Bru. What now, Lucilius? is Caffius near? Luc. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come To do you falutation from his master.

Bru. He greets me well. Your mafter, Pindarus,
In his own 7'charge, or by ill officers,
Hath given me fome worthy cause to wish
Things done, undone; but if he be at hand,
I fhall be fatisfied.

Pin. I do not doubt

But that my noble mafter will appear

Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

Bru. He is not doubted. 'Hear, a word, Lucilius

How he receiv'd you let me be refolv'd.

Luc. With courtefie, and with refpect enough,

But not with fuch familiar inftances,

Nor with fuch free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.

Bru. Thou haft defcrib'd

A hot friend, cooling; ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to ficken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and fimple faith:
But hollow men, like horfes hot at hand,
Make gallant fhew and promife of their mettle,
But when they should endure the bloody fpur,
They fall their creft, and like deceitful jades
Sink in the tryal. Comes his army on?

Luc. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd; The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Caffius.

[Low march within.

Enter Caffius and Soldiers.

Bru. Hark, he is arriv'd;

March gently on to meet him.

Caf. Stand, ho!

Bru. Stand, ho! speak the word along.

Within.

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Caf. Most noble brother! you have done me wrong. Bru. Judge me, you Gods! wrong I mine enemies? And if not fo, how fhould I wrong a brother?

Caf. Brutus, this fober form of yours hides wrongs, And when you do them

Bru. Caffius, be content,

Speak your griefs foftly, I do know you well.
Before the eyes of both our armies here,

(Which fhould perceive nothing but love from us)
Let us not wrangle. Bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Caffius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

Caf. Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off
A little from this ground.

Bru. Lucilius, do the like, and let no man

Come to our tent, 'till we have done our conference.

Let Lucius and Titinius guard the door.

[Exeunt.

Caf. That you have wrong'd me, doth appear in this,

You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,

For taking bribes here of the Sardians;

Wherein my letter (praying on his fide

Because I knew the man) was flighted of.

Bru. You wrong'd your felf to write in fuch a cafe.
Caf. In fuch a time as this, it is not meet

That ev'ry nice offence fhould bear its comment.
Bru. Yet let me tell you, Caffius, you your felf

Are

Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm,
To fell, and mart your offices for gold
To undefervers.

Caf. I an itching palm?

You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the Gods, this fpeech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Caffius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide its head.
Caf. Chaftifement!

Bru. Remember March, the Ides of March remember! Did not great Julius bleed for juftice fake? What villain touch'd his body, that did ftab, And not for juftice? what, fhall one of us, That ftruck the foremost man of all this world, But for fupporting robbers; fhall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes? And fell the mighty fpace of our large honours For fo much trafh, as may be grafped thus? I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, Than fuch a Roman.

Caf. Brutus, bait not me,

I'll not endure it; you forget your felf,
To hedge me in; I am a foldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than your self
To make conditions.

Bru. Go to; you are not, Caffius.
Caf. I am.

Bru. I fay, you are not.

Caf. Urge me no more, I fhall forget my felf. Have mind upon your health-tempt me no farther.

Bru. Away, flight man.

Caf. Is't poffible?

Bru. Hear me, for I will fpeak.

Muft I give way and room to your rafh choler?

Shall I be frighted, when a madman ftares?

Caf. O Gods! ye Gods! muft I endure all this?

Bru. All this! ay, more. Fret 'till your proud heart

Go fhew your flaves how cholerick you are,

[break; And

And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?
Muft I obferve you? muft I ftand and crouch
Under your testy humour? by the Gods,
You fhall digeft the venom of your spleen,
Tho' it do fplit you. For from this day forth,
I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.

Caf. Is it come to this?

;

Bru. You fay, you are a better foldier Let it appear fo; make your vaunting true, And it fhall pleafe me well.

For mine own part, I fhall be glad to learn of noble men.

Caf. You wrong me every way ---you wrong me, Brutus; I faid, an elder foldier, not a better.

Did I fay better?

I

Bru. If you did, I care not.

Caf, When Cafar liv'd he durft not thus have mov'd me. Bru. Peace, peace, you durft not fo have tempted him. Caf. I durft not!

Bru. No.

Caf. What? durft not tempt him!

Bru. For your life you durft not.

Caf. Do not prefume too much upon my love, may do that I fhall be forry for.

Bru. You have done that you should be forry for.

There is no terror, Caffius, in your threats;
For I am arm'd fo ftrong in honesty,

That they pafs by me, as the idle wind,

Which I refpect not. I did fend to you

For certain fums of gold, which you deny'd me;
For I can raise no money by vile means.

By
And drop my blood for drachma's, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash,
By any indirection. I did fend

heaven, I had rather coin my heart,

Το you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you denied me; was that done like Caffius?
Should I have anfwer'd Caius Caffius fo?

When

When Marcus Brutus grows fo covetous,
To lock fuch rafcal counters from his friends,
Be ready, Gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!

Caf. I deny'd you not.
Bru. You did.

Caf. I did not

he was but a fool

That brought my anfwer back---Brutus hath riv'd my heart. A friend fhould bear a friend's infirmities,

But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

Bru. I do not: 'will you practise that on me?`
Caf. You love me not.

Bru. I do not like your faults.

Caf. A friendly eye could never fee fuch faults. Bru. A flatt'rer's would not, tho' they do appear As huge as high Olympus.

Caf. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come! Revenge your felves alone on Caffius,

For Caffius is a weary of the world;

Hated by one he loves, brav'd by his brother,
Check'd like a bondman, all his faults obferv'd,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To caft into my teeth. OI could weep

My fpirit from mine eyes!
And here my naked breast

There is my dagger,
within, a heart

Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold;

If that thou beeft a Roman, take it forth.

I that deny'd thee gold, will give my heart;
Strike as thou didst at Cefar; for I know,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dft him better
Than ever thou lov'dft Caffius.

Bru. Sheath your dagger;

Be angry when you will, it fhall have scope;

Do what you will, difhonour thall be humour.
O Caffius, you are yoaked with a lamb,

That carries anger as the flint bears fire,

VOL. V.

R

/Which

9 till you practice them on me. .... old edit Warb, emend. Still

you &c.