THE FORUM SCENE. From "Julius Cæsar." By WILLIAM SHAKSPERE.

Scene. The Forum.

Enter Brutus and Cassius, and a throng of Citizens.

ITIZENS.

C satisfied.

Brutus.

friends.

We will be satisfied; let us

Then follow me, and give me audience,

Cassius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Cæsar's death.

First Citizen.

I will hear Brutus speak.

Second Citizen. I will hear Cassius, and compare

their reasons,

When severally we hear them rendered.

[Exit Cassius, with some of the Citizens.

into the pulpit.]

Brutus goes

Third Citizen. The noble Brutus is ascended. Silence!

Brutus. Be patient till the last.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear; believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe; censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his.

If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer. -Not

that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all freemen? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak, for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak, for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

All.

None, Brutus, none.

Brutus. Then none have I offended.

I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

[Enter Antony and others, with Cæsar's body.]

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart,—that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

All. Live, Brutus, live! live!

First Citizen. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

Second Citizen. Give him a statue with his ances

tors.

Third Citizen. Let him be Cæsar.

Fourth Citizen.

Shall now be crown'd in Brutus.

Cæsar's better parts

First Citizen. We'll bring him to his house with

shouts and clamours.

Brutus. My countrymen,

Second Citizen.

Peace! silence! Brutus speaks.

First Citizen. Peace, ho!

Brutus. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And for my sake, stay here with Antony;

Do grace to Cæsar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories, which Mark Antony
By our permission is allow'd to make.
I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

[Exit.

First Citizen. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark

Antony.

Third Citizen. Let him go up into the public chair;

We'll hear him.-Noble Antony, go up.

Antony. For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you. Fourth Citizen. What does he say of Brutus?

Third Citizen.

He says, for Brutus' sake,

He finds himself beholding to us all.

Fourth Citizen. 'Twere best he speak no harm of

Brutus here.

First Citizen.

Third Citizen.

This Cæsar was a tyrant.

Nay, that's certain;

We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

Second Citizen. Peace, let us hear what Antony can

say.

Antony. You gentle Romans,

All.

Peace, ho! let us hear him.

Antony. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me

your ears;

I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them,

The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cæsar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious;

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cæsar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,-
For Brutus is an honourable man,

So are they all, all honourable men,-
Come I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransom did the general coffers fill;

Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an honourable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause;
What cause with holds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason!-Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Citizen. Methinks there is much reason in his

I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Fourth Citizen. Mark'd ye his words? He would

not take the crown;

Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

First Citizen. If it be found so, some will dear abide

it.

Second Citizen.

with weeping.

Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire

Third Citizen. There's not a nobler man in Rome

than Antony.

Fourth Citizen. Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

Antony. But yesterday the word of Cæsar might Have stood against the world; now lies he there, And none so poor to do him reverence.

O masters! if I were dispos'd to stir

Your hearts and minds 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 myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honourable men.
But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæsar;