I have done no more to Cafar, than ye fhall 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 fuffered death.

Here comes the body, mourned by Mark Antony who, though he had no hand in his death, fhall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the common-wealth; as which of you fhall not?With this I depart; that, as I flew my beft lover, for the good of Rome; I have the fame dagger for myfelf, when it fhall please my country to need my death.

Shakespear, Julius Cæfar. Act 3.

ANTONY's Oration over CÆSAR's Body. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your

ears!

I come, to bury CESAR, not to praise him.
The evil, that men do, lives after them;
The good is oft' interred with their bones:
So let it be with CESAR!

The noble BRUTUS

Hath told you,

'CÆSAR was ambitious :'

It it were fo, it was a grievous fault;
And grieviously hath CESAR answer'd it.
Here, under leave of BRUTUs and the rest,
(For BRUTUS is an honourable man,
So are they all, all honourable, men)
Come I, to fpeak in CAESAR's funeral,

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But BRUTUS fays, he was ambitious;'
And BRUTUs is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whofe ranfom did the general coffers fill;

Did this in CÆSAR feem ambitious?

When that the poor have cry'd, CÆSAR hath

wept;

Ambition fhould be made of fterner stuff:

Yet BRUTUS fays, he was ambitious ;*
And BRUTUS is an honourable man.
Ye all did fee, that on the Lupereal
I thrice prefented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refufe.

Was this ambition ?

Yet BRUTUS fays, he was ambitious;"
And fure, he is an honourable man.

I fpeak not, to difprove what BRUTUS fpoke;
But here I am to speak, what I do know,

Ye all did love him once, not without caufe; What cause with-holds you then, to mourn for

him?

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have loft their reafon!-Bear with me!
My heart is, in the coffin there, with CÆSAR;
And I must paufe, till it come back to me.-
But yesterday the word of CAESAR might
Have stood, against the world: now lies he there;
And none fo poor, to do him reverence.

O mafters! if I were difpofed, to ftir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage';

I should do BRUTUS wrong, and CASSIUS wrong;

H

Who, ye all know, are honourable men.
I will not do them wrong: I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myfelf and you,
'Than I will wrong fuch honourable men.
But here's a parchment, with the feal of CESAR
I found it in his clofet: 'tis his will.

Let but the commons hear his teftament,
Which (pardon me) I do not mean to read;
And they would go, and kifs dead CÆSAR'S
wounds,

And dip their napkins in his facred blood;
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory;
And dying mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it (as a rich legacy)
Unto their iffue.

Have patience, gentle friends! I must not read it.
It is not meet ye know how CASAR lov'd you:
Ye are not wood, ye are not ftones, but men ;
And being men, hearing the will of CÆSAR;
It will enflame you, it will make you mad;
"Tis good ye know not, that ye are his heirs,
For, if you should,Q, what would come of it!
Will ye be patient? will ye ftay a while
I've over hot my-felf, to tell you of it.
I fear, I wrong the honourable men,

Whofe daggers have stabb'd CÆSAR;-Ido fear it. Ye will compel me then, to read the will? Then make a ring about the corps of CESAR; And let me fhow you Him, that made the will. Shall I defcend? And will ye give me leave?

If ye have tears, prepare to fhed them now! Ye all do know this mantle.I remember

The first time ever CESAR put it on
'Twas on a fummer's evening in his tent:
That day he overcame the Nervii.

Look! In this place, ran CASSIUS' dagger thro'!-
See, what a rent the envious CASKA made!
Thro' this, the well beloved BRUTUS ftabb'd;
And, as he pluck'd his curfed steel away,
Mark, how the blood of CÆSAR follow'd it ;
As rufhing out of doors, to be refolv'd,
If BRUTUS fo unkindly knock'd or no!
For BRUTUS, as ye know, was CÆSAR's Angels
Judge, O ye Gods! how CESAR lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For, when the noble CASAR faw him ftab;
Ingratitude, more ftrong 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 ftatue,

(Which all the time ran blood) great CÆSAR fell.
what a fall was there, my countrymen
Then I, and ye. and all of us fell down;
Whilft bloody treason flourish'd over us.
O, now ye weep: and I perceive, ye feel
The dint of pity: thefe are gracious drops.
Kind fouls! what, weep ye, when ye but behold
Our CÆSAR's vefture wounded?-Look ye here:
Here is himself. marr'd (as ye fee) by traitors.)
Good friends, fweet friends! let me not ftir you up,
To fuch a fudden 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 wife and honorable:

And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to fteal away your hearts:
I am no orator, as BRUTUS is;

-But, as ye know me all, a plain blunt man,
That love my friend; and that they know full well,
Who give me public leave to speak of him:
For I have neither wit, nor words. nor worth;
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of fpeech,
Toftir men's blood: I only speak right on.

I tell you that, which ye yourselves do know
Show you fweet CAESAR's wounds; poor, poor,

dumb mouths!

And bid them speak for me: but were I BRUTUS,
And BRUTUS ANTONY; there were an ANTONY,
Wou'd ruffle-up your fpirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of CÆSAR; that should move
The ftones of Rome, to rife in mutiny.

Why, friends! ye go to do, ye know not what!
Wherein hath CESAR thus deferv'd your loves?
Alas ye know not.-I muft tell you then→→
Ye have forgot the will I told ye of.-

Here is the will, and under CAESAR's feal.
To every Roman citizen he gives,

To every feveral man, feventy-five drachma's.
Moreover, he hath left you, all his walks,
His private arbors, and new planted orchards,
On this fide Tiber; he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasure,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
Here was a CÆSAR; when comes fuch another

Shakespear, Julius Cæfar. A. 3