Be hung with Cæsar's trophies. I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets:
So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
These growing feathers pluck'd from Cæsar's wing,
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch;
Who else would soar above the view of men,
And keep us all in servile fearfulness.
SCENE II.-The same. A public place. Enter,
in procession, with music, Cæsar; Antony, for
the course: Calphurnia, Portia, Decius, Cicero,
Brutus, Cassius, and Casca, a great crowd follow-
ing, among them a Soothsayer.
Cas. Calphurnia,—
But let not therefore my good friends be griev'd;
(Among which number, Cassius, be you one ;)
Nor construe any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shows of love to other men.
Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your
passion,
By means whereof, this breast of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?
Bru. No, Cassius: for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things.
And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors, as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
Peace, ho! Cæsar speaks. Where many of the best respect in Rome,
[Music ceases. (Except immortal Cæsar,) speaking of Brutus,
Calphurnia,And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
Cas. Stand you directly in Antonius' way,
When he doth run his course.'-Antonius.
Ant. Cæsar, my lord.
Cas. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,
To touch Calphurnia: for our elders say,
The barren, touched in this holy chase,
Shake off their steril curse.
I shall remember:
Ant.
When Cæsar says, Do this, it is perform'd.
Cas. Set on; and leave no ceremony out.
Sooth. Cæsar.
Cas. Ha! who calls?
Casca. Bid every noise be still:-Peace yet again.
[Music ceases.
Cas. Who is it in the press,2 that calls on me?
I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
Cry, Cæsar: Speak; Cæsar is turn'd to hear.
Sooth. Beware the ides of March.
Cæs.
What man is that?
Bru. A soothsayer, bids you beware the ides of
March.
Cas. Set him before me, let me see his face.
Cas. Fellow, come from the throng: Look upon
Cæsar.
Cas. What say'st thou to me now? Speak once
again.
Sooth. Beware the ides of March.
Cas. He is a dreamer; let us leave him ;-pass.
[Sennet. Exeunt all but Bru. and Cas.
Cas. Will you go see the order of the course?
Bru. Not I.
Bru. Into what dangers would you lead me,
Cassius,
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?
Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear;
And, since you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modestly discover to yourself
That of yourself which you yet know not of th
And be not jealous of me, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale' with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal thein; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous,
[Flourish and shout.
Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the
people
Choose Cæsar for their king.
Ay, do you fear it?
Then must I think you would not have it so.
Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well:-
But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye, and death i'the other,
And I will look on both indifferently:
For, let the gods so speed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.
Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Weli, honour is the subject of my story.-
Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;
I'll leave you.
Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness,
And show of love, as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.
Be not deceiv'd if I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am,
Of late with passions of some difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself,
Which give some soil, perhaps to my behaviours:
(1) A ceremony observed at the feast of Luper-
calia.
(3) Flourish of instruments.
I cannot tell, what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Cæsar; so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he.
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tyber chafing with her shores,
Cæsar said to me, Dar'st thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point? Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
And bade him follow; so, indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews; throwing it aside
(4) The nature of your feelings.
(5) Allure. (6) Windy.
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæsar cry', Help me, Cassius, or 1 sink.
I, as Encas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Cæsar: And this man
Is now become a god; and Cassius is
A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cassar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And, when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake:
His coward lips did from their colour fly;
And that same eye, whose bond doth awe the world,
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cried, Give me some drink, Titinius,
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper1 should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone."
Bru. Another general shout!
I do believe, that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar.
Cas. Why man, he doth bestride the narrow
world,
Like a Colossus; and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus, and Cæsar: What should be in that
Cæsar?
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 Cæsar. [Shout.
Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd:
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fani'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walks encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and roem enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus2 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;
What you would work me to, I have some aim;3
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any further mov'd. What you have said,
I will consider; what you have to say,
I will with patience hear: and find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this;
Brutus had rather be a villager,
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.
Cas. I am glad, that my weak words
Re-enter Cæsar, and his train.'
Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning.
Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;
And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day.
bru. I will do so:-But, look you, Cassius,
The angry spot doth glow on Casar's brow,
And all the rest look like a chidden train:
Calphurnia's check is pale; and Cicero
Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being cross'd in conference by some senators.
Cas. Casca will tell us what the matter is.
Cas. Antonius.
Cas. 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, Cæsar, he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given.
Cas. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear,
I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;
Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
He is a great observer, and he looks
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music:
Seldom he siniles; and smiles in such a sort,
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,
Than what I fear, for always I am Cæsar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
[Exeunt Cæsar and his train. Casca stays
Casca. You pulled me by the cloak; Would you speak with me?
Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar 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 fell a shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for ? Casca. Why, for that too.
Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the 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 the other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offer'd him the crown? Casca. 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
Have struck but this much show of fire from Brutus. it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loath
(1) Temperament, constitution.
(2) Lucius Junius Brutus. (3) Guess.
(5) A ferret has red eyes.
to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see,
third time; he put it the third time by: and still as Thy honourable metal may be wrought
he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped From that it is dispos'd: Therefore 'tis meet
their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty That noble minds keep ever with their likes:
night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking For who so firm, that cannot be seduc'd?q?n
breath, because Casar refused the crown, that it Cæsar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus:
had almost choked Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not He should not humour me. I will this night, H
As if they came from several citizens,
laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the In several hands, in at his windows throw, cha
bad air.
