110

First Cit. If it be found so, some will dear abide it. Sec. Cit. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping. Third Cit. There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony. Fourth Cit. Now mark him, he begins again to speak. Antony. But yesterday the word of Cæsar might Have stood against the world: now lies he there,

And none so poor to do him reverence.

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,

115

120

125

Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,

And, dying, mention it within their wills,

130

Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their issue.

Fourth Cit. We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony.
All. The will, the will! we will hear Cæsar's will.

135

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

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!

Fourth Cit. Read the will; we'll hear it, Antony;

140

You shall read us the will, Cæsar's will!

Antony. Will you be patient? will you stay a while?

I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it:

I fear I wrong the honorable men

145

Whose daggers have stabbed Cæsar; I do fear it.

Fourth Cit. They were traitors: honorable men!

All. The will! the testament!

150

Sec. Cit. They were villains, murderers. The will! Read the will.

Antony. 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?

All. Come down.

155

First Cit. Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.
Sec. Cit. Room for Antony, most noble Antony!
Antony. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off.

Antony. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.

All. Stand back. Room! Bear back!

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.

160

165

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

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel:

170

175

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 traitor's arms,

Quite vanquished him: then burst his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statue,

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 flourished 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, marred, as you see, with traitors.
First Cit. O piteous spectacle!

Sec. Cit. O noble Cæsar!
Third Cit. O woeful day!
Fourth Cit. O traitors, villains!
First Cit. O most bloody sight!

Sec. Cit. We will be revenged!

180

185

190

195

All. Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay! Let not a traitor live!

Antony. Stay, countrymen.

First Cit. Peace there! hear the noble Antony.

200

Sec. Cit. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him. Antony. 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.

What private griefs 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:

205

210

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;

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.
All. We'll mutiny.

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

Third Cit. Away, then! come, seek the conspirators.
Antony. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.
All. Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony!

215

220

225

Antony. Why, friends, you go to do you know not what: 230 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.

All. Most true: the will! Let's stay and hear the will.
Antony. Here is the will, and under Cæsar's seal.

To every Roman citizen he gives,

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.

Sec. Cit. Most noble Cæsar! we'll revenge his death.
Third Cit. O royal Cæsar!

Antony. Hear me with patience.

All. Peace, ho!

Antony. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbors and new-planted orchards,

On this side Tiber; he hath left them you,

235

240

And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,
To walk abroad and recreate yourselves.
Here was a Cæsar! when comes such another?

First Cit. Never, never. Come, away, away!
We'll burn his body in the holy place,

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.
Take up the body.

Sec. Cit. Go fetch fire.

245

250

Fourth Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, anything.

[Exeunt Citizens with the body. Antony. Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!

255

Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Cæsar, tells the story of the conspiracy, the assassination of Cæsar, the funeral, and the later defeat of the conspirators in a battle at Philippi. The Forum scene, which is given here, is from Act III of the play.

Picture to yourself the forum, a broad open space in the heart of the city shut in by low hills. At one end was a raised platform, or rostrum, from which speakers addressed the people in front. On this day the populace are gathered in large numbers, excited by the murder of Cæsar and clamoring for an explanation. Imagine Brutus, tall, dignified, and noble in appearance, dressed in the Roman toga, as he ascends the rostrum with Cassius to give the reasons for Cæsar's death.

What pictures would be good illustrations for this scene from the play? Can you find them for your notebook?

The following questions will aid you in understanding the speeches.

1. What does Brutus mean by saying, "Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more?" At the beginning of this speech (line 13) the word lovers means friends.

2. Note how simply Brutus speaks to the people. What effect does his speech have?

3. What do you learn of Brutus's character in lines 51-57?

4. What is the attitude of the people toward Cæsar and toward Brutus when Mark Antony begins to speak?

5. Do you think Mark Antony thought Brutus was an honorable