ANTONY. You will compel me, then, to read the will? Then make a ring about the corpse of Cæsar,

And let me show you him that made the will.

Shall I descend? And will you give me leave?
CITIZENS. Come down.

SECOND CITIZEN. Descend.

THIRD CITIZEN. You shall have leave.
FOURTH CITIZEN. A ring! stand round.

[He comes down.

FIRST CITIZEN. Stand from the hearse; stand from the body.

SECOND CITIZEN. Room for Antony!-most noble Antony!

ANTONY. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off. SEVERAL CITIZENS. Stand back! room! bear back! ANTONY. If you have tears, prepare to shed them

now.

You all do know this mantle: I remember
The first time ever Cæsar put it on;
"Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii.1

Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through.
See what a rent the envious Casca made!
Through this the well-belovéd Brutus stabbed;
And as he plucked his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it,
As2 rushing out of doors, to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knocked, or no;

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel: 3

Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar loved him!
This was the most unkindest1 cut of all;

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart;
And in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's statuë,2
Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.
Oh, what a fall was there, my countrymen !
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourished over us.
Oh, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what weep you when you but behold
Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? Look you here,-
Here is himself, marred, as you see, with traitors.
FIRST CITIZEN. O piteous spectacle!
SECOND CITIZEN, O noble Cæsar!
THIRD CITIZEN. O woful day!
FOURTH CITIZEN, O traitors, villains!
FIRST CITIZEN. O most bloody sight!
SECOND CITIZEN. We will be revenged.
CITIZENS. Revenge about seek
kill-slay! Let not a traitor live!

ANTONY. Stay, countrymen.

burn - fire

FIRST CITIZEN. Peace there! hear the noble Antony.

1 most unkindest, a double rival, stood in the Senate House. superlative,

speare.

- common in Shake

2 Pompey's statuë. A statue of Cneius Pompeius, Cæsar's former

"Statuë” is here to be pronounced
as a trisyllable.

3 dint, impression, influence.
4 marred with, mangled by.

SECOND CITIZEN. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.'

ANTONY. Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir

you up

To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honorable:
What private griefs 2 they have, alas! I know not,
That made them do 't; they're wise and honorable,
And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.

I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts: 3
I am no orator, as Brutus is;

But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,

That love my friend; and that they know full well
That
gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor, poor dumb
mouths,+

And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony

5

Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæsar, that should move.
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

1 We'll hear... him. Point out the ascending steps in this climax. 2 private griefs, personal causes of quarrel. Arrange thus: "Alas, I know not what private griefs that made them do it they have."

3 to steal away your hearts. Explain.

4 dumb mouths. figure? (See Def. 3.) 5 Would ruffle, ellipsis.

What is the

Supply the

CITIZENS. We'll mutiny.

FIRST CITIZEN. We'll burn the house of Brutus.
THIRD CITIZEN. Away, then! come, seek the conspira-

tors.

ANTONY. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.

CITIZENS. Peace, ho! hear Antony; most noble Antony.

ANTONY. Why, friends, you go to do you know not what.

Wherein hath Cæsar thus deserved your loves?
Alas! you know not:-I must tell you, then.
You have forgot the will I told you of.

CITIZENS. Most true; the will! let's stay, and hear the will.

ANTONY. Here is the will, and under Cæsar's seal. To every Roman citizen he gives,

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.1

SECOND CITIZEN. Most noble Cæsar!

his death.

THIRD CITIZEN. O royal Cæsar!

ANTONY. Hear me with patience.

ALL. Peace, ho!

We'll revenge

ANTONY. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbors and new-planted orchards, On this side Tiber, - he hath left them you, And to your heirs for ever, common pleasures, To walk abroad and recreate yourselves. Here was a Cæsar! when comes such another?

1 drachmas. The drachma was | Roman denarius, equal to about a Greek coin corresponding to the seventeen cents.

FIRST CITIZEN. Never, never!-Come, away, away!

We'll burn his body in the holy place,

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.

Take up the body.

SECOND CITIZEN. Go fetch fire.

THIRD CITIZEN. Pluck down benches.

FOURTH CITIZEN. Pluck down forms, windows, any

thing. [The citizens retire with the body. ANTONY. Now let it work.2 Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!

PART III.

So powerfully does the speech of Antony stir the sympathy of the Romans with the fallen Cæsar, that they call out for vengeance upon his murderers. Brutus and Cassius with their partisans are forced to flee from Rome; and the government is intrusted to three leading men, called a triumvirate, namely, Mark Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius Cæsar, who was Julius Cæsar's grand-nephew, and afterwards became emperor with the title of Augustus.

Civil war now follows. Brutus and Cassius form their camp near Sardis, in Asia Minor. Antony and Octavius raise an army, and march against them.

3

While Brutus and Cassius are at Sardis awaiting the attack of Antony and Octavius, a violent quarrel between these two leaders takes place in the tent of Brutus.

1 forms, benches, seats.

of this scene, "I know no part of 2 Now let it work. This shows Shakespeare that more impresses the purpose of the whole of An-on me the belief of his genius betony's most artful speech. ing almost superhuman, than the famous scene between Brutus and Cassius."

3 a violent quarrel. Coleridge, the illustrious poet and critic, said

H