Shakespeare's First Folio Part 542

Dec. And Ca.s.sius too

Bru. Where's Publius?

Cin. Heere, quite confounded with this mutiny

Met. Stand fast together, least some Friend of Caesars Should chance- Bru. Talke not of standing. Publius good cheere, There is no harme intended to your person, Nor to no Roman else: so tell them Publius

Ca.s.si. And leaue vs Publius, least that the people Rus.h.i.+ng on vs, should do your Age some mischiefe

Bru. Do so, and let no man abide this deede, But we the Doers.

Enter Trebonius

Ca.s.si. Where is Antony?

Treb. Fled to his House amaz'd: Men, Wiues, and Children, stare, cry out, and run, As it were Doomesday

Bru. Fates, we will know your pleasures: That we shall dye we know, 'tis but the time And drawing dayes out, that men stand vpon

Cask. Why he that cuts off twenty yeares of life, Cuts off so many yeares of fearing death

Bru. Grant that, and then is Death a Benefit: So are we Caesars Friends, that haue abridg'd His time of fearing death. Stoope Romans, stoope, And let vs bathe our hands in Caesars blood Vp to the Elbowes, and besmeare our Swords: Then walke we forth, euen to the Market place, And wauing our red Weapons o're our heads, Let's all cry Peace, Freedome, and Liberty

Ca.s.si. Stoop then, and wash. How many Ages hence Shall this our lofty Scene be acted ouer, In State vnborne, and Accents yet vnknowne?

Bru. How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport, That now on Pompeyes Basis lye along, No worthier then the dust?

Ca.s.si. So oft as that shall be, So often shall the knot of vs be call'd, The Men that gaue their Country liberty

Dec. What, shall we forth?

Ca.s.si. I, euery man away.

Brutus shall leade, and we will grace his heeles With the most boldest, and best hearts of Rome.

Enter a Seruant.

Bru. Soft, who comes heere? A friend of Antonies

Ser. Thus Brutus did my Master bid me kneele; Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall downe, And being prostrate, thus he bad me say: Brutus is n.o.ble, Wise, Valiant, and Honest; Caesar was Mighty, Bold, Royall, and Louing: Say, I loue Brutus, and I honour him; Say, I fear'd Caesar, honour'd him, and lou'd him.

If Brutus will vouchsafe, that Antony May safely come to him, and be resolu'd How Caesar hath deseru'd to lye in death, Mark Antony, shall not loue Caesar dead So well as Brutus liuing; but will follow The Fortunes and Affayres of n.o.ble Brutus, Thorough the hazards of this vntrod State, With all true Faith. So sayes my Master Antony

Bru. Thy Master is a Wise and Valiant Romane, I neuer thought him worse: Tell him, so please him come vnto this place He shall be satisfied: and by my Honor Depart vntouch'd

Ser. Ile fetch him presently.

Exit Seruant.

Bru. I know that we shall haue him well to Friend

Ca.s.si. I wish we may: But yet haue I a minde That feares him much: and my misgiuing still Falles shrewdly to the purpose.

Enter Antony.

Bru. But heere comes Antony: Welcome Mark Antony

Ant. O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lye so lowe?

Are all thy Conquests, Glories, Triumphes, Spoiles, Shrunke to this little Measure? Fare thee well.

I know not Gentlemen what you intend, Who else must be let blood, who else is ranke: If I my selfe, there is no houre so fit As Caesars deaths houre; nor no Instrument Of halfe that worth, as those your Swords; made rich With the most n.o.ble blood of all this World.

I do beseech yee, if you beare me hard, Now, whil'st your purpled hands do reeke and smoake, Fulfill your pleasure. Liue a thousand yeeres, I shall not finde my selfe so apt to dye.

