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Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height.-Now on, you nobleft English,
Whose blood is fetch'd from fathers of war-proof;
Fathers, that, like so many Alexanders,

Have in thefe parts from morn till even fought,
And fheath'd their fwords for lack of argument.-
Dishonour not your mothers; now atteft,

That thofe whom you called fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of groffer blood,

[men,

And teach them how to war. And you, good Yeo-
Whofe limbs were made in England, show us here
The metal of your pasture: let us swear

That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not:
For there is none of you fo mean and base,
That hath not noble luftre in your eyes.
I fee you ftand like grey-hounds in the flips,
Straining upon the ftart. The game's a-foot;
Follow your fpirit; and, upon this charge,
Cry, God for Harry, England, and St George!
XVIII. Speech of Henry V. before the Battle of Agin-
court, on the Earl of Westmoreland's wishing for more
men from England.

WHAT's he that wishes more men from England?
My cousin Westmoreland?—No, my fair cousin ;

If we are marked to die, we are enow

To do our country lofs; and, if to live,
The fewer men the greater share of honour.
No, no, my Lord-wifh not a man from England.

Rather proclaim it, Weftmoreland, throughout my hoft,
That he who hath no ftomach to this fight,
May ftraight depart: his paffport fhall be made;
And crowns for convoy, put into his purfe :
We would not die in that man's company.-
This day is called the feaft of Crifpian.
He that outlives this day and comes fafe home,
Will ftand a tip-toe, when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crifpian.
He that outlives this day, and fees old age,
Will, yearly, on the vigil, feaft his neighbours,
And fay-To-morrow is St Crifpian:

Then will he ftrip his fleeve, and fhew his fears.

Old

Old men forget, yet fhall not all forget,
But they'll remember with advantages

What feats they did that day. Then fhall 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 remember❜d.
This story fhall the good man teach his son:
And Crifpian's day fhall ne'er go by,

From this time to the ending of the world,
But we in it fhall be remember'd ;

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

And gentleman in England, now a-bed,

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

XIX. Soliloquy of Dick the Apprentice.

THUS far we run before the wind.An apothe cary !-make an apothecary of me !-What, cramp my genius over a peftle and mortar; or mew me up in a fhop with an alligator stuffed, and a beggarly account of empty boxes !-to be culling fimples, and conftantly adding to the bills of mortality!No! no! It will be much better to be pafted up in capitals, The part of Romeo by a young gentleman, who never appeared on any Stage before My ambition fires at the thoughtBut hold,-mayn't I run fome chance of failing in my attempt?hiffed-pelted-laughed at-not admitted into the Green-room ;-that will never do-down, bufy 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. colonel, is'nt he a charming creature? My lord, don't you like him of all things?-Makes love like an angel What an eye he has! -fine legs!

"Dear

-I fall certainly go to his benefit."- -Celestial founds! -And then I'll get in with all the painters, and have myfelf put up in every print-fhop-in the cha

racter

racter of Macbeth!" This is a forry fight." (Stands an attitude.) In the character of Richard, "Give me another horfe, bind up my wounds."-This will do rarelyAnd 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 fpouters are all met-little think they I'm in town-they'll be furprised to see me-off I go; and then for my affignation with my mafter Gargle's daughter

Limbs do your office, and fupport me well;
Bear me to her, then fail me if you can.

XX. Caffius inftigating Brutus to join the Confpiracy against Cafar.

HONOUR is the fubject of my story.—

I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but for my fingle felf,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of fuch a thing as I myself.

1 was born free as Cæfar; 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 gufty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with his fhores,
Cæfar fays to me, " Dar'if thou, Caffius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,

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

And bade him follow; fo indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lufty finews; throwing it afide,
And ftemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæfar cry'd, "Help me, Caffius, or I fink.'
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

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Did from the flames of Troy upon his fhoulder
The old Anchifes bear, fo, from the waves of Tiber,
Did I the tired Cæfar: and this man

Is now become a god; and Caffius is

A wretched creature, and muft bend his body
If Cæfar carelessly but nod on him.

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He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did fake: 'tis true; this god did fake:
His coward lips did from their colour fly;

And that fame eye, whofe bend doth awe the world,
Did lofe its luftre; I did hear him groan:

Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his fpeeches in their books,
"Alas!" it cry'd-" Give me fome drink, Titinius”-
As a fick 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 Cæfar! what should be in that Cæfar?
Why should that name be founded 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 foon as Cæfar.
Now, in the name of all the gods at once,
Upon what meats doth this our Cæfar feed,
That he has grown fo great? Age, thou art fham'd;
Rome, thou haft loft the breed of noble bloods.
When went there by an age, fince 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 encompafs'd but one man?
Oh! you and I have heard our fathers fay,
There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
Th' infernal devil to keep his ftate in Rome,
As eafily as a king.

XXI. Brutus's Harangue on the Death of Cafar. ROMANS, Countrymen, and Lovers!-hear me for my

caufe; and be filent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honour; and have refpect to mine honour, that you may believe. Cenfure me in your wifdom; and awake your fenfes, that you may the better judge.-If there be any in this affembly, any dear friend of Celar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's love to Cæfar was no less than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rofe guint Cæfar, this is my aufwer; Not that I loved Cæ

far

far lefs, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæfar were living, and die all faves; than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free-men ?-As Cæfar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I flew him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his ambition.-Who's here fo bafe, that would be a bondman? if any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who's here fer

rude, that would not be a Roman ? if any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who's here fo vile, that will not love his country? if any, speak; for him have I offended. I paufe for a reply

None! Then none have I offended.-I have done no more to Cæfar than you fhall do to Brutus. The queftion of his death is enrolled in the capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he luffered death.

Here comes his body, mourn'd by Mark Antony; who, though he had no hand in his death, fhall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth ; as which of you fhall not?-With this I depart-that as Iflew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame dagger for myself, when it fhall pleafe my country to need my death.

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

FRIENDS, Romans, Countrymen,-lend me your ears.
I come to bury Cæfar, 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 Cæfar!-Noble Brutus
Hath told you Cæfar was ambitious.
If it were fo, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæfar anfwer'd it.-
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honourable man,
So are they all, all honourable men),
Come I to speak in Cæfar's funeral.-
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus fays he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

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