Page images
PDF
EPUB

XVII-Speech of Henry V. before the Battle of Agincourt, on the Earl of Westmoreland's wishing for more Men from England.-18.

WHAT'S he that wishes more men from England ?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin ;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow

To do our country loss; and, if to live,

The fewer men, the greater share of honor.
No, no, my Lord; wish not a man from England.
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland throughout my host,
That he who hath no stomach to this fight,

May straight depart; his passport shall be made;
And crowns, for convoy, put into his purse.
He would not die in that man's company.
This day is called the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tiptoe, when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and sees old age,
Will yearly, on the vigil, feast his neighbors,
And say, Tomorrow is St. Crispian;

Then will be strip his sleeve, and show his scars.
Old men forget, yet shall not all forget,

And they'll remember, with advantages,

What feats they did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in their mouths as household words,

Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Glo'ster,
Be in their flowing cups, freshly remembered.
This story shall the good man teach his son:
And Crispian's day shall ne'er go by
From this time to the ending of the world,
But we and it shall be remembered;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me,
Shall be my brother; be he e'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition

And gentlemen in England, now abed,

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here;
And hold their manhoods cheap, while any speaks
That fought with us upon St. Crispian's day.

XVIII-Soliloquy of Dick the Apprentice

FARCE, THE APPRENTICE.

THUS far we run before the windcary!-Make an apothecary of me!my genius over a pestle and mortar; or

-An apothe What, cramp mew me up in

a shop, with an alligator stuffed, and a beggarly account of empty boxes! To be culling simples, and constantly adding to the bills of mortality No! no! It will

be much better to be pasted up in capitals, THE PART OF ROMEO BY A YOUNG GENTLEMAN, WHO NEVER APPEARED ON ANY STAGE BEFORE! My ambition fires at the thought. But hold; mayn't I run some chance of failing in my attempt? Hissed-pelted→→ laughed at-not admitted into the green room ;- -that will never do-down, busy devil, down, down; try it again-loved by the women-envied by the men-applauded by the pit, clapped by the gallery, admired by the boxes, "Dear colonel, is'nt he a charming creature? My lord, don't you like him of all things P-Makes love like an angel!- What an eye he has !- -Fine legs! -I shall certainly go to his benefit -Celestial sounds!And then I'll get in with the painters, and have myself put up in every print shop-in the character of Macbeth! "This is a sorry sight." (Stands an attitude.) In the character of Richard, "Give me another horse! Bind up my wounds!" This will do rarely-And then I have a chance of getting well married-O glorious thought! I will enjoy it, though but in fancy. But what's o'clock ? it must be almost nine. I'll away at once; this is club night-the spouters are all met little think they I'm in town-they'll be surprised to see me -off I go; and then for my assignation with my master Gargle's daughter.

XIX.-Cassius instigating Brutus to join the Conspiracy against Cesar.-TRAGEDY OF JULIUS CESAR. HONOR is the subject of my story.

I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but for my single self,
I had as lief not be as live to be

In awe of such a thing as myself.

I was born free as Cesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he.
For once upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with his shores,
Cesar says to me Dar'st thou Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,

And swim to yonder point?" Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in.

And bade him follow : so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews; throwing it aside,
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cesar cry'd, "Help me, Cassius, or I sink.
1, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy, upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear! so, from the waves of Tiber
Did I the tired Cesar; and this man

Is now become a god; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cesar carelessly but nod on him.

He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And when the fit was on him I did mark

How he did shake; 'tis true, this god did shake ;
His coward lips did from their color fly;

And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose its lustre; I did hear him groan:

Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
"Alas!" it cry'd: "Give me some drink, Titinius ;"
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper, should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone-

Brutus and Cesar! What should be in that Cesar?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together; yours is as fair a name ;
Sound them; it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them; it is as heavy; conjure with 'em;
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cesar.
Now in the name of all the gods at once,
Upon what meats doth this our Cesar feed,

That he has grown so great? Age, thou art asham'd;
Rome thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods.

When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man ?
When could they say, till now,
that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Oh! You and I have heard our fathers say,

There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
Th' infernal devil, to keep his state in Rome,
As easily as a king.

́XXI.-Brutus' Harrangue on the Death of Cesar.—IB.

ROMANS, Countrymen and Lovers!-Here me for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor; and have respect to mine honor, 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 Cesar's, to him, I say, that Brutus' love to Cesar was no less than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Cesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cesar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cesar were dead, to live all freemeu? As Cesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew aim. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition. -Who's here so base, that would be a bondman ? If any, speak; for him I have offended. Who's here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him I have offended. Who's here so vile, that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him I have offended. I pause for a reply

None! Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cesar 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.

Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark Antony; who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receivo 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 deathr

XXII. Antony's Oration over Cesar's Body.

FRIENDS, Ronans, Countrymen! Lend me your ears
I come to bury Cesar, 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 Cesar! Noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cesar was ambitious.
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cesar answer'd it.
Here under leave of Brutus, and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honorable man,
So are they all, all honorable men)
Come I to speak in Cesar's funeral-

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honorable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:

Did this in Cesar seem ambiticus ?

When that the poor have cried, Cesar hath wept!
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honorable 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 honorable 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 withholds 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 Cesar ;
And I must pause till it come back to me.
But yesterday the word, Cesar, 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 honorable men.

I will not do them wrong-1 rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honorable men.
But bere's a parchment, with the seal of Cesar
1 found it in his closet: 'tis his will.

Let but the commons hear this testament,
(Which, pardon me I do not mean to read)
And they would go and kiss dead Cesar's wounds,
And dip their napkins in his sacred blood-
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it, as a rich legacy,

« PreviousContinue »