Than what I fear, for always I am Cafar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly, what thou think'ft of him.

[Exeunt Cæfar and his Train.

Manent Brutus, Caffius, and Cafca.

Cafe. You puli'd me by the cloak, would you speak with me?

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

Cafc. Why, you were with him, were you not?

Bru. I fhould not then ask Cafea what had chanc'd. Cafe. 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 fhouting.

Bru. What was the fecond noise for?

Cafe. Why, for that too.

Caf. They fhouted thrice: what was the laft cry for? Cafe. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?

Cafe. Ay marry was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honeft neighbours fhouted.

Caf. Who offer'd him the crown?

Cafe. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafca.

Caf. I can as well be hang'd as tell the manner of it: it was meer 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 ftill as he refus'd

it,

it, the rabblement 'fhouted, and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps, and utter'd such a deal of stinking breath, becaufe Cafar refus'd 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? Cafe. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was fpeechless.

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

Cafe. I know not what you mean by that; but I am fure Cafar fell down: If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleas'd, and difpleas'd them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no

true man.

Bru. What faid he, when he came unto himself?

Cafe. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd the crown, he pluckt me ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut: If I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at his word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues; and fo he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, If he had done, or faid any thing amifs, he defir'd their Worfhips to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches where I ftood, cry'd, Alas, good foul -and forgave him with all their hearts: but there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cæfar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no lefs. Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away.

Cafc. Nay, if I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' th'

VOL. V.

5 houted,

face again. But thofe that understood him, fmil'd at one another, and fhook their heads; but for mine own part it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling fcarfs off Cafar's Images, are put to filence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Caf. Will you fup with me to night, Cafca?
Cafe. No, I am promis'd forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

Cafc. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner be worth the eating.

Caf. Good, I will expect you.

Cafe. Do fo: farewel both.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!

He was quick mettle, when he went to school.
Caf. So is he now, in execution

Of any bold or noble enterprize,
However he puts on this tardy form:
This rudeness is a fawce to his good wit,
Which gives men ftomach to digeft his words
With better appetites.

[Exit.

Bru. And fo 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 to me, and I will wait for you.
Caf. I will do fo: 'till then, think of the world.
[Exit Brutus.

Well, Brutus, thou art noble: yet I fee
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From 'that it is difpos'd, therefore 'tis meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes:
For who fo firm, that cannot be feduc'd?
Cafar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,
'Cafar fhould not love me. I will this night,
In feveral hands, in at his windows throw,

As if they came from feveral citizens,

Writings,

Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name: wherein obfcurely
Cæfar's ambition fhall be glanced at.

And after this, let Cefar feat him fure,

For we will shake him, or worfe days endure.

[Exit.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Cafca, his fword drawn,

Cic.

G

and Cicero.

Ood even, Cafca; brought you Cafar home? Why are you breathlefs, and why stare you fo? Cafc. Are not you mov'd, when all the fway of earth Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero !

I have seen tempefts, when the fcolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks, and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threatning clouds:
But never 'till to-night, never 'till now,
Did I go through a tempeft dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in heav'n,

Or elfe the world, too faucy with the Gods,
Incenses them to fend destruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Cafe. A common flave, you know him well by fight,
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn,
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not fenfible of fire, remain'd unfcorch'd.
Befides, (I ha' not fince put up my fword)
Against the Capitol I met a lion,

Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by,
Without annoying me.

And there were drawn

Upon a heap, a hundred ghaftly women

Transformed with their fear, who fwore they faw
Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.

And yesterday, the bird of night did fit,

O 2

Even

Even at noon-day, upon the market-place,
Houting and fhrieking. When thefe prodigies
Do fo conjointly meet, let not men fay,
Thefe are their reafons, they are natural:
For I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed, it is a ftrange-difpofed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fafhion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Cæfar to the Capitol to-morrow?
Cafc. He doth: for he did bid Antonius

Send word to you, he would be there to-morrow.
Cic. Good-night then, Cafca; this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.

Cafe. Farewel, Cicero.

[Exit Cicero.

VII.

Enter Caffius.

SCENE.

Caf. Who's there?

Cafe. A Roman.

Caf Cafca, by your voice.

Cafe. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is this? Caf. A very pleafing night to honeft men.

Cafe. Who ever knew the heavens menace fo?

Caf. Thofe that have known the earth fo full of faults.

For my part I have walk'd about the streets,

Submitting me unto the perilous night;

And thus unbraced, Cafca, as you fee,

Have bar'd my bofom to the thunder-stone :

And when the crofs blue lightning feem'd to open
The breast of heav'n, I did present my felf

Ev'n in the aim and very flash of it.

Cafe. But wherefore did you fo much tempt the heav'ns?

It is the part of men to fear and tremble,

When the most mighty Gods, by tokens, fend
Such dreadful heralds to aftonish us.

Caf. You are dull, Cafca; and thofe fparks of life

That