Dec. What, fhall we forth?

Caf. Ay, every man away.

Brutus fhall lead, and we will grace his heels
With the most boldeft, and belt 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 proftrate, thus he bad me fay.
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 vouchsafe 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 Cafar 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 worse.

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

Serv. I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit Servant.

Bru. I know, that we fhall have him well to friend.

Caf. I wish, we may: but yet have I a mind, That fears him much; and my misgiving ftill

Falls fhrewdly to the purpose.

Enter Antony,

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

Ant. O mighty Cefar! doft thou lye fo low?

Are all thy Conquefts, Glories, Triumphs, Spoils, (19) Shrunk

M 3

(19) 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 my felf, there is no hour fo fit

As Cefar's death's hour; nor no inftrument

Of half that worth as thofe your fwords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do befeech ye, if you bear me hard,

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

No place will please me fo, no meane of death,
As here by Cefar, 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 bufinefs 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 Cæfar: 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 fhall be as ftrong as any man's

In the difpofing of new dignities.

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 wifdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand ;

(19) Shrunk to this little measure?] Perhaps, our Poet might have Juvenal in his View, here;

Mors fola fatetur,
Quantula fint hominum Corpufcula.

Firft, 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;
Though laft, not leaft in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen allalas, what fhall I fay?

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, Cafar, oh, 'tis true;
If then thy Spirit 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 fast as they ftream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to clofe
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, (20) and crimson'd in thy death.
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 lye?

Caf. Mark Antony

Ant. Pardon me, Caius Caffius:

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

Caf. I blame you not for praifing Cefar fo,
But what compact mean you to have with us?

(20) And crimson'd in thy Death.] All the old Copies, that I have feen, read, Lethe. The Dictionaries, indeed, acknowledge no fuch Word and as the L might have mistakingly been form'd from an obfcure D, not taking the Ink equally in all Parts, I have fuffer'd the more known Word to ftand in the Text; tho', indeed, I am not without Sufpicion of our Poet's having either coin'd the other Term, or copied it from fome obfolete Author, who had adopted it from the Lethum of the Latines; which, 'tis well known, was used for Death, as well as Deftruction, Ruine, Havock, &c.

M 4

Will

Will you be prick'd in number of our friends,
Or fhall we on, and not depend on you?

Ant. Therefore I took your hands; but was, indeed,
Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Cafar.
Friends am I with you all, and love you all;
Upon this hope, that you fhall give me reasons,
Why, and wherein Cefar was dangerous.
Bru. Or elfe this were a favage fpectacle.
Our reasons are so full of good regard,
That were you, Antony, the Son of Cæfar,
You fhould be fatisfied.

Ant. That's all I feek ;

And am moreover fuitor, that I may
Produce his body to the Market-place,
And in the Pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.
Bru. You fhall, Mark Antony.

Caf. Brutus, a word with you.—————

You know not what you do; do not confent, [Afide.
That Antony peak in his funeral:

Know you, how much the People may be mov'd
By That which he will utter?

Bru. By your pardon,

I will my felf into the Pulpit first,
And fhew the reafon of our Cafar's death.
What Antony fhall fpeak, I will proteft
He speaks by leave, and by permiffion;
And that we are contented, Cæfar fhall
Have all due rites, and lawful ceremonies:
It fhall advantage more, than do us wrong.

Caf. I know not what may fall, I like it not.
Bru. Mark Antony, here take you Cafar's body:
You fhall not in your funeral fpeech blame us,
But fpeak all good you can devise of Cafar;
And fay, you do't by our permission :
Elle fhall you not have any hand at all
About his Funeral. And you fhall speak
In the fame Pulpit whereto I am going,
After my fpeech is ended.

Ant. Be it fo;

I do defire no more.

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

Manet Antony.

[Exeunt Confpirators.

Ant. O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth! That I am meek and gentle with thefe butchers. Thou art the ruins of the noblest Man,

That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand, that fhed this coftly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophefie,
(Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue)
A curfe fhall light upon the limbs of men;
Domestick fury, and fierce civil ftrife,
Shall cumber all the Parts of Italy;
Blood and deftruction fhall be fo in use,
And dreadful objects fo familiar,

That mothers fhall but fmile, when they behold
Their infants quarter'd by the hands of war.
All pity choak'd with custom of fell deeds;
And Cafar's Spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até by his fide come hot from Hell,
Shall in these confines, with a Monarch's voice,
Cry Havock, and let flip the Dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter Octavius's Servant.

You serve Octavius Cæfar, do you not?
Ser. I do, Mark Antony.

Ant. Cafar did write for him to come to Rome.
Ser. He did receive his letters, and is coming;
And bid me fay to you by word of mouth -
O Cafar!

[Seeing the body. Ant. Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep; Paffion I fee is catching; for mine eyes,

(21) Seeing thofe Beads of forrow ftand in thine,

(21) Seeing thofe Beds of Sorrow

Began

tions, for what Reafon I know not: but I have reftor'd from all the other

Thus Mr. Pope's two Edi