selves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too; though, in the meantime, some necessary question of the play be then to be considered:-that's villanous; and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it.

II.-CASSIUS INCITING BRUTUS TO CONSPIRE AGAINST CÈSAR.

Bru.—What means this shouting?-I do fear the people
Choose Cæsar for their king.

Cas.-Ay, do you fear it ?
Then must I think you would not have it so.

Bru.—I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well:--
But, wherefore, do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye, and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently:
For, let the gods so speed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.

Cas.-I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Cæsar; so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tyber chaffing with his shores,
Cæsar said to me, “Dar'st thou, Cassius, now,
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?”–Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
And bade him follow: so indeed he did.

The torrent roard; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside,
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Cæsar cried, “Help me, Cassius, or I sink.”
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy, upon his shoulder,
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tyber,
Did I the tired Cæsar: and this man
Is now become a god; and Cassius is
A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true this god did shake :
His coward lips did from their colour fly;
And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose its lustre: I did hear him groan;
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark'him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cried, “Give me some drink, Titinius,"
As a sick girl. · Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone.

Bru.-Another general shout!
I do believe that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar.

Cas._Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world,
Like a Colossus; and we, petty men,
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about,
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates :
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus, and Caesar: What should be in that Cæsar?

Why shɔuld that name be sounded more than yours ?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them; it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit, as well as Cæsar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd:
Rome thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
Whenwent there by any age, since the great flood,
But itwas fam'd with more than with one man ?
Whencould they say, till now, that talked of Rome,
That br wide walls encompass'd but one man ?
Oh! pu and I have heard our fathers say,
Therewas a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
The ernal devil to keep his state in Rome,
As eaily as a king.

Br.—That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
Wha you would work me to, I have some aim :
Howl have thought of this, and of these times,
I shl recount hereafter; for this present,
I wild not-so with love I might entreat you
Be ay further moved. What you have said,
I wl consider; what you have to say,
I vil with patience hear; and find a time
Ba meet to hear and answer such high things.

III. BRUTUS ON THE DEATH OF CÆSAR.

Roins, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause ; ande silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine hour; and have respect to mine honour that you may beve.

Censure me in your wisdom; and awake your spes, that you may the better judge. If there be any ¡this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say, at Brutus's love to Cæsar was no less than his, If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Casar, this is my answer : not that I loved Cæsar less, but tlat I loved Rome more.

Had

you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cæsar were dead to live all freemen? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fotunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but is he was ambitious, I slew him! There are tears for his loe, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his wmbition ! Who's here so base, that would be a bondman ? if ay, speak! for him have I offended. Who's here so rude, tat would not be a Roman? if any, speak! for him have Ioffended. Who's here so vile, that will not love his countr;? if any, speak! for him have I offended.- -I pause

for å eply. None ? then none have I offended! I have don no more to Cæsar, than you should do to Brutus. The qestion of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not etenuated wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforcedor which he suffered death.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antor; who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive th benefit of his dying, a place in the Commonwealth ? as, whń of you shall not ?-With this I depart. that as I slew

ру

best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dager for myself, when it shall please my country to need my eath.

IV.-ANTONY'S ORATION OVER CÆSAR'S BODY.

FRIENDS, Romans, countrymen ! lend me your ears
I come to bury Cæsar, 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 Cæsar! The noble Brutus
Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious :
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæsar answered 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 speak in Cæsar's funeral.

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus

says

he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable 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: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see, that, on the Lupercal, I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse-was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious ; And, sure, he is an honourable 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.

But yesterday, the word of Cæsar might Have stood against the world; now lies he there, And none so poor to do him rev'rence. O Masters 1 if I were disposed to stir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong ; Who, you all know, are honourable men: I will not do them wrong; I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you, Than I will wrong such honourable men.