Caf. I am glad that my weak words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus. Enter Cæfar and his Train.

Bru. The Games are done, and Cæfar is returning.
Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the fleeve,
And he will, after his four fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.

Bru. I will do fo; but look you, Caffius,
The angry spot doth glow on Cafar's brow,
And all the reft look like a chidden train.
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret, and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being croft in conf'rence by fome Senators.
Caf. Cafea will tell us what the matter is.
Caf. Antonius,

Ant. Cafar?

Caf. Let me have men about me that are fat,
Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep a-nights:
Yond Caffus has a lean and hungry look,
He thinks too much; fuch men are dangerous.
Ant. Fear him not, Cafar, he's not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Caf. Would he were fatter; but I fear him not;
Yet if my name were liable to fear,

I do not know the man I fhould avoid,

So foon as that fpare Caffius. He reads much;
He is a great obferver; and he looks

Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no Plays,
As thou doft, Antony; he hears no mufick: (5)

(5) -be bears no Mufick:] This is not a trivial obfervation, nor does our poet mean barely by it, that Caffius was not a merry, fprightly man; but that he had not a due temperament of harmony in his compofition; and that therefore natures, fo uncor rected, are dangerous. He has finely dilated on this fentiment in his Merchant of Venice, Aa 5.

The man, that hath no Mafick in himself,

And is not mov'd with concord of fweet founds,
Is fit for treasons, ftratagems, and spoils
The motions of his fpirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus ;

Let no fuch man be trufted.

Seldom

Seldom he fmiles; and fmiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mock'd himself, and fcorn'd his fpirit,
That could be mov'd to fmile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whilft 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 Cæfar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly, what thou think'st of him.

[Exeunt Cæfar and his Train.
Manent Brutus and Caffius: Casca, to them.
Cafca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak
with me?

Bru Ay, Cafea, tell us what hath chanc'd to day, That Cafar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I fhould not then afk Cafca what had chanc'd. Cafea. 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 ?

Cafca. Why, for that too.

Caf: They shouted thrice: what was the laft cry for?-
Cafea Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the Crown offer'd him thrice?

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

Caf. Who offer'd him the Crown?
Gafca. Why, Antony.

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

Cafca. 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 offer'd 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 offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by; and ftill as he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps; and uttered fuch a deal of ftinking breath, because Cæfar refus'd the Crown, that it had almost 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? Cafea. He fell down in the market place, and foam d at mouth, and was speechless.

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..

Cafca. 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 hifs him, according as he pleas'd, and difpleas'd them, as they used to do the Players in the Theatre, I am no true mant

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

Cafca. 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: 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 fo he fell. When he came to himself again, he faid, "If he had "done, or faid any thing amifs, he defir'd their Wor"fhips 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 less.

Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away?
Casca. Ay.

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

Cafca. Ay, he fpoke Greek.

Caf. To what effect?

Cafca. Nay, an' I tell you what, I'll ne'er look you

'th' 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 scarfs 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? Cafea. No, I am promis'd forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

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

Caf. Good, I will expect you.

Cafca. Do fo: farewel Both.

[Exit.

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 fauce to his good wit,
Which gives men ftomach to digeft his words
With better appetite.

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 what it is difpos'd; therefore 'tis meet,
That noble minds keep ever with their likes:
For who fo firm, that cannot be seduc❜d?
Cafar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,
He fhould not humour me.I will this night,
In feveral hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from feveral citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name: Wherein obfcurely
Cafar's ambition fhall be glanced at.

And, after this, let Cafar feat him fure;

For we will shake him, or worse days endure. [Exit,

Thunder and lightning. Enter Cafca, bis fword drawn ; and Cicero, meeting him.

Cic. Good even, Cafca; brought you Cafar home? Why are you breathless, and why ftare you so?

Cafea. Are not you mov'd, when all the sway 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 threat'ning 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 else the world, too faucy with the Gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Cafea. 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 unscorch'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 ghastly women,
Transformed with their fear; who fwore, they saw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday, the bird of night did fit,
Ev'n at noon-day, upon the market-place,
Hooting and fhrieking. When these Prodigies
Do fo 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.
Cir. Indeed, it is a ftrange-difpofed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Cafar to the Capitol to-morrow?

Cafca.