Peace, ho! Hear Antony, most noble Antony.

  ANTONY

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

  Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves?

  Alas, you know not. I must tell you’ then.

  You have forgot the will I told you of.

  ALL THE PLEBEIANS

  Most true. The will. Let’s stay and hear the will.

  ANTONY

  Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal.

  To every Roman citizen he gives—

  To every several man—seventy-five drachmas.

  ⌈FOURTH⌉ PLEBEIAN

  Most noble Caesar! We’ll revenge his death.

  THIRD PLEBEIAN

  O royal Caesar!

  ANTONY Hear me with patience.

  ALL THE PLEBEIANS Peace, ho!

  ANTONY

  Moreover he hath left you all his walks,

  His private arbours, 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 Caesar. When comes such another?

  FIRST PLEBEIAN

  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.

  ⌈FOURTH⌉ PLEBEIAN Go, fetch fire!

  THIRD PLEBEIAN Pluck down benches!

  ⌈FIFTH⌉ PLEBEIAN Pluck down forms, windows, anything!

  Exeunt Plebeians ⌈with Caesar’s body⌉

  ANTONY

  Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot.

  Take thou what course thou wilt.

  Enter ⌈Octavius’⌉ Servant

  How now, fellow?

  SERVANT

  Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.

  ANTONY Where is he?

  SERVANT

  He and Lepidus are at Caesar’s house.

  ANTONY

  And thither will I straight to visit him.

  He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,

  And in this mood will give us anything.

  SERVANT

  I heard him say Brutus and Cassius

  Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.

  ANTONY

  Belike they had some notice of the people,

  How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius.Exeunt

  3.3 Enter Cinna the poet

  CINNA

  I dreamt tonight that I did feast with Caesar,

  And things unlucky charge my fantasy.

  I have no will to wander forth of doors,

  Yet something leads me forth.

  Enter the Plebeians

  FIRST PLEBEIAN What is your name?

  SECOND PLEBEIAN Whither are you going?

  THIRD PLEBEIAN Where do you dwell?

  FOURTH PLEBEIAN Are you a married man or a bachelor?

  SECOND PLEBEIAN Answer every man directly.

  FIRST PLEBEIAN Ay, and briefly.

  FOURTH PLEBEIAN Ay, and wisely.

  THIRD PLEBEIAN Ay, and truly, you were best.

  CINNA 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.

  SECOND PLEBEIAN That’s as much as to say they are fools that marry. You’ll bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed directly.

  CINNA Directly I am going to Caesar’s funeral.

  FIRST PLEBEIAN As a friend or an enemy?

  CINNA As a friend.

  SECOND PLEBEIAN That matter is answered directly.

  FOURTH PLEBEIAN For your dwelling—briefly.

  CINNA Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.

  THIRD PLEBEIAN Your name, sir, truly.

  CINNA Truly, my name is Cinna.

  FIRST PLEBEIAN Tear him to pieces! He’s a conspirator.

  CINNA I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.

  FOURTH PLEBEIAN Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.

  CINNA I am not Cinna the conspirator.

  FOURTH PLEBEIAN It is no matter, his name’s Cinna. Pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.

  THIRD PLEBEIAN Tear him, tear him!⌈They set upon Cinna⌉

  Come, brands, ho! Firebrands! To Brutus’, to Cassius’!

  Burn all! Some to Decius’ house, and some to Casca’s;

  some to Ligarius‘. Away, go!

  Exeunt all the Plebeians, with Cinna

  4.1 Enter Antony with papers, Octavius, and Lepidus

  ANTONY

  These many, then, shall die; their names are pricked.

  OCTAVIUS (to Lepidus)

  Your brother too must die. Consent you, Lepidus?

  LEPIDUS

  I do consent.

  OCTAVIUS Prick him down, Antony.

  LEPIDUS

  Upon condition Publius shall not live,

  Who is your sister’s son, Mark Antony.

  ANTONY

  He shall not live. Look, with a spot I damn him.

  But Lepidus, go you to Caesar’s house;

  Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine

  How to cut off some charge in legacies.

  LEPIDUS What, shall I find you here?

  OCTAVIUS Or here or at the Capitol. Exit Lepidus

  ANTONY

  This is a slight, unmeritable man,

  Meet to be sent on errands. Is it fit,

  The three-fold world divided, he should stand

  One of the three to share it?

  OCTAVIUS So you thought him,

  And took his voice who should be pricked to die

  In our black sentence and proscription.

