M. T.

CICERO's

FIRST

ORATION

AGAINST

M. ANTONIUS.

B

EFORE I touch, Fathers Confcript, upon these public Concerns, which I now intend to fubmit to your Confideration, I fhall in a few Words lay before you my Conduct both in my Departure and my Return.

WHEN

a Our Author here, does not as he commonly does, introduce his Oration with an Exordium; this Oration being of the deliberative Kind: And Cicero knew that the Hearers came prepared for the Occafion, and were apprized of the Importance of the Cafe.

i

WHEN I had fome Grounds to hope that the Government was at laft reverted to your Order and Authority, I determined to remain on a kind of a Confular and Senatorial Watch" nor did I once go off my Foft, nor did I once call off my Eyes from the Concerns of my Country, ever fince the Day on which we met in the Temple of Tellus, where I did all I could to lay the Foundation of Peace, and for that Purpose I revived an ancient Ufage of the Athenians. I likewife adopted the Greek Term, formerly used by that People in compofing the Commotions of their City; and I delivered my Sentiments for burying all Remembrance of Civil Difcord in perpetual Oblivion.

SPECIOUS on that Occafion was the Language of Marcus Antonius, ftrong was his public

P 2

b This has an Allufion to a Soldier's ftanding Centry, and observing a particular Poft or Charge. Such a Manner has a prodigious Influence upon the Hearers, and no body who reads it, now, but must be touched with the pathetic Sentiment that it contains.

• After Cafar's Death, Anthony managed with great Addrefs, and even out-witted ourAuthor, and the other Friends of the republican System of Government. He pretended a mighty Zeal for the Liberties of Rome, and appeared fo warm, that he not only out-did the greatest Patriots in Zeal, but fent his only Son as a Pledge to the Confpirators, of their being in Safety to come to the Senate.

Our

public Spirit; and a Reconciliation with our

moft

Our Shakespeare has wonderfully hit on the Character of Anthony, in his celebrated Play of Julius Cæfar, which, as it may be a Key to the Reader in the following Orations, I fhall here tranfcribe.

After Cæfar is killed, Anthony is introduced
Ant. O mighty Cæfar, doft thou lie fo low?
Are all thy Conquefts, Glories, Triumphs, Spoils,
Shrunk to this little Measure? -Fare thee well.

I know not, Gentlemen, what you intend,

Who elfe must be let Blood? Who elfe is rank?
If I myself, there is no Hour so fit,

As Cafar's Death's Hour; nor no Inftruments

Of half that Worth as thofe your Swords made rich
With the moft noble Blood of all this World.

I do befeech ye, if ye bear me hard,

Now, whilft your purpled Hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your Pleasure. Live a thousand Years,

I fhall not find myself fo apt to die:

No Place will pleafe me fo, no Mean of Death,
As here by Cafar, and by you cut off,
The choice and mafter Spirits of this Age.
Bru. O Anthony! beg not your Death of us:
Tho' now we muft appear bloody and cruel;
As, by our Hands, and this our prefent Act,
You fee we do; yet fee you but our Hands,
And this the bleeding Bufinefs they have done :
Our Hearts you fee not, they are pitiful;
(And Pity to the general Wrong of Rome
As Fire drives out Fire, fo Pity Pity)

Hath done this Deed on Cafar: For your Part,
To you our Swords have leaden Points, Mark Anthony ;
Our Arms exempt from Malice, and our Heart

Of Brother's Temper, do receive you in

With all kind Love, good Thoughts, and Reverence.
Caf. Your Voice fhall be as ftrong as any Man's

In the difpofing of new Dignities.

Bru. Only be patient till we have appeas'd
The Multitude, befide themselves with Fear;
And then we will deliver you the Cause,

Why I, that did love Cæfar when I ftruck him,
Proceeded thus.

Ant.
-I doubt not of your Wisdom.
Let each Man render me his bloody Hand;

Firt

most worthy Citizens, was confirmed by him and his Children. Every thing that then folP 3 lowed

First, Marcus Brutus, will I fhake with you;
Next, Caius Caffius, do I take your Hand;
Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus ;
Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Cafca, yours;
Tho' laft, not leaft in Love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all--alas, what shall I fay?

My Credit now ftands on fuch flippery Ground,
That one of two bad Ways you must conceit me;
Either a Coward, or a Flatterer.

That I did love thee, Cafar, oh, 'tis true;
If then thy Spirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy Death,
To fee thy Anthony making his Peace,
Shaking the bloody Fingers of thy Foes,
Most Noble in the Prefence of thy Corpfe?
Had I as many Eyes, as thou hast Wounds,
Weeping as fast as they ftream forth thy Blood,
It would become me better, than to close
In Terms of Friendship, with thine Enemies.
Pardon me, Julius,-here waft thou bay'd, brave Hart;
Here didst thou fall, and here thy Hunters ftand
Sign'd in thy Spoil, and crimfon'd in thy Death.
O World! thou waft the Foreft to this Hart;
And this, indeed, O World, the Heart of thee.
How like a Deer, ftricken by many Princes,
Doft thou here lie?

Caf. Mark Anthony.

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Caffius;

3

The Enemies of Cæfar will fay this
Then in a Friend, it is cold Modesty.

Caf. I blame you not for praising Cæfar so;
But what Compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in Number of our Friends,
Or fhall 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 Cæfar.
Friends am I with you all, and love you all,

Upon this Hope, that you fhall give me Reafons,
Why, and wherein Cafar was dangerous.

Brut. Or else this was a favage Spectacle.

Our Reasons are fo full of good Regard,."
That we e you Anthony, the Son of Cafar,

You

lowed was agreeable to this Beginning.

He fum

You fhould be fatisfied.
Ant. That's all I feek;

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.
Brut. You fhall, Mark Anthony.
Caf. Brutus, a Word with you

You know not what you do; do not confent
That Anthony fpeak in his Funeral.

Know you, how much the People may be mov'd
By that which he will utter?

Brut. By your Pardon,

I will myfelf into the Pulpit first,

And fhew the Reafon of our Cæfar's Death.
What Anthony fhall (peak, I will proteft
He fpeaks by Leave, and by Permiffion;
And that we are contented, Cæfar fhall
Have all due Rites, and lawful Ceremonies;
It fhall advantage more than do us wrong.

Caf. I know not what may fall; I like it not.
Bru. Mark Anthony, take you Cafar's Body:
You shall not in your Funeral Speech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devife of Cæfar;
And fay you do't by our Permiffion:
Elfe fhould you not have any Hand at all
About his Funeral. And you fhall fpeak
In the fame Pulpit whereto I am going,
After my Speech is ended.

Ant. Be it fo:

I do defire no more.

Brut. Prepare the Body then, and follow us.

Manet Anthony.

.T

[Exeunt Confpirators.

Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding Piece of Earth! That I am meek and gentle with thefe Butchers. Thou art the Ruins of the nobleit Man,

That ever lived in the Tide of Times.

Woe to the Hand that fhed this coftly Blood?
Over thy Wounds now do I prophesy,

(Which, like dumb Mouths, DO OPE their Ruby Lips,
To beg the Voice and Utterance of my Tongue)

A Curfe