Third Ple. Let him go up into the public chair;
We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.
Ant. For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.
Fourth Ple. What does he say of Brutus?
Third Ple.He says, for Brutus' sake,
He finds himself beholding to us all.73
Fourth Ple. 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.
First Ple. This Cæsar was a tyrant.
Third Ple.Nay, that's certain:
We are bless'd that Rome is rid of him.76
Sec. Ple. Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.
Ant. You gentle Romans,—
All.Peace, ho! let us hear him.
Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.80
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;84
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;88
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;92
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
71 beholding: indebted
86 answer'd: atoned for
95 general coffers: public treasury
