Brutus. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar; Desiring thee, that Publius Cimber may

Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

Cæsar. What, Brutus?
Cassius.

Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon:

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Cæsar. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true fix'd and resting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumber'd 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 apprehensive,5
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshak'd of motion: 6 and, that I am he,

Let me a little show it, even in this;

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

Cinna. O Cæsar,

Cæsar. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?
Decius. Great Cæsar,-

Cæsar.

Doth not Brutus bootless' kneel? Casca. Speak, hands, for me.

[CASCA stabs CAESAR in the neck. CESAR catches hold of his arm. He is then stabbed by several other CONSPIRATORS, and at last by MARCUS BRUTUS.

Cæsar. Et tu, Brute? 8-Then, fall, Cæsar.

[Dies. The SENATORS and PEOPLE retire in confusion.

Cinna. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

5 Intelligent.
7 Unsuccessfully.

6 Solicitation.

8 And thou, Brutus.

Cassius. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!

Brutus. People, and senators! be not affrighted; Fly not; stand still:-ambition's debt is paid. Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Decius.

Brutus. Where's Publius?

And Cassius too.

Cinna. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. Metellus. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar's

Should chance

Brutus. Talk not of standing;-Publius, good cheer, There is no harm intended to your person,

Nor to no Roman else; so tell them, Publius.

Cassius. And leave us, Publius, lest that the people, Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief. Brutus. Do so;—and let no man abide this deed, But we the doers.

Re-enter TREBONIUS.

Cassius. Where's Antony?

Trebonius.

Fled to his house amaz'd:

Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and run,
As it were doomsday.

Brutus. Fates! we will know your pleasures:—
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

Cassius. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

Brutus. Grant that, and then is death a benefit;
So are we Cæsar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death.-Stoop, Romans, stoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Cæsar's blood
Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords:
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!

Cassius. Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence,

Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,

In states unborn, and accents yet unknown!

Brutus. How many times shall Cæsar bleed in sport, That now on Pompey's basis lies along,

No worthier than the dust!

Cassius.

So oft as that shall be,

So often shall the knot of us be call'd
The men that gave our country liberty.
Decius. What, shall we forth?
Cassius.

Brutus shall lead; and we will

Ay, every man away: grace his heels

With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

Enter a SERVANT.

Brutus. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's. Servant. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel; Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down:

And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say,-
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Cæsar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:
Say, I love Brutus, and I honour him;
Say, I fear'd Cæsar, honour'd him, and lov'd him;
If Brutus will vouchsafe, that Antony
May safely come to him, and be resolv'd
How Cæsar hath deserv'd to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Cæsar 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 says my master, Antony.
Brutus. Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;

I never thought him worse.

Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour,

Depart untouch'd.

Servant.

I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit.

Brutus. I know that we shall have him well to friend. Cassius. I wish we may; but yet have I a mind,

That fears him much; and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

Re-enter ANTONY.

Brutus. But here comes Antony.-Welcome, Mark
Antony.

Antony. O mighty Cæsar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, 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 else is rank:9
If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Cæsar's death's hour; nor no instrument

Of half that worth, as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,

Now, whilst your purple hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Brutus. 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 see we do; yet see you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done:
Our hearts you see not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, so pity, pity,)

Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony:
Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts,

Of brother's temper, do receive you in,

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

9 Grown too high for the public safety. VOL. V.

S

Brutus. Only be patient, till we have appeas'd
The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

-

Antony.
I doubt not of your wisdom.
Let each man render me his bloody hand:
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you :-
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;
Now, Decius Brutus, yours;-now yours, Metellus ;
Yours, Cinna;-and, my valiant Casca, yours;-
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all,-alas! what shall I say!

My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward, or a flatterer.—

That I did love thee, Cæsar, O, 'tis true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! in the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to close

In terms of friendship with thine enemies.

Pardon me, Julius!-Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart;
Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand,
Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe.
O world! thou wast the forest to this hart;
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.—
How like a deer, stricken by many princes,
Dost thou here lie?

Cassius. Mark Antony,-
Antony.

Pardon me, Caius Cassius;

The enemies of Cæsar shall say this;

Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Cassius. I blame you not for praising Cæsar so; But what compact mean you to have with us?