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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 them; 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
Choose Cæsar for their king.
[people
Cas, 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.
Well, honour is the subject of my story,—
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 his shores,
Casar 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,
Ι

And bade him follow; so, indeed, he did,
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews; throwing it aside,
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæsar cry'd, Help me, Cassius, or I sink.
I, as Eneas, 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

5

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:
10 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?
Whyshould that name be sounded morethanyours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
15 Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well:
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with them,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cæsar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed,
20 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 fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, 'till now, that talk'd of Rome,
25 That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.

O! you and I have heard our fathers say, [brook'd
There was a Brutus once, that would have
30 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:
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
35 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

40 Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things, Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this 3; Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under such hard conditions as this time 45 Is like to lay upon us,

50

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæsar 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 bend doth awe the world,
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans 55
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cry'd, Give me some drink, Titinius,
As a sick girl, Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone, [Shout. Flourish.

Cas, I am glad, that my weak words

Have struck but thus much shew of fire from
Brutus.

Re-enter Cæsar and his train,
Bru, The games are done, and Cæsar is re-

turning,

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 cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes,
60 As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being cross'd in conference by some senators,

'That is, to invite every new protester to my affection by the stale or allurement of customary oaths, Le, Lucius Junius Brutus.

i.e. ruminate on this.
3 B4

4

A ferret has red eyes.

Gas

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Cæs. Let me have men about me, that are fat;|
Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights:
Yon 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.

5

Cas. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him 10 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;
He is a great observer, and he looks

Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no musick:
Seldom he smiles; 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.

15

and still as he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and utter'd such a deal of stinking breath because Casar refus'd the crown, that it had almost choak'd Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air.

Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? did Cæsar

swoon?

Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was speechless.

Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling-sick

ness.

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 20 pleas'd, and displeas'd 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 perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd 25 the crown, he pluck'd 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 so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, If he had done, or said, any thing amiss, he desir'd their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cry'd, Alas, good soul !—and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them: if Cæsar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no less.

[Exeunt Cæsar, and his train. Manent Brutus and Cassius: Casca to them. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would 30 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 had 35 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 other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offer'd him the crown? Casca. Why, Antony.

40

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

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, smil'd at one another, and shook their heads: 45 but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs oif Cæsar's images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

50

-yet 55

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown;'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 offer'd it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very 60 loth to lay his fingers off it. And then he offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by:

i.c. Had I been a mechanick, one of the

Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca?
Casca. No, I am promis'd forth.

Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

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

and

Cas. Good; I will expect you.

Casca. Do so: Farewell both.

[Exit.

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 enterprize,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,

Plebeians, to whom he offered his throat.

Which gives men stomach to digest his words
With better appetite.

5

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

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 to me, and I will wait for you.
Cas. I will do so:-till then, think of the world:
[Exit Brutus.
Well, Brutus, thou art noble: yet I see,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is dispos'd': Therefore 'tis meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes:
For who so firm, that cannot be seduc'd?
Cæsar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus:
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humour me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely 20
Casar's ambition shall be glanced at:
And, after this, let Cæsar seat him sure;
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.

SCENE III.

A Street.

[Exit.

Thunder and Lightning. Enter Casca, his sword drawn; and Cicero, meeting him.

Cic. Good even, Casca: Brought you Cæsar home?

Why are you breathless? and why stare you so?
Casca. Are you not mov'd, when all the sway
of earth'

Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have seen
The ambitious ocean swell, 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 tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven;
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.

Cic. Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?
Casca. A common slave (you know him well by
sight)

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,
Even at noon-day, upon the market-place,
Hooting, and shrieking. When these prodigies

15

Casca. Farewell, Cicero.

Enter Cassius.

Cas. Who's there?

Casca. A Roman.

[Exit Cicero.

[this?

Cas. Casca, by your voice.
Casca. Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is
Cas. A very pleasing night to honest men.
Casca. Who ever knew the heavens nienace so?
Cas. Those, that have known the earth so full of
faults.

For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night;

25 And, thus unbraced, Casca, as you sec,

30

135

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
E'en in the aim and very flash of it.

Casca. But wherefore did you so much tempt
the heavens?

It is the part of men to fear and tremble,
When the most mighty gods, by tokens, send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.

[life

Cas. You are dull, Casca; and those sparks of
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:
40 But if you would consider the true cause,

Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
Why birds, and beasts, from quality and kind';
Why old men, fools, and children calculate';
Why all these things change, from their ordinance,
45 Their natures, and pre-formed faculties,
To monstrous quality; why, you shall find,
That heaven hath intus'd them with these spirits,
To make them instruments of fear, and warning,
Unto some monstrous state.

50 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:

6

A man no mightier than thyself, or me,
55 In personal action; yet prodigious grown,
And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.

Casca.'Tis Cæsarthatyou mean: Isitnot, Cassius?
Cas. Let it be who it is: for Romans now
Have thews' and limbs like to their ancestors;
60 But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,
And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits;

1i.e. The best metal or temper may be worked into qualities contrary to its original constitution. The meaning is, Cæsar loves Brutus ; but if Brutus and I were to change places, his love should not humour me, should not take hold of my affections, so as to make me forget my principles. 'The whole weight or momentum of this globe. i.e. why they deviate from quality and nature. i.e. foretell or prophesy. Prodigious is portentous. Thewes is an obsolete word implying nerves or muscular strength.

Our

Our yoke and sufferance shew 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.

Casca. So can I:

So every bondman in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.

Cas. And why should Casar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know, he would not be a wolf,
But that he sees, the Romans are but sheep;
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire,
Begin it with weak 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!

5

In Pompey's porch: For now, this fearful night,
There is no stir or walking in the streets;
And the complexion of the element,

It favours 'like the work we have in hand,
Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
Enter Cinna.

Casca. Stand close awhile, for here comes one
in haste.

Cas. 'Tis Cinna, I do know him by his gait; 10 He is a friend.-Cinna, where haste you so? Cin. To find out you: Who's that? Metellus Cimber?

15

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? Tell me.
Cin. Yes,

You are.

O, Cassius, if you could but win 20 The noble Brutus to our party

may

[per,

Cas. Be you content: Good Cinna, take this pa-
And look you lay it in the prætor's chair,
Where Brutus but find it; and throw this
In at his window; set this up with wax
25 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,

Where hast thou led me? I, perhaps, speak this 30 And so bestow these papers as you bade me.

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 flearing tell-tale. Hold my hand':
Be factious for redress of all these griefs;
And I will set this foot of mine as far,
As who goes farthest.

Cas. There's a bargain made.

Now know you, Casca, I have mov'd already
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans,
To undergo, with me, an enterprize
Of honourable-dangerous consequence;
And I do know, by this, they stay for me

Cas. That done, repair to Poinpey's theatre. [Exit Cinna Come, Casca, you and I will, yet, ere day, See Brutus at his house: three parts of him 35s ours already; and the man entire,

Upon the next encounter, yields him ours,

Casca. O, he sits high in all the people's hearts:
And that, which would appear offence in us,
His countenance, like richest alchymy,

40 Will change to virtue, and to worthiness. [him,
Cas, Hum, and his worth, and our great need of
You have right well conceited. Let us go,
For it is after midnight; and, ere day,

We will awake him, and be sure of him. [Exeunt.

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And then, I grant, we put a sting in him,
That at his will he may do danger with.
The abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins
Remorse from power: And, to speaktruth of Caesar,
I have not known when his affections sway'd
More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof',
That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face:
But when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back;
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees '
By which he did ascend: So Cæsar may;
Then,lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel
Will bear no colour for the thing he is,
Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented,
Would run to these, and these extremities:
And therefore think him as a serpent's egg,
Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischie-
And kill him in the shell.
[vous:

Re-enter Lucius.

Luc. The taper burneth in your closet, sir. Searching the window for a flint, I found This paper, thus seal'd up; and, I am sure, It did not lie there, when I went to bed.

Bru. Get you to bed again, it is not day. Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March? Luc. I know not, sir.

Bru. Look in the kalendar, and bring me word. Luc. I will, sir.

[Exit.

Bru. The exhalations, whizzing in the air, Give so much light, that I may read by them. [Opens the letter, and reads. "Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake, and see thyself. "Shall Rome-Speak, strike, redress! "Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake,-" Such instigations have been often dropp'd Where I have took them up.

"Shall Ronie-"Thus must I piece it out;
Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What!
My ancestors did from the streets of Rome [Rome
The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king.
"Speak, strike, redress!"-Am I entreated
To speak, and strike? O Rome, I make thee pro-
If the redress will follow, thou receivest [mise,
Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus !

Re-enter Lucius.

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[Exit Lucius. They are the faction. O conspiracy! 15 Sham'st thou to shew thy dangerous brow by night, When evils are most free? Ö, then, by day, Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough [racy; To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiHide it in siniles, and affability:

20 For if thou path, thy native semblance on❝, Not Erebus itself were dim enough

125

30

To hide thee from prevention.

Enter Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus,and Trebon us.

Cas. I think, we are too bold upon your rest:
Good morrow, Brutus; Do we trouble you?
Bru. I have been up this hour; awake,all night.
Know I these men, that come along with you?
Cas. Yes, every man of them; and no man here,
But honours you: and every one doth wish,
You had but that opinion of yourself,

Which every noble Roman bears of you.
This is Trebonius.

Bru. He is welcome hither.

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145

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And this, Metellus Cimber.

Bru. They are all welcome.

What watchful cares do interpose themselves Betwixt your eyes and night?

Cas. Shall I entreat a word?

[here?

[They whisper. Dec. Here lies the east: Doth not the day break Casca. No. Cin. O, pardon, sir, it doth; and yon grey lines, That fret the clouds, are messengers of day. Casca. You shall confess, that you are both deceiv'd.

Here, As I point my sword, the sun arises;
Which is a great way growing on the south,
Weighing the youthful season of the year.
Some twomonths hence, up higher toward thenorth
He first presents his fire; and the high east
Stands, as the Capitol, directly here.

Bru. Give me your hands all over, one by one.

Cas. And let us swear our resolution.

Bru. No, not an oath; If not the face of men,

1i. e. pity. i. e. common observation, or experience. i. e. low steps. *Shakspeare here describes what passes in a single bosom, the insurrection which a conspirator feels agitating the little kingdom of his own mind; when the genius, or power that watches for his protection, and the mortal instruments, the passions which excite him to a deed of honour and danger, are in council and debate; when the desire of action, and the care of safety, keep the mind in continual fluctuation and disturbance, • Cassius married Junia, Brutus' sister. "? i, e. if thou walk in thy true form.

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