  ANTONY

  Octavius, I have seen more days than you,

  And though we lay these honours on this man

  To ease ourselves of divers sland’rous loads,

  He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,

  To groan and sweat under the business,

  Either led or driven as we point the way;

  And having brought our treasure where we will,

  Then take we down his load, and turn him off,

  Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears

  And graze in commons.

  OCTAVIUS You may do your will;

  But he’s a tried and valiant soldier.

  ANTONY

  So is my horse, Octavius, and for that

  I do appoint him store of provender.

  It is a creature that I teach to fight,

  To wind, to stop, to run directly on,

  His corporal motion governed by my spirit;

  And in some taste is Lepidus but so.

  He must be taught, and trained, and bid go forth—

  A barren-spirited fellow, one that feeds

  On objects, arts, and imitations,

  Which, out of use and staled by other men,

  Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him

  But as a property. And now, Octavius,

  Listen great things. Brutus and Cassius

  Are levying powers. We must straight make head.

  Therefore let our alliance be combined,

  Our best friends made, our meinies stretched,

  And let us presently go sit in council,

  How covert matters may be best disclosed,

  And open perils surest answered.

  OCTAVIUS

  Let us do so, for we are at the stake

  And bayed about with many enemies;

  And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,

  Millions of mischiefs. Exeunt

  4.2 Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucius, and the army. ⌈Lucillius,⌉ Titinius, and Pindarus meet them

  BRUTUS Stand, ho!

  ⌈SOLDIER⌉ Give the word ‘ho’, and stand.

  BRUTUS

  What now, Lucillius: is Cassius near?

  LUCILLIUS

  He is at hand, and Pindarus is come

  To do you salutation from his master.

  BRUTUS

  He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,

  In his own change or by ill officers,

  Hath given me some worthy cause to wish

  Things done undone. But if he be at hand,

  I shall be satisfied.

  PINDARUS I do not doubt

  But that my noble master will appear

  Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

  BRUTUS

  He is not doubted.—A word, Lucillius.

  Brutus and Lucillius speak apart

  How he received you let me be resolved.

  LUCILLIUS

  With courtesy and with respect enough,

  But not with such familiar instances,

  Nor with such free and friendly conference,

  As he hath used of old.

  BRUTUS Thou hast described

  A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucillius:

  When love begins to sicken and decay

  It useth an enforced ceremony.

  There are no tricks in plain and simple faith;

  But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,

  Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;Low march within

  But when they should endure the bloody spur,

  They fall their crests and, like deceitful jades,

  Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

  LUCILLIUS

  They mean this night in Sardis to be quartered.

  The greater part, the horse in general,

  Are come with Cassius.

  Enter Cassius and his powers

  BRUTUS Hark, he is arrived.

  March gently on to meet him.The armies march

  CASSIUS Stand, ho!

  BRUTUS Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

  ⌈FIRST SOLDIER⌉ Stand!

  ⌈second SOLDIER⌉ Stand!

  ⌈THIRD SOLDIER⌉ Standl

  CASSIUS

  Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.

  BRUTUS

  Judge me, you gods: wrong I mine enemies?

  And if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

  CASSIUS

  Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs,

  And when you do them—

  BRUTUS Cassius, be content.

  Speak your griefs softly. I do know you well.

  Before the eyes of both our armies here,

  Which should perceive nothing but love from us,

  Let us not wrangle. Bid them move away,

  Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,

  And I will give you audience.

  CASSIUS Pindarus,

  Bid our commanders lead their charges off

  A little from this ground.

  BRUTUS

  Lucillius, do you the like; and let no man

  Come to our tent till we have done our conference.

  Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.Exeunt the armies Brutus and Cassius remain, ⌈with Titinius, and Lucius guarding the door⌉

  CASSIUS

  That you have wronged me doth appear in this:

  You have condemned and noted Lucius Pella

  For taking bribes here of the Sardians,

  Wherein my letters praying on his side,

  Because I knew the man, was slighted off.

  BRUTUS

  You wronged yourself to write in such a case.

  CASSIUS

  In such a time as this it is not meet

  That every nice offence should bear his comment.

  BRUTUS

  Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself

  Are much condemned to have an itching palm,

  To sell and mart your offices for gold

  To undeservers.

  CASSIUS I, an itching palm?

  You know that you are Brutus that speaks this, 65

  Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

  BRUTUS

  The name of Cassius honours this corruption,

  And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

  CASSIUS Chastisement?

  BRUTUS

  Remember March, the ides of March, remember.

  Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?

