4 Cit. Now mark him, he begins again to speak.
Ant. But yesterday the word of Cæsar might
Have stood against the world: now lies he there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.1
O masters! if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong,
Who, you all know, are honorable men.

I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honorable men:

But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæsar,—
I found it in his closet; 'tis 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.

4 Cit. We'll hear the will: read it, Mark An·

tony.

Cit. The will, the will: we will hear Cæsar's

will.

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

1 i. e. the meanest man is now too high to show him any respect,

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!

4 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 honorable men,
Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar: I do fear it.
4 Cit. They were traitors. Honorable men!
Cit. The will! the testament!

2 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 show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? And will you give me leave?
Cit. Come down.

2 Cit. Descend. [he comes down from the pulpit. 3 Cit. You shall have leave.

4 Cit. A ring: stand round.

1 Cit. Stand from the hearse; stand from the

body.

2 Cit. Room for Antony,-most noble Antony. Ant. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off. Cit. Stand back! room! bear back!

Ant. If you have tears, prepare to shed them

now.

You all do know this mantle: I remember
The first time ever Cæsar put it on ;
'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent;
That day he overcame the Nervii.—

Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And, as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark, how the blood of Cæsar follow'd it;
As rushing out of doors, to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statua,1
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 florish'd 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;

1 Statua, for statue, is common among the writers of our author's time.

2 Impression.

Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.

1 Cit. O piteous spectacle!

2 Cit. O noble Cæsar!

3 Cit. O woful day!

4 Cit. O traitors, villains!

1 Cit. O most bloody sight!

2 Cit. We will be revenged: revenge; about,seek,—burn,—fire,-kill,-slay!-let not a traitor

live.

Ant. Stay, countrymen.

1 Cit. Peace there :-hear the noble Antony. 2 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 honorable :

1

What private griefs 1 they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it: they are wise and honorable,
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 writ, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,

For grievances.

21. e. no penned or premeditated oration.

To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

I tell you that, which you yourselves do know; Show 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.

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

3 Cit. Away then, come; seek the conspirators. Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me

speak.

Cit. Peace, ho! Hear Antony, most noble An

tony.

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.

To

Cit. Most true; the will: let's stay, and hear the will.

Ant. Here is the will, and under Cæsar's seal. every Roman citizen he gives,

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.1

2 Cit. Most noble Cæsar!-We'll revenge his death.

A drachma was of the value of 7d. sterling.