Thy brother by decree is banished;

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn, for him, I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Caesar doth not wrong: nor without cause Will he be satisfied.

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my

own,

To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear,
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?
Bru. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar;
Desiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Caes. What, Brutus!

Cas. Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon:
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

Caes. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd, and resting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unumber'd sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So, in the world; 'Tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshak'd of motion: and, that I am he,
Let me a little show it, even in this;

That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

Cin. O Caesar,

Caes. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?
Dec. Great Caesar,

Caes. Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

Casca. Speak, hands, for me.

[Casca stabs Caesar in the neck. Caesar catches hold of his arm. He is then stabb'd by several other conspirators, and at last by Marcus Brutus.

Caes. Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar. [Dies. The senators and people retire in confusion

Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. Cas. Some to the cominon pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement !

Bru. People, and senators! be not affrighted; Fly not stand still ambition's debt is paid. Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Dec. And Cassius too.

Bru. Where's Publius ?

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. Met. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar's

Should chance

Bru. Talk not of standing; —

1

cheer;

There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.
Cas. And leave us, Publius ; lest that the people,
Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.
Bru. Do so; and let no man abide this deed,
But we the doers.

Cas. Where's Antony?

Tre. Fled to his house amaz'd:

Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and

run,

As it were doomsday,

Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures: That we shall die, we kuow; 'tis but the time, And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

Cas. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood
Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords:
Then walk we forth, even to the market-place;
And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads,
Let's all cry, Peace! Freedom! and Liberty!
Cas. Stoop then, and wash. How many ages
hence,

Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,
In states unborn, and accents yet unknown?

Bru. How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport,
That now on Pompey's basis lies along,
No worthier than the dust?

Cás. So oft as that shall be,

So often shall the knot of us be call'd
The men that gave our country liberty.
Dec. What, shall we forth?

Cas. Ay, every man away:

Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome,

Enter a Servant.

Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's.

Serv. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel; Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down; And, being prostrate, thus he hade me say.

Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:
Say, I love Brutus, and I honour him;
Say, I fear'd Caesar, honour'd him, and lov'd
him.

If Brutus will vouchsafe, that Antony
May safely come to him, and be resolv'd
How Caesar hath deserv'd to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state,
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.
Bru. Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;
I never thought him worse..

Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour,
Depart untouch'd.

Sery. I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit. Serv. Bru. I know, that we shall have him well to

friend.

Cas. I wish, we may but yet have I a mind, That fears him much; and my misgiving still Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

Re-enter ANTONY.

Bru. But here comes Antony. Welcome, Mark Antony.

Ant. O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.. I know not, Gentlemen, what you intend, Who else must be let blood, who else is rank: If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Caesar's death's hour; nor no instrument

Of half that worth, as those your swords, made rich

With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if you hear me hard,

Now, whilst your purple hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die;

No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Bru. O Anatony! beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands, and this our present act,
You see we do; yet see you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done :
Our hearts you see not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, so pity, pity).

Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part, To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony:

Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts,
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in t
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

Cas. Your voice shall be as strong as any man's, In the disposing of new dignities.

Bru. Only be patient, till we have appeas'd The multitude, beside themselves with fear, And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him, Have thus proceeded.

Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand :
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand';