Shall in these confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry havock, and let flip the dogs of war.

SCENE V. Brutus's Speech to the People.

If there be any in this affembly, any dear friend of Cafar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's love to Cafar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rofe against Cefar, this is my anfwer; not that I lov'd Cæfar lefs, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cafar were living, and die all flaves; than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free-men? As Cæfar lov'd 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 flew him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his ambition. Who's here fo base, that would be a bondman? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo vile, that will not love his country? If any, fpeak; for him have I offended.

SCENE VI. Antony's Funeral Oration.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Cafar, 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 Cafar! noble Brutus

Hath

There is fomething very great and astonishing in the following paffage from Ben Jonson, though not very famous for fuch daring flights. Catiline fays to his foldiers,

Methinks I fee death, and the furies waiting

What we will do, and all the heaven at leifure

For the great spectacle.

Draw then your fwords, &c.
See Catiline, Act 5.

Hath told you Cafar was ambitious;
If it were fo, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cafar 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 Cafar'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 ranfoms did the general coffers fill;

Did this in Cefar seem ambitious?

When that the poor hath cry'd, Cæfar hath wept ;
Ambition fhould be made of sterner stuff.

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious,
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee, that on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse.

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.

You all did love him once, not without caufe:
What caufe 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 Cæfar,
And I muft paufe 'till it come back to me.

*

* * * *

*

* * *

*

*

* *

But yesterday the word of Cafar might
Have food against the world; now lies he there,
And none fo poor to do him reverence.
O masters! if I were difpos'd to ftir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do Brutus wrong, and Caffius wrong;
Who, you all know, are honourable men.
I will not do them wrong; I rather chuse

Το

Το wrong the dead, to wrong myfelf and you,
Than I will wrong fuch honourable men.
But here's a parchment with the feal of Cæfar;
I found it in his clofet, 'tis his will;

Let but the commons hear this teftament,
(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read)
And they would go and kifs dead Cæfar'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.

4 Pleb. We'll hear the will; read it, Mark An

All. The will; the will: we will hear Cæfar's will. Ant. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it ;

It is not meet you know how Cefar lov'd you;
You are not wood, you are not ftones, but men:
And, being men, hearing the will of Cafar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
'Tis good you know not, that you are his heirs;
For if you fhould-O what would come of it?

4 Pleb. Read the will, we will hear it, Antony: You fhall read us the will, Cafar's will.

Ant. Will you be patient? will you stay a while? (I have o'er-fhot myfelf, to tell you of it.) fear I wrong the honourable men,

Whofe daggers have stabb'd Caefar-I do fear it.
4 Pleb. They were traitors-honourable men!
All. The will! the teftament!

Ant. You will compel me then to read the will!
Then make a ring about the corps of Cafar,
And let me fhew you him that made the will.
Shall I defcend, and will you give me leave?
All. Come down.

2 Pleb. Defcend.

[He comes down from the pulpit. Ant. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.

G4

You

You all do know this mantle; I remember,
The first time ever Cafar put it on;
'Twas on a fummer's evening in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii-

Look in this place, ran Caffius' dagger through;-
See, what a rent the envious Cafca made.-
Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And as he pluck'd his curfed steel away,
Mark, how the blood of Cæfar follow'd it!
As rushing out of doors, to be refolv'd,
If Brutus fo unkindly knock'd or no ;
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæfar's angel.
Judge, oh you Gods! how dearly Cefar lov'd him;
This, this, was the unkindest cut of all;

For, when the noble Cafar faw him stab,
Ingratitude more ftrong than traitors arms,
Quite vanquish'd him: then burft his mighty heart;
And in (11) this mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the bafe of Pompey's ftatue,

(Which all the while ran blood) great Cæfar fell.
O what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I and you, and all of us fell down:
Whilft bloody treafon flourish'd over us.
O now you weep: and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity; thefe are gracious drops.
Kind fouls! what, weep you, when you but behold
Our Cafar's vesture wounded? look you here!
Here is himfelf, marr'd, as you fee, by traitors.
1 Pleb. O piteous fpectacle!

2 Plab. We will be reveng'd; revenge; aboutfeck-burn-fire-kill-flap! let not a traitor live. Bat. Good friends, fweet friends, let me not ftir you up

To fuch a fudden flood of mutiny :

They,

(11) This, &c.] Upton vulg. bis. "The action and the emphafis is highly improved by this eafy change." The Reader may fee a fevere comment on a note of Mr. Warburton's, concerning this mantle in the 14th page of the preface to Upton's obfervations on Shakespear.

They, that have done this deed, are honourable.
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 give me public leave to speak of him:
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action or utt'rance, nor the power of speech,
To ftir mens' blood; I only speak right on.
I tell you that, which you yourselves do know ;
Shew you fweet Cafar's wounds, poor, poor dumb

mouths!

And bid them fpeak for me. But were I Brutus
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your fpirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cafar, that should move
The ftones of Rome to rife and mutiny.

ACT IV. SCENE II.

Ceremony infincere.

-Ever note Lucilius,

When love begins to ficken and decay,
It ufeth an enforced ceremony:

There are no tricks in plain and fimple faith;
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,

Make gallant fhew and promife of their mettle;
But when they fhould endure the bloody fpur,
They fall their creft, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial,