I had as lief not be, as live to be I was born free as Cesar; so were you: Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder 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 Write them together, yours is as fair a name; [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, Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing [aim;t 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; Than to repute himself a son of Rome Cas. I am glad, that my weak words Re-enter CESAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cesar is returning. Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca, by the And he will after his sour fashion, tell you The angry spot doth glow on Cesar's brow, Ant. Cesar. Ces. Let me have men about me that are Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o'nights: Lons; I do not know the man I should avoid As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music: you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd 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 fell a' shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Ay. Cas. Did Cicero say any thing? Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek. Cas. To what effect? 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? 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 common 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 I might go to hell among the rogues:-and so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, If he had done, 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; if Cesar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away? Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca? Casca. No, I am promised forth. Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow? Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth eating. Cas. Good: I will expect you. Casca. Do so: Farewell, both. [Exit CASCA. Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be? 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, Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see, If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius, Cesar's ambition shall be glanced at: SCENE III.-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 world, bo 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 them selves. 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-mor Mean 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: So every bondman in his own hand bears Cas. And why should Cesar be a tyrant That is no fleering tell-tale. Holds my hand: Cas. There's a bargain made. 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 You have right well conceited. Let us go, ACT II. [Exeunt. SCENE 1.-The same.-BRUTUS' Orchard. Enter BRUTus. Bru. What, Lucius! ho! I cannot, by the progress of the stars, Remorse from power: And, to speak truth of That lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Will bear no colour for the thing he is, And kill him in the shell. Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. The taper burneth in your closet, Sir. Searching the window for a flint, I found This paper, thus seal'd up; and, I am sure, It did not lie there, when I went to bed. Bru. Get you to bed again, it is not day. Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March? Late. I know not, Sir. Bru. Look in the calendar, and bring me word. Luc. I will, Sir, [Exit. Bru. The exhalations, whizzing in the air, Give so much light, that I may read by them. [Opens the Letter, and reads. Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake, and see thyself. Shall Rome, &c. Speak, strike, redress! Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake. Such instigations have been often dropp'd Shall Rome, &c. Thus, must I piece it out; 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 And half their faces buried in their cloaks, [Exit LUCIUS. 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? Cas. Shall I entreat a word? [They whisper. Dec. Here lies the east: Doth not the day break here? Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous,' Old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear 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 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,- And that were much he should; for he is given * Cautious. Malice. |