The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works
Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above. |
[A crowd of people; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the | ||
Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, | ||
CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS BRUTUS, METELLUS CIMBER, | ||
TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, | ||
PUBLIUS, and others] |
CAESAR | [To the Soothsayer] The ides of March are come. |
Soothsayer | Ay, Caesar; but not gone. |
ARTEMIDORUS | Hail, Caesar! read this schedule. |
DECIUS BRUTUS | Trebonius doth desire you to o'erread, | ||
At your best leisure, this his humble suit. | 5 |
ARTEMIDORUS | O Caesar, read mine first; for mine's a suit | ||
That touches Caesar nearer: read it, great Caesar. |
CAESAR | What touches us ourself shall be last served. |
ARTEMIDORUS | Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly. |
CAESAR | What, is the fellow mad? | 10 |
PUBLIUS | Sirrah, give place. |
CASSIUS | What, urge you your petitions in the street? | ||
Come to the Capitol. | |||
[CAESAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest | |||
following] |
POPILIUS | I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. |
CASSIUS | What enterprise, Popilius? | 15 |
POPILIUS | Fare you well. | ||
[Advances to CAESAR] |
BRUTUS | What said Popilius Lena? |
CASSIUS | He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive. | ||
I fear our purpose is discovered. |
BRUTUS | Look, how he makes to Caesar; mark him. | 20 |
CASSIUS | Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention. | ||
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, | |||
Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back, | |||
For I will slay myself. |
BRUTUS | Cassius, be constant: | 25 | |
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes; | |||
For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change. |
CASSIUS | Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus. | ||
He draws Mark Antony out of the way. | |||
[Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS] |
DECIUS BRUTUS | Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, | 30 | |
And presently prefer his suit to Caesar. |
BRUTUS | He is address'd: press near and second him. |
CINNA | Casca, you are the first that rears your hand. |
CAESAR | Are we all ready? What is now amiss | ||
That Caesar and his senate must redress? | 35 |
METELLUS CIMBER | Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar, | ||
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat | |||
An humble heart,-- | |||
[Kneeling] |
CAESAR | I must prevent thee, Cimber. | ||
These couchings and these lowly courtesies | |||
Might fire the blood of ordinary men, | 40 | ||
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree | |||
Into the law of children. Be not fond, | |||
To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood | |||
That will be thaw'd from the true quality | |||
With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words, | 45 | ||
Low-crooked court'sies and base spaniel-fawning. | |||
Thy brother by decree is banished: | |||
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him, | |||
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way. | |||
Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause | 50 | ||
Will he be satisfied. |
METELLUS CIMBER | Is there no voice more worthy than my own | ||
To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear | |||
For the repealing of my banish'd brother? |
BRUTUS | I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar; | 55 | |
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may | |||
Have an immediate freedom of repeal. |
CAESAR | What, Brutus! |
CASSIUS | Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon: | ||
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall, | |||
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber. | 60 |
CASSIUS | I could be well moved, 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. | 65 | ||
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; | 70 | ||
Yet in the number I do know but one | |||
That unassailable holds on his rank, | |||
Unshaked of motion: and that I am he, | |||
Let me a little show it, even in this; | |||
That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd, | 75 | ||
And constant do remain to keep him so. |
CINNA | O Caesar,-- |
CAESAR | Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus? |
DECIUS BRUTUS | Great Caesar,-- |
CAESAR | Doth not Brutus bootless kneel? |
CASCA | Speak, hands for me! | ||
[CASCA first, then the other Conspirators and | |||
BRUTUS stab CAESAR] |
CAESAR | Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar. | 80 | |
[Dies] |
CINNA | Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! | ||
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. |
CASSIUS | Some to the common pulpits, and cry out | ||
'Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!' |
BRUTUS | People and senators, be not affrighted; | 85 | |
Fly not; stand stiff: ambition's debt is paid. |
CASCA | Go to the pulpit, Brutus. |
DECIUS BRUTUS | And Cassius too. |
BRUTUS | Where's Publius? |
CINNA | Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. | 90 |
METELLUS CIMBER | Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar'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. | 95 |
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 is Antony? |
TREBONIUS | Fled to his house amazed: | 100 | |
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. | 105 |
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 Caesar's friends, that have abridged | |||
His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop, | 110 | ||
And let us bathe our hands in Caesar'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!' | 115 |
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 Caesar bleed in sport, | ||
That now on Pompey's basis lies along | 120 | ||
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 their country liberty. |
DECIUS BRUTUS | What, shall we forth? | 125 |
CASSIUS | Ay, every man away: | ||
Brutus shall lead; and we will 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: | 130 | |
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down; | |||
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say: | |||
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest; | |||
Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving: | |||
Say I love Brutus, and I honour him; | 135 | ||
Say I fear'd Caesar, honour'd him and loved him. | |||
If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony | |||
May safely come to him, and be resolved | |||
How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death, | |||
Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead | 140 | ||
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; | 145 | |
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. | 150 |
CASSIUS | I wish we may: but yet have I a mind | ||
