'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 a while? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it.

I fear, I wrong the honourable men,

Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar: I do fear it. 4 Cit. They were traitors: Honourable 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.

Ant. If you have tears, prepare to shed them You all do know this mantle: I remember [now. 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 resolv'd
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar lov'd 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*,
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 flourish'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,
Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
1 Cit. O piteous spectacle!

*

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

live.

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 honourable;
What private griefs§ they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it; they are wise and honour-
And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you. [able,
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 wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

* Statua, for statue, is common among the old writers.
+Was successful. + Impression. § Grievances.

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.

ACT IV.

CEREMONY INSINCERE.

Ever note, Lucilius,

When love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith:
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle:
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial.

THE TENT SCENE BETWEEN BRUTUS AND CASSIUS.

Cas. That you have wrong'd me, doth

in this :

appear

You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself, to write in such a

case.

Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet That nice* offence should bear his comment. every Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself * Trifling.

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 speak this, Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Bru. The name of Cassius honours this corrupAnd chastisement doth therefore hide his head. [tion, Cas. Chastisement!

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March re-
member!

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world,
But for supporting robbers; shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes?
And sell the mighty space of our large honours,
For so much trash, as may be grasped thus ?-
I had rather be a dog, and bay* the moon,
Than such a Roman.

Cas.
Brutus, bay not me,
I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me int; I am a soldier, 1,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

Bru.

Cas. I am.

Go to; you're not, Cassius.

Bru. I say you are not.

Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Bru. Away, slight man!

Cas. Is't possible?

*Bait, bark at.

+ Limit my authority.

Terms, fit to confer the offices at my disposal.

Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted when a madman stares? Cas. O ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all this?

Bru. All this? ay, more: Fret, till your proud heart break;

Go, show

your slaves how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? Must I observe you?

Must I stand and crouch

Uunder your testy humour? By the gods,
You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
Though it do split you: for, from this day forth,
I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.

Cas.

Is it come to this?
Bru. You say, you are a better soldier:
Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,
And it shall please me well: For mine own part,
I shall be glad to learn of noble men.

Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me,
Brutus :

I said, an elder soldier, not a better:

Did I

Bru.

say, better?

If you did, I care not.

Cas. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me.

Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempt

ed him.

Cas. I durst not?

Bru. No..

Cas. What? durst not tempt him?

Bru.

For your life you durst not.

I

may do that I shall be sorry for.

Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love,

1