With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words, Low-crooked court'sies, and base spaniel fawning: Thy brother by decree is banish'd;

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him, spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

1

Know, Cæsar doth not wrong; nor, without cause, Will he be satisfied.

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own, To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear, For the repealing of my banish'd brother? Bru. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar; Desiring thee, that Publius Cimber may Have an immediate freedom of repeal. Cæs. What, Brutus !

Cas. Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon:
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Cas. I could be well moved, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So, in the world: 'Tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshaked of motion: and, that I am he,

Let me a little show it, even in this,

That I was constant, Cimber should be banish'd,

And constant do remain to keep him so.

Cin. O Cæsar,—

Cas. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?
Dec. Great Cæsar,-

Cas. Doth not Decius bootless kneel?

Casca. Speak, hands, for me.

[METELLUS lays hold on CESAR's robe ;CASCA stabs CÆSAR in the neck :-CÆSAR catches hold of his arm :-He is then stabbed by the other Conspirators, and at last by MARCUS BRUTUS.

--

Cæs. Et tu, Brute?-Then fall, Cæsar.- [Dies.
Bru. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!
Cas. Run hence, proclaim it;-cry about the

streets,

Liberty, Freedom, and Enfranchisement !

[The SENATORS and ATTENDANTS are retiring in great confusion.

Bru. People, and Senators!-Be not affrighted; Fly not; stand still :-Ambition's debt is paid: There is no harm intended to your persons, Nor to no Roman else:-so tell them, Lenas.

Cas. Leave us, Popilius; lest that the people, Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief. Bru. Do so:

[Exeunt POPILIUS LENAS and LEPIDUS,

And let no man abide this deed,

But we the doers,

Enter TREBONIUS,

Cas. Where's Antony?

Tre. Fled to his house amazed:

Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and run, As it were doomsday.

Bru. Fates! we'll know your pleasures :That we shall die we know ; 'tis but the time, And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

Cas. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit.On, Romans, on;

With hands and swords besmear'd in Cæsar's blood, Thus walk we forth, even to the market-place;

And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads,
Let's all cry, Peace! Freedom! and Liberty!
Cas. How many ages hence,

Shall this our lofty scene be acted o'er,
In states unborn, and accents yet unknown!
Bru. How many times shall Cæsar bleed in sport,
That now at Pompey's basis lies along,

No worthier than the dust!

Cas. So oft as that shall be,

So often shall the knot of us be call'd

The men that gave their country liberty.
Casca. What, shall we forth?

Cas. Ay, every man away:

Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

Enter SERVIUS.

Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's,
Ser. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel:
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down:
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say:
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Cæsar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:
Say, I love Brutus, and I honour him:

Say, I fear'd Cæsar, honoured him, and loved him.
If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
May safely come to him, and be resolved
How Cæsar hath deserved to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Cæsar dead
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Through the hazards of this untrod state,
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.
Bru. Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;
I never thought him worse.

Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour,
Depart untouch'd.

Ser. I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit SERVIUS.

Bru. I know, that we shall have him well to friend. Cas. I wish we may : but yet have I a mind, That fears him much.

Enter ANTONY, SERVIUS, and STRATO.

Bru. But here comes Antony.-Welcome, Mark
Antony.

Ant. O mighty Cæsar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure?-Fare thee well.-
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank;
If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Cæsar's death's hour; nor no instrument
Of half that worth, as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if ye bear me hard,

Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:

No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.
Bru. O Antony! beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands, and this our present act,
You see we do; yet see you but our hands:
Our hearts you see not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony:
And our hearts,

Of brothers' temper, do receive

you in

With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence. Cas. Your voice shall be as strong as any man's, In the disposing of new dignities.

Bru. Only be patient till we have appeased

The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

--

Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom.
Let each man render me his bloody hand:
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;-
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;-
Now, Decius, yours;-now yours, Metellus ;-
Yours, Cinna;-and, my valiant Casca, yours;-
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius,
Gentlemen all,-alas! what shall I say!

My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.-

That I did love thee, Cæsar, O, 'tis true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,-
Most noble,-in the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius!Here wast thou bay'd, brave
hart!

Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand,
Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy death.
Cas. Mark Antony,-

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Cassius:
The enemies of Cæsar shall say this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Cas. I blame you not for praising Cæsar so: But what compact mean you to have with us? Will you be prick'd in number of our friends; Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

Ant. Therefore I took your hands: but was, indeed,