Shakespeare's First Folio Part 543

Manet Antony.

O pardon me, thou bleeding peece of Earth: That I am meeke and gentle with these Butchers.

Thou art the Ruines of the n.o.blest man That euer liued in the Tide of Times.

Woe to the hand that shed this costly Blood.

Ouer thy wounds, now do I Prophesie, (Which like dumbe mouthes do ope their Ruby lips, To begge the voyce and vtterance of my Tongue) A Curse shall light vpon the limbes of men; Domesticke Fury, and fierce Ciuill strife, Shall c.u.mber all the parts of Italy: Blood and destruction shall be so in vse, And dreadfull Obiects so familiar, That Mothers shall but smile, when they behold Their Infants quartered with the hands of Warre: All pitty choak'd with custome of fell deeds, And Caesars Spirit ranging for Reuenge, With Ate by his side, come hot from h.e.l.l, Shall in these Confines, with a Monarkes voyce, Cry hauocke, and let slip the Dogges of Warre, That this foule deede, shall smell aboue the earth With Carrion men, groaning for Buriall.

Enter Octauio's Seruant.

You serue Octauius Caesar, do you not?

Ser. I do Marke Antony

Ant. Caesar did write for him to come to Rome

Ser. He did receiue his Letters, and is comming, And bid me say to you by word of mouth- O Caesar!

Ant. Thy heart is bigge: get thee a-part and weepe: Pa.s.sion I see is catching from mine eyes, Seeing those Beads of sorrow stand in thine, Began to water. Is thy Master comming?

Ser. He lies to night within seuen Leagues of Rome

Ant. Post backe with speede, And tell him what hath chanc'd: Heere is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome, No Rome of safety for Octauius yet, Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet stay a-while, Thou shalt not backe, till I haue borne this course Into the Market place: There shall I try In my Oration, how the People take The cruell issue of these b.l.o.o.d.y men, According to the which, thou shalt discourse To yong Octauius, of the state of things.

Lend me your hand.

Exeunt.

Enter Brutus and goes into the Pulpit, and Ca.s.sius, with the Plebeians.

Ple. We will be satisfied: let vs be satisfied

Bru. Then follow me, and giue me Audience friends.

Ca.s.sius go you into the other streete, And part the Numbers: Those that will heare me speake, let 'em stay heere; Those that will follow Ca.s.sius, go with him, And publike Reasons shall be rendred Of Caesars death

1.Ple. I will heare Brutus speake

2. I will heare Ca.s.sius, and compare their Reasons, When seuerally we heare them rendred

3. The n.o.ble Brutus is ascended: Silence

Bru. Be patient till the last.

Romans, Countrey-men, and Louers, heare mee for my cause, and be silent, that you may heare. Beleeue me for mine Honor, and haue respect to mine Honor, that you may beleeue. Censure me in your Wisedom, and awake your Senses, that you may the better Iudge. If there bee any in this a.s.sembly, any deere Friend of Caesars, to him I say, that Brutus loue to Caesar, was no lesse then his. If then, that Friend demand, why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I lou'd Caesar lesse, but that I lou'd Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were liuing, and dye all Slaues; then that Caesar were dead, to liue all Free-men? As Caesar lou'd mee, I weepe for him; as he was Fortunate, I reioyce at it; as he was Valiant, I honour him: But, as he was Ambitious, I slew him. There is Teares, for his Loue: Ioy, for his Fortune: Honor, for his Valour: and Death, for his Ambition. Who is heere so base, that would be a Bondman? If any, speak, for him haue I offended. Who is heere so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak, for him haue I offended. Who is heere so vile, that will not loue his Countrey? If any, speake, for him haue I offended. I pause for a Reply

All. None Brutus, none

Brutus. Then none haue I offended. I haue done no more to Caesar, then you shall do to Brutus. The Question of his death, is inroll'd in the Capitoll: his Glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforc'd, for which he suffered death.

Enter Mark Antony, with Caesars body.

Heere comes his Body, mourn'd by Marke Antony, who though he had no hand in his death, shall receiue the benefit of his dying, a place in the Co[m]monwealth, as which of you shall not. With this I depart, that as I slewe my best Louer for the good of Rome, I haue the same Dagger for my selfe, when it shall please my Country to need my death

All. Liue Brutus, liue, liue

1. Bring him with Triumph home vnto his house

2. Giue him a Statue with his Ancestors

3. Let him be Caesar

4. Caesars better parts, Shall be Crown'd in Brutus

1. Wee'l bring him to his House, With Showts and Clamors

Bru. My Country-men

2. Peace, silence, Brutus speakes

1. Peace ho

Bru. Good Countrymen, let me depart alone, And (for my sake) stay heere with Antony: Do grace to Caesars Corpes, and grace his Speech Tending to Caesars Glories, which Marke Antony (By our permission) is allow'd to make.

I do intreat you, not a man depart, Saue I alone, till Antony haue spoke.

Exit

1 Stay ho, and let vs heare Mark Antony

3 Let him go vp into the publike Chaire, Wee'l heare him: n.o.ble Antony go vp

Ant. For Brutus sake, I am beholding to you

4 What does he say of Brutus?

3 He sayes, for Brutus sake He findes himselfe beholding to vs all

4 'Twere best he speake no harme of Brutus heere?

1 This Caesar was a Tyrant

3 Nay that's certaine: We are blest that Rome is rid of him

2 Peace, let vs heare what Antony can say

Ant. You gentle Romans

All. Peace hoe, let vs heare him

An. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears: I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him: The euill that men do, liues after them, The good is oft enterred with their bones, So let it be with Caesar. The n.o.ble Brutus, Hath told you Caesar was Ambitious: If it were so, it was a greeuous Fault, And greeuously hath Caesar answer'd it.

Heere, vnder leaue of Brutus, and the rest (For Brutus is an Honourable man, So are they all; all Honourable men) Come I to speake in Caesars Funerall.

He was my Friend, faithfull, and iust to me; But Brutus sayes, he was Ambitious, And Brutus is an Honourable man.

He hath brought many Captiues home to Rome, Whose Ransomes, did the generall Coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seeme Ambitious?

When that the poore haue cry'de, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuffe, Yet Brutus sayes, he was Ambitious: And Brutus is an Honourable man.

You all did see, that on the Lupercall, I thrice presented him a Kingly Crowne, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this Ambition?

Yet Brutus sayes, he was Ambitious: And sure he is an Honourable man.

I speake not to disprooue what Brutus spoke, But heere I am, to speake what I do know; You all did loue him once, not without cause, What cause with-holds you then, to mourne for him?

O Iudgement! thou are fled to brutish Beasts, And Men haue lost their Reason. Beare with me, My heart is in the Coffin there with Caesar, And I must pawse, till it come backe to me

1 Me thinkes there is much reason in his sayings