Macd. If it be mine, Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it. Rosse. Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever, Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound, That ever yet they heard. Macd. Hum! I guess at it. Rosse. Your castle is surpris'd, your wife and babes Savagely slaughter'd: to relate the manner, Mal Merciful Heav'n! What man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows, Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak, Whispers the o'erfraught heart, and bids it break. Macd. My children too! Rosse. Wife, children, servants, all that could be found. Macd. And I must be from thence! My wife kill'd too! Rosse I've said. Mal. Be comforted. Let's make us med'cines of our great revenge, Macd. He has no children. Did ones! All my pretty you say all? What all? Oh, hell-kite! All? Mal, Endure it like a man. Macd. I shall do so;. But I must also feel it as a man. I cannot but remember such things were, on, And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff, now! Mal. Be this the whetstone of your sword, let grief Book viij. Convert to wrath; blunt not the heart, enrage it. Macd. O,I could play the woman with mineeyes, And braggart with my tongue. But gentle heav'n! Cut short all intermission: front to front, Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; Within my sword's length set him, if he 'scape, Then Heav'n forgive him too! Mal. This tune goes manly. Come, go we to the king, our power is ready; The night is long that never finds the day. SHAKESPEARE. CHA P. XXIV. Antony's Soliloquy over Caesar's body. pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth! That I am meek and gentle with these butchers. Thou art the ruins of the noblest man That ever lived in the tide of times. Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood! men; Domestic fury, and fierce civil strife That mothers shall but smile, when they behold CHA P. X X V. Antony's funeral oration over Cæsar's body. FRIENDS, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears, I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cry'd, Caesar, hath wept; Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. I thrice presented him a kingly crown; Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, You all did love him once, not without cause. Book viij. And I must pause till it come back to me.' If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through; Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell. To any 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 honour able; And will, no doubt, with reason 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 loves my friends: and that they know full well That gave me public leave to speak of him: 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. SHAKESPEARE. СНА Р. X X V I. The Quarrel of Brutus and Cassius. Cas. THAT you have wrong'd me doth appear in this, You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella, case. Cas. In such a time as this it is not meet That ev'ry nice offence should bear its comment. Bru. Yet let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm, To sell and mart your offices for gold, To undeservers. Cas. I an itching palm? You know, that you are Brutus that spake this, Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last. Bru. The name of Cassius honours this cor ruption, And chastisement doth therefore hide its head. |