Even at the Base of Pompey's ftatue,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell.
O what a fall was there, my countrymen !
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down:
Whilft bloody treason flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity; thefe are gracious drops.
Kind fouls! what, weep you when you but behold
Our Calar's vefture wounded? look you here!
Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, by traitors.
1 Pleb. O piteous fpectacle!

Ant. Stay, Countrymen

revenge: about-
-flay! let not a trai-

1 Pleb. Peace there. Hear noble Antony.

2 Pleb. We'll hear him; we'll follow him; we'll die with him.

Ant. Good friends, fweet friends, let me not ftir

you up

To fuch a fudden flood of mutiny:

'They that have done this deed, are honourable.

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell,
Ev'n at the Bafe of Pompey's Statue.

Plutarch tells us, that Cæfar received many wounds in the face on this occafion, fo that it might be faid to run blood. But, instead of that, the Statue, in this reading, and not the face, is faid to do fo; it is plain that these two lines fhould be transposed: And then the reflection which follows,

O what a fall was there—

is natural, lamenting the difgrace of being at laft fubdued in that quarrel in which he had been compleat victor. WARB.

I know not whether the tranfpofition be needful: the image seems to be, that the blood of Cæfar flew upon the statue, and trickled down it. And the exclamation,

O what a fall was there

follows better after

great Cæfar fell

than with a line interpofed.

What

What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it; they are wife and honourable,
And will, no doubt, with reafon anfwer you.

I come not, friends, to fteal away your hearts;
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 give me publick leave to fpeak of him;
(4) For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action nor utt'rance, nor the power of fpeech,
To ftir men's blood; I only fpeak right on.

I tell you that, which you yourselves do know;
Shew you fweet Cafar's wounds, poor, poor, dumb
mouths!

And bid them fpeak for me. But were I Brutus
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your fpirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cafar, that should move
The ftones of Rome to rife and mutiny.
All. We'll mutiny-

1 Pleb. We'll burn the house of Brutus.

3 Pleb. Away then, come, feek the confpirators. Ant. Yet hear me, Countrymen; yet hear me fpeak. All. Peace, ho. Hear Antony, moft noble Antony. Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know not what.

Wherein hath Cæfar thus deferv'd your loves?
Alas, you know not. I must not tell you then.
You have forgot the Will, I told you of.

All. Moft true-the Will-Let's ftay and hear the
Will.

Ant. Here is the Will, and under Cafar's feal
To ev'ry Roman citizen he gives,

To ev'ry fev'ral man, fev'nty-five drachma's.

2 Pleb. Moft noble Cafar! we'll revenge his death. 3 Pleb. O royal Cæfar!

Ant. Hear me with patience.

All. Peace, ho!

(4) For I have neither unit,] The old copy reads,

For I have neither writ, nor words,

which may mean, I have no penned and premeditated oration,

Ant. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbours, and new-planted orchards, (5) On that fide Tiber; he hath left them you, And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures, To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves. Here was a Cæfar. When comes fuch another?

i Pleb. Never, never; come, away, away; We'll burn his body in the holy place,

And with the brands fire all the traitors' houses.
Take up the body.

2 Pleb. Go, fetch fire.

3 Pleb. Pluck down benches.

4. Pleb. Pluck down forms, windows, any thing. [Exeunt Plebeians with the body. Ant. Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!-How now, fellow ?

Enter a Servant.

Ser. Octavius is already come to Rome.
Ant. Where is he?

Serv. He and Lepidus are at Cafar's houfe.
Ant. And thither will I ftraight to visit him.
He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,
And in this mood will give us any thing.

Serv. I heard him fay, Brutus and Caffius
Are rid, like madmen, through the gates of Rome.
Ant. Belike they had fome notice of the people,
How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius.

[Exeunt.

(5) On this fide Tiber ;] The fcene is here in the Forum near the Capitol, and in the moft frequented part of the city; but Cafar's gardens were very remote from that quarter.

Trans Tiberim longe cubat is, prope Cæfaris hortos,

fays Horace And both the Naumachia and Gardens of Cafar were feparated from the main city by the river; and lay out wide, on a line with Mount Janiculum. Our Author therefore certainly wrote;

On that fide Tiber ;

And Plutarch, whom Shakespeare very diligently studied, in the life of Marcus Brutus, fpeaking of Cæfar's Will, exprefly fays, That he left to the publick his gardens, and walks, beyond the Tiber.

THEOBALD.

SCENE

SCENE VIL NO or

Enter Cinna the Poet, and after him the Plebeians.

"Cin. I dreamt to-night, that I did feaft with Cafar, And things unluckily charge my fantafy,

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

1 Pleb. What is your name?

2 Pleb, Whither are you going? 3 Pleb. Where do you dwell?

4 Pleb. Are you a married man or a bachelor? 2 Pleb. Anfwer every man, directly.

1 Pleb. Ay, and briefly.

4 Pleb. Ay, and wifely.

3 Pleb. Ay, and truly, you were beft.

Cin. What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I'dwell? am l'a married man

a bachelor? then to answer every man directly and briefly, wifely and truly. Wifely, I fay-I am a bachelor..

2 Pleb. That's as much as to fay, they are fools that marry; you'll bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed. Directly.

Cin. Directly, I am going to Cæfar's funeral. 1 Pleb. As a friend, or an enemy ?

Cin. As a friend.

2 Pleb. That matter is anfwer'd directly.
4 Pleb. For your dwelling. Briefly.
Cin. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.
3 Pleb. Your name, Sir. Truly.
Cin. Truly, my name is Cinna.

1 Pleb. Tear him to pieces, he's a confpirator. Cin. I am Cinna the Poet, I am Cinna the Poet. 4 Pleb. Tear him for his bad verfes, tear him for his verfes.

Cin. I am not Cinna the confpirator.

4 Pleb. It is no matter, his name's Cinna; pluck out his name out of his heart, and turn him going. Pleb. Tear him, tear him. Come, brands, ho, firebands.

3

To

To Brutus, to Caffius, burn all. Some to Decius's house,

And fome to Cafea's, fome to Ligarius. Away. Go.

prickt.

Oda. Your brother too mult die; confent you,

Lepidus?

Lep. I do confent.

D

Otta. Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition, Publius fhall not live;

Who is your fifter's fon, Mark Antony.

Ant. He fhall not live. Look, with a fpot I damn

him.

But, Lepidus, go you to Cafar's houfe;

Fetch the Will hither, and we fhall determine
How to cut off fome charge in legacies.
Lep. What, fhall I find you here?
Oda. Or here, or at the Capitol.

[Exit Lepidus.

Ant. This is a flight, unmeritable, man,
Meet to be fent on errands. Is it fit,

The three-fold world divided, he fhould ftand
One of the three to fhare it?

(6) A small island—]. Mr. •Rower and Mr. Pope after him, have mark'd the fcene here to be at Rome. The old copies fay nothing of the place. Shakespeare, 1 dare fay, knew from Plutarch, that thefe Triumvirs met upon the profcription, in a litthe inland, which Appian, who is more particular, fays, lay near Mutina, upon the river Lavinius. THEOBALD.

A fmall ifland in the little river Rhenus, near Bononia. HAN.