That fears him much; and my misgiving still | |||
Falls shrewdly to the purpose. |
BRUTUS | But here comes Antony. | ||
[Re-enter ANTONY] | |||
Welcome, Mark Antony. | 155 |
ANTONY | O mighty Caesar! 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: | 160 | ||
If I myself, there is no hour so fit | |||
As Caesar's death 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, | 165 | ||
Now, whilst your purpled 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 Caesar, and by you cut off, | 170 | ||
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 | 175 | ||
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 Caesar. For your part, | 180 | ||
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony: | |||
Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts | |||
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in | |||
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence. |
CASSIUS | Your voice shall be as strong as any man's | 185 | |
In the disposing of new dignities. |
BRUTUS | Only be patient till we have appeased | ||
The multitude, beside themselves with fear, | |||
And then we will deliver you the cause, | |||
Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him, | 190 | ||
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; | 195 | ||
Now, Decius Brutus, yours: now yours, Metellus; | |||
Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours; | |||
Though last, not last in love, yours, good Trebonius. | |||
Gentlemen all,--alas, what shall I say? | |||
My credit now stands on such slippery ground, | 200 | ||
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me, | |||
Either a coward or a flatterer. | |||
That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 'tis true: | |||
If then thy spirit look upon us now, | |||
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death, | 205 | ||
To see thy thy Anthony 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, | 210 | ||
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. | 215 | ||
O world, thou wast the forest to this hart; | |||
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee. | |||
How like a deer, strucken by many princes, | |||
Dost thou here lie! |
CASSIUS | Mark Antony,-- | 220 |
ANTONY | Pardon me, Caius Cassius: | ||
The enemies of Caesar shall say this; | |||
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty. |
CASSIUS | I blame you not for praising Caesar so; | ||
But what compact mean you to have with us? | |||
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends; | 225 | ||
Or shall we on, and not depend on you? |
ANTONY | Therefore I took your hands, but was, indeed, | ||
Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Caesar. | |||
Friends am I with you all and love you all, | |||
Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons | 230 | ||
Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous. |
BRUTUS | Or else were this a savage spectacle: | ||
Our reasons are so full of good regard | |||
That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar, | |||
You should be satisfied. | 235 |
ANTONY | That's all I seek: | ||
And am moreover suitor 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. | 240 |
BRUTUS | You shall, Mark Antony. |
CASSIUS | Brutus, a word with you. | ||
[Aside to BRUTUS] | |||
You know not what you do: do not consent | |||
That Antony speak in his funeral: | |||
Know you how much the people may be moved | 245 | ||
By that which he will utter? |
BRUTUS | By your pardon; | ||
I will myself into the pulpit first, | |||
And show the reason of our Caesar's death: | |||
What Antony shall speak, I will protest | 250 | ||
He speaks by leave and by permission, | |||
And that we are contented Caesar shall | |||
Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies. | |||
It shall advantage more than do us wrong. |
CASSIUS | I know not what may fall; I like it not. | 255 |
BRUTUS | Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar's body. | ||
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, | |||
But speak all good you can devise of Caesar, | |||
And say you do't by our permission; | |||
Else shall you not have any hand at all | 260 | ||
About his funeral: and you shall speak | |||
In the same pulpit whereto I am going, | |||
After my speech is ended. |
ANTONY | Be it so. | ||
I do desire no more. | 265 |
BRUTUS | Prepare the body then, and follow us. | ||
[Exeunt all but ANTONY] |
ANTONY | O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, | ||
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! | |||
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man | |||
That ever lived in the tide of times. | 270 | ||
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood! | |||
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,-- | |||
Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips, | |||
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue-- | |||
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; | 275 | ||
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife | |||
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy; | |||
Blood and destruction shall be so in use | |||
And dreadful objects so familiar | |||
That mothers shall but smile when they behold | 280 | ||
Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war; | |||
All pity choked with custom of fell deeds: | |||
And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge, | |||
With Ate by his side come hot from hell, | |||
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice | 285 | ||
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war; | |||
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth | |||
With carrion men, groaning for burial. | |||
[Enter a Servant] | |||
You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not? |
Servant | I do, Mark Antony. | 290 |
ANTONY | Caesar did write for him to come to Rome. |
Servant | He did receive his letters, and is coming; | ||
And bid me say to you by word of mouth-- | |||
O Caesar!-- | |||
[Seeing the body] |
ANTONY | Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep. | 295 | |
Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes, | |||
Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, | |||
Began to water. Is thy master coming? |
Servant | He lies to-night within seven leagues of Rome. |
ANTONY | Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanced: | 300 | |
Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome, | |||
No Rome of safety for Octavius yet; | |||
Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet, stay awhile; | |||
Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse | |||
Into the market-place: there shall I try | 305 | ||
In my oration, how the people take | |||
The cruel issue of these bloody men; | |||
According to the which, thou shalt discourse | |||
To young Octavius of the state of things. | |||
Lend me your hand. | 310 | ||
[Exeunt with CAESAR's body] |
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