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The torrent roared, and we did buffet it
With lufty finews; throwing it afide,
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propofed,
Cæfar cried, 66
Help me, Caffius, or I fink."
1, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

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 must bend his body,
If Cæfar carelefly 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 colour fly,

And that fame eye, whose 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 speeches in their books,
Alas! it cried---" give me some drink, Titinius"-
As a fick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of fuch a feeble temper should
So get the ftart of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone!

Bru. Another general shout!

[Shout. Flourisha

I do believe that thefe applaufes are

For fome new honours that are heaped on Cæfar.
Caf. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Coloffus; and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves difhonourable graves.

Men at fome times are mafters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Brutus and Cæfar! what fhould 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 fpirit as foon as Cæfar.
Now in the name of all the Gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæfar feed,
That he is grown fo great? Age, thou art fhamed
Rome, thou haft loft the brood of noble bloods.
When went there by an age, fince the great flood,
But it was famed with more than with one man?
When could they fay, till now, that talked of Rome,
That her wide walls encompaffed but one man?
Now is it Rome, indeed; and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.

Oh! you

and I have heard our fathers fay, There was a Brutus once, that would have brooked Th' eternal devil to keep his state in Rome, As eafily as a King.

Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous:
What you would work me to, I have fome aim;
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I fhall recount hereafter: for this present,
I would not (fo with love I might entreat you)
Be any further moved. What you have faid,
I will confider; what you have to fay,

I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear, and anfwer fuch high things"
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this;
Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a fon of Rome

Under fuch hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us.

Caf. I am glad that my weak words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus

Enter CESAR and his Train.

Bru. The Games are done, and Cæfar is returning..
Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the fleeve,
And he will, after his four fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.

Bru. I will do fo; but look you, Caffius,-
The angry fpot doth glow on Cæfar's brow,
And all the reft look like a chidden train.
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being cross'd in conference by fome Senators.
Caf. Cafca will tell us what the matter is.
Caf. Antonius,-

Ant. Cæfar?

Caf. Let me have men about me that are fat, Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep a-nights: Yond Caffius has a lean and hungry look, He thinks too much; fuch men are dangerous. Ant. Fear him not, Cæfar, he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Caf. Would he were fatter; but I fear him not Yet if my name were liable to fear,

I do not know the man I fhould avoid,.

So foon as that fpare Caffius. He reads much;
He is a great observer; and he looks.

Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no Plays,
As thou doft, Antony; he hears no music: (5)

(5) ——————he bears no music :] This is not a trivial obfer vation, nor does our Poet mean barely by it, that Caffius was not a merry, fprightly man; but that he had not a due temperament of harmony in his compofition; and that therefore natures, fo uncorrected, are dangerous. He has finely dilated on this fentiment in his Merchant of Venice, act fifth;

Seldom he smiles; and fmiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mocked himself, and scorned his fpirit,
That could be moved to fmile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whilft they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be feared,
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæfar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou thinkest of him.
[Exeunt Cæfar and his Train.

Manent BRUTUS and CASSIUS: CASCA, to them... Cafca. You pulled me by the cloak; would you fpeak with me?

Bru. Ay, Cafca, tell us what hath chanced to-day, That Cæfar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I fhould not then afk Cafca what had chanced.

Cafca. Why, there was a crown offered him; and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand thus, and then the people fell a fhouting. Bru. What was the fecond noise for? Cafea. Why, for that too.

for

Caf. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry

Cafea. Why, for that too.

Bru Was the crown offered him thrice?
Cafca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice,

The man that hath no mufte in himself,

And is not moved with concord of fweet founde,
Is fit for treafons, ftratagems, and fpoils;

The motions of his fpirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus;

Let no fuch man be trusted.

every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honeft neighbours fhouted.

Gaf. Who offered him the crown ?
Cafca. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafca. Cafca. I can as well be hanged as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I faw Mark Antony offer him a crown; yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of thefe coronets ; and, as I told you, he put it by once; but for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him again: then he put it by again; but, to my thinking, he was very loth to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by; and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped their chop'd hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps, and uttered fuch a deal of stinking breath, because Cæfar refused the crown, that it had almoft choaked Cæfar; for he fwooned, and fell down at it: and for mine own part, I durft not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air.

Caf. But, foft, I pray you; what, did Cæfar fwoon!

Cafea. He fell down in the market place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechlefs..

Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling-fickness. Caf. No, Cæfar hath it not; but you and I, And honeft Cafca, we have the falling-ficknefs.

Cafca. I know not what you mean by that; but I am fure Cæfar fell down: if the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleafed, and difpleafed them, as they ufed to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Bru. What faid he when he came unto himself? Cafea. Marry, before he fell down, when he per

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