  What villain touched his body, that did stab,

  And not for justice? What, shall one of us,

  That struck the foremost man of all this world

  But for supporting robbers, shall we now

  Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,

  And sell the mighty space of our large honours

  For so much trash as may be grasped thus?

  I had rather be a dog and bay the moon

  Than such a Roman.

  CASSIUS Brutus, bay not me.

  I’ll not endure it. You forget yourself

  To hedge me in. I am a soldier, I,

  Older in practice, abler than yourself

  To make conditions.

  BRUTUS Go to, you are not, Cassius.

  CASSIUS I am.

  BRUTUS I say you are not.

  CASSIUS

  Urge me no more, I shall forget myself.

  Have mind upon your health. Tempt me no farther.

  BRUTUS Away, slight man.

  CASSIUS Is’t possible?

  BRUTUS Hear me, for I will speak.

  Must I give way and room to your rash choler?

  Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

  CASSIUS

  O ye gods, ye gods! Must I endure all this?

  BRUTUS

  All this? Ay, more. Fret till your proud heart break.

  Go show your slaves how choleric you are,

  And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?

  Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch

  Under your testy humour? By the gods,

  You shall digest the venom of your spleen,

  Though it do split you. For from this day forth

  I’ll use you for my mirth, yea for my laughter,

  When you are waspish.

  CASSIUS Is it come to this?

  BRUTUS

  You say you are a better soldier.

  Let it appear so, make your vaunting true,

  And it shall please me well. For mine own part,

  I shall be glad to learn of noble men.

  CASSIUS

  You wrong me every way, you wrong me, Brutus.

  I said an elder soldier, not a better.

  Did I say better?

  BRUTUS If you did, I care not.

  CASSIUS

  When Caesar lived he durst not thus have moved me.

  BRUTUS

  Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempted him.

  CASSIUS I durst not?

  BRUTUS No.

  CASSIUS What, durst not tempt him?

  BRUTUS For your life you durst not.

  CASSIUS

  Do not presume too much upon my love.

  I may do that I shall be sorry for.

  BRUTUS

  You have done that you should be sorry for.

  There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,

  For I am armed so strong in honesty

  That they pass by me as the idle wind,

  Which I respect not. I did send to you

  For certain sums of gold, which you denied me;

  For I can raise no money by vile means.

  By heaven, I had rather coin my heart

  And drop my blood for drachmas than to wring

  From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash

  By any indirection. I did send

  To you for gold to pay my legions,

  Which you denied me. Was that done like Cassius?

  Should I have answered Caius Cassius so?

  When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous

  To lock such rascal counters from his friends,

  Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts;

  Dash him to pieces.

  CASSIUS I denied you not.

  BRUTUS

  You did.

  CASSIUS I did not. He was but a fool

  That brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived my

  heart.

  A friend should bear his friend’s infirmities,

  But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

  BRUTUS

  I do not, till you practise them on me.

  CASSIUS

  You love me not.

  BRUTUS I do not like your faults.

  CASSIUS

  A friendly eye could never see such faults.

  BRUTUS

  A flatterer’s would not, though they do appear

  As huge as high Olympus.

  CASSIUS

  Come, Antony and young Octavius, come,

  Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius;

  For Cassius is aweary of the world,

  Hated by one he loves, braved by his brother,

  Checked like a bondman; all his faults observed,

  Set in a notebook, learned and conned by rote,

  To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep

  My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,

  And here my naked breast; within, a heart

  Dearer than Pluto’s mine, richer than gold.

  If that thou beest a Roman, take it forth.

  I that denied thee gold will give my heart.

  Strike as thou didst at Caesar; for I know

  When thou didst hate him worst, thou loved‘st him

  better

  Than ever thou loved’st Cassius.

  BRUTUS Sheathe your dagger.

  Be angry when you will; it shall have scope.

  Do what you will; dishonour shall be humour.

  O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb

  That carries anger as the flint bears fire,

  Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark

  And straight is cold again.

  CASSIUS Hath Cassius lived

  To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus

  When grief and blood ill-tempered vexeth him?

  BRUTUS

  When I spoke that, I was ill-tempered too.

  CASSIUS

  Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

  BRUTES

  And my heart too.⌈They embrace⌉

  CASSIUS O Brutus!

  BRUTUS What’s the matter?

  CASSIUS

  Have not you love enough to bear with me

  When that rash humour which my mother gave me

  Makes me forgetful?

  BRUTUS Yes, Cassius, and from henceforth,

  When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,

  He’ll think your mother chides, and leave you so.