No place will please me so, no meane of death, As heere by Caesar, and by you cut off, The Choice and Master Spirits of this Age

Bru. O Antony! Begge not your death of vs: Though now we must appeare b.l.o.o.d.y and cruell, As by our hands, and this our present Acte You see we do: Yet see you but our hands, And this, the bleeding businesse they haue done: Our hearts you see not, they are pittifull: And pitty to the generall wrong of Rome, As fire driues out fire, so pitty, pitty Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part, To you, our Swords haue leaden points Marke Antony: Our Armes in strength of malice, and our Hearts Of Brothers temper, do receiue you in, With all kinde loue, good thoughts, and reuerence

Ca.s.si. Your voyce shall be as strong as any mans, In the disposing of new Dignities

Bru. Onely be patient, till we haue appeas'd The Mult.i.tude, beside themselues with feare, And then, we will deliuer you the cause, Why I, that did loue Caesar when I strooke him, Haue thus proceeded

Ant. I doubt not of your Wisedome: Let each man render me his b.l.o.o.d.y hand.

First Marcus Brutus will I shake with you; Next Caius Ca.s.sius do I take your hand; Now Decius Brutus yours; now yours Metellus; Yours Cinna; and my valiant Caska, yours; Though last, not least in loue, yours good Trebonius.

Gentlemen all: Alas, what shall I say, My credit now stands on such slippery ground, That one of two bad wayes you must conceit me, Either a Coward, or a Flatterer.

That I did loue thee Caesar, O 'tis true: If then thy Spirit looke vpon vs now, Shall it not greeue thee deerer then thy death, To see thy Antony making his peace, Shaking the b.l.o.o.d.y fingers of thy Foes?

Most n.o.ble, in the presence of thy Coa.r.s.e, Had I as many eyes, as thou hast wounds, Weeping as fast as they streame forth thy blood, It would become me better, then to close In tearmes of Friends.h.i.+p with thine enemies.

Pardon me Iulius, heere was't thou bay'd braue Hart, Heere did'st thou fall, and heere thy Hunters stand Sign'd in thy Spoyle, and Crimson'd in thy Lethee.

O World! thou wast the Forrest to this Hart, And this indeed, O World, the Hart of thee.

How like a Deere, stroken by many Princes, Dost thou heere lye?

Ca.s.si. Mark Antony

Ant. Pardon me Caius Ca.s.sius: The Enemies of Caesar, shall say this: Then, in a Friend, it is cold Modestie

Ca.s.si. I blame you not for praising Caesar so.

But what compact meane you to haue with vs?

Will you be p.r.i.c.k'd in number of our Friends, Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

Ant. Therefore I tooke your hands, but was indeed Sway'd from the point, by looking downe on Caesar.

Friends am I with you all, and loue you all, Vpon this hope, that you shall giue me Reasons, Why, and wherein, Caesar was dangerous

Bru. Or else were this a sauage Spectacle: Our Reasons are so full of good regard, That were you Antony, the Sonne of Caesar, You should be satisfied

Ant. That's all I seeke, And am moreouer sutor, that I may Produce his body to the Market-place, And in the Pulpit as becomes a Friend, Speake in the Order of his Funerall

Bru. You shall Marke Antony

Ca.s.si. Brutus, a word with you: You know not what you do; Do not consent That Antony speake in his Funerall: Know you how much the people may be mou'd By that which he will vtter

Bru. By your pardon: I will my selfe into the Pulpit first, And shew the reason of our Caesars death.

What Antony shall speake, I will protest He speakes by leaue, and by permission: And that we are contented Caesar shall Haue all true Rites, and lawfull Ceremonies, It shall aduantage more, then do vs wrong

Ca.s.si. I know not what may fall, I like it not

Bru. Mark Antony, heere take you Caesars body: You shall not in your Funerall speech blame vs, But speake all good you can deuise of Caesar, And say you doo't by our permission: Else shall you not haue any hand at all About his Funerall. And you shall speake In the same Pulpit whereto I am going, After my speech is ended

Ant. Be it so: I do desire no more

Bru. Prepare the body then, and follow vs.

Exeunt.