I had as lief not be, as live to be I was born free as Cesar; so were you: sink. Did I the tired Cesar: And this man His coward lips did from their colour fly; mans Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan: I do believe, that these applauses are Like a Colossus; and we petty men 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 them, Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cesar. [Shout. Now in the names of all the gods at once, Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome, As easily as a king. Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; [aim;* What you would work me to, I have some How I have thought of this, and of these times, I shall recount hereafter; for this present, Till then, my noble friend, chew‡ upon this; Cas. I am glad, that my weak words Re-enter CESAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cesar is returning. Cus. As they pass by, pluck Casca, by the sleeve; And he will after his sour fashion, tell you Bru. I will do so:-But, look you, Cassius, Ant. Cesar. Ces. Let me have men about me that are fat; Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o'nights: Yond' Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. Ant. Fear him not, Cesar, he's not dangerHe is a noble Roman, and well given. [ous, Ces. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear, As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music: Cusca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cesar looks so sad. Casca. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what hath chanc'd. Casca. Why, there was a crown offer'd him: and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people jell a' shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for? Cusca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i'the face again: But those, that understood him, smiled at one another, and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cesar's images, are put to silence. Fare you Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it. last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offered him the crown? Cusca. Why, Antony. Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery. I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown; yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these 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 loath 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 chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Cesar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cesar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air. Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? did Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like: he hath the falling-sick ness. Cas. No, Cesar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling-sick ness. Casca. I know nor what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cesar fell down. If the tagrag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleased, and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true* man. Bru. What said he, when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the coinmon herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any occupation,t if I would not have taken him at a word, I would 1 might go to hell among the rogues:-and so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, If he had Jone, or said, any thing amiss, he desired their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cried, Alas, good soul!-and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them; it Cesar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away? He was quick mettle, when he went to school. Bru. And so it is. For this time I will leave you: To-morrow if you please to speak with me, I will come home to you; or, if you will, Come home with me, and I will wait for you. Cas. I will do so:-till then, think of the world. [Exit BRUTUS. Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see, Thy honourable metal may be wrought From that it is dispos'd: Therefore 'tis meet That noble minds keep ever with their likes: For who so firm, that cannot be seduc'd? Cesar doth bear me hard;t but he loves Brutus: If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius, Cesar's ambition shall be glanced at: SCENE 111.-The same.-A Street. Thunder and Lightning. Enter, from opposite sides, CASCA, with his sword drawn, and CICERO. Cic. Good even, Casca: Brought you Cesar home? Why are you breathless? and why stare you so? Casca. Are you not mov'd, when all the sway of earth Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero, * Disposed to. Has an unfavourable opinion of me. Or else the worla, oo saucy with the gods, Incenses them to send destruction. Cic. Why, saw you any thing more wonderful? Casca. A common slave (you know him well by sight,) [burn Held up his left hand, which did flame, and Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand, Not sensible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd. Besides, (I have not since put up my sword,) Against the Capitol I met à lion, Who glar'd upon me, and went surly by, Without annoying me: And there were drawn Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women, Transformed with their fear; who swore they saw Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets. Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time: But men may construe things after their fashion, Clean from the purpose of the things themselves. Comes Cesar to the Capitol to-morrow? Casca. He doth ; for he did bid Antonius Send word to you, he would be there to-mor It is the part of men to fear and tremble, When the most mighty gods, by tokens, send Such dreadful heralds to astonish us. Cas. You are dull, Casca; and those sparks of life That should be in a Roman, you do want, Why birds, and beasts, from quality and kind; To monstrous quality; why, you shall find, A man no mightier than thyself, or me, Cas. Let it be who it is: for Romans now Have thewest and limbs like to their ancestors; But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead, And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits; Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish. Casca. Indeed, they say, the senators to-morMean to establish Cesar as a king: [row And he shall wear his crown by sea, and land, In every place, save here in Italy. Cas. I know where I will wear this dagger then; Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius : Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong; Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat: If I know this, know all the world besides, Casca. So can I That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold my hand: Cas. There's a bargain made. Is favour'd, like the work we have in hand, Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible. * Portentous. + Muscles. Here's my hand. Activa. + Deer. Resembles. find us. Is Decius Brutus, and Trebonius, there? Cin. All but Metellus Cimber; and he's gone To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie, And so bestow these papers as you bade me. Cas. That done, repair to Pompey's theatre. [Exit CINNA. Come, Casca, you and I will, yet, ere day, See Brutus at his house: three parts of him Is ours already; and the man entire, Upon the next encounter, yields him ours. Casca. O, he sits high, in all the people's hearts: And that, which would appear offence in us, Cas. Him, and his worth, and our great need of him, You have right well conceited. Let us go, ACT II. [Exeunt. proof,+ Remorse from power: And, to speak truth of Will bear no colour for the thing he is, And kill him in the shell. Re-enter LUCIUS. Searching the window for a flint, I found Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March? Bru. Look in the calendar, and bring me [Exit. Bru. The exhalations, whizzing in the air, Give so much light, that I may read by them. Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake, and see thyself. [Opens the Letter, and reads, Shall Rome, &c. Speak, strike, redress! Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake. Such instigations have been often dropp'd Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What! Rome? My ancestors did from the streets of Rome If the redress will follow, thou receivest Re-enter Lucius. Luc. Sir, March is wasted fourteen days. [Knock within. Bru. 'Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks. [Exit LUCIUS. Since Cassius first did whet me against Cesar, I have not slept. Between the acting of a dreadful thing The nature of an insurrection. Re-enter LUCIUS. And half their faces buried in their cloaks, Enter CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, CINNA, METELLUS CIMBER, and TREBONIUS. Cas. I think we are too bold upon your rest: Good morrow, Brutus; Do we trouble you? Bru. I have been up this hour; awake, all night. Know I these men, that come along with you? Cas. Yes, every man of them; and no man here, But honours you: and every one doth wish, You had but that opinion of yourself, Which every noble Roman bears of you. This is Trebonius. Bru. He is welcome hither. Cas. This Decius Brutus. Bru. He is welcome too. Cus. This, Casca; this, Cinna; And this, Metellus Cimber. Bru. They are all welcome. What watchful cares do interpose themselves Betwixt your eyes and night? Dec. Here lies the east: Doth not the day Cas. Shall I entreat a word? [They whisper. break here? Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous,* Old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes wear Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain The even virtue of our enterprise, Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits, To think, that, or our cause, or our performance, Did need an oath; when every drop of blood, If he do break the smallest particle I him? think, he will stand very strong with us. Casca. Let us not leave him out. Cin. No, by no means. Met. O let us have him; for his silver hairs Will purchase us a good opinion,† And buy men's voices to commend our deeds: It shall be said, his judgement rul'd our hands; Our youths, and wildness, shall no whit apBut all be buried in his gravity. [pear, Bru. O, name him not; let us not breaki with him; For he will never follow any thing Cas. Then leave him out. Casca. Indeed, he is not fit. Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cesar? Cas. Decius, well urg'd:-I think it is not meet, Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cesar, Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs; Let us be sacrificers, but no butchers, Caius. Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds: And let our hearts, as subtle masters do make Our purpose necessary, and not envious: Cas. Yet I do fear him: For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cesar,Bru. Alas, good Cassius, do not think of If he love Cesar, all that he can do [him: Is to himself; take thought, and die for Cesar: And that were much he should; for he is given To sports, to wildness, and much company. Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die |