The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 262

BRUTUS. Do so, and let no man abide this deed But we the doers.

Re-enter Trebonius.

Ca.s.sIUS. Where is Antony?

TREBONIUS. Fled to his house amazed.

Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run As it were doomsday.

BRUTUS. Fates, we will know your pleasures.

That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time And drawing days out that men stand upon.

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

BRUTUS. Grant that, and then is death a benefit; So are we Caesar's friends that have abridged 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 marketplace, And waving our red weapons o'er our heads, Let's all cry, "Peace, freedom, and liberty!"

Ca.s.sIUS. Stoop then, and wash. How many ages hence Shall this our lofty scene be acted over In states unborn and accents yet unknown!

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

Ca.s.sIUS. So oft as that shall be, So often shall the knot of us be call'd The men that gave their country liberty.

DECIUS. What, shall we forth?

Ca.s.sIUS. 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.

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

SERVANT. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel, Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down, And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say: Brutus is n.o.ble, wise, valiant, and honest; Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving.

Say I love Brutus and I honor him; Say I fear'd Caesar, honor'd him, and loved him.

If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony May safely come to him and be resolved How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death, Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead So well as Brutus living, but will follow The fortunes and affairs of n.o.ble Brutus Thorough the hazards of this untrod state With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

BRUTUS. 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 honor, Depart untouch'd.

SERVANT. I'll fetch him presently. Exit.

BRUTUS. I know that we shall have him well to friend.

Ca.s.sIUS. 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.

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

ANTONY. 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 n.o.ble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard, Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke, Fulfill your pleasure. Live a thousand years, I shall not find myself so apt to die; No place will please me so, no means of death, As here by Caesar, and by you cut off, The choice and master spirits of this age.

BRUTUS. O Antony, beg not your death of us!

Though now we must appear b.l.o.o.d.y 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 With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

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

BRUTUS. Only be patient till we have appeased The mult.i.tude, 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.

ANTONY. I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his b.l.o.o.d.y hand.

First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you; Next, Caius Ca.s.sius, do I take your hand; Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus; Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours; Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.

Gentlemen all- alas, what shall I say?

My credit now stands on such slippery ground, That one of two bad ways you must conceit me, Either a coward or a flatterer.

That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 'tis true!

If then thy spirit look upon us now, Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death To see thy Antony making his peace, Shaking the b.l.o.o.d.y fingers of thy foes, Most n.o.ble! In the presence of thy corse?

Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds, Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood, It would become me better than to close In terms of friends.h.i.+p with thine enemies.

Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart, Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand, Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy Lethe.

O world, thou wast the forest to this hart, And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.

How like a deer strucken by many princes Dost thou here lie!

Ca.s.sIUS. Mark Antony- ANTONY. Pardon me, Caius Ca.s.sius.

The enemies of Caesar shall say this: Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Ca.s.sIUS. I blame you not for praising Caesar so; But what compact mean you to have with us?

Will you be p.r.i.c.k'd in number of our friends, Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

ANTONY. Therefore I took your hands, but was indeed Sway'd from the point by looking down on Caesar.

Friends am I with you all and love you all, Upon this hope that you shall give me reasons Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous.

BRUTUS. Or else were this a savage spectacle.

Our reasons are so full of good regard That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar, You should be satisfied.

ANTONY. That's all I seek; And am moreover suitor that I may Produce his body to the marketplace, And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend, Speak in the order of his funeral.

BRUTUS. You shall, Mark Antony.

Ca.s.sIUS. Brutus, a word with you.

[Aside to Brutus.] You know not what you do. Do not consent That Antony speak in his funeral.

Know you how much the people may be moved By that which he will utter?

BRUTUS. By your pardon, I will myself into the pulpit first, And show the reason of our Caesar's death.

What Antony shall speak, I will protest He speaks by leave and by permission, And that we are contented Caesar shall Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.

It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

Ca.s.sIUS. I know not what may fall; I like it not.

BRUTUS. Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar's body.

You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, But speak all good you can devise of Caesar, And say you do't by our permission, Else shall you not have any hand at all About his funeral. And you shall speak In the same pulpit whereto I am going, After my speech is ended.

ANTONY. Be it so, I do desire no more.

BRUTUS. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

Exeunt all but Antony.

ANTONY. O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!

Thou art the ruins of the n.o.blest man That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand that shed this costly 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 curse shall light upon the limbs of men; Domestic fury and fierce civil strife Shall c.u.mber all the parts of Italy; Blood and destruction shall be so in use, And dreadful objects so familiar, That mothers shall but smile when they behold Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war; All pity choked with custom of fell deeds, And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from h.e.l.l, Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war, That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter a Servant.

You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not?

SERVANT. I do, Mark Antony.

ANTONY. Caesar did write for him to come to Rome.

SERVANT. He did receive his letters, and is coming, And bid me say to you by word of mouth- O Caesar! Sees the body.

ANTONY. Thy heart is big; get thee apart and weep.

Pa.s.sion, I see, is catching, for mine eyes, Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, Began to water. Is thy master coming?

SERVANT. He lies tonight within seven leagues of Rome.

ANTONY. Post back with speed and tell him what hath chanced.

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome, No Rome of safety for Octavius yet; Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet stay awhile, Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse Into the marketplace. There shall I try, In my oration, how the people take The cruel issue of these b.l.o.o.d.y men, According to the which thou shalt discourse To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your hand. Exeunt with Caesar's body.

SCENE II.

The Forum.