome and room, he is at least countenanced in it by other authors.

So in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece, 1638:

." You fhall have my room,

My Rome indeed, for what I feem to be

Brutus is not, but born great Rome to free." STEEVENS.

SCENE

.

SCENE II.

THE FORUM.

Enter Brutus and Caffius, with the Plebeians.

Pleb. We will be fatisfied: Let us be fatisfied. Bru. Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.

Caffius, go you into the other ftreet,

And part the numbers.

Thofe that will hear me speak, let 'em ftay here; Thofe, that will follow Caffius, go with him; And publick reafons fhall be rendered

Of Cæfar's death.

1 Pleb. I will hear Brutus speak.

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

fons,

When feverally we hear them rendered.

3

[Exit Caffius, with fome of the Plebeians, Brutus goes into the roftrum.

Pleb. The noble Brutus is afcended: filence! Bru. Be patient 'till the last.

Romans, 7 countrymen, and lovers! hear me for

my

7 Countrymen, and lovers! &c.] There is no where, in all Shakefpeare's works a ftronger proof of his not being what we call a fcholar than this; or of his not knowing any thing of the genius of learned antiquity. This fpeech of Brutus is wrote in imitation of his famed laconic brevity, and is very fine in its kind; but no more like that brevity, than his times were like Brutus's. The ancient laconic brevity was fimple, natural, and eafy: this is quaint, artificial, gingling, and abounding with forced antithefes. In a word, a brevity, that for its falfe eloquence would have suited any character, and for its good fenfe would have become the greatest of our author's time; but yet, in a stile of declaiming, that fits as ill upon Brutus as our author's trowfers or collar-band would have done. WARB.

This artificial gingle of fhort fentences was affected by most of

the

my caufe; and be filent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honour; and have refpect to mine honour, that you may believe. Cenfure me in your wisdom; and awake your fenfes that you may the better judge. If there be any in this affembly, any dear friend of Cæfar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's love to Cæfar was no lefs than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rofe against Cæfar, this is my anfwer-Not that I loved Cæfar lefs, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæfar were living, and dye 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; but 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 fo rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo vile, that will not love his country? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. I paufe for a reply.

All. None, Brutus, none.

Bru. Then none have 1 offended.

I have done no more to Cæfar, than you fhall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he fuffered death.

Enter Mark Antony with Cafar's body." Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark Antony:

the orators in Shakespeare's time, whether in the pulpit or at the bar. The fpeech of Brutus may therefore be regarded rather as an imitation of the falfe eloquence then in vogue, than as a specimen of laconic brevity. STEEVENS. who,

who, though he had no hand in his death, fhall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you fhall not? With this I depart; that as I flew my beft lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame dagger for myself, when it fhall please my 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 ftatue with his ancestors.

3

Pleb. Let him be Cæfar.

4 Pleb. Cæfar's better parts

Shall be crowned in Brutus.

I Pleb. We'll bring him to his house with fhouts 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, ftay 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 allow'd to make.

I do intreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have fpoke.

[Exit.

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 Cæfar was a tyrant.

3

Pleb. Nay, that's certain.

We are bleft, that Rome is rid of him.

2 Pleb.

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 Cæfar, not to praise 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 B: utus
Hath told you, Cæfar was ambitious:
If it were fo, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæfar anfwer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the reft,
(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,
Whofe ranfoms did the general coffers fill:

Did this in Cæfar feem ambitious?

When that the poor have cry'd, Cæfar hath wept:
Ambition fhould be made of fterner stuff:
Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee, that, on the Lupercal,
I thrice prefented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refufe.

Was this ambition?

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And, fure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to difprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without caufe;

What caufe with-holds you then to mourn for him? O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beafts,

And men have loft their reafon!

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Bear with me,

My

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