He speaks by leave and by permission;
And that we are contented, Cæsar shall
Have all true rites, and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more, than do us wrong.
Cas. I know not what may fall; I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here, take you Cæsar's body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Cæsar;
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.

Ant. Be it so;

I do desire no more.

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

[Exeunt all but ANTONY.

Ant. O, pardon me, thou piece of bleeding 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!
Over thy wounds now do I prophecy,---
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 cumber 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 chok'd with custom of fell deeds;
And Cæsar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até by his side, come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry Havock, 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 Cæsar, do you not?
Serv. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cæsar did write for him to come to Rome.
Serv. He did receive his letters, and is coming:
And bid me say to you by word of mouth,—

O Cæsar!

[Seeing the body.

Ant. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep.
Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes,
Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine,
Began to water. Is thy master coming?

Serv. He lies to-night within seven leagues of Rome. Ant. Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanc'd:

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,

No Rome of safety for Octavius yet;

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet, stay a while;
Thou shalt not back, till I have borne this corse
Into the market-place: there shall I try,

In my oration, how the people take
The cruel issue of these bloody men;
According to the which, thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your hand. [Exeunt, with CESAR's body.

SCENE II.-The same. The Forum.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.

Cit. We will be satisfied; and let us be satisfied.

"

Bru. Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.Cassius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.

Those that will hear me speak, let them stay here;
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Cæsar's death.

1st Cit. I will hear Brutus speak.

2d Cit. I will hear Cassius; and compare their rea

sons,

When. severally we hear them rendered.

[Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUS goes into the Rostrum.

3d Cit. The noble Brutus is ascended: Silence! Bru. Be patient till the last.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause; and be silent that you may hear: believe me for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer,-Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves;

than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him: There is tears, for his love; joy, for his fortune; honour, for his valour; and death, for his ambition. Who is here so base, that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile, that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. Cit. None, Brutus, none. [Several speaking at once. Bru. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar, than you should do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol: his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

Enter ANTONY and others, with CESAR's body. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; As which of you shall not? With this I depart; That, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

Cit. Live, Brutus, live! live!

1st Cit. Bring him with triumph home unto his house. 2d Cit. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

3d Cit. Let him be Cæsar.

4th Cit. Cæsar's better parts

Shall now be crown'd in Brutus.

1st Cit. We'll bring him to his house with shouts

and clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,

2d Cit. Peace; silence! Brutus speaks. 1st Cit. Peace, ho!

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:

Do grace to Cæsar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories; which Mark Antony,
By our permission, is allow'd to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

[Exit.

1st Cit. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony. 3d Cit. Let him go up into the publick chair; We'll hear him :-Noble Antony, go up.

Ant. For Brutus' sake, I am beholden to you. 4th Cit. What does he say of Brutus ?

3d Cit. He says, for Brutus's sake,

He finds himself beholden to us all.

4th Cit. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

1st Cit. This Cæsar was a tyrant.

3d Cit. Nay, that's certain :

We are bless'd, that Rome is rid of him.

2d Cit. Peace; let us hear what Antony can say. Ant. You gentle Romans,-

Cit. Peace, ho! let us hear him.

Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your

ears;

I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
The evil, that men do, lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;