Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on; 231
I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor poor
dumb mouths,

And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
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.
All. We'll mutiny.

First Cit.
We'll burn the house of Brutus.
Third Cit. Away, then! come, seek the conspirators.
Ant. Yet hear me, countrymen: yet hear me speak.
All. Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble

Antony!

242

Ant. 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.

All. Most true: the will! Let's stay and hear the will.

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

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas. Sec. Cit. Most noble Cæsar! we'll revenge his

death.

251

the writers of Shakespeare's time. The first folio has writ in this place, which was changed to wit in the second. Modern editors are somewhat divided between the two words, some taking writ for a written speech; a most unlikely meaning for the place, as it seems to us.-H. N. H.

Third Cit. O royal Cæsar!
Ant.

All. Peace, ho!

Hear me with patience.

Ant. 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? First Cit. Never, never. Come, away, away! 260 We'll burn his body in the holy place,

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.

Take up the body.

Sec. Cit. Go fetch fire.

Third Cit. Pluck down benches.

Fourth Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, any

thing.

[Exeunt Citizens with the body.

Ant. Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt.

Enter a Servant.

How now, fellow!

Serv. Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.
Ant. Where is he?

Serv. He and Lepidus are at Cæsar's house.
Ant. And thither will I straight to visit him.

270

256. "On this side Tiber" Theobald proposed "that" for "this"; Cæsar's gardens were on the left bank of the river. Shakespeare followed North's Plutarch, and North merely translated the words in Amyot.-I. G.

262. The second folio reads "fire all the traitors' houses." The Poet often uses fire as two syllables, which dispenses with all.— H. N. H.

He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,
And in this mood will give us any thing.
Serv. I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius

Are rid like madmen through the gates of
Rome.

Ant. Belike they had some notice of the people,
How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III

A street.

Enter Cinna the poet.

Cin. I dreamt to-night that I did feast with Cæsar,
And things unluckily charge my fantasy:

I have no will to wander forth of doors,
Yet something leads me forth.

First Cit. What is

Enter Citizens.

your name?

Sec. Cit. Whither are you going?

Third Cit. Where do you dwell?

Fourth Cit. Are you a married man or a bachelor? Sec. Cit. Answer every man directly.

First Cit. Aye, and briefly.

Fourth Cit. Aye, and wisely.

10

2. That is, "things of ill omen oppress me." Steevens tells of having read in an old treatise on Fortune-Telling, that "to dream of being at banquets betokeneth misfortune." The old copies read unluckily, which is changed to unlikely in Mr. Collier's second folio; a very unlikely reading. The matter of this scene is taken from Plutarch's Life of Brutus.-H. N. H.

Third Cit. Aye, and truly, you were best.
Cin. What is my name? Whither am I going?
Where do I dwell? Am I a married man
or a bachelor? Then, to answer every man
directly and briefly, wisely and truly: wisely
I say, I am a bachelor.

Sec. Cit. That's as much as to say, they are fools that marry: you'll bear me a bang for 20 that, I fear. Proceed; directly.

Cin. Directly, I am going to Cæsar's funeral.
First Cit. As a friend or an enemy?

Cin. As a friend.

Sec. Cit. That matter is answered directly.
Fourth Cit. For your dwelling, briefly.

Cin. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.
Third Cit. Your name, sir, truly.

Cin. Truly, my name is Cinna,

First Cit. Tear him to pieces; he's a con- 30 spirator.

Cin. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.

Fourth Cit. Tear him for his bad verses, tear

him for his bad verses.

Cin. I am not Cinna the conspirator.

Fourth Cit. It is no matter, his name 's Cinna; pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.

Third Cit. Tear him, tear him! Come, brands, 40 ho! fire-brands: to Brutus', to Cassius'; burn all: some to Decius' house, and some to Casca's; some to Ligarius': away, go! [Exeunt.

36. This speech has been lost out of all modern editions until Knight's.-H. N. H.

ACT FOURTH

SCENE I

A house in Rome.

Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, seated at a table. Ant. These many then shall die; their names are

prick'd.

Oct. Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus?

Lep. I do consent

Oct.

Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live,

Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.

Ant. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.

But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar's house;
Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine
How to cut off some charge in legacies.

Lep. What, shall I find you here?

10

Scene 1. "A house in Rome"; the original stage direction indicates no place. Plutarch describes the meeting of the triumvirs as "in an island environed about with a little river." But Shakespeare evidently intended it to be in Rome.-C. H. H.

4. Either the Poet or the printer fell into an error here; the true name of this person being not Publius but Lucius. Thus in Plutarch's Life of Antonius: "Cæsar left Cicero to Antonius will; Antonius also forsooke Lucius to Cæsar, who was his uncle by his mother; and both of them together suffered Lepidus to kill his own brother Paulus."-H. N. H.