Part 15

Ant. You gentle Romans

All. Peace hoe, let vs heare him

An. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears: I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him: The euill that men do, liues after them, The good is oft enterred with their bones, So let it be with Caesar. The Noble Brutus, Hath told you Caesar was Ambitious: If it were so, it was a greeuous Fault, And greeuously hath Caesar answer'd it. Heere, vnder leaue of Brutus, and the rest (For Brutus is an Honourable man, So are they all; all Honourable men) Come I to speake in Caesars Funerall. He was my Friend, faithfull, and iust to me; But Brutus sayes, he was Ambitious, And Brutus is an Honourable man. He hath brought many Captiues home to Rome, Whose Ransomes, did the generall Coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seeme Ambitious? When that the poore haue cry'de, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuffe, Yet Brutus sayes, he was Ambitious: And Brutus is an Honourable man. You all did see, that on the Lupercall, I thrice presented him a Kingly Crowne, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this Ambition? Yet Brutus sayes, he was Ambitious: And sure he is an Honourable man. I speake not to disprooue what Brutus spoke, But heere I am, to speake what I do know; You all did loue him once, not without cause, What cause with-holds you then, to mourne for him? O Iudgement! thou are fled to brutish Beasts, And Men haue lost their Reason. Beare with me, My heart is in the Coffin there with Caesar, And I must pawse, till it come backe to me

1 Me thinkes there is much reason in his sayings

2 If thou consider rightly of the matter, Caesar ha's had great wrong

3 Ha's hee Masters? I feare there will a worse come in his place

4. Mark'd ye his words? he would not take y Crown, Therefore 'tis certaine, he was not Ambitious

1. If it be found so, some will deere abide it

2. Poore soule, his eyes are red as fire with weeping

3. There's not a Nobler man in Rome then Antony

4. Now marke him, he begins againe to speake

Ant. But yesterday, the word of Caesar might Haue stood against the World: Now lies he there, And none so poore to do him reuerence. O Maisters! If I were dispos'd to stirre Your hearts and mindes 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 my selfe and you, Then I will wrong such Honourable men. But heere's a Parchment, with the Seale of Caesar, I found it in his Closset, 'tis his Will: Let but the Commons heare this Testament: (Which pardon me) I do not meane to reade, And they would go and kisse dead Caesars wounds, And dip their Napkins in his Sacred Blood; Yea, begge a haire of him for Memory, And dying, mention it within their Willes, Bequeathing it as a rich Legacie Vnto their issue

4 Wee'l heare the Will, reade it Marke Antony

All. The Will, the Will; we will heare Caesars Will

Ant. Haue patience gentle Friends, I must not read it. It is not meete you know how Caesar lou'd you: You are not Wood, you are not Stones, but men: And being men, hearing the Will of Caesar, It will inflame you, it will make you mad: 'Tis good you know not that you are his Heires, For if you should, O what would come of it? 4 Read the Will, wee'l heare it Antony: You shall reade vs the Will, Caesars Will

Ant. Will you be Patient? Will you stay a-while? I haue o're-shot my selfe to tell you of it, I feare I wrong the Honourable men, Whose Daggers haue stabb'd Caesar: I do feare it

4 They were Traitors: Honourable men? All. The Will, the Testament

2 They were Villaines, Murderers: the Will, read the Will

Ant. You will compell me then to read the Will: Then make a Ring about the Corpes of Caesar, And let me shew you him that made the Will: Shall I descend? And will you giue me leaue? All. Come downe

2 Descend

3 You shall haue leaue

4 A Ring, stand round

1 Stand from the Hearse, stand from the Body

2 Roome for Antony, most Noble Antony

Ant. Nay presse not so vpon me, stand farre off

All. Stand backe: roome, beare backe

Ant. If you haue teares, prepare to shed them now. You all do know this Mantle, I remember The first time euer Caesar put it on, 'Twas on a Summers Euening in his Tent, That day he ouercame the Neruij. Looke, in this place ran Cassius Dagger through: See what a rent the enuious Caska made: Through this, the wel-beloued Brutus stabb'd, And as he pluck'd his cursed Steele away: Marke how the blood of Caesar followed it, As rushing out of doores, to be resolu'd If Brutus so vnkindely knock'd, or no: For Brutus, as you know, was Caesars Angel. Iudge, O you Gods, how deerely Caesar lou'd him: This was the most vnkindest cut of all. For when the Noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong then Traitors armes, Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his Mighty heart, And in his Mantle, muffling vp his face, Euen at the Base of Pompeyes Statue (Which all the while ran blood) great Caesar fell. O what a fall was there, my Countrymen? Then I, and you, and all of vs fell downe, Whil'st bloody Treason flourish'd ouer vs. O now you weepe, and I perceiue you feele The dint of pitty: These are gracious droppes. Kinde Soules, what weepe you, when you but behold Our Caesars Vesture wounded? Looke you heere, Heere is Himselfe, marr'd as you see with Traitors

1. O pitteous spectacle! 2. O Noble Caesar! 3. O wofull day! 4. O Traitors, Villaines! 1. O most bloody sight! 2. We will be reueng'd: Reuenge About, seeke, burne, fire, kill, slay, Let not a Traitor liue