Cas. I did not: he was but a fool
That brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart.
A friend should bear a friend's infirmities;
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. Bru. I do not, till you practice them on me. Cas. You love me not.
Bru. I do not like your faults.
Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus.
Cas. Come Antony! and young Octavius, come! Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius :
For Cassius is a-weary of the world :
Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother; Checked like a bondman; all his faults observed, Set in a note book, learned and conned, by rote, To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep My spirit from mine eyes?-There is my dagger, And here my naked breast-within, a heart Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold; If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth. I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart. Strike as thou didst at Cæsar; for I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.
Bru. Sheath your dagger:
Be angry when you will, it shall have scope : Do what you will, dishonor shall be humor. O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb, That carries anger as the flint bears fire; Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark, And strait is cold again.
Cas. Hath Cassius lived
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, When grief and blood ill-tempered vexeth him?
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-tempered too.
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand. Bru. And my heart too.
Cas. O Brutus !
Bru. What's the matter?
Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me When that rash humor which my mother gave me, Makes me forgetful?
Bru. Yes, Cassius; and henceforth,
When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.
CORIOLANUS AND AUFIDIUS.-Shakspeare.
Auf. Where is this fellow?
Whence comest thou? what would'st thou? Thy name? Why speak'st not? Speak man: what's thy name? Cor. If Tullus
Not yet thou know'st me, and seeing me, dost not Think me for the man I am, necessity
Commands me name myself.
Cor. A name unmusical to the Volscian's ears, And harsh in sound to thine.
Auf. Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face
Bears a command in it; though thy tackle's torn, Thou shew'st a noble vessel: What's thy name?
Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown: know'st thou me yet? Auf. I know thee not:-thy name?
Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done To thee particularly, and to all the Volces, Great hurt and mischief; whereto witness may My surname, Coriolanus: The painful service, The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood Shed for my thankless country, are requited
But with that surname; a good memory, And witness of the malice and displeasure
Which thou should'st bear me: only that name remains; The cruelty and envy of the people,
Permitted by our dastard nobles, who
Have all forsook me, hath devoured the rest; And suffered me by the voice of slaves to be Whoop'd out of Rome. Now, this extremity Hath brought me to thy hearth; not out of hope, Mistake me not, to save my life; for if
I had fear'd death, of all men i' the world I would have 'voided thee: but in mere spite, To be full quit of those my banishers,
Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast A heart of wreak in thee, that will revenge
Thine own particular wrongs, and stop these maims Of shame seen through the country, speed thee straight, And make my misery serve thy turn; so use it, That my revengeful services may prove
As benefits to thee; for I will fight
Against my canker'd country with the spleen
Of all the under fiends. But if so be
Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes Thou art tired, then, in a word, I am also Longer to live most weary, and present
My throat to thee, and to thy ancient malice Which not to cut, would show thee but a fool; Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate, Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,
And cannot live but to thy shame, unless
It be to do thee service.
Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter
Should from yon cloud speak divine things, and say,
'Tis true; I'd not believe them more than thee,
Mine arms about that body, where against
My grained ash a hundred times hath broke, And scarred the moon with splinters! Here I clip The anvil of my sword; and do contest
As hotly and as nobly with thy love, As ever in ambitious strength I did
Contend against thy valor. Know thou first,' I loved the maid I married; never man Sigh'd truer breath: but that I see thee here, Thou noble thing! more dances my wrapt heart, Than when I first my wedded mistress saw Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars! I tell thee, We have a power on foot; and I had purpose Once more to hew thy target froin thy brawn, Or lose mine arm for it: Thou hast beat me out Twelve several times, and I have nightly since Dream'd of encounters 'twixt thyself and me; We have been down together in my sleep, Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat, And waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Marcius, Had we no quarrel else to Rome but that Thou art thence banish'd, we would muster all From twelve to seventy; and pouring war Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome, Like a bold flood o'erbeat. O come, go in, And take our friendly Senators by the hands; Who now are here, taking their leaves of me, Who am prepared against your territories, Though not for Rome itself.
Auf. Therefore, most absolute Sir, if thou wilt have The leading of thine own revenges, take
The one half of my commission; and set down,
As best thou art experienced, since thou know'st
Thy country's strength and weakness,-thine own ways: Whether to knock against the gates of Rome; Or rudely visit them in parts remote,
To fright them, ere destroy. But come in: Let me commend thee first to those, that shall
Say, yea, to thy desires. A thousand welcomes! A more a friend than e'er an enemy;
Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand! Most welcome!
CARDINAL WOOLSEY AND CROMWELL.—, Shakspeare.
Wol. (alone.) Farewell, a long farewell to all my greatness!
This is the state of man;-to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope, to morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And when he thinks, good easy man, full surely, His greatness is a ripening, nips his shoot, And then he falls-as I do. I have ventured Like little wanton boys, that swim on bladders, These many summers in a sea of glory, But far beyond my depth; my high-blown pride At length broke under me, and now has left me, Weary and old with service, to the mercy Of a rude stream, that must forever hide me. Vain pomp and glory of the world, I hate ye. I feel my heart new opened. O, how wretched Is that poor man who hangs on princes' favor! There is betwixt that smile he would aspire to, That sweet aspect of princes, and his ruin, More pangs and fears than war or women have; And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
Why how now, Cromwell?
Crom. I have no power to speak, sir.
Wol. What! amazed at my misfortunes? Can thy
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