I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,
Who, you all know, are honourable men :
I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you,
Than I will wrong such honourable men.
But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæsar,
I 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 Cæsar'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

Unto their issue.

Fourth Cit. We'll hear the will; read it, Mark Antony.
All. The will, the will! we will hear Cæsar's will.
Ant. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read ;

It is not meet you know how Cæsar lov'd you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men,
And, being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad :
'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs ;
For if you should, oh, what would come of it!

Fourth Cit. Read the will; we'll hear it, Antony;
You shall read us the will; Cæsar's will.

Ant. Will you be patient? Will you stay a while? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it.'

I fear I wrong the honourable men

Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar: I do fear it.

Fourth Cit. They were traitors: honourable men !
All. The will! the testament!

Sec. Cit. They were villains, murderers: the will! read the

will!

Ant. You will compel me, then, to read the will?

Then make a ring about the corpse of Cæsar,

And let me show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?

All. Come down.

Sec. Cit. Descend.

[He comes down from the pulpit.

Third Cit. You shall have leave.

Fourth Cit. A ring; stand round.

First Cit. Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.
Sec. Cit. Room for Antony ;-most noble Antony.
Ant. Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off.

Several Cit. Stand back! room! bear back!
Ant. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle: I remember

The first time ever Cæsar put it on ;

'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent ;

That day he overcame the Nervii :—

Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through :
See, what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And, as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar follow'd it,
As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no ;
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel :
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Cæsar lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all:

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitor's arms,
Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's statue,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.
Oh, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.
Oh, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.

Kind souls, what weep you, when you but behold
Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
First Cit. O piteous spectacle !

Sec. Cit. O noble Cæsar!
Third Cit. O woful day!
Fourth Cit. O traitors, villains!
First Cit. O most bloody sight!

Sec. Cit. We will be revenged.

All. Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay! Let not a traitor live!

Ant. Stay, countrymen.

First Cit. Peace there :-hear the noble Antony.

Sec. Cit. We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with

him.

Ant. Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honourable;

What private griefs they have, alas! I know not,

That made them do it; they are wise and honourable ;

And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.

I come not, friends, to steal 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 gave me public leave to speak of him :
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

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 !
Ant. Why, friends, you go to do you know not what :
Wherein hath Cæsar thus deserv'd your loves?
Alas, you know not-I must tell you then :-
You have forgot the will I told you of.

Cit. 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,

Το

every several man, seventy-five drachmas.

Sec. Cit. Most noble Cæsar !-we'll revenge his death.
Third Cit. O royal Cæsar !

Ant. Hear me with patience.
All. Peace, ho!

Ant. 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 Cæsar! When comes such another?
First Cit. 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.

Sec. Cit. Go, fetch fire.

Third Cit. Pluck down benches.

Fourth Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, anything.

[Exeunt Citizens with the body.

Ant. Now let it work! Mischief, thou art afoot.

Take thou what course thou wilt!

W. SHAKESPEARE.

THE DEATH OF JOHN KNOX.

SHORTLY after Knox's last sermon, a paralytic stroke pros trated his remaining strength; he became unable to read, and for a day or two his mind was wandering. He recovered his senses, but only to know that the end was not far off; and still thinking of his country, and of his country's present trials, he sent for the elders of the Kirk, to charge them for the last time to be constant.

On the 17th of November the elders of the congregation came to his bed to receive his final instructions. He went over the chief incidents of the last year with them..‘He had done his best to instruct them,' he said, 'and if at any time he had spoken hardly, it was not from passion or ill-will, but only to overcome their faults. Now that he was going away, he could but charge them to remain true to make no compromise with evil-especially to yield in nothing to the Castle-rather to fly with David to the mountains than remain at home in the company of the wicked.'

Two days later, the 19th, Morton came, and Ruthven and Glencairn; and to them he spoke at length, though what passed none ever knew. Afterwards some fine lady came 'to praise him,' to flatter him in a foolish way for the great things which he had done. 'Hush, hush!' he said; ‘flesh is ower proud, and needs no means to esteem the self.'

He was rapidly going. On the 23d he told the people who were about him that he had been meditating through the night on the troubles of the Kirk. He had been earnest in prayer with God for it. He had wrestled with Satan, and had prevailed. He repeated the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer, pausing after the first petition to say, 'Who can pronounce so holy words!' It was the day on which a fast had been appointed by the Convention for special meditation upon the massacre. After sermon, many eager persons came to his bed-side, and though his breath was