Defiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Caf. What, Brutus !

Caf. Pardon. Cæfar; Cæfar, pardon;
As low as to thy foot doth Caffius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Caf. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you ;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me :
But I am conftant as the northern ftar,

Of whose true, fixt, and refting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament;
The fkies are painted with unnumbered 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 apprehenfive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unaffailable holds on his rank,
Unfhak'd of motion; and that I am he,
Let me a little fhew it, even in this;

That I was conftant, Cimber should be banish'd ;
And conftant do remain to keep him so.

Cim. O Cafar

Caf. Hence wilt thou lift up Olympus?

Dec. Great Cafar

Caf. Doth not Brutus bootlefs kneel?
Caf. Speak hands for me.

[They flab Cæfar.

Caf. Et tu, Brute ?-then fall Cafar!

[Dies.

Cin. Liberty! freedom! Tyranny is deadRun hence, proclaim, cry it about the ftreetsCaf. Some to the common Pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement.

Bru. People, and Senators! be not affrighted; Fly not, ftand ftill. Ambition's debt is paid. Cafca. Go to the Pulpit, Brutus.

Dec. And Caffius too.

Bru. Where's Publius ?

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

Met.

Met. Stand faft together, left fome friends of Cefar's Should chance

Bru. Talk not of flanding. Publius, good cheer; There is no harm intended to your perfon,

Nor to no Roman elfe; fo tell them, Publius.

Caf. And leave us, Publius, left that the people, Rufhing on us, fhould do your age fome mischief. Bru. Do fo; and let no man abide this deed, But we the Doers.

WH

II.

Tre. Fled to his houfe amaz'd. Men, wives, and children, ftare, cry out, and run, As it were Dooms-day.

Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures;

That we fhall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

Caf. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off fo many years of fearing death.

Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit :
So are we Cafar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death.

Cafea. Stoop, Romans, floop;

And let us bathe our hands in Cæfar's blood
Up to the elbows, and befmear our fwords;
Then 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!"
Caf. Stoop then, and wash-how many ages hence
[Dipping their fwords in Cæfar's blood.
Shall this our lofty Scene be acted o'cr,

In States unborn, and accents yet unknown?
Bru. How many times fhall Cæfar bleed in fport,
That now on Pompey's Bafis lies along,

No worthier than the duft?

Caf.

Caf. So oft as that fhall be,

So often fhall the knot of us be call'd
The men that gave their country liberty.
Dec. What, fhall we forth?

Caf. Ay, every man away.

Brutus fhall lead, and we will grace his heels
With the moft boldest, and beft hearts of Rome.
Enter a Servant.

[kneeling.

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

Say, I fear'd Cafar, honour'd him, and lov'd him.
If Brutus will vouchfafe that Antony

May fafely come to him, and be refolv'd
How Cafar hath deferv'd to lie in death:
Mark Antony fhall not love Cæfar dead,
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod State,
With all true faith. So fays my mafter Antony.
Bru. Thy mafter is a wife and valiant Roman;
I never thought him worfe.

Tell him, fo please him come unto this place,
He fhall be fatisfied; and, by my honour,
Depart untouch'd.

Ser. I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit Servant.

Bru. I know, that we fhall have him well to friend. Caf. I wifh, we may: but yet have I a mind, That fears him much; and my mifgiving ftill Falls fhrewdly to the purpose.

SCENE

SCENE III.

Enter Antony.

Bru. BUT here comes Antony. Welcome, Mark

Antony.

Ant. O mighty Cafar! doft thou lie fo low?
Are all thy conquefts, 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 elfe is rank ;~
If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Cafar's death's hour; nor no inftrument
Of half that worth as those your fwords, made rich
With the moft noble blood of all this world.

I do befeech ye, if ye bear me hard,

Now, whilft your purpled hands do reek and fmoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I fhall not find myself fo apt to die :

No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cafar, and by you cut off,
The choice and mafter fpirits 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 fee, we do; yet fee you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done :
Our hearts you fee not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, fo pity, pity :)
Hath done this deed on Cafar: For your part,
To you our fwords have leaden points, Mark Antony;
Our arms exempt from malice; and our hearts,
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in

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

Bru.

Bru. Only be patient, 'till we have appeas'd
The multitude, befide themselves with fear;
And then we will deliver you the cause,
Why I, that did love Cæfar when I ftrook him,

Proceeded thus.

Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand;
First, Marcus Brutus, will I fhake with you;
Next, Caius Caffius, do I take your hand;
Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus ;
Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Cafca, yours;
Tho' laft, not leaft in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all-alas, what fhall I say?

My credit now ftands on fuch flippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,-
Either a coward or a flatterer.

That I did love thee, Cæfar, oh, 'tis true;
If then thy fpirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy death,
To fee thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Moft Noble in the prefence of thy corfe?"
Had I as many eyes, as thou haft wounds,
Weeping as faft as they ftream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius-here waft thou bay'd, brave hart;
Here didft thou fall, and here thy hunters ftand
Sign'd in thy fpoil, and crimfon'd in thy lethe.
O world! thou waft the foreft to this hart,
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee..
How like a deer, ftricken by many Princes,
Doft thou here lie?

Caf. Mark Antony—

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Caffius:

The enemies of Cæfar fhall fay this:
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Caf. I blame you not for praising Cæfar fo,

But