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely
Writings all tending to the great opinion
And, after this, let Cæsar seat him sure;ị ti
Cæsar's ambition shall be glanced at:
A street. Thunder
For we will shake him, or worse days endure. [Ex.
SCENE III-The same."
and lightning. Enter, from opposite sides,
Casca, with his sword drawn, and Cicero.
Cic. Good even, Casca: Brought you Cæsar
home ?"
Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? did Cæsar swoon?
Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless.
Bru. Tis very like: he hath the falling-sickness. Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness.
Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag 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 per-
ceiv'd the common herd was glad he refused the
he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered I
them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any
occupation, 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 Casar
had stabbed their mothers, they would have done
no less.
Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away?
Casca. Av.
Cas. Did Cicero say any thing?
Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek.
Cas. To what effect?
Casca. 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 Casar's images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if could remember it.
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 the eating.
Cas. Good; I will expect you.
Casca. Do so: Farewell, both.
Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be?
He was quick mettle, when he went to school.
Cas. So is he now, in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprise,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digest his words
With better appetite.
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.
(2) A mechanic.
(1) Honest.
31 Disposed to.
Why are you breathless? and why stare you so?
Casca. Are not you mov'd, when all the sway of
Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have seen
The ambitious ocean swell, and rage, and
To be exalted with the threat ning clouds: T
But never till to-night, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.dlf
Either there is a civil strife in heaven;
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Cic. Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?
Incenses them to send destruction.
Casca. A common slave (you know him well by
Held up his left hand, which did flame, and burn
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 a 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.
And, yesterday, the bird of night did sit,
Hooting, and shrieking. When these prodigies
Even at noon-day, upon the market-place,
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
These are their reasons,-They are natural;
For, I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.
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 Cæsar to the Capitol to-morrow?
Casca. He doth; for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you, he would be there to-morrow.
Cic. Good night then, Casca: this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.
Casca.
Farewell, Cicero. [Exit Cic.
Enter Cassius.
Casca, by your voice. Casca. Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this?
(4) Has an unfavourable opinion of me.
(5) Cajole. (6) Did you attend Cæsar home.
(7) Entirely.
Cas. A very pleasing night to honest men.
Casca. Who ever knew the heavens menace so?
Cas. Those, that I have known the earth so full of
faults.
For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night;
And, thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,
Have bar'd my bosom to the thunder-stone:
And, when the cross blue lightning seem'd to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire,
Begin it with wheat straws: What trash is Rome,
What rubbish, and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
So vile a thing as Cæsar? But, O grief!
Where hast thou led me? I, perhaps, speak this
Before a willing bondman: then I know
My answer must be made: But I am arm'd,
And dangers are to me indifferent.
Casca. You speak to Casca; and to such a man,
That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold my hand:
Casca. But wherefore did you so much tempt Be factious for redress of all these griefs;
It is the part of men to fear and tremble,
When the most mighty gods, by tokens, send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.
And I will set this foot of mine as far,
As who goes farthest.
There's a bargain made. Now know you, Casca, I have mov'd already
Cas. You are dull, Casca; and those sparks of Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans,
That should be in a Roman, you do want,
Or else you use not: You look pale, and gaze,
And put on fear, and cast yourself in wonder,
To see the strange impatience of the heavens :
But if you would consider the true cause,
Why all these fires, why ail these gliding ghosts,
Why birds, and beasts, from quality and kind;2
Why old men fools, and children calculate;
Why all these things change, from their ordi-
Their natures and pre-formed faculties,
To monstrous quality; why, you shall find,
That heaven hath infus'd them with these spirits,
To make them instruments of fear, and warning,
Unto some monstrous state. Now could I, Casca,
Name to thee a man most like this dreadful night:
That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
As doth the lion in the Capitol:
A man no mightier than thyself, or me,
In personal action; yet prodigious' grown,
And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.
Casca. 'Tis Cæsar that you mean: Is it not,
Cassius !
Cas. Let it be who it is: for Romans now
Have thewes and limbs like to their ancestors;
But wo the wile! 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-morrow
Mean to establish Cæsar as a king:
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:
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit ;
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny, that I do bear,
I can shake off at pleasure.
To undergo, with me, an enterprise
Of honourable-dangerous consequence;
And I do know, by this, they stay for me
In Pompey's porch for now, this fearful night,
There is no stir, or walking in the streets;
And the complexion of the element
Is favour'd, like the work we have in hand,
Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
Casca. Stand close a while, for here comes one
in haste.
Cas. 'Tis Cinna, I do know him by his gait;'
He is a friend.-Cinna, where haste you so?
Cin. To find out you: Who's that? Metellus
Cimber?
Cas. No, it is Casca; one incorporate
To our attempts. Am I not staid for, Cinna?
Cin. I am glad on't. What a fearful night is this?
There's two or three of us have seen strange
sights.
Cas. Am I not staid for, Cinna? Tell me.
Cin.
You are O Cassius, If you could but win
The noble Brutus to our party-
Cas. Be you content: Good Cinna, take this
paper,
And look you lay it in the prætor's chair,
Where Brutus may but find it; and throw this
In at his window: set this up with wax
Upon old Brutus' statue: all this done,
Repair to Pompey's porch, where you shall 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
|