And Brutus is an honorable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:

Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept :

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Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an honorable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,

But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Cit. Methinks there is much reason in his sayings. Sec. Cit. If thou consider rightly of the matter,

Cæsar has had great wrong.

Third Cit.

Has he, masters?

I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Fourth Cit. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take

the crown;

Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

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 An

tony.

Fourth Cit. Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

5 Ant. 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 dispos'd to stir

Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
10 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.

15 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,
20 And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,

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Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,

And, dying, mention it within their wills,
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.

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

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10

It is not meet you know how Cæsar lov'd 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.
You shall read us the will! Cæsar's will!

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay awhile?

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

I fear I wrong the honorable men

Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar; I do fear it.
Fourth Cit. They were traitors.
All. The will! the testament!

Honorable men!

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

Ant. 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.

Sec. Cit. Descend.

[He comes down from the pulpit.

Third Cit. You shall have leave.
Fourth Cit. A ring; stand round.

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

All. Stand back! Room! Bear back!

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

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20

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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.

5 Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar follow'd it,
10 As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no:

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel :
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;

15 For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong 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 statue,

20 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 flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
25 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, marr'd, 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 reveng'd!

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

Ant. Stay, countrymen.

First Cit. Peace there! hear the noble Antony.

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

10

Ant. 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,

15

And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.

I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts :

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;

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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