Shakespeare's plays, abridged and revised for the use of girls by R. Baughan. Book 1, containing the tragedies and historical plays

To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless
things!

O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The live-long day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome;
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks,
To hear the replication of your sounds,
Made in her concave shores?

And do you now put on your best attire ?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way,
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone!

Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude.

[Exeunt.

SCENE.-The same. A public Place.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

Cas. Will you go see the order of the course?
Bru. Not I.

Cas. I pray you, do.

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.
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 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 people

Choose Cæsar for their king.

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:

Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part For, let the gods so speed me as I love

Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.

Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;

I'll leave 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:
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.
Cas. 'Tis just?

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,
Where many of the best respect in Rome
(Except immortal Cæsar), speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.

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 Tiber 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
And stemming it with hearts of controversy,
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæsar cried, "Help me, Cassius, or I sink."
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tiber
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 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;

I will consider; what you have to say,

Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans | Be any further mov'd. What you have said,
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas it cried, "Give me some drink, Titinus,"
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.

Bru. Another general shout!

Flourish.

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 with 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 fam'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 ?
O! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus 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;
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,

I will with patience hear: and find a time
Poth 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

Have struck but thus much show of fire from
Brutus.

Enter CESAR, attended by Senators, MARK
ANTONY, and Lictors.

Cas. Antonius.

Ant. Cæsar.

Cæs. 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.

Cæs. '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;
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 music:
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 anything.
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 all.

SCENE.-Rome. Brutus' Orchard.

Enter BRUTUS.

Bru. What, Lucius! ho!-

ACT II.

I cannot, by the progress of the stars,
Give guess how near to-day.-Lucius, I say!—
I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.-
When, Lucius, when! Awake, I say! What,
Lucius!

Enter LUCIUS.

Luc. Call'd you, my lord?

Bru. Get me a taper in my study, Lucius; When it is lighted, come and call me here. Luc. I will, my lord. [Exit. Bru. It must be by his death; and, for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He would be crown'd;— How that might change his nature, there's the question.

It is the bright day that brings forth the adder;
And that craves wary walking. Crown him?-
That;-

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 speak truth of
Cæsar,

I have not known when his affections sway'd
More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof
That lowliness is young an bition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;
But when he once attains the utmost 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,

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, &c. Speak, strike, redress! Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake!".

Such instigations have been often dropp'd
Where I have took them up.

"Shall Rome, &c." Thus must I piece it out; Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What! Rome ?

My ancestors did from the streets of Rowe

The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king. 'Speak, strike, redress!"-Am I entreated

To speak and strike? O Rome! I make the

promise,

Hide it in smiles and affability;

For if thou put thy native semblance on,*
Not Erebus itself were dim enough

To hide thee from prevention.

Enter CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, CINNA, METELLUS CIMBER and TREBONIUS.

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.

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 two months hence, up higher toward the
north

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 on oath; If not the face of men, The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse,— If these be motives weak, break off betimes, And every man hence to his idle bed; So let high-sighted tyranny range on, Till each man drop by lottery. But if those (As I am sure they do) bear fire en ugh To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour

Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door. The melting spirits of women; then, countrymen, Who doth desire to see you.

Is he alone?

Bru.
Lnc. No, sir, there are more with him.
Bru.
Do you know them?
Luc. No sir; their hats are pluck'd about their

What need we any spur but our own cause
To prick us to redress? what other bond
Than secret Romans, that have spoke the word,
And will not palter ? and what other oath,
Than honesty to honesty engag'd,

That this shall be, or we will fall for it?

Cas. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him? I think he will stand very strong with us. Casca. Let us not leave him out.

Cin. No, by no means. Met. O let us have him; for his silver hairs Will purchase us a good opinion, And buy men's voices to commend our deeds: It shall be said his judgment rul'd our hands; Our youths and wildness shall no whit appear, But all he buried in his gravity.

* True form.

Bru. O name him not; let us not break with him:

For he will never follow anything

That other men begin.

Cas.

Then leave him out.
Casca. Indeed, he is not fit.

Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only
Cæsar?

Cas. Decius, well urg'd:-I think it is not meet,
Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cæsar,
Should outlive Cæsar: we shall find of him
A shrewd contriver; and you know his means,
If he improve them, may well stretch so far
As to annoy us all; which to prevent,
Let Antony and Cæsar fall together.

Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius
Cassius,

To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs:
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards;
For Antony is but a limb of Cæsar.

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar;
And in the spirit of men there is no blood :
O, that we then could come by Caesar's spirit,
And not dismember Cæsar! But, alas,
Cæsar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcase fit for hounds;
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,

And after seem to chide them. This shall make
Our purpose necessary, and not envious;
Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæsar's arm,
When Cæsar's head is off.

Yet I fear him:

Cas.
For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar,-

Bru. Alas, good Cassius! do not think of him;
If he love Cæsar, all that he can do
Is to himself,-take thought, and die for Cæsar;
And that were much he should; for he is given
To sports, to wildness, and much company.
Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die;
For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

[Clock strikes.
The clock hath stricken three.
The morning comes upon us; We'll leave you,
Brutus:-

Bru. Peace! count the clock.
Cas.

