Cas. Chastisement ! Bru. Remember March, the ides of March re member! Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake? Cas. Brutus, bay not me, I'll not endure it; you forget yourself, Older in practice, abler than yourself Bru. Cas. I am. Go to; you're not, Cassius. Bru. I say, you are not. Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Bru. Away, slight man! Cas. Is 't possible? Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted, when a madman stares? Cas. O ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all this? Bru. All this? ay, more: Fret, till your proud heart break; Go, show 1 your slaves how cholerick you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch Under your testy humour? By the gods, You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you: for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, Cas. Is it come to this? Bru. You say, you are a better soldier : Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well: For mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men. Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me, I said, an elder soldier, not a better: I Bru. If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me. Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempted him.. Cas. I durst not? Bru. No. Cas. What? durst not tempt him. Bru. For your life you durst not. Cas: Do not presume too much upon my love, may do that I shall be sorry for. threats: Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your For I am arm'd so strong in honesty, That they pass by me, as the idle wind, Which I respect not. I did send to you For certain sums of gold, which you denied me; For I can raise no money by vile means: By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash, By any indirection. I did send To you for gold to pay my legions, Which you denied me: Was that done like Cassius? When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts, Bru. You did. Cas. I denied you not. I did not : - he was but a fool, That brought my answer back.- Brutus hath riv'd' my heart: A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, 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 aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother; Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observ'd, Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote, To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger, When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius. Bru. Sheathe your dagger: Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour. O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb That carries anger, as the flint bears fire; 3 Split. Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark, Cas. Bru. And my heart too. Cas. Bru. O Brutus ! What's the matter? Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rash humour, 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. [Noise within. Poet. [Within.] Let me go in to see the generals: There is some grudge between them, 'tis not meet They be alone. Luc. [Within.] You shall not come to them. Poet. [Within.] Nothing but death shall stay me." Enter Poet. Cas. How now? What's the matter? Poet. For shame, you generals; What do you mean? Love, and be friends, as two such men should be; Cas. Ha, ha; how vilely doth this cynick rhyme! What should the wars do with these jigging fools? 4.Fellow. Cas. [Exit Poet. Away, away, be gone. Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders Prepare to lodge their companies to-night. Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you Immediately to us. Bru. [Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. Lucius, a bowl of wine. Cas. I did not think, you could have been so angry. Bru. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs. Cas. Of your philosophy you make no use, If you give place to accidental evils. Bru. No man bears sorrow better:· dead. Cas. Ha! Portia ? Bru. She is dead.. -Portia is Cas. How scap'd I killing, when I cross'd you so? O insupportable and touching loss! Upon what sickness? Bru. Impatient of my absence; And grief, that young Octavius with Mark Antony Have made themselves so strong;- for with her death That tidings came; - With this she fell distract, And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire. Cas. And died so? Bru. Even so. Cas. O ye immortal gods! Enter LUCIUS, with Wine and Tapers. Bru. Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine: In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. [Drinks. |