And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remem-
ber

What you have said, and show yourselves true
Romans.

Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily;
Let not our looks put on our purposes:
But bear it as our Roman actors do,
With untir'd spirits and formal constancy:
And so, good morrow to you every one.

[Exeunt all but BRUTUS.
Boy! Lucius!-Fast asleep! It is no matter;
Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber;
Thou hast no figures, nor no fantasies,
Which busy care draws in the brains of men;
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.
Enter PORTIA.

Bru. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise
you now?

It is not for your health thus to commit
Your weak condition to the raw-cold morning.
Por. Nor for yours neither. You have ungently,
Brutus,

Stole from my bed; And yesternight, at supper,
You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Musing and sighing, with your arms across;
And when I asked you what the matter was,
You star'd upon me with ungentle looks;
And with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: So I did;
Fearing to strengthen that impatience
Which seem'd too much enkindled; and, withal,
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep;
And, could it work so much upon your shape,
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

Bru. I am not well in health, and that is all.
Por. Brutus is wise, and were he not in health,
He would embrace the means to come by it.

Bru. Why, so I do:-Good Portia, go to bed.
Por. Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
To walk unbraced, and suck up the humours
Of the dank morning? No, my Brutus ;
You have some sick offence within your mind,
Which, by the right and virtue of my place,
I ought to know of: And, upon my knees,
I charm you, by my once commended beauty,
By all your vows of love, and that great vow
Which did incorporate and make us one,
That you unfold to me, yourself, your half,
Why you are heavy: and what men to-night
Have had resort to you; for here have been
Some six or seven, who did hide their faces
Even from darkness.

Bru.

Kneel not, gentle Portia.
Por. I should not need, if you were gentle
Brutus.

Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,
Is it expected I should know no secrets
That appertain to you? Dwell I but in the
suburbs
Of your good pleasure?

Bru. Portia, you are my wife;
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
That visit my sad heart.

Por. If this were true, then should I know this
secret.

I grant I am a woman; but, withal,
A woman that Lord Brutus took to wife;
I grant I am a woman; but, withal,
A woman well-reputed,-Cato's daughter.
Think you I am no stronger than my sex,
Being so father'd and so husbanded?

Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose them;
I have made strong proof of my constancy,
Giving myself a voluntary wound

Here, in the thigh: Can I bear that with patience
And not my husband's secrets?

Bru.

O ye gods,
Render me worthy of this noble wife!

[Knocking within. Hark, hark! one knocks: Portia, go in awhile; And by and by thy bosom shall partake

walk forth?

Cal. What mean you, Cæsar? Think you to What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?
Good morrow, Casca,-Caius, Ligarius,
Cæsar was ne'er so much your enemy
As that same ague which hath made you lean.-
What is't o'clock?

You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

Cas. Cæsar shall forth: The things that threaten'd me

Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see The face of Cæsar, they are vanished.

Cal. Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,* Yet now they fright me. There is one within, Besides the things that we have heard and seen, Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. A lioness hath whelped in the street;

And graves have yawn'd and yielded up their dead:

O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Cæs.

What can be avoided, Whose end is purpos'd by thy mighty gods? Yet Cæsar shall go forth: for these predictions Are to the world in general, as to Cæsar.

Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Cas. Cowards die many times before their

deaths;

The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, Never paid regard to omens.

Bru.

Cæsar, 'tis strucken eight.
Cas. I thank you for your pains and courtesy.
Enter ANTONY.

See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,
Is notwithstanding up: Good morrow, Antony.

Ant. So to most noble Cæsar.
Cas. Bid them prepare within :-

I am to blame to be thus waited for.-
Now, Cinna:-Now, Metellus:-What, Trebonius!
I have an hour's talk in store for you;
Remember that you call on me to day:

Be near me, that I may remember you.
Treb. Cæsar, I will:-and so near will I be,

[Aside. That your best friends shall wish I had been further.

Cas. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;

And we like friends, will straightway go together. Bru, That every like is not the same, O, æsar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!

[Exeunt.

SCENE.-The same.

The Capitol; the Senate sitting.

Flourish. Enter CÆSAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others. Bru. What said Popilius Lena?

Cus. He wish'd, to-day our enterprise might thrive.

I fear our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæsar: Mark him. Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention. Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, Cassius or Cæsar never shall turn back, For I will slay myself.

Bru. Cassius, be constant; Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes; For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change. Cas. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,

CAESAR and

He draws Mark Antony out of the way. [Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS. the Senators take their seats. Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

Bru. He is address'd; press near, and second him.

Cin. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.

That Cæsar, and his senate, must redress?
Cæs. Are we all ready? what is now amiss,
Met. Most high, most mighty, and most puissant
Cæsar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart:-

Cæs.

[Kneeling. I must prevent thee, Cimber. These couchings, and these lowly courtesies, Might fire the blood of ordinary men; And turn pre-ordinance, and first decree, Into the law of children. Be not fond, To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood, That will be thaw'd from the true quality With that which melteth fools; I mean sweet words,

Low crooked curtsies, and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished:

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him,
I spurn thee, like a cur, out of my way.
Know, Cæsar doth not wrong: nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

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Livros

Shakespeare's plays, abridged and revised for the use of girls ..